CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Republicans saw a boost in new registrations in Iowa after the June primary. The Iowa Secretary of State’s office releases voter registration data monthly. From June to July of this year, the Republican Party in Iowa gained more than 24,000 voters. Democrats gained just more than 5,000. Timothy Hagle, an associate professor of political science at the University of Iowa, said this difference in voters doesn’t necessarily mean Republicans will have an edge in November. He also said the number of registered voters is still roughly one third Republican, one third Democrat, and one third no party.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A garage fire displaced the resident of a home in Cedar Rapids late Thursday night. Fire officials said crews responded to the fire in the 1600 block of Vinewood Lane NE at about 11:30 p.m. In a news release, officials said the homeowner smelled smoke and called 911 after noticing the garage was on fire. Crews were able to knock down the fire and get it under control quickly. Officials report the fire did not damage the interior of the home, but the resident was displaced due to the fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. No injuries were reported.
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) – Two police officers from Des Moines say they were pulled, grabbed and put in a chokehold during a protest at the Iowa State Capitol two years ago. Officers Peter Wilson and Jeffrey George have filed a civil suit against six of the activists that allegedly took part in the protest, including a sitting council member, Indira Scheumaker. The defendants in the case were all at one time associated with Des Moines’ Black Lives Matter. Scheumaker’s arrest is seen on video from the statehouse riots in July 2020. Co-defendants are Clayton Stein, Eva Lewin, Anna Gebhardt, Bradley Penna and Jennifer Irwin. The officers’ civil suit contends the defendants were not planning a peaceful protest, they were trained in de-arresting techniques. Those techniques include playing tug of war with the cops, pushing over a cop, and opening the door of a cop car. Additionally, diversion tactics include blocking interstate traffic by use of decoy cars trapped behind nails and false reporting of violent activity from a vehicle on the side of the road. The attorney for the officers declined an on-camera interview, but on the phone he said he has the paper trail proving those claims. The two officers are asking for an amount that will reasonably compensate them for their actual damages as well as punitive damages with interest.
TAYLOR COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – A Taylor County beach is temporarily closed for swimming as a precaution after a case of a rare brain infection was confirmed. In a news release, officials said they’re testing to confirm the presence of Naegleria fowleri in Lake of Three Fires at Lake of Three Fires State Park in western Iowa. The testing is being conducted in conjunction with the CDC. Officials say it could take several days to complete. The CDC says Naegleria fowleri is an ameba, commonly found in warm, freshwater, that can cause a rare life-threatening infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis. The ameba enters the body through the nose and then travels to the brain where it destroys brain tissue. Officials said the infection is extremely rare, with only 154 known cases in the U.S. since 1962. The infection can’t spread from one person to another and can’t be contracted by swallowing contaminated water.
