CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The Cedar Rapids City Council approved a deal to buy the building across the street from its city hall building for $2.5 Million on Tuesday afternoon. Documents said the building, which will be called the “City of Cedar Rapids Annex Building”, was needed because the current police station is reaching its’ capacity. City staff said it plans to move some work divisions, currently located in the police station, to the new building. This will allow the Cedar Rapids Police Department to expand locker rooms while creating additional office and classroom space. Documents said the city also plans to use the new building for a use of force simulator, training defensive tactics area, and storage for records. The city also planned to move the joint communications dispatch center to the new annex building, which staff said is cheaper than moving it to a new building. City staff also said the purchase overall is cheaper than building a brand new building.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An assistant attorney general in Iowa is suing the city of Des Moines and its police chief over his arrest during a June 2020 racial justice protest. Assistant Attorney General Paxton Williams alleges he was tackled, pepper-sprayed and handcuffed for no reason. The lawsuit is among eight cases filed against the Des Moines police over their actions during protests following George Floyd’s death while in the custody of Minneapolis police. Williams’ lawsuit, filed May 31, alleges police used unnecessary and excessive force. The police have not responded to an email seeking comment Tuesday. The attorney general’s office declined comment, calling the lawsuit a “personal matter.”
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Tuesday evening at approximately 6:54 pm, Cedar Rapids Firefighters responded to a report of a garage fire in the 2000 block of Newport Drive Southwest. Crews from stations one, two, three, five, and eight all responded. Upon arrival, they initiated a quick attack to contain the fully-engaged blaze. The fire not only affected the garage, which was a complete loss, but also the owner’s home. The fire melted vinyl siding and broke glass windows. A neighboring detached garage was charred by the flames and heat also, extending the damage over the property line.
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s Criminalistics Laboratory analyzed 17,163 fentanyl pills disguised as prescription drugs in the state in 2021. In the first six months of 2022, the number has already quadrupled to 70,556 fentanyl pills disguised as prescription drugs. On Tuesday, Governor Kim Reynolds and state health and safety officials warned Iowans about the growing threat of fentanyl and counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl. Officials warn that counterfeit pills are relatively easy to make, market, and distribute. The pills often look like legitimate opioid or anti-anxiety prescription meds, but often contain lethal amounts of fentanyl. In fact, the DEA says that 4 out of every 10 fake pills are laced with a lethal amount of fentanyl. The CDC warns that while Iowa had one of the lowest rates of drug overdose deaths in 2021 (46th) that a 34% increase in drug overdose deaths has occurred in the last two years. Officials say that fentanyl was implicated in 83% of the statewide opioid deaths last year.
