From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
John Deere says it will lay off more than 300 production employees at its facility in Waterloo. The Waterloo location has about 5,500 employees total. About 3,600 of them work in production and maintenance jobs. The company says its Waterloo facility is balancing the size of its production workforce with the needs of the factory. The layoffs are set to take effect on April 29.
Iowa City’s School Board has voted to close Hills Elementary School, the only school in that community south of Iowa City. The District says the move is necessary because of cost-cutting needs. It was a unanimous vote. Supporters of the small school say most of the students at Hills are “English as a Second Language” learners who need smaller class sizes.
This morning, Governor Kim Reynolds is expected to sign into law changes to the state’s Area Education Agencies, setting in motion reforms for the nine agencies across Iowa that give support to local school districts. The Governor says the changes will offer better services for special education by giving local districts more choice. Opponents of the move say AEAs in the state’s small, rural school districts will suffer.
A second day of jury selection starts this morning for a Cedar Rapids man on trial in the stabbing death of Devonna Walker. Shane Teslik of Cedar Rapids faces charges of Voluntary Manslaughter and Disorderly Conduct. The first pool of 30 potential jurors was questioned by attorneys Tuesday. The process could wrap up later today.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation released new details about an officer-involved shooting Monday in Waterloo. Police say employees at Victory Motors called, saying a man who lives close to the business held a gun to an employee’s face and also fired a shot at the property. They say John Piazza told them he was coming back with a rifle. When Waterloo police officers responded, they say Piazza was pointing a gun at officers out of his home on Hartman Avenue. That’s when an officer shot and killed him. The officer has been placed on incident leave while the shooting remains under investigation.
