The Iowa legislature has taken final action on two proposals related to drunk driving. One would force recently convicted drunk drivers with a "temporary restricted license" to use a device that prevents their vehicles from starting if they're intoxicated. Representative Sandy Salmon, a … [Read more...]
Iowa House votes for changes in liquor liability law for bars, restaurants
The Iowa House has voted to limit liability for bars and restaurants accused of over-serving a drunk customer. However -- unlike the Republican-led Senate -- House members have voted to let juries award an unlimited amount of money for "substantial or permanent" damages from a drunk driving … [Read more...]
Elkader man charged in February crash that left two teens dead
Charges have been filed in connection with a crash that killed two teenagers in northeast Iowa's Clayton County last month. Iowa State Patrol Sergeant Nate Ludwig says 20-year-old Kory Doeppke of Elkader was driving a car that collided with a pickup at a rural intersection between Strawberry … [Read more...]
Report finds drug, alcohol and suicide deaths among minorities in Iowa lower than most states
A new report finds surprisingly large increases in the number of deaths by alcohol, drugs or suicide among racial and ethnic minority groups nationwide, but the figures in Iowa are an exception. Albert Lang, senior communications manager at Trust For America's Health, says Iowa's numbers in all … [Read more...]
Dubuque man turns himself in for drunk driving
A Dubuque Police report shows an officer saw a car go through a red light around 1 a.m. Tuesday, tried to pull the driver over, but the car sped away. The officer eventually backed off when the driver, going double the posted speed limit, entered a residential area. The arrest report shows the … [Read more...]
Cider business near Fairfield expanding into vacant building
A business in Jefferson County which makes hard cider is moving to a new facility and plans to expand the operation to be able to send its product statewide. Jesse Narducci and Katie Greenfield started Jefferson County Ciderworks in 2013 and began producing cider from the apples grown on the … [Read more...]
Bill would cap liability for bars, restaurants in drunk driving cases
A senate committee has approved legislation that would limit the liability for Iowa businesses accused of over-serving a customer involved in a drunk driving crash. If the bill becomes law, a person injured in a drunk driving wreck or the relatives of someone who dies in an accident would be … [Read more...]
Making it legal for Iowans to bring out-of-state beer and wine into the state
It's currently illegal for Iowans to buy wine or beer in another country or even another state and bring it into Iowa. Senator Roby Smith of Davenport is sponsoring a bill that, essentially, would let Iowans transport 48 cans of beer or six bottles of wine across the state line. "This would … [Read more...]
Reynolds praises the way legislator’s OWI has been handled
Governor Kim Reynolds has talked openly about her decision to quit drinking after two drunk driving arrests 18 years ago. Today, the governor is publicly offering her support to a legislator charged with operating while intoxicated last Friday morning. "My thoughts and prayers are with … [Read more...]
Representative Baltimore plans to plead guilty to OWI, weapon charge
The legislator arrested for drunken driving early Friday morning in Ames plans to plead guilty to the charges. Representative Chip Baltimore, a Republican from Boone, today said he made a "horrible decision." "That's an understatement. I don't know any other way to describe it," Baltimore said … [Read more...]