THE BREMER COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT SAYS A PURSUIT BEFORE DAWN SUNDAY BEGAN WHEN A DEPUTY WAS CHECKING INTO A REPORT OF A SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE NEAR JANESVILLE SCHOOLS FACILITIES. THE CHASE CROSSED THE COUNTY LINE BEFORE DRIVER DAKOTA MOELLER WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY IN BLACK HAWK COUNTY. MOELLER HAD ALLEGEDLY STOLEN THE VEHICLE BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO ELUDE LAW ENFORCEMENT. INITIAL CHARGES AGAINST THE 18-YEAR-OLD INCLUDE THEFT AND CARRYING WEAPONS ON SCHOOL GROUNDS, AS WELL AS TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS. THE BREMER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS MORE CHARGES ARE LIKELY.
APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER OF IOWANS HAVE BEEN FULLY VACCINATED AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS. FOR SOME, ACCESS TO THE INNOCULATIONS WASN’T AVAILABLE DURING REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 TALKED WITH ALEC VARNIM, WHO GOT HIS FIRST SHOT OVER THE WEEKEND DURING A 24-HOUR CLINIC IN CEDAR RAPIDS. THE AROUND-THE-CLOCK CLINIC WRAPPED UP SUNDAY MORNING. IT WAS A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT BY REUTZEL PHARMACY, LINN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH, AND THE IOWA PHARMACY ASSOCIATION.
ALSO IN CEDAR RAPIDS, THE “TOGETHER WE ACHIEVE” ORGANIZATION DISTRIBUTED HUNDRED OF FOOD BOXES. TV-9 SPOKE TO TOGETHER WE ACHIEVE’S RAYMOND SIDDELL ABOUT THE LONG LINE OF CARS WAITING AS THE DRIVE-UP EVENT BEGAN. TOGETHER WE ACHIEVE IS GIVING AWAY BOXES OF FOOD DURING MONTHLY EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
THE LINE OF CANDIDATES FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA PRESIDENT’S JOB CONTINUES TO MOVE THROUGH IOWA CITY. TODAY, WENDY HENSEL WILL VISIT THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY AND INTERVIEW WITH THE BOARD OF REGENTS. HENSEL CURRENTLY WORKS AT GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SERVING AS PROVOST AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS. HENSEL FOLLOWS HARI OSOFSKY AND BARBARA WILSON, WHO EACH MADE APPEARANCES IN IOWA CITY LAST WEEK. A FOURTH CANDIDATE IS EXPECTED LATER THIS WEEK. THE BOARD OF REGENTS PLANS TO ANNOUNCE WHICH CANDIDATE WILL BE OFFERED THE JOB ON APRIL 30TH.
IN CENTRAL IOWA, POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE DISCOVERY OF A BODY AND SUBMERGED VEHICLE NEAR A DES MOINES BOAT RAMP. POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT RESCUERS WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON SUNDAY. SOMEONE SAW A BODY IN THE DES MOINES RIVER NEAR A VEHICLE IN THE WATER. PEOPLE INITIALLY ATTEMPTED A RESCUE BUT REALIZED THE PERSON HAD DIED. A FIRE DEPARTMENT WATER TEAM RECOVERED THE BODY OF A MAN. POLICE SAY IT APPEARS THE BODY AND VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN THE WATER FOR “A CONSIDERABLE TIME.”.
IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST WAS A GUEST DURING KXEL’S IOWA THIS WEEK PROGRAM. THE STATE’S JUNIOR SENATOR TALKED ABOUT A BILL SHE INTRODUCED LAST WEEK RELATED TO ANIMAL AGRICULTURE. ERNST NOTED THAT MEAT PRODUCTION IS VALUED AT NEARLY 29 BILLION DOLLARS IN CROP AND LIVESTOCK SALES FOR PRODUCERS IN THE STATE. HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEW AT KXEL.COM.
IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST HAS INTRODUCED WHAT SHE IS CALLING THE TASTEE ACT. THAT STANDS FOR “TELLING AGENCIES TO STOP TWEAKING WHAT EMPLOYEES EAT,” IN RESPONSE TO SOME FEDERAL OFFICES, INCLUDING USDA, PROMOTING MEATLESS MONDAYS AND SIMILAR CAMPAIGNS. ERNST SHARED HER THOUGHTS DURING A RECENT APPEARANCE ON KXEL. ERNST ALSO POINTED OUT THAT APRIL HAS BEEN DECLARED “MEAT ON THE TABLE” MONTH IN THE STATE OF IOWA.
THE TRIAL OF A MAN WHO POLICE SAY KILLED A FORT DODGE PASTOR BEGINS TODAY. JOSHUA PENDLETON FACES FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AND ROBBERY CHARGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEATH OF AL HENDERSON, WHO WAS FOUND UNRESPONSIVE OUTSIDE ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN OCTOBER OF 2019. DURING QUESTIONING BY POLICE, INVESTIGATORS SAY PENDLETON CONFESSED TO BEING AT THE CHURCH AND HAVING A PHYSICAL CONFRONTATION WITH HENDERSON. THE PASTOR’S CELL PHONE WAS LATER FOUND IN PENDLETON’S POSSESSION. PENDLETON WAS PREVIOUSLY CONSIDERED UNFIT TO STAND TRIAL DUE TO A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION BUT WAS CLEARED LAST MAY AFTER FURTHER EVALUATION. HE HAS ENTERED A PLEA OF NOT GUILTY AND HIS LAWYERS ARE PREPARING AN INSANITY DEFENSE.
JANELLE RETTIG IS DEPARTING FROM JOHNSON COUNTY’S BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. IN A MESSAGE POSTED ONLINE SUNDAY, RETTIG SAYS SHE IS RESIGNING DUE TO HEALTH CONCERNS RELATED TO LYME DISEASE. HER MESSAGE INDICATED SHE MIGHT HAVE LEFT THE BOARD SOONER, IF NOT FOR THE NEED FOR CONTINUITY CREATED BY THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. RETTIG HAD BEEN A JOHNSON COUNTY SUPERVISOR SINCE 2009.
