NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (KCRG) – A woman who threatened to kill the principal of a North Liberty school has taken a plea deal. 41-year-old Melody Peer was charged with First Degree Harassment after yelling at and threatening a principal, forcing the school to go into its safety protocols. The incident took place September 13, 2024, at North Central Junior High School. The complaint says Peer confronted staff about an issue her daughter and another student were having. She then started to act hostile towards the principal, yelling and making a scene. The principal escorted Peer out of the building as she continued to yell, scream and call the principal racial slurs. She also threatened to kill the principal. Peer then left in her car before police arrived. The school went into its safety protocols because of the threat that was made. Peer pleaded guilty to Harassment in the Third Degree.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – A Cedar Rapids man was granted probation after participating in a large fight in Iowa City last year. 19-year-old Deavion Crowder entered a plea of guilty to Participation in a Riot following his involvement in a fight that occurred in July 2024 at the corner of College Street and Dubuque Street in Iowa City. At least four other people were involved in the fight. Criminal complaints say the group punched and kicked people, including some victims that were laying on the ground, unable to defend themselves. Police were able to break up the fight. However, as soon as police left the area, another fight began. After the second fight was broken up, the people involved fled the scene. The entire incident was captured on surveillance video. The criminal complaint says as many as two dozen people may have participated in the fights.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Linn County supervisors are working to fill a vacancy on the County Board, but proposed legislation in Des Moines could force the County to hold a special election instead. Monday afternoon, the Linn County Auditor, Treasurer, and Recorder interviewed the four finalists for the vacancy, which starts today. That’s current Supervisor Ben Roger’s last day. The trio narrowed the pool from 17 people. But depending on if and when Governor Kim Reynolds signs this new legislation, that process might have been for nothing. Senate File 75 would require counties with populations of 125,000 or more to hold special elections to fill County Supervisor seats. Both the Iowa Senate and House passed the bill. It’s unclear if or when Governor Kim Reynolds would sign it into law. If the county appoints an applicant before the law takes effect or before the law is enacted, nothing would change. For now, it’s a waiting game to see what happens first.
WAUKEE, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa Capitol Bureau/KCRG) – U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins was in Iowa Monday for a tour of different farms and agriculture facilities. After a tour of a Waukee farm, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says she’s on the same page with President Donald Trump that the country is on the raw end of trade deals and higher tariffs on foreign goods are needed. After the tour, Rollins told reporters that the onslaught of tariffs may be difficult. In 2018, the Trump Administration sent tens of billions in tax dollars to farmers to offset losses from tariffs. Rollins says the USDA is working on market disruption payments, but nothing is final. Rollins says Trump’s ultimate goal is to get to fair trade, but until we get there, we have to make some significant changes.
