CHANGES TO IOWA GUN LAWS HAVE CLEARED THE IOWA LEGISLATURE. THE IOWA SENATE PASSED THOSE CHANGES MONDAY ON A PARTY LINE VOTE. THE BILL WOULD ALLOW PEOPLE TO BUY FIREARMS AND CARRY A CONCEALED HANDGUN WITHOUT FIRST OBTAINING A STATE PERMIT. IT COULD ELIMINATE CURRENT STATE BACKGROUND CHECKS TO CONFIRM GUN OWNERS AREN’T DISQUALIFIED FROM OWNERSHIP DUE TO PAST FELONIES OR ABUSES. IT NOW GOES TO GOV. KIM REYNOLDS.
USDA SECRETARY AND FORMER IOWA GOVERNOR TOM VILSACK WAS IN CENTRAL IOWA MONDAY TO TALK ABOUT HOW FEDERAL COVID-19 RELIEF WILL HELP THOSE WHO ARE FOOD INSECURE. STOPPING AT A FOOD BANK IN DES MOINES, VILSACK SAYS THAT SUPPORT FOR THOSE WITH THE GREATEST NEED ACTUALLY HAS MORE FAR-REACHING IMPACTS. VILSACK WAS JOINED ON HIS VISIT BY DOUG EMHOFF, HUSBAND OF VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS; WE’LL HEAR FROM EMHOFF DURING NEXT HOUR’S KXEL NEWS.
TWO IOWANS ARE FACING NEW CHARGES FROM THEIR ALLEGED ROLES IN THE JAN. 6 RIOT AT THE U.S. CAPITOL. DEBORAH SANDOVAL, OF DES MOINES, AND HER SON, SALVADOR SANDOVAL, OF ANKENY, WERE FIRST TAKEN INTO CUSTODY DURING MID-FEBRUARY. NEW DOCUMENTS FILED IN THEIR EXTRADITION CASE SHOWS SALVADOR SANDOVAL ALLEGEDLY FOUGHT WITH SEVERAL POLICE OFFICERS IN THE CAPITOL BUILDING.
REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR THE NEXT WINDOWS ON WATERLOO PROGRAM. REPRESENTATIVES OF GROW CEDAR VALLEY WILL SPEAK TO THOSE GATHERED FOR THE FREE ZOOM SESSION NEXT THURSDAY. THE WINDOWS ON WATERLOO SERIES IS PRESENTED BY THE WATERLOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
A FEDERAL APPEALS COURT SAYS THREE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA ADMINISTRATORS MAY BE PERSONALLY LIABLE FOR MONETARY DAMAGES AFTER IMPROPERLY TAKING ACTION AGAINST A CHRISTIAN STUDENT GROUP. THE CASE BEGAN IN 2017 AND STEMMED FROM THE GROUP: BUSINESS LEADERS IN CHRIST’S STANCE ON HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS. THE 8TH U.S. CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS SAYS THE ADMINISTRATORS ARE NOT IMMUNE FROM A LAWSUIT. REVOKING THE GROUP’S CAMPUS PRIVILEGES VIOLATED ESTABLISHED CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND ASSOCIATION. A FEDERAL JUDGE HAD PREVIOUSLY RULED THAT THE UNIVERSITY UNEVENLY APPLIED ITS HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY THROUGH ITS ACTIONS.
THE HUSBAND OF VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS TOURED A DES MOINES FOOD BANK AS THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION PROMOTES THE RECENTLY PASSED $1.9 TRILLION COVID RELIEF BILL. SECOND GENTLEMAN DOUG EMHOFF SPOKE ABOUT THE DELEGATION’S STOP AT THE FOOD BANK OF IOWA AND HIS IMPRESSIONS OF THE WORK HAPPENING THERE. DURING MONDAY’S APPEARANCE, EMHOFF AND AGRICULTURE SECRETARY TOM VILSACK ANNOUNCED A 15 PERCENT INCREASE IN BENEFITS FOR THE SNAP FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THROUGH SEPTEMBER.
FRAUD AND OTHER CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED AGAINST A WATERLOO WOMAN FOR ALLEGED IDENTITY THEFT. APRIL SOUTH IS ACCUSED OF STEALING OVER 28 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS CLAIMED IN THE NAME OF A RELATIVE. THE ALLEGED FRAUD WAS REPORTEDLY FIRST DISCOVERED IN JANUARY.
U.S. AGRICULTURE SECRETARY TOM VILSACK AND THIRD DISTRICT IOWA CONGRESSWOMAN CINDY AXNE ACCOMPANIED SECOND GENTLEMAN DOUG EMHOFF DURING A CENTRAL IOWA APPEARANCE ON MONDAY. AXNE NOTED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EMHOFF’S VISIT TO THE FOOD BANK OF IOWA. EMHOFF IS THE HUSBAND OF VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS. HE WAS IN DES MOINES TO TALK ABOUT THIS MONTH’S COVID-19 RELIEF LEGISLATION WHICH PROVIDED ENHANCEMENTS TO FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. RESOURCES IN THE PACKAGE WILL PROVIDE ABOUT $28 MORE PER PERSON, PER MONTH, IN ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE BENEFITS THROUGH SEPTEMBER.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA SAYS A PARTNERSHIP WITH DES MOINES AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS SERVING MORE STUDENTS THAN EVER AS THE COLLABORATION CELEBRATES A MILESTONE BIRTHDAY. THE 2+2 ELEMENTARY EDUCATION PROGRAM IS IN ITS 25TH YEAR AND HAS ITS LARGEST-EVER CLASS. THE EFFORT IS THE LONGEST-RUNNING ALLIANCE BETWEEN A UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN THE STATE; IT WAS CREATED TO HELP RURAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS OVERCOME CHALLENGES FINDING SUITABLE TEACHING CANDIDATES. THE PROGRAM COMBINES TWO YEARS OF CLASSES AT DMACC FOLLOWED BY TWO YEARS AT UNI, VIA A COMBINATION OF IN-PERSON, ONLINE AND HYBRID COURSEWORK.
IF THE IOWA HAWKEYE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM CAN EARN THEIR 20TH WIN OF THE SEASON, THEY’LL BE ON TO THE SWEET 16. TODAY’S IOWA GAME IN THE NCAA WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT IS AGAINST KENTUCKY AND BEGINS AT 2:30.
