FEDERAL CHANGES TO VOTING LAW STALLED IN THE U.S. SENATE EARLIER THIS WEEK. A VOTE IN THE CHAMBER SPLIT 50-50; DEMOCRATS BACKED THE LEGISLATION WHILE REPUBLICANS OPPOSED THE BILL. IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST TALKED WITH KXEL’S JEFF STEIN ABOUT THE REASONS FOR HER “NO” VOTE, WHICH INCLUDED A PREFERENCE FOR LOCAL CONTROL OF ELECTIONS. HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH ERNST DURING MONDAY’S EDITION OF KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL.
TWO TRAFFIC INCIDENTS IN LINN COUNTY DREW THE ATTENTION OF EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ON WEDNESDAY. THE FIRST HAPPENED SHORTLY AFTER NOON ON INTERSTATE 380 NEAR H AVENUE WHEN A SEMI TRUCK TURNED OVER, SPILLING A LOAD OF PROCESSED CHICKEN. TRAFFIC WAS HALTED ON THE INTERSTATE AS THE DRIVER NEEDED ASSISTANCE OUT OF HIS CAB BUT ONLY HAD MINOR INJURIES. THEN DURING THE EVENING COMMUTE, AN ANAMOSA WOMAN WAS TRAPPED IN HER CAR AFTER RUNNING INTO THE BACK OF TWO OTHER VEHICLES ON HIGHWAY 151 EAST OF CEDAR RAPIDS. THE ACCIDENT SENT AT LEAST FOUR PEOPLE TO AREA HOSPITALS, BUT NONE OF THE INJURIES WERE LIFE THREATENING, ACCORING TO THE LINN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA’S ROSTER OF COACHES CONTINUES TO REMAIN STABLE. WEDNESDAY, THE PANTHER ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED THAT SOFTBALL COACH RYAN JACOBS HAS SIGNED A CONTRACT EXTENTION THROUGH 2026. UNI SOFTBALL QUALIFIED FOR THE NCAA TOURNAMENT, ENDING THE YEAR 32-20. JACOBS HAS BEEN THE PANTHER’S HEAD COACH SINCE 2007.
TWO MEN WERE TAKEN TO THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITALS AND CLINICS AFTER BEING SHOT OUTSIDE AN IOWA CITY APARTMENT COMPLEX WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON NEAR 2 P.M. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 SPOKE WITH RESIDENT PRISCILLA MILLER, WHO WAS NOT FAR FROM THE SHOOTING SCENE. NO CHILDREN WERE HURT OUTSIDE THE VILLA GARDEN APARTMENTS; POLICE COLLECTED EVIDENCE FROM SEVERAL SHOTS WHICH WERE FIRED. THE TWO WOUNDED MEN WERE BELIEVED TO HAVE NON-LIFE THREATENING INJURIES. POLICE IN IOWA CITY ARE INVESTIGATING AND INITIALLY INDICATED THAT MORE THAN ONE PERSON MAY HAVE FIRED THE SHOTS.
IOWA’S JUDICIAL BRANCH IS FINALIZING PLANS TO SPEND NEW MONEY ALLOCATED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE. AFTER SEVERAL SPARTAN YEARS, STATE COURTS RECEIVED A 4.7 PERCENT INCREASE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022. THAT ADDS UP TO AN ALOTMENT OF ALMOST 190 MILLION DOLLARS. THE MONEY WILL ALLOW THE JUDICIAL BRANCH TO ADD FOUR NEW JUDGES AND FILL CLERK OF COURT VACANCIES IN 17 COUNTIES. NEARLY ONE THIRD OF IOWA’S COUNTIES ARE OPERATING THEIR COURTS WITH LESS THAN THE RECOMMENDED NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES.
A GROUP OF FLOYD COUNTY RESIDENTS IS FOLLOWING THROUGH ON A THREAT TO SUE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE GROUP PETITIONED FOR A REFERENDUM TO CHANGE THE WAY SUPERVISORS ARE ELECTED. THE BALLOT QUESTION WOULD HAVE ASKED WHETHER GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICTS SHOULD BE USED, RATHER THAN THE CURRENT SITUATION WHERE ALL SUPERVISORS HOLD AT-LARGE SEATS. THE BOARD DENIED THE REQUEST ON A TECHNICALITY ABOUT THE WORDING OF THE PETITION.
THE DISCOVERY OF A CONCEALABLE SHOTGUN PUT A WATERLOO MAN IN JAIL THIS WEEK. AUTHORITIES ALLEDGEDLY FOUND 24-YEAR-OLD JUSTIN BARNES IN POSSESSION OF THE WEAPON AFTER FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVED ON THE SCENE OF A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. THE SHOTGUN’S SERIAL NUMBER HAD ALSO BEEN REMOVED. BARNES IS PROHIBITED FROM OWNING FIREARMS DUE TO HIS PRIOR CRIMINAL HISTORY.
THIS WEEK, IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST JOINED 49 REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES IN OPPOSING VOTING LEGISLATION INTRODUCED BY DEMOCRATS. SPEAKING TO KXEL, ERNST TALKED ABOUT HER REASONS FOR VOTING NO, STARTING WITH THE BILL’S ALTERATION OF STATE VOTER ID RULES. HEAR MORE FROM ERNST DURING NEXT HOUR’S KXEL NEWSCAST.
CEDAR FALLS CITY COUNCILMAN MARK MILLER WILL NOT SEEK ANOTHER TERM. MILLER HAS REPRESENTED WARD 1 IN CEDAR FALLS SINCE 2014, TWICE WINNING HIS COUNCIL SEAT. RETIRED JOHN DEERE EMPLOYEE GIL SCHULTZ ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTION TO RUN FOR THE POSITION LAST MONTH. MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS ARE SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER.
YOUNG BALLPLAYERS WILL BE ON THE DIAMOND AT THE FIELD OF DREAMS BEFORE THE MAJOR LEAGUERS ARRIVE. THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX HOST THE NEW YORK YANKEES ON AUGUST 12TH IN A MATCHUP DELAYED A YEAR BY THE CORONAVIRUS. THE DAY BEFORE CHICAGO AND NEW YORK MEET, YOUTH TEAMS FROM BOTH CITIES WILL PLAY THEIR OWN GAME ON THE FIELD IN DYERSVILLE.
