A CEDAR FALLS KIDNAPPING TRIAL HAS RESULTED IN A GUILTY VERDICT. THURSDAY SAUL SANTOS VASQUEZ MARTINEZ WAS RULED TO HAVE KIDNAPPED A TEENAGED GIRL HE PULLED INTO A HOME WHILE SHE WAS WORKING AS A BABYSITTER NEXT DOOR. THE GIRL WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE HOME WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT INJURIES. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED IN 2019. VASQUEZ WAS INTOXICATED AT THE TIME. THE CONSTRUCTION WORKER WAS ALSO CONVICTED OF ASSAULT IN THE CASE. HE WILL BE SENTENCED DURING A FUTURE HEARING.
SHELL ROCK SOY PROCESSING WILL COME ONLINE BEFORE THE END OF NEXT YEAR. MID-IOWA COOPERATIVE INITIATED THE VENTURE, AND CO-OP CEO MIKE KINLEY SAYS GOOD WEATHER AND OTHER FAVORABLE CONDITIONS HAVE HELPED THE DEVELOPMENT. KINLEY WAS A RECENT GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. SHELL ROCK SOY PROCESSORS WILL HAVE THE CAPACITY TO CRUSH 40 MILLION BUSHELS OF SOYBEANS ANNUALLY, PRODUCING SOYBEAN OIL AND MEAL. KINLEY SAYS MANY OF THE SOYBEANS PASSING THROUGH THE PLANT WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN EXPORTED. HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEW AT KXEL.COM.
IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS HAS CO-SIGNED A LETTER WITH THE LEADERS OF SEVERAL OTHER STATES URGING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO RECONSIDER A LAND CONSERVATION STRATEGY. THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR IS STUDYING IF AND HOW 30 PERCENT OF U.S. LANDS AND WATERS MIGHT BE CONSERVED BY 2030. A LETTER THIS WEEK FROM GOVERNORS IN MOSTLY WESTERN STATES CALLS THE EFFORT AN OVERREACH WHICH INFRINGES ON THE SOVREIGNTY OF STATE GOVERNMENTS.
THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HELD A HEARING EARLIER THIS WEEK TO DISCUSS GEORGIA’S RECENT ELECTION LAW. IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY IS THE COMMITTEE’S RANKING MEMBER AND CALLED FOR UNITY REGARDING THE ROLE OF VOTING IN AMERICAN DEMOCRACY. OPPONENTS OF GEORGIA’S ELECTION LAW CLAIM IT WILL SUPPRESS VOTERS, PARTICULARLY PEOPLE OF COLOR. IOWA AND A NUMBER OF OTHER STATES HAVE PASSED NEW LAWS RELATED TO ELECTIONS, FOCUSED PARTICULARLY ON THE EARLY AND ABSENTEE VOTING PROCESS.
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING WAS THE CAUSE OF DEATH FOR A 17-YEAR-OLD GIRL WHOSE BODY WAS DISCOVERED IN A NORTHWEST IOWA HOG CONFINEMENT BUILDING EARLIER THIS WEEK. THE IOWA MEDICAL EXAMINERS OFFICE CAME TO THAT CONCLUSION AFTER AN AUTOPSY ON VICTORIA MARIE PARRA-LERDO FOLLOWING THE MONDAY INCIDENT IN RURAL KOSSUTH COUNTY. THE GIRL WAS HELPING TO POWER WASH AND CLEAN THE FACILITY AS PART OF A FAMILY-OWNED AG SERVICE BUSINESS. THE REPORT RELEASED THURSDAY NOTED THE BUILDING HAD INADEQUATE VENTILATION.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA JUNIOR LINEBACKER JARED BRINKMAN WAS NAMED THE MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR ON THURSDAY. THE IOWA CITY NATIVE RECORDED NINE TACKLES FOR LOSS, FORCED TWO FUMBLES, AND RECOVERED ONE. BRINKMAN HELPED THE PANTHERS LEAD THE MVFC IN SCORING DEFENSE.
THE WATERLOO BLACK HAWK OPEN THE FINAL WEEKEND OF THE SEASON TONIGHT. THE HAWKS HOST THE DES MOINES BUCCANEERS AT YOUNG ARENA BEGINNING AT 7:05 P.M.
AN IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WORKER WAS INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS INJURY ACCIDENT ON HIGHWAY 20. EARLY THURSDAY MORNING, THE DOT EMPLOYEE WAS DRIVING EAST NEAR PEOSTA AND COLLIDED WITH A CEMENT TRUCK, WHICH WAS ALSO EASTBOUND. MORNING SUN MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. THE UNNAMED WORKER HAD TO BE TAKEN BY HELICOPTER TO UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITALS IN IOWA CITY FOR TREATMENT. THE DRIVER OF THE CEMENT TRUCK WAS NOT INJURED.
IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY CRITICIZED THE BASIS FOR A U.S. SENATE HEARING LOOKING INTO THE PARTICULARS OF A NEW GEORGIA ELECTION LAW. GRASSLEY IS THE RANKING MEMBER ON THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. CHANGES TO GEORGIA VOTING RULES WERE MADE BY THE STATE’S REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE AFTER DEMOCRAT JOE BIDEN WON GEORGIA’S ELECTORAL VOTES AND TWO DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE WERE VOTED INTO OFFICE DURING RUN-OFF ELECTIONS. CRITICISM OF THE NEW RULES SUGGESTS THAT LIMITING EARLY AND ABSENTEE VOTING WILL DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT MINORITY GROUPS WHO TEND TO VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS.
FEDERAL LEGISLATION HAS BEEN REINTRODUCED TO PREVENT PRODUCTS MADE FROM NUTS, SEEDS OR PLANTS FROM BEING LABELED AS MILK. THE BIPARTISAN BILL HAS 33 CO-SPONSORS IN THE U.S. HOUSE. THE GROUP IS MOSTLY FROM DAIRY STATES AND SAY USING THE TERM “MILK” IS MISLEADING THEY CALL FOR THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION TO ENFORCE ITS REGULATIONS DEFINING MILK AND CREAM.
