An inmate at the Linn County Correctional Center has died after being found unresponsive on Wednesday. The Linn County Sherriff’s Office says jail staff was notified of a medical emergency for an inmate around 4:20 p.m. Deputies and medical staff responded to the cellblock and found 40-year-old Ryan Bailey of Marion, who was not breathing and had no pulse. Bailey had been booked into the jail just after 10 o’clock. that morning. Another inmate attempted CPR until jail staff took over. Bailey was taken to Mercy Medical Center where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Jail deputies checked Bailey’s cell approximately 36 minutes before the medical emergency and found nothing out of the ordinary. After reviewing cellblock video, investigators found no apparent cause for the medical emergency. The County Medical Examiner has ordered an autopsy to help determine the cause of death; the incident remains under investigation.
We’ve told you about some bright economic outlooks for Iowa…from the fields comes word that soybean producers should have a positive outlook this harvest season. Iowa’s soybean producers will see a good yield this year, despite virtually all of Iowa being under some level of drought much of the summer, according to Grant Kimberley of the Iowa Soybean Association; he spoke with KXEL’s Tim Harwood for KXEL Live & Local yesterday…you can hear the podcast of the interview at kxel-dot-com.
Mercy Hospital in Iowa City has informed state officials it plans to lay off 29 employees because of losses suffered during the coronavirus outbreak. The hospital filed notice of the layoffs with Iowa Workforce Development, noting that they will be effective Nov. 21. The layoffs will affect a variety of non-specific areas in the hospital. The notice was filed days before the hospital announced last month that it would close its inpatient mental and behavioral health unit but officials say the layoffs are not specifically tied to that unit.
Two people have been arrested on drug charges in Fayette County. On Tuesday, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a residence in Waucoma. Deputies recovered controlled substances, drug paraphernalia and other evidence tied to the use and sale of narcotics. 38-year-old Amy Jo Voss and 39-year-old Edward Boydston, both of Waucoma were arrested and transported to the Fayette County Jail.
The city of Cedar Rapids is preparing to undertake more than $7.4 million in construction work next year on its flood control system. The city will open bids this month for key projects, including demolition of a bridge and construction of a permanent levee and gate well in Czech Village. Bids will also open for construction of a flood wall, pump stations and water main protecting the Quaker Oats plant along the riverfront. This is part of the mitigation from the record 2008 floods there.
Authorities say an Eldora area farmer died Wednesday after being buried under seven feet of grain. 79-year-old Kennerly Reece was working on his farm around 12:30 p.m. when the door of a grain bin slid open, burying him as the grain flowed out of the bin. Authorities do not know how the door opened or how exactly Reece became trapped under several hundred bushels of grain.
Police in Iowa City a man has been formally charged with a crime after a report of shots being fired back on August 30. Investigators said they discovered shell casings, but no victims or property damage, near 1100 Arthur Street just after midnight that day. Search warrants were executed at two residences at Town and Campus Apartments. That’s where investigators say evidence was collected and 30-year-old Earl McKee was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant from the U.S. Marshals Service. Yesterday, officers said McKee was indicted and is accused of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced yesterday the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested $22 million out of the up to $100 million in grants available to increase American ethanol and biodiesel sales. In Iowa, United Farmers Cooperative will use a $93,000 grant to replace six dispensers and two storage tanks at a fueling station. This project is estimated to increase ethanol sales by nearly 300,000 gallons per year. These funds were made available through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) to recipients in Iowa and 13 other states. The initial investments are projected to increase ethanol demand by nearly 150 million gallons annually. USDA plans on announcing the remaining HBIIP investments in the coming weeks.
