DURING THE EARLY MONTHS OF 2021, FIRST DISTRICT CONGRESSWOMAN ASHLEY HINSON HAS ARGUED THAT OTHER STATES SHOULD BE LIKE IOWA WHEN IT COMES TO IN-PERSON LEARNING IN K-THROUGH-12 SCHOOLS. THIS WEEK ON FOX’S “AMERICA’S NEWSROOM” PROGRAM, HINSON TALKED ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES STUDENTS AND PARENTS ARE FACING AS A RESULT OF PANDEMIC-RELATED DISRUPTIONS. MANY STATES ARE GRAPPLING WITH CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES ARE ADEQUATE TO KEEP TEACHERS AND STUDENTS SAFE ENOUGH TO RETURN TO IN-PERSON LEARNING. IOWA LEGISLATORS AND GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS APPROVED A BILL EARLIER THIS YEAR REQUIRING SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO HAVE A 100 PERCENT IN-PERSON SCHOOL OPTION BY MID-FEBRUARY.
BLACK HAWK COUNTY WILL HAVE A NEW EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. LORIE GLOVER IS RETIRING AFTER 10 YEARS IN THE ROLE. COUNTY OFFICIALS ANNOUNCED TUESDAY THAT MINDY BENSON WILL BE THE NEW EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR. BENSON HAS HELD THE SAME ROLE IN TAMA COUNTY SINCE 2013.
IT’S ST. PATRICK’S DAY. JUST IN TIME FOR THE ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF IRISH CULTURE, IOWA IRISH FEST ORGANIZERS ANNOUNCED THAT THEIR EVENT WILL RETURN IN AUGUST. IRISH FEST IN WATERLOO WAS CANCELLED IN 2020 DUE TO COVID-19. YESTERDAY, IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT IOWA IRISH FEST WILL BE HELD AUGUST 6TH THROUGH 8TH, WITH A LINEUP OF BANDS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES TO BE ANNOUNCED LATER THIS YEAR.
A WATERLOO MAN ALREADY AWAITING TRIAL FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER HAS NOW BEEN CHARGED WITH KILLING ANOTHER MAN DURING A ROBBERY LAST YEAR. ROBERT LEE WILLIAMS JR. WAS CHARGED TUESDAY WITH FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE DEATH OF 49-YEAR-OLD VINCENT HEMENWAY. AUTHORITIES ALLEGE WILLIAMS WAS PART OF A GROUP OF MEN WHO APPROACHED HEMENWAY AND HIS FRIENDS ON AUG. 15 WHILE THEY WERE WORKING ON A VEHICLE INSIDE A GARAGE. SOMEONE REQUESTED A LIGHTER. HEMENWAY VOLUNTEERED HIS, THEN A CONFRONTATION BEGAN WHEN ONE OF THE SUSPECTS ATTEMPTED TO WALK AWAY WITH IT. HEMENWAY WAS SHOT AND KILLED MOMENTS LATER.
MORE FEDERAL MONEY IS COMING TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS PART OF THE LATEST COVID-19 RELIEF BILL PASSED EARLIER THIS MONTH. DURING THE “AMERICA’S NEWSROOM” PROGRAM ON FOX NEWS, IOWA FIRST DISTRICT CONGRESSWOMAN ASHLEY HINSON SAID SHE WANTS RESOURCES TO BE PUT TOWARD ADDRESSING FAMILY MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. HINSON CITED AN INCREASING NUMBER OF EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES AS A SIGN THAT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IS HAVING BROAD AND COMPLICATED REVERBERATIONS.
THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES HAS GOOD NEWS FOR ANGLERS: TROUT STOCKING IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN ON MANY NORTHEAST IOWA WATERWAYS MARCH 29TH. APPROXIMATELY 320 THOUSAND CATCHABLE RAINBOW TROUT WILL BE ADDED TO DESIGNATED STREAMS, WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SMALLER FISH ALSO STOCKED. WHILE THE MAJORITY OF TROUT WILL BE ADDED IN FAR NORTHERN AND EASTERN COUNTIES, WATERWAYS AS FAR SOUTH AND WEST AS LINN COUNTY ARE ALSO ON THE DNR LIST.
A MAN WHO REPORTEDLY ESCAPED FROM POLICE IN WATERLOO LAST MONTH HAS NOW BEEN RECAPTURED. AUTHORITIES CAUGHT UP WITH 21-YEAR-OLD DEQUONTERIO GALLOWAY-BASS ON MONDAY. GALLOWAY-BASS WAS WANTED IN CONNECTION WITH A FEBRUARY ROBBERY IN ELK RUN HEIGHTS WHICH HAS ALREADY LED TO CHARGES AGAINST SEVERAL OTHER SUSPECTS. THE FOCUS OF THAT INCIDENT WAS A LARGE NUMBER OF GUNS WHICH WERE ON SITE IN A PRIVATE RESIDENCE. GALLOWAY-BASS ALLEGEDLY ESCAPED AN INITIAL ARREST ON FEBRUARY 23RD. CHARGES AGAINST HIM INCLUDE ROBBERY, TRAFFICKING STOLEN WEAPONS, AND BEING A FELON IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM.
AN INSTANCE OF ARSON IS THE LATEST CRIME TO CREATE DIFFICULTIES FOR A CEDAR RAPIDS COUPLE. JOSHUA LAWSON TOLD OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 THE TRUCK HE USED FOR A HAULING BUSINESS WAS SET ON FIRE. VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT SHOWS A SUSPECT RUNNING AWAY FROM THE TRUCK AS FLAMES BEGIN TO APPEAR. LAWSON TOLD TV-9 THAT ONE OF HIS NEIGHBORS ALSO HAD CREDIT CARDS STOLEN. CEDAR RAPIDS POLICE ARE USING THE VIDEO FROM THE INCIDENT AND OTHER EVIDENCE TO INVESTIGATE THE CASE.
A CEDAR VALLEY MAN PREVIOUSLY SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN STATE PRISON NOW ALSO HAS A FEDERAL PRISON SENTENCE. RAJIH DONLEY ENTERED A PLEA OF GUILTY TO BEING A FELON IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM. DONLEY LEARNED TUESDAY HE WILL SERVE MORE THAN TWO YEARS FROM THE FEDERAL CHARGES AGAINST HIM. WATERLOO POLICE DISCOVERED A GUN THEY CONNECTED TO DONLEY IN 2018.
