DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — More than 18 months after Iowa’s first coronavirus case, the state finds itself in a protracted argument over the value of wearing masks, especially in schools. Even as the COVID-19 death toll in Iowa tops 6,400 people, discussions have shifted away from vaccination efforts and more toward masks following a federal judge’s ruling temporarily blocking a state law banning mask mandates in schools. In the courts, the state has been seeking to have the mask mandate ban restored. In school districts, officials have been holding often-heated meetings about whether to require masks. Efforts to question the value of masks in Iowa and elsewhere have left some health officials frustrated.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The lawyer representing Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in a federal lawsuit over mandatory mask use in schools has asked the judge to allow a temporary order that has allowed schools to implement mask mandates to expire next week. In its documents made public Monday, the state cited testimonials from mothers of school-age children who make unproven assertions that masks can harm children. The state provided testimonials from three women who said their children have medical issues that makes mask wearing difficult for them. That included an Ankeny mother who said her son has asthma and when he wears a mask he “does not receive an adequate amount of clean oxygen and is constantly breathing in germs,” a claim not supported by science.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A judge has given an 18-year-old Cedar Rapids man probation for a botched drug robbery that ended in the shooting death of his cousin. The Gazette reports that Tyrell Gaston was sentenced Tuesday to three years’ probation for his conviction of second-degree robbery. His sentencing on the robbery was delayed a year so he could complete his probation for other charges in juvenile court, including conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance-marijuana, carrying weapons and obstructing prosecution. Prosecutors say Gaston was 16 on Jan. 24, 2020, when he went with his 18-year-old cousin Andrew Gaston rob a 17-year-old during a marijuana deal. Police say the 17-year-old pulled a gun and fired after he was attacked, killing Andrew Gaston and injuring Tyrell Gaston.
IOWA (AP) — A ransomware attack has forced a cooperative of Iowa corn and soy farmers to take their computer systems offline. But a person close to the New Cooperative says it has created workarounds to receive grain and distribute feed. The cooperative said in a statement that the attack was “successfully contained” and that it notified law enforcement. The attack hit just as Iowa’s corn and soy harvesting is getting under way. New Cooperative did not say whether it had paid a ransom. A security researcher said the criminals had demanded $5.9 million.
BELLEVUE, Iowa (AP) — Officials have identified the person who died in a fall at an Iowa state park as an eastern Iowa woman. The state Department of Natural Resources on Monday said 36-year-old Iris Merfeld, of Zwingle, died in the early morning hours of Saturday after falling from an overlook known as Pulpit Rock in Bellevue State Park. The woman fell about 150 feet to rocks below the bluffs. She was pronounced dead at the scene. No foul play is suspected. The park sits on bluffs along the Mississippi River. It remains open to visitors.
URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) — A bicyclist is dead after being struck by a vehicle in Urbandale. The Des Moines Register reports that 55-year-old Eric Christopher Lindberg of Des Moines was riding on Meredith Drive around 7:15 a.m. Sunday when he was hit. Police say the accident remains under investigation. No charges have been filed.
