From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture says he will not run for Iowa governor, but he will seek re-election next year to keep his seat. Voters elected Mike Naig, who is a Republican, in 2018 and again in 2022. His office says he is committed to advancing Iowa agriculture, supporting farm families and strengthening communities of all sizes, especially in rural Iowa.
Waterloo police identified a man killed in a shooting Monday morning. Officers found 35-year-old Michael Alexander, Jr., lying in a driveway in the 1300 block of West Fourth Street. He died at the hospital. Police say anyone with information about the shooting should call police or Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers.
A man will spend up to 10 years in prison for drag racing and causing a fatal crash in Iowa City. Prosecutors originally charged Kesean Ford with vehicular homicide and involuntary manslaughter. In February, he pleaded guilty to Homicide by Vehicle-Excessive Speed. Prosecutors say Ford and Elijah Seals were speeding when they crashed into another vehicle in 2023, killing Jennifer Russell. Seals was sentenced to three years probation on a ten-year suspended sentence.
A boat club in Cedar Rapids is cancelling this year’s fireworks display over what it calls skyrocketing costs to hold the show. The Cedar Boat Club announced yesterday morning it would not hold its annual Third of July fireworks display. In a Facebook post, the club announced it would cancel this year’s show due to “skyrocketing costs.” Besides higher fireworks costs, the club says it costs more for ambulance, security, and fire protection on site. The club says it will now save money for next year’s 250th celebration of American independence.
The Blank Park Zoo broke ground on a new African lion facility. The new Conservation Center will more than triple the zoo’s space for African lions. Blank Pak Zoo’s president says lion populations have fallen more than 40 percent in three decades. The new African lion center is set to open next summer.
