From the Associated Press (11:20 a.m.):
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – The greyhounds are racing again in Dubuque, Iowa, but after a shortened season ends in May, there will be only three tracks left in the country. Later this year, that number will dwindle to only two, both in West Virginia. It’s been a long slide for greyhound racing, which reached its peak in the 1980s when there were more than 50 tracks scattered across 19 states. Since then, increased concerns about how the dogs are treated along with an explosion of gambling options have nearly killed the sport. Steve Sarras, president of the West Virginia Kennel Owners Association, says he’s confident racing will continue in that state thanks to support from legislators.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The federal government says a Colorado state prison inmate is the first person to have tested positive for bird flu in the latest outbreak in the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that the inmate had been on a prerelease employment assignment removing chickens from an infected farm. The CDC says he tested positive for the same variant of the virus that has spread in commercial and backyard flocks this spring in 29 states. The agency says the man reported fatigue for a few days but has recovered. The CDC still considers the threat to the general public to be low because spread of the virus to people requires close contact with an infected bird.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Police say a 38-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in a hit-and-run crash that killed a 14-year-old Des Moines girl. Police say the crash happened Thursday afternoon a few blocks east of Hiatt Middle School on the city’s east side. Police say 14-year-old Ema Cardenas was found with critical injuries after she was hit by a sport utility vehicle that fled the scene. Cardenas was taken to a hospital, where she soon died of her injuries. Police say they later found the SUV suspected of hitting the teen at a home less than a mile from the crash site. On Friday, police announced the arrest of 38-year-old Terra Jean Flipping, of Des Moines. Flipping has been charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The attorney for an Iowa 17-year-old accused of helping a classmate kill their high school Spanish teacher has argued that his case should be moved from adult to juvenile court. Such a move could allow Jeremy Goodale to dodge a long prison sentence; He would be released at age 18. Goodale’s attorney requested the move during a hearing Thursday. Goodale and classmate Willard Miller are charged with murder in the beating death of Fairfield High School Spanish teacher Nohema Graber in November. Goodale was 16 at the time. Miller, who is 16, also wants his case to be sent to juvenile court.
GRUNDY CENTER, Iowa (AP) – A man charged with killing an Iowa State Patrol trooper in 2021 plans to plead self-defense. Michael Lang is scheduled to stand trial May 9 for first-degree murder in the death of Patrol Sgt. Jim Smith at Lang’s home in Grundy Center. In a court filing on Tuesday, Lang’s attorneys said he intends to plead self-defense. Prosecutors filed a motion asking the judge to prevent testimony supporting Lang’s self-defense claim or about Iowa’s “stand your ground” laws. Smith was shot on April 9, 2021, when he led a tactical team into Lang’s home to arrest him. Lang was wanted for assaulting a police officer after a traffic pursuit earlier that day.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Governors from eight Midwest states asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Thursday for a permanent waiver that will allow each state to continue selling ethanol blended gas year-round without restriction. The EPA’s decision last week to suspend restrictions of summer sales of the lower-carbon, lower-cost E15 gasoline is temporary and only applies to the 2022 summer driving season. E15 is usually prohibited between June 1 and Sept. 15 because of concerns that it adds to smog in high temperatures. The bipartisan group of governors from Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin sent a joint letter to EPA Administrator Michael Reagan formally requesting the waiver.
