ON THURSDAY, IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SIGNED A BILL WHICH BACKERS SAY PROVIDES NEW SUPPORT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. THE MEASURE MAKES IT HARDER TO WIN MONETARY DAMAGES FROM LAWSUITS AGAINST POLICE AND INCREASES PENALTIES FOR SOME PROTEST ACTIVITIES. STATE REPRESENTATIVE ROSS WILBURN OF AMES IS ALSO IOWA’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN, AND HE CRITICIZED THE MEASURE. THE 2020 LEGISLATION WILBURN REFERENCED FOLLOWED THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD IN MINNEAPOLIS AND PROTESTS IN SEVERAL IOWA CITIES.
THE CENTRAL IOWA MAN CHARGED IN A SHOOTING AFTER A DECEMBER POLITICAL RALLY IN DES MOINES HAS PLED GUILTY TO TWO FELONIES. MICHAEL MCKINNEY FIRED INTO A CAR FULL OF BLACK GIRLS AFTER A DISPUTE BROKE OUT NEAR THE IOWA CAPITOL. MCKINNEY’S PLEA COVERED INTIMIDATION WITH A DANGEROUS WEAPON AND WILLFUL INJURY CHARGES. THE STATE WILL DISMISS FOUR OTHER COUNTS INCLUDING ATTEMPTED MURDER. ONE 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL WAS SHOT IN THE LEG AND SERIOUSLY INJURED. MCKINNEY WILL BE SENTENCED AUGUST 9TH.
A WOMAN WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED THURSDAY AFTERNOON IN A CRASH ON IOWA HIGHWAY 9 NEAR RIDGEWAY IN WINNESHEIK COUNTY. THE IOWA STATE PATROL SAYS 77-YEAR-OLD JOAN LUBKE WAS RIDING A UTV ON THE HIGHWAY SHOULDER BUT TURNED INTO THE ROADWAY IN FRONT OF A TRAILING VEHICLE. LUBKE WAS TRANSPORTED FROM THE ACCIDENT SCENE BY HELICOPTER. AUTHORITIES ARE STILL INVESTIGATING.
THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES TRAVEL THE STRETCH OF MT. VERNON ROAD SOUTHEAST IN CEDAR RAPIDS WHERE TWO PRE-TEEN BOYS WERE HIT BY A CAR AND SERIOUSLY INJURED RIDING AN ELECTRIC SCOOTER LAST THURSDAY. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE STREET HAD ALREADY BEEN PLANNED, ACCORDING TO TRAFFIC ENGINEER JOHN WITT, WHO SPOKE TO OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9. CHANGES TO MOUNT VERNON ROAD ARE EXPECTED IN 2023. MEANWHILE, TV-9 REPORTS BOTH BOYS HURT IN THE SCOOTER ACCIDENT ARE STILL HOSPITALIZED.
THE SALVATION ARMY OF WATERLOO/CEDAR FALLS WILL HAVE TO COMBINE TWO HOMELESS SHELTERS DUE TO A STAFFING SHORTAGE. THE ORGANIZATION’S MEN’S SHELTER WILL TEMPORARILY CLOSE; SOME RESIDENTS WILL BE MOVED TO THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN’S SHELTER BEGINNING NEXT WEEKEND. MAJOR SHANNON THIES TALKED ABOUT QUESTIONS THE SALVATION ARMY ASKED WHILE MAKING THE DECISION. THE SALVATION ARMY WILL BE ABLE TO SERVE APPROXIMATELY 16 HOMELESS PEOPLE UNDER THE TEMPORARY CONDITIONS.
SAMI SCHEETZ PLANS TO BE ON THE BALLOT FOR IOWA SENATE DISTRICT 33 DURING NEXT SUMMER’S DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY. DISTRICT 33 COVERS A PORTION OF CEDAR RAPIDS. SCHEETZ IS A DEMOCRATIC ACTIVIST. HE WILL BE SEEKING THE NOMINATION AGAINST BREANNA OXLEY, WHO ANNOUNCED HER CAMPAIGN EARLIER THIS WEEK. BOTH SCHEETZ AND OXLEY HOPE TO REPLACE SENATOR ROB HOGG, WHO WILL NOT SEEK ANOTHER TERM.
BOTH OF THE PRINCIPLE FIGURES INVOLVED IN A WEDNESDAY CONFRONTATION WERE ARRESTED BY WATERLOO POLICE. AUTHORITIES SAY IT WAS THE LATEST EPISODE IN A RUNNING CONFLICT BETWEEN TWO PARTIES. A MAN LEAVING A STORE WAS ATTACKED BY A WOMAN WIELDING BEAR SPRAY. HE RESPONDED BY FIRING SEVERAL SHOTS WITH A HANDGUN. KYNESHA HARRINGTON WAS CHARGED WITH ASSAULT. TYLER WILLIAMS FACES INTIMIDATION WITH A WEAPON AND RECKLESS USE OF A FIREARM CHARGES.
U.S. SECRETARY OF LABOR MARTY WALSH WAS IN THE CORRIDOR ON THURSDAY. WALSH VISITED KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS FROM CBS-2 SPOKE TO WALSH IN IOWA CITY, WHERE THE SECRETARY TALKED ABOUT EFFORTS TO BRING COLLEGE CAMPUSES BACK TO REGULAR OPERATION AFTER THE CORONAVIRUS ALTERED THE PAST SCHOOL YEAR. WALSH ALSO TALKED WITH WORKERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITALS AND CLINICS.
NEW IOWA HOUSE MINORITY LEADER JENNIFER KONFRST OF WINDSOR HEIGHTS CRITICIZED SO-CALLED BACK-THE-BLUE LEGISLATION SIGNED BY GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS THURSDAY. KONFRST SAID DEMOCRATS WANTED ADVANCEMENT ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM AND PROCEDURES TO REDUCE RACIAL PROFILING. MORE REACTION TO THURSDAY’S BILL SIGNING DURING NEXT HOUR’S KXEL NEWSCAST.
