DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has announced that she will convene the Iowa legislature for “the sole purpose of enacting legislation that addresses abortion and protects unborn lives.” It comes after the Iowa Supreme Court split that allowed abortions to remain legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. Reynolds had asked the Court to lift an injunction on a 2018 law that would ban abortions once a heartbeat is detected, usually around six weeks of pregnancy. The Iowa law currently contains exceptions for medical emergencies, including threats to the mother’s life, rape, incest, and fetal abnormality. The special session will take place on Tuesday, July 11, starting at 8:30 am.
HIAWATHA, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa man has been arrested after allegedly sexually abusing a 9-year-old child. Officials say that Caleb Montgomery Myers sexually abused the child between January 2019 and December 2019. According to the criminal complaint, the child reported the abuse to her mother who then confronted Myers in a recorded phone call. Police say Myers admitted to the abuse in the call. After being confronted by Hiawatha Police, Myers reportedly stated that he “hoped it was something they could handle privately” and that he “did not need this today.” Myers was charged with Sex Abuse in the Second Degree – Child under 12, 1st Offense.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Sunday at approximately 2:26 pm, emergency crews responded to the area of Mile Marker 93 on southbound Highway 218 for a report of a man suffering from a gunshot wound on the side of the road. Responders transported the man to a nearby hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Iowa City Police have identified a vehicle of interest through their investigation that they believed to be associated with the incident. The vehicle in question is a black Nissan Altima. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Iowa City Police.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The city of Cedar Rapids agreed to pay $10,000 to settle a lawsuit over the makeup of the Police Department’s Citizen Review Board, Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. The ordinance initially required five members of the nine-member review board to be People of Color, however, the city dropped that requirement in October while this case was going on. In October last year, Kevin Wymore, of Cedar Rapids, who is white, sued the city over the ordinance, calling it unconstitutional. Wymore was passed over for a spot on the board at least twice, allegedly because he was ineligible to fill one of the five positions reserved for a Person of Color, despite the fact that Wymore holds a master’s degree in public policy, among other qualifications. During an oral argument on the motion regarding the lawsuit last year, U.S. District Court Judge C.J. Williams asked why the ordinance requires a specific number of board members be people of color. The city’s legal counsel said the board was created to promote equitable treatment of citizens and remedy trends rooted in bias.
