DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI/KCRG) – The Des Moines Public Schools chief academic officer has resigned weeks after being put on administrative leave. Robert Lundin, the district’s chief academic officer, was placed on paid leave October 6. The district said it was for a personnel matter. A spokesperson for the district told KCCI that the decision was mutual. Lundin’s resignation will take effect on June 30, 2026. Lundin was hired for the position in June, 2024. “His work will include developing short- and long-range goals for district programs, advising the superintendent on educational issues, coordinating support for principals and teachers, and implementing a systemic approach to curriculum development and evaluation,” according to the district’s news release.
DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) – A Dubuque woman was sentenced for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine after police say she moved 5,000 grams of the drug between four Iowa cities. 39-year-old Katie Kammerude, of Dubuque, pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine and 50 grams of pure methamphetamine. Court documents show Kammerude drove between Des Moines, Davenport, and Iowa City to pick up large amounts of methamphetamine from July to September 2024. She then sold the drugs to multiple people in Dubuque. Police conducted three traffic stops on Kammerude and found several ounces to pounds of methamphetamine in her vehicle during each stop. Overall, authorities seized more than 5,000 grams of methamphetamine. Kammerude was sentenced to nine years in prison along with five years of supervised release following imprisonment.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A Cedar Rapids teen sentenced to life in prison for killing his parents is seeking resentencing based on new court documents that allege his mother sexually abused him for years. Ethan Orton pleaded guilty in February 2023 to two counts of first-degree murder in the October 2021 killing of Misty Scott-Slade and Casey Orton at their home in the 300 block of Carnaby Drive NE. Police say they found Orton sitting outside of the home covered in blood. In new court documents, Orton alleges his mother sexually abused him from ages nine to 17. Orton also alleges his parents threatened to kick him out when he turned 18 in an email days after he “declined his mother’s demand for him to have sex with her.” According to court documents, Orton claims that his mother would walk in on him taking showers and comment on his body, try to sleep in his bed with him, comment on “the bulge in the front of his jeans”, make him stay in a dog cage for days if he “fought off her sexual advances”, and told him she “wouldn’t mind having sex with him since he looked like his dad.” In June 2023, Orton was sentenced to life in prison with eligibility for parole after 50 years due to him being a minor at the time of the crime. Orton is requesting that the court resentence him due to this new information.
RIVERSIDE, Iowa (KCRG) – The owners of several privately-owned Iowa casinos now have formal approval for their purchase of a casino in Burlington. Elite Casino Resorts announced Monday that the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has approved its acquisition of Catfish Bend Casino and FunCity Resort. The deal is set to close on January 27. The company plans to rename the Burlington casino to the Great River Casino Resort, after the Mississippi River. “Returning to Burlington feels like coming home, and the Great River Casino Resort name reflects the pride we have in this community and its strong river heritage.” Dan Kehl, CEO of Elite Casino Resorts, said. The Kehl family helped launch casino gaming in Burlington during the original riverboat era before selling to Randy Winegard, the company said in the purchase announcement. Elite Casino Resorts says Catfish Bend employees will remain in their positions with opportunities for training and advancement. Catfish Bend Casino amenities include a 30,000 square foot casino, lodging, an entertainment complex, a water park, and more.
