DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) – The Dubuque Fire Department responded to a vacant structure fire on Monday, with officials saying the fire was set intentionally. Crews responded to Pinard Street around 11:23 a.m. for a fire at a two-story residence. Fire crews had water on the fire before 11:30 a.m. After a search, crews determined that nobody was home and no injuries were reported. The Dubuque Fire Marshal says the cause of the fire was intentional in nature, with the estimated property loss around $126,000.
ATKINS, Iowa (KCRG) – A former Atkins city clerk who pleaded guilty in a fraud investigation over misuse of city funds has been ordered to pay $56,000 in restitution to the city. Amber Bell, who was originally charged in November 2023, pleaded guilty to Felonious Misconduct in Office in April of this year. A 2023 audit found unpaid utility bills, employees improperly receiving bonuses, and personal purchases made on the city’s credit card. Some of the flagged purchases included meals, alcohol, and purchases at Starbucks. Some of the initial charges, such as Ongoing Criminal Conduct – Unlawful Activity and Unauthorized Use of Credit Card, have been dropped as part of Bell’s plea agreement. Bell will also complete two years of probation, court documents say.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A Chicago man has been sentenced to twelve years in prison after distributing fentanyl leading to an Iowa man’s overdose death. 66-year-old Vincent Steven Calvin pleaded guilty in March to one count of distribution of a controlled substance and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon. During his sentencing hearing, evidence showed Calvin had been distributing heroin and fentanyl in Cedar Rapids in 2020. On the night of September 27 or morning of September 28, a man ingested fentanyl he had obtained from Calvin. The victim died of an overdose. In November 2022 and January 2023, undercover officers bought from Calvin. Later that January, officers searched Calvin’s Cedar Rapids apartment and found several rounds of ammunition. He had been barred from possessing ammunition due to past felony convictions. Calvin is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau/KCRG) — No Iowa Republicans are listed on the speaking schedule for this week’s first-ever mid-term Republican convention in Dallas, Texas. Both the Republican and Democratic parties traditionally host a national convention every four years that coincides with a presidential election. But this year, Republicans are holding a convention before mid-term elections which do not include a presidential election but will decide which party controls Congress in 2027. President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, and various members of the Trump administration are scheduled to speak at the convention which takes place Wednesday and Thursday. The speaking schedule also includes candidates in competitive districts across the country like Texas, Michigan, North Carolina, and New York. The mid-term convention is a chance for Republicans to rally their base with two months left before the election as they try to hold onto narrow majorities in the U.S. House and Senate.
