DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and the governors from 20 other states are calling on the Biden administration to repeal the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for people in the U.S. Armed Forces. In a press release, the governor’s office said a joint letter was sent asking for immediate action during a time when the Armed Forces are reporting major recruitment shortfalls and thousands of people have been discharged for refusing to comply with the mandate. “The Biden vaccine mandate creates a national security risk that severely impacts our defense capabilities abroad and our state readiness here at home,” Gov. Reynolds said in the release. “As Governors, our ability to respond to natural disasters and conduct emergency operations is contingent upon the strength and size of our National Guard units. As Congressional leaders, it is your duty to provide for the national defense, and therefore, we call upon you to protect the men and women in uniform—who protect us—from an unnecessary vaccine mandate. As President Biden, himself, stated on September 18, 2022, ‘The pandemic is over.’” Gov. Reynolds signed the letter along with the governors from Tennessee, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.
BATESVILLE, Ark. (KAIT) – A plane that flew from Waterloo crashed in Batesville Tuesday evening. The crash was confirmed by Independence County Sheriff Shawn Stephens, but he said little was known at this time and the Batesville Police Department would be handling the crash. The plane was just feet from Highway 167 in Batesville. The flight was supposed to take off at 7:40 p.m. and land at 8:08 p.m. in Fayetteville, AR. Earlier Tuesday it left Fayettville at 8:15 a.m. and landed in Batesville at 8:40 a.m. The plane then took off 20 minutes later and headed to Waterloo, Iowa, and landed at 10:19 a.m. before returning to Batesville at 5:57 p.m. with a scheduled landing of 7:10 p.m. It is not clear how the plane crash occurred. Injuries and how many people were aboard the plane are currently unknown.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa City community is deciding if it should move its Senior Center or invest more money into upgrading the decades-old building. Wednesday, officials held the first of many public input sessions. Senior Center Coordinator, LaTasha DeLoach, heard from several people who say they like the convenience of the location. Many talked about the short distance from family members or other loved ones. Others voiced their concern about funding being taken away from the various arts and exercise classes if the location of the center needs to change. The city also has a survey available to people who aren’t able to attend these meetings. City officials hope to have all public comments completed by late December. From there, they will present a potential plan to the city council.
HENRY COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – On November 26th, 2022, at approximately 4:09 pm, the Iowa State Patrol responded to a report of a fatal accident near Highway 34 and Racine Ave. Investigators say a 2014 Chrysler Town and Country was traveling westbound on Highway 34 at the 246 mile marker when the vehicle went off the roadway to the south, crossing eastbound traffic and entering the south ditch. The vehicle then struck a parked truck, causing the Chrysler to roll on its side and come to a rest. A 50-year-old woman from Stockport and a 73-year-old woman from Ollie were killed in the crash. Two more individuals were injured and transported to Univ. of Iowa Hospitals for evaluation of their injuries. A third was injured and transported to the Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center. No word on the extent of their injuries.
