THE EVIDENCE HAS BEEN PRESENTED BY BOTH SIDES IN THE TRIAL OF A MAN ACCUSED OF KIDNAPPING AND ASSAULT AGAINST A TEENAGED BABYSITTER IN CEDAR FALLS. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED DURING THE SUMMER OF 2019. SAUL MARTINEZ ALLEDGEDLY PULLED THE GIRL INTO A NEIGHBORING HOUSE AFTER TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF HER ON HIS PHONE. RESPONDING OFFICERS ALSO TESTIFIED THAT MARTINEZ HAD A SUBSTANTIALLY ELEVATED BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.
MANY LINN COUNTY PUBLIC BUILDINGS ARE LIKELY TO REMAIN CLOSED FOR THE FORSEEABLE FUTURE. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CHAIRMAN STACEY WALKER TALKED ABOUT THAT WITH OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS FROM TV-9. WALKER NOTED THAT FEWER THAN 10 PERCENT OF LINN COUNTY RESIDENTS HAVE RECEIVED THE COVID-19 VACCINE. THE LINN COUNTY COURTHOUSE IS AMONG THE COUNTY FACILITIES WHICH ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
AHEAD OF ST. PATRICK’S DAY, MORE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ON PATROL AS EARLY AS THIS WEEKEND. SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS NOTED THAT THEY WILL BE LOOKING FOR IMPAIRED DRIVERS RELATED TO CELEBRATIONS OF THE HOLIDAY. THIS YEAR, ST. PATRICK’S DAY FALLS MIDWEEK, LEADING TO THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE PARTIES OR GATHERINGS DURING THE WEEKEND AHEAD.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA’S DAVID HARRIS HAS BEEN NAMED ONE OF FOUR ATHLETICS DIRECTORS OF THE YEAR BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGIATE DIRECTORS OF ATHLETICS. THIS IS HARRIS’ FIFTH YEAR LEADING THE PANTHER ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT.
A CONGRESSIONAL CHALLENGE TO THE RESULTS OF IOWA’S SECOND DISTRICT U.S. HOUSE RACE IS ADVANCING. REPUBLICAN CONGRESSWOMAN MARIANETTE MILLER-MEEKS ASKED A HOUSE COMMITTEE TO DISMISS THE CASE BROUGHT BY DEMOCRAT RITA HART. THAT MILLER-MEEKS MOTION WAS VOTED DOWN. MILLER-MEEKS WON THE SEAT BY SIX VOTES IN NOVEMBER. HART CONTENDS THAT 22 UNCOUNTED BALLOTS WERE LEGAL AND WOULD HAVE CHANGED THE OUTCOME. IN A STATEMENT, THE MILLER-MEEKS CAMPAIGN SAID THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO DEFEND THE CERTIFIED RESULTS AS THE PROCESS CONTINUES.
A DES MOINES JOURNALIST ARRESTED WHILE COVERING A PROTEST LAST SUMMER HAS BEEN ACQUITTED OF THE CHARGES AGAINST HER. A JURY FOUND DES MOINES REGISTER REPORTER ANDREA SAHOURI NOT GUILTY ON MISDEMEANOR CHARGES OF FAILURE TO DISPERSE AND INTERFERENCE WITH OFFICIAL ACTS. SAHOURI WAS COVERING PROTESTS THAT FOLLOWED THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLORD IN MINNEAPOLIS. SHE CALLED THE RESULT A VICTORY FOR PRESS FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY. SAHOURI ALSO SAID SHE WOULD CONTINUE REPORTING DESPITE THE INCIDENT.
IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST LED AN EFFORT TO CREATE A GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR MEMORIAL IN WASHINGTON D.C. THAT MONUMENT IS COMING CLOSER TO REALITY. ERNST RECENTLY PROVIDED AN UPDATE. ERNST WAS DEPLOYED TO THE MIDDLE EAST AS A MEMBER OF THE IOWA NATIONAL GUARD DURING OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. SHE WAS A GUEST THIS WEEK DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL.
AN EVEN U.S. SENATE SPLIT BETWEEN DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS WILL LIKELY BRING CONGRESS’ UPPER CHAMBER INTO SHARP FOCUS UNTIL AT LEAST NOVEMBER OF 2022. IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST TALKED ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN SHE WAS A GUEST THIS WEEK DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. IN AN EARLY TEST, A PARTY LINE VOTE PASSED THE LATEST COVID-19 RELIEF MEASURE, WITH ALL PRESENT REPUBLICANS VOTING “NO” AND ALL DEMOCRATS VOTING “YES.” HEAR ERNST’S FULL INTERVIEW AT KXEL.COM.
MT. MERCY UNIVERSITY IN CEDAR RAPIDS SAYS ITS CLASSES WILL BE IN-PERSON DURING THE 2021-22 ACADEMIC YEAR. THE SCHOOL MADE THAT STATEMENT ON WEDNESDAY, ADDING IT ANTICIPATES A MORE TYPICAL SCHEDULE OF COLLEGE ACTIVITIES AS WELL. MT. MERCY LEADERS TOUTED VACCINES FOR FACULTY AND STUDENTS DURING THE MONTHS AHEAD. THE SCHOOL HAS NOT FINALIZED DETAILS OF WHETHER FACE COVERINGS WILL BE REQUIRED NEXT YEAR AND NOTED THAT PLANS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON THE EVOLVING COVID-19 SITUATION.
THE IOWA HAWKEYE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM BEAT RUTGERS BACK ON NEW YEAR’S EVE. A REMATCH IN NEW JERSEY WAS CANCELLED THREE-AND-A-HALF WEEKS LATER. TONIGHT, THE IOWA WOMEN MEET THE SCARLET KNIGHTS IN THE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT. TIP-OFF IS ANTICIPATED AROUND 8 O’CLOCK.
