A SIOUX CITY REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR IS INTRODUCING HIMSELF TO A WIDER SWATH OF IOWANS AHEAD OF A PLANNED PRIMARY CHALLENGE TO U.S. SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY IN THE 2022 REPUBLICAN PRIMARY. JIM CARLIN WAS A GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL ON MONDAY AND SPOKE ABOUT HIS GUIDING PRINCIPLES. CARLIN HAS LIVED IN SIOUX CITY SINCE 1992. A TRIAL ATTORNEY AND ARMY VETERAN, CARLIN HAS SERVED IN STATE GOVERNMENT SINCE 2017.
A PERSON WITH TIES TO THE IOWA SENATE HAS REPORTED A POSITIVE COVID-19 TEST. LIMITED DETAILS WERE ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY, BUT DID NOT INCLUDE THE NAME OR POSITION OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN QUESTION. THE POSITIVE TEST WAS ADMINISTERED ON SATURDAY AND THE PERSON HAS NOT BEEN IN THE CAPITOL SINCE THE MIDDLE OF LAST WEEK. EIGHT LEGISLATORS OR CAPITOL STAFFERS HAVE REPORTED POSITIVE TESTS DURING THE CURRENT SESSION.
WATERLOO SCHOOLS ARE MAINTAINING THE DISTRICT’S PROPERTY TAX RATE DURING THE YEAR AHEAD. THE FINANCIAL PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022 WAS GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT BY THE SCHOOL BOARD YESTERDAY. THE DISTRICT EXPECTS SLIGHTLY MORE REVENUE DUE TO INCREASED PROPERTY VALUATION.
RAINS LAST WEEK HAVE HELPED IOWA’S DROUGHT SITUATION. MONDAY’S USDA CROP REPORT INDICATED NEARLY 80 PERCENT OF TOP SOIL HAD ADEQUATE OR SURPLUS MOISTURE LEVELS, UP FROM 67 PERCENT IN THOSE CATEGORIES LAST MONDAY.
FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF STATE PATROL SERGEANT JIM SMITH ARE PLANNING TO CREATE A MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP IN HIS HONOR. SMITH WAS KILLED FRIDAY DURING A STANDOFF WITH A SUSPECT BARRICADED INSIDE A GRUNDY CENTER HOME. DONATIONS TO THE PLANNED SCHOLARSHIP FUND COMMEMORATING TROOPER SMITH’S LIFE ARE BEING COLLECTED AT THE BANK IOWA BRANCH IN SMITH’S HOMETOWN OF INDEPENDENCE. MEANWHILE, OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 HAVE BEEN LEARNING MORE ABOUT MICHAEL LANG, THE MAN WHO HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH SMITH’S MURDER. ELAINE JUNGLING WAS AT HOME NEXT DOOR WHEN THE SHOOTING HAPPENED LAST FRIDAY. SHE EXPRESSED SURPRISE AT THE INCIDENT INVOLVING HER NEIGHBOR. TV-9 REPORTS THAT MICHAEL LANG HAD A HISTORY OF ALCOHOL-RELATED LEGAL CHARGES ON HIS CRIMINAL RECORD.
THE FIRST OF FOUR CANDIDATES TO BE THE NEXT UNIVERSITY OF IOWA PRESIDENT SPOKE TO THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY DURING A PUBLIC FORUM MONDAY. DR. HARI OSOFSKY IS THE DEAN OF PENN STATE’S LAW SCHOOL. TODAY OSOFSKY IS WRAPPING UP A TRIP WHICH INCLUDED MEETINGS WITH U-OF-I GROUPS AND AN INTERVIEW WITH THE BOARD OF REGENTS. OTHER CONTENDERS TO REPLACE RETIRING UNIVERSITY OF IOWA PRESIDENT BRUCE HARRELD WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN THE WEEKS AHEAD.
MARION HIGH SCHOOL WILL NOT USE “MAVERICKS” AS THEIR NICKNAME. THE SCHOOL HAD CHANGED FROM INDIANS TO MAVERICKS EARLIER THIS YEAR. MONDAY, THE MARION SCHOOL BOARD VOTED TO RESUME THE SEARCH FOR A NEW MASCOT. TIES BETWEEN THE TERM MAVERICK AND A 19TH CENTURY TEXAS SLAVEHOLDER PROMPTED DISTRICT LEADERS TO REVISIT THE NAME.
STATE SENATOR JIM CARLIN OF SIOUX CITY GAINED ATTENTION THIS YEAR FOR PROPOSING THAT STATE UNIVERSITIES ELIMINATE TENURE FOR FACULTY. HE THEN ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD CHALLENGE U.S. SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY FOR THE NEW HARTFORD REPUBLICAN’S LONG-HELD SEAT DURING A 2022 PRIMARY. CARLIN WAS A RECENT GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL AND OFFERED HIS VIEWS ON A TOPIC RECEIVING SIGNIFICANT NATIONAL ATTENTION: UNACCOMPANIED MIGRANT CHILDREN AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER. HEAR MORE FROM CARLIN DURING NEXT HOUR’S KXEL NEWSCAST AND FIND THE FULL INTERVIEW ONLINE AT KXEL.COM.
IF YOU HAD MORE THAN A CASUAL ROOTING INTEREST IN UCLA’S TRIP TO THE FINAL FOUR OR LOYOLA’S RETURN TO THE SWEET 16, YOU WEREN’T ALONE. MARCH WAS A RECORD MONTH FOR LEGAL SPORTS WAGERING IN IOWA. OVER 161 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF BETS WERE PLACED ON ATHLETIC EVENTS, ATTRIBUTED IN LARGE PART TO INTEREST IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL AND THE NCAA TOURNAMENT. WIDE AVAILABILITY OF GAMBLING APPS ON PHONES AND MOBILE DEVICES ALSO INFLATED THE INCREASING TOTAL; LESS THAN 14 PERCENT OF WAGERS WERE PLACED IN PERSON.
BLACK HAWK COUNTY JAIL OFFICIALS ARE CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF ACCREDITATION BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CORRECTIONAL HEALTH CARE. THE FACILITY FIRST MET THAT ORGAINZATION’S STANDARDS FOR A VARIETY OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL PROVISIONS AND POLICIES IN 2001. BLACK HAWK COUNTY JAIL’S ACCREDITATION WAS CONFIRMED WITH A REVIEW THAT BEGAN LAST AUGUST.
