From the Associated Press:
IOWA FALLS, Iowa (AP) — A review by the Iowa attorney general’s office finds that two Iowa State Patrol troopers were justified in an Iowa Falls shooting that left one man dead. The review released Wednesday by Special Assistant Attorney General Scott Brown found that troopers Corey Smock and Jeremy Schaffer “were entirely legally justified” in their actions that ended in the death of 35-year-old Jared Risius on the morning of Dec. 8 in Iowa Falls. The shooting happened after officers attempted to help a woman who reported a man was trying to stop her vehicle. Officers said they believed Risius was armed and potentially dangerous to people nearby.
MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa school board has upheld the decision to drop the “Mohawk” name and mascot, despite some pushback from the community. In November, the Mason City School Board voted to end use of the Mohawk nickname after the Meskwaki Nation in Iowa and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council of Akwesasne, New York, objected to the Native-themed mascot. The topic was put on the agenda for the Monday night meeting in response to a presentation by members of the Facebook group, “Mason City Mohawk Save the Name.” But the Mason City Globe Gazette reports that the board held firm with its decision.
FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A former jailer in Webster County is facing charges accusing her of helping an inmate escape. The Fort Dodge Messenger reports that 30-year-old Michelle Renee Valenti of Fort Dodge faces several felony charges in connection with the Dec. 11 incident in which an inmate, 43-year-old Jordan Mefferd of Fort Dodge, was able to break out of the jail. Mefferd was taken back into custody hours later. A criminal complaint cites surveillance video showing that Valenti was the only person with access to the controls capable of unlocking the door Mefferd used in his escape. Authorities say Valenti later admitted to facilitating the escape.
ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — An Ankeny woman has lost her home after a car crashed into the structure, causing a fire. KCCI-TV reports that police are still investigating how a car sped into the side of the townhome. The accident happened about 1 a.m. Monday. Jo Ellen Myers was asleep in her bedroom when the car exploded into her living room. She said she lost everything to the smoke and water damage. Now, Myers and her granddaughter are homeless, but she’s just happy they’re both OK. Police are still searching for the driver but found two juveniles who jumped from the vehicle and ran after the crash.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal watchdog says the Trump administration overpaid corn farmers by about $3 billion in federal aid in 2019 and that farmers in the South were paid more for the same crops than elsewhere in the country. The Government Accountability Office said in a report released Monday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s methodology for computing damage for 2019 was flawed. The USDA chief economist says the analysis was based on a widely accepted trade model and methodologies, and that USDA economists offered options to policymakers who chose which methods to use to decide how to pay farmers.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man charged earlier for his participation in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was arraigned on a new federal indictment that includes a felony count that could carry up to 20 years in prison. Leo Christopher Kelly has been free on pretrial release. The 36-year-old appeared via video for his arraignment Tuesday. His attorney, Kira West, entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. The most serious charge Kelly faces is obstruction of an official proceeding. Two other charges carry up to 10 years in prison. The remaining charges are misdemeanors carrying up to six months in prison. A status update on his case was set for Feb. 25.
