DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – At approximately 12:45 p.m. Saturday, The Iowa State Patrol received information about a threat made via social media to the Iowa State Capitol building from the United States Capitol Police. The Department of Public Safety investigated and assessed the threat and determined it to be not credible. The State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol swept the building and located nothing of concern and at 1:30 p.m., the building was cleared. All normal activities at the Capitol resumed.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Three people have died by gun violence so far this month in Cedar Rapids. Interim Police Chief Tom Jonker acknowledged the concern many residents might feel. In 2023, there have been 9 killings in 8 incidents. As police continue to investigate the shooting deaths of two men on October 5 and another on October 23, they say the homicide rate is not unusually high this year. “For 2021, we had 12 victims of homicide and nine incidents. In 2022, we had 13 victims and 12 incidents,” Jonker said. “They’re always serious, they’re always tragic. It affects the victim, it affects the family, it affects the friends, it affects the neighborhoods and then the city as whole.”
MARION, Iowa (Iowa’s News Now) – An Iowa paramedic was fired for refusing to respond to an ambulance call from the city of Marion, saying “I don’t give a f— about Marion,” according to news reports. The paramedic, Stefany Glassmeyer, prioritized dropping off a body bag before responding to the emergency call. The incident led to her suspension and subsequent termination. She claimed retaliation for complaining about sexual harassment, but a judge ruled her ineligible for unemployment benefits due to workplace misconduct. Her paramedic license remains in good standing with no public record of discipline.
WATERLOO, Iowa (KXEL) — Fire destroyed a garage in Waterloo early Sunday morning. Three adults and four children safely escaped the home in the 800 block of Newton St. after fire broke out around 5:15 a.m. Crews contained the fire to the detached garage, but there were concerns it would spread to the home. Waterloo Fire Rescue said a motorcycle and other contents inside the garage were destroyed, along with the garage itself. The cause remains under investigation, but officials say the fire was likely sparked by an electrical malfunction.
