From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
A former Tama County jailer will not face prison time after she entered a plea of guilty to engaging in sexual activity with an inmate. Kayla Bergom was charged in April last year for engaging in sex acts with an inmate. For the three counts of sexual misconduct, the jailer’s sentence is supervised probation for two years. The inmate is now suing the county for damages. He says it increased his anxiety and other inmates extorted him over the relationship.
The city of Ely is asking residents to conserve water after a massive fire destroyed a commercial building. It happened last night along State Street. Law enforcement says no one was hurt, and the cause of the fire is under investigation. Firefighters say winds helped spread the fire throughout the entire building in under an hour. Wilson’s Rubbish Hauling operates on the property. It provides trash removal and dumpster rentals throughout eastern Iowa. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.
U.S. Senator Charles Grassley says more must be done to focus on interrupting the illicit drug trade by focusing on professional shoplifters. Grassley says Iowa businesses lose an estimated $1.38 billion in 2021 through organized retail crime. At a town meeting in Cedar Rapids Thursday, Senator Grassley promoted his recently introduced “Combating Organized Retail Crime Act” which highlights the relationship between organized retail crime and the drug trade.
Willie Ray Fairley and his team have arrived in Mississippi to help tornado victims there. They are serving food in Rolling Fork. That’s an area that experienced significant tornado damage about two weeks ago. They’ve set up shop near a hospital in that area. Willie Ray Fairley operates Willie Ray’s Q Shack in Cedar Rapids. He’s known for efforts to feed people after natural disasters started in Cedar Rapids after the derecho in 2020.
The trails at Mount Trashmore are now open for the season. We found a handful of people who weren’t going to let yesterday morning’s cooler temperatures keep them from enjoying the sunshine. Mount Trashmore is open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.
