From the Associated Press:
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s 2nd congressional district has the dubious distinction of having the second-most structurally deficient bridges in the country. So, it struck some Iowans as strange when the district’s Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks voted against a bill that would pour more than $100 million in federal money to repair and replace bridges into southwest Iowa. Miller-Meeks objected to majority Democrats’ handling of the bill, a common refrain from the minority that overwhelmingly opposed it. If anyone in Iowa was surprised that the Republican would oppose money for a glaring local priority, few in Washington were. Strategists and onetime party leaders note it’s become so common for lawmakers to prioritize their party’s line over district needs that it’s hardly mentioned.
MERRILL, Iowa (AP) — Construction has begun on a 16-mile hiking and biking trail connecting the Iowa towns of Sioux City and Le Mars. The Sioux City Journal reports that ground was broken Tuesday on the PlyWood Trail. The PlyWood Trail Foundation has raised more than $4 million from public and private sources, and is seeking state and federal grants. Foundation chairman Ryan Meyer says “quality of life” amenities are important in attracting workforce and young families to the area. Mike Wells, president of Le Mars-based Wells Enterprises, says the new trail along with the mountain bike trail at Cone Park will create a “bicycle destination in Northwest Iowa.” The company is a major donor.
CRESTON, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man has been convicted of killing his brother whose body was found this summer in a rural field more than a week after he was reported missing. The Des Moines Register reports that jurors deliberated about four hours this week before finding 43-year-old Dustin Seley, of Creston, guilty of first-degree murder in the death of 58-year-old Timothy Fechter. An autopsy determined Fechter had been shot and bludgeoned in the head. Investigators searching Seley’s home found clothing with what appeared to be bloodstains, and two witnesses told investigators Seley had admitted to them he’d killed or “popped” his brother. The defense argued it was self defense.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa anticipates spending $9.2 million to shore up health care staffing at strained hospitals amid the latest COVID-19 surge. The Des Moines Register reports that 100 out-of-state nurses and respiratory therapists began arriving in Iowa earlier this month. They are being placed in 17 facilities in Davenport, Des Moines, Iowa City, Mason City, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Waterloo, Council Bluffs, Ames and Sioux City. The state will spend about $15,000 per nurse for each of the next six weeks. The amount is high because the state will pay $220 per regular hour to a Kansas staffing company for each supplemental nurse, and $330 for each of the overtime hours that the nurses are expected to work each week.
AMES, Iowa (AP) — The Ames City Council has set a goal of the community reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 83% by 2030, and net-zero emissions by 2050. The Ames Tribune reports that the council voted 5-1 on Tuesday to adopt the targets. Residents have been split on the issue. Some have called for aggressive climate action. Others are demanding that the costs don’t fall on them. Council member Tim Gartin, who cast the lone dissenting vote, said the city’s ambitious target was disingenuous without having clear data and knowing the costs.
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.
