CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – 27,866 students participated in Iowa’s Students First Education Savings Account this school year. Public school enrollment throughout the state dropped, but nonpublic school enrollment increased by about 3,100 students or 9%. The Cedar Rapids School District says between last year and this year, 91 of the district’s students enrolled in the ESA program and left the district for nonpublic schools. The district said it actually expected to lose more students, but it’s still worried a growing number of students will switch from public to nonpublic in the coming years. The Cedar Rapids School District says part of the reason it didn’t lose more students is because nonpublic schools in the area don’t have much extra space. But the district says with the ESA program in full swing, it expects more nonpublic schools to open or expand, which over time could have a huge impact on public school enrollment. A total of 1,905 students across the state used ESA vouchers this year who went to public school last year.
LINN COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – The decision to move a quadruple murder case out of Linn County is in the hands of a judge. On Friday, Luke Truesdell of Marion was in court asking for a change of venue. Truesdell faces four counts of first degree murder from an incident in June 2024. Police said they found Truesdell sitting on a sidewalk and that he admitted to beating four individuals to death with a metal pipe. Truesdell sat in court expressionless as his attorney asked to move the case outside Linn County. The reasoning was 56 news stories covering what happened in June of last year in a rural Linn County garage. Assistant Linn County Attorney Monica Slaughter said the 56 stories between multiple news outlets are small in comparison to other cases. She was surprised that there weren’t more stories, considering the “heinous nature of the crime.” Slaughter says the motion to change venue was premature and that a jury selection would allow them to know whether a jury could be filled.
WASHINGTON, Iowa (KCRG) – A Washington couple is facing more charges in a child endangerment case. In December, the Washington Police Department arrested John Zaiss and Heather Egbert on four counts each of child endangerment. Police say when they arrived, they also took 29 dogs and cats. There were other dead dogs and animals found in the home, as well as feces and urine covering the floor. Egbert is now being charged with 14 counts of Animal Neglect, nine counts of Failure to Provide Current Rabies Vaccination and three counts of Failure to Dispose of a Deceased Animal. Egbert remains in custody at the Washington County Jail. Zaiss is also being charged with five counts of Animal Neglect. Authorities say Zaiss’ attorney filed a written plea of guilty and has since been released, pending further court proceedings. Another person has also now been arrested in relation to the case. Teresa Richmond was arrested on Thursday. Authorities said Richmond also lived at the home at the time the search warrant was executed back in December. She is charged with four counts of Child Endangerment, seven counts of Animal Neglect, three counts of Failure to Provide Current Rabies Vaccination, and three counts of Failure to Dispose of a Deceased Animal. She is being held in the Washington County Jail on an $11,000 cash or surety bond.
WEST BRANCH, Iowa (KCRG) – The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum gets an average of 30,000 to 35,000 visitors each year. But for the next year and a half, it won’t be getting any visitors. The museum is now closed for renovations. It’s expected to open in the summer of 2026 once construction is completed. It’s been over 30 years since the last time the museum had a major transformation. One of the museum’s upcoming changes includes two different paths to choose from while navigating through the museum. The museum is also working to add new immersive exhibits, like one showcasing how Hoover had to navigate more than just the first few years of the Great Depression while he was in office. The museum’s closure to complete these new upgrades, could have an impact on businesses, but most say they expect a boom in business once the museum reopens.
