DES MOINES, Iowa (Iowa Capital Dispatch/KCRG) – Iowa’s rural health care improvement plan, “Healthy Hometowns,” was awarded $209 million Monday as part of a federal funding program under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services said the federal funding will help fulfill the state program’s goal of creating “healthier communities and better outcomes.” The federal Rural Health Transformation Program was authorized by the summer reconciliation law and is set to allocate $50 billion to states between 2026 and 2030. Iowa’s plan prioritizes partnerships among rural health care providers, efforts to improve cancer prevention and outcomes, accessible health records and investments in telehealth and mobile centers, according to a news release from the state.
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – A Des Moines woman is facing charges after police say she used a child to steal nearly $30,000 in clothes. 18-year-old Ja’nariona Temple is accused of leading a group of thieves to Jordan Creek Town Center, where they conducted large-scale “grab and go” thefts, according to court documents. Temple would then allegedly sell the stolen items. Police allege the group stole $28,706 worth of clothes during nine different occasions between March 23 and July 20. Court documents also say Temple used a minor as a diversion during the crime. Temple is charged with first-degree theft, using a juvenile to commit an indictable offense, and ongoing criminal conduct.
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – Governor Reynolds has ordered state flags to be returned to full-staff Monday night following weeks of remembrance for two fallen Iowa National Guard members. Staff Sergeants Edgar Torres-Tovar and Nate Howard died during an attack earlier this month in Syria. The funeral for Torres-Tovar was Monday. Community members lined the streets to honor his sacrifice. Afterwards, more than 30 members of the Patriot Guard Riders escorted him and his family through Des Moines before he was buried at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery. Howard was buried on Saturday in Marshalltown. He was also escorted by the Iowa Patriot Guard Riders.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa City Police Department has put out a warrant for a Nebraska man they believe planned and carried out an ATM burglary. Police say Darnell Gordon, 43, from Omaha, worked with several people to break into an Urban Fuel in Iowa City around 3:15 a.m. on August 3. After the break-in, police say they used a rented U-Haul to steal an ATM containing $4,000. Investigators say Gordon’s cell phone records, including Google searches and his communications with others, place him at the scene at the time the crime happened and show his plans to carry out the crime. He is wanted on charges of second-degree theft and third-degree burglary.
