DES MOINES, Iowa (Iowa Capital Dispatch/KCRG) – Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Director Kelly Garcia has resigned, the governor’s office announced Monday. Director of the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing (DIAL) Larry Johnson will succeed her in leading the department. Garcia served as head of the department for six years after Gov. Kim Reynolds appointed her to head the then-Department of Human Services in 2019. Garcia took on the role of interim director of the Iowa Department of Public Health in June 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the two departments were officially merged in 2022 under her leadership. Garcia has not stated where she plans to work next. While Garcia has resigned, she is still working with Johnson, beginning a “weeks-long transition plan, which will include engaging with HHS division leaders, staff, and key stakeholders across the state,” according to a news release. Johnson is set to begin his time as HHS director in mid-October. Aaron Baack, who currently serves as deputy director and chief operations officer at the agency, will replace Johnson as interim director.
HUDSON, Iowa (KCRG) – The Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office says a man has been charged with First Degree Murder for a deadly shooting in Hudson last year. Jacob Leigh Hamilton of Conrad was taken into custody Monday morning. The Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office says on July 14, 2024, officers were called to an apartment at 322 S. Washington Street for a shooting. When officers arrived, they found Zachary Michael Drinovsky lying on the ground with several gunshot wounds. Drinovsky was still alive when he was found, but died from his injuries a short time later. Hamilton told police at the scene that he had shot Drinovsky in self-defense after they had been in an altercation. The case was eventually forwarded to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office which determined that Hamilton had “re-armed, re-engaged outside, and intentionally killed the victim willfully, deliberately, and with premeditation, without legal justification.” Hamilton was booked at the Black Hawk County Jail.
INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (KCRG) – The Independence Fire Department says a firefighter suffered minor injuries after a fire at a home early Monday morning. The fire department says crews were called at 3:29 a.m. for a report of a fire in the 1400 block of River Road Boulevard. Firefighters contained and put out the fire. The fire department says crews remained on scene for two hours to perform overhaul operations. It was during this time that a firefighter was hurt and taken to a hospital to be treated for minor injuries. Crews from Jesup and Fairbank fire departments also responded to the fire.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A Cedar Rapids man was sentenced after distributing more than 40 grams of fentanyl near a local elementary school. In March, 27-year-old D’quon Morrow, of Cedar Rapids, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing over 40 grams of fentanyl near a protected area. Police say Morrow agreed to distribute fentanyl and cocaine with other people between February 2024 to July 2024. Court documents state in March 2024, Morrow distributed 6.50 grams of fentanyl and fluorofentanyl. The following month, he illegally sold a firearm. Morrow had a felony conviction for eluding when these crimes were committed. In May 2024, Morrow distributed 20.75 grams of fentanyl. The following month, he distributed 48.60 grams of fentanyl near Madison Elementary School in Cedar Rapids, according to court documents. Police conducted a search warrant at Morrow’s residence and found two guns, ammunition, and more than 1,000 fentanyl pills in July 2024. Morrow was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison and an eight-year supervised release following imprisonment.
