Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds wants Congress to investigate how the federal government transports unaccompanied migrant children after she said 19 children were flown from California to Iowa in April…a month after Iowa officials told the Biden Administration the state would not house unaccompanied migrant children. State officials say they have been unable to get concrete answers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services about the flight itself, who was on board and where the kids are now. Two of the 19 children were unified with sponsors at the Des Moines International Airport. The other children were bused to locations in or near Kansas City, Missouri; Janesville, Wisconsin; Chicago, Illinois; Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Detroit, Michigan. It has not been confirmed if the two children who were unified with sponsors in Des Moines stayed in Iowa or traveled to another state.
Authorities in Muscatine County in eastern Iowa say a man has died after becoming stuck in a cattle farm manure tank. The death occurred Tuesday at a farm in Stockton and was reported by authorities there on Wednesday. New Liberty Fire Chief Chad Petersen said his volunteer fire department responded around 10 a.m. Tuesday to the scene. Petersen says the man was doing some work in the tank when he got stuck. Firefighters retrieved the man’s body from the tank late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.
A precautionary drinking water advisory has been issued for some people who live in northeast Cedar Rapids. City leaders are asking people that live in the area to “consider boiling water used for personal consumption as a precautionary measure”, and they ask anyone pregnant or nursing or anyone with infants under six months old to use bottled water only. The affected area runs from Center Point Road NE on the west to Eastern Avenue NE on the east, including the Elmcrest Country Club and the Collins Aerospace facility…and from 42nd Street NE in the north to 29th Street NE in the south. A nearby water main break is to blame for advisory. The city expects to get results of a bacteria analysis on Saturday; that is when the advisory will either be lifted or extended.
Waterloo Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald just marked his first year on the job in the city…but he’s back in the news now for another application to leave. After being a finalist for jobs in Memphis, Miami, and Albuquerque…reports indicate he has applied for the position of chief in Austin, Texas. That has led current first ward council member and candidate for mayor Margaret Klein to call for Fitzgerald’s resignation, calling the frequent job applications and out of town trips “a slap in the face” to Waterloo taxpayers.
Cedar Rapids Police say the two boys seriously hurt in a scooter accident Wednesday afternoon remained in the hospital and that the driver who hit them is not facing any charges related to the incident. CRPD says the two boys, an 8-year-old and a 12-year-old, were riding a single electric scooter in an alley between 15th Street and Camburn Court SE when they rode onto Mount Vernon Road SE. Witnesses and video obtained by investigators indicate the children rode onto the busy road without stopping at a stop sign. While the driver of the car was not cited for the accident, he was charged for driving while license under suspension and failure to provide proof of financial liability. The two boys suffered life-threatening injuries and at last report were being treated at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
The Iowa High School Athletic Association announced Thursday that the 2021 state baseball tournament will take place outside of Des Moines, its home for the past 16 years. Class 1A and 2A games will be in Carroll, while Class 3A and 4A will play at the University of Iowa. The move from Principal Park was due to conflicts with new minor league baseball schedules. No decision has been made on sites for future years. The 2021 state baseball tournament is scheduled for July 26-31.
Polk County’s long-serving top prosecutor has announced he will not run for reelection. County Attorney John Sarcone said yesterday he will not seek a ninth term next year. Sarcone is a Democrat who has served as the county’s top prosecutor since 1991. He has faced recent criticism for his decisions to charge a journalist and participants in last year’s protests over racial inequality. Sarcone pursued misdemeanor charges against Des Moines Register journalist Andrea Sahouri, who was pepper-sprayed and arrested while covering a protest in May 2020. His effort drew widespread condemnation from advocates for a free press and human rights. Sahouri was acquitted in March. Democrat Kimberly Graham, who was an unsuccessful candidate for U.S. Senate last year, declared her candidacy yesterday to succeed Sarcone.
