POLICE HAVE ARRESTED THE MAN THEY ALLEGE FIRED SEVERAL SHOTS AT ANOTHER PERSON IN CEDAR RAPIDS LAST NIGHT. NO ONE WAS INJURED IN THE INCIDENT WHICH HAPPENED IN THE 15 HUNDRED BLOCK OF 1ST AVENUE NORTHEAST. AUTHORITIES CLAIM MARK ROLAN WAS THE SHOOTER, AND HE WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY NEAR THE SCENE NOT LONG AFTER THE INITIAL CALL, WHICH CAME IN AT 8:30. ROLAN HAS BEEN CHARGED FOR INTIMIDATION WITH A DANGEROUS WEAPON AND OTHER WEAPONS COUNTS. POLICE WERE DIRECTED TO HIM BY THE PERSON WHO WAS TARGETED IN THE SHOOTING.
THE RACE FOR CEDAR FALLS’ FIFTH WARD CITY COUNCIL SEAT NOW HAS THREE CANDIDATES. DUSTIN GANFIELD HAS WORKED ON TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS FOR VERIDIAN CREDIT UNION SINCE 2002. IN HIS ANNOUNCEMENT WEDNESDAY, GANFIELD ALSO NOTED HIS INVOLVEMENT AT CEDAR HEIGHTS BAPTIST CHURCH. THE FIFTH WARD COUNCIL SEAT IS CURRENTLY HELD BY FOUR-TERM INCUMBENT FRANK DARRAH. FORMER WATERLOO POLICE OFFICER ROB MICHAEL IS ALSO IN THE RACE. IF NONE OF THE CANDIDATES EARNS 50 PERCENT OF THE VOTE IN NOVEMBER, THE SEAT WILL BE AWARDED IN A RUN-OFF ELECTION.
A SAFETY CAMPAIGN IS HIGHLIGHTING THE DANGERS THAT COME WITH ONE ASPECT OF FARM WORK. PAUL STEVENSON LEADS GRAIN BIN SAFETY EFFORTS FOR NATIONWIDE INSURANCE AND RECENTLY TALKED TO KXEL’S JEFF STEIN. DOZENS OF FARM WORKERS ARE TRAPPED IN GRAIN BINS EACH YEAR. OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS, MORE THAN HALF OF THOSE ENTRAPMENTS HAVE ENDED IN A FATALITY.
A MARSHALLTOWN TEACHER WILL FACE CHARGES RELATED TO AN ALLEGED INAPPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIP WITH A STUDENT. ACCORDING TO AUTHORITIES, THE IMPROPER CONTACT HAPPENED WITHIN THE LAST 18 MONTHS AND INVOLVED 42-YEAR-OLD ADAM EDGINGTON. EDGINGTON TEACHES ENGLISH AT MILLER MIDDLE SCHOOL IN MARSHALLTOWN. THE COUNT HE FACES IS SEXUAL EXPLOITATION BY A SCHOOL EMPLOYEE AND INVOLVES A 13-YEAR-OLD STUDENT.
CEDAR FALLS IS CLOSER TO ADDING A WHITEWATER PADDLING COURSE ON THE CEDAR RIVER NEAR THE COMMUNITY’S MAIN STREET DISTRICT. TY GRAHAM SPOKE WITH OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 ABOUT ONE PORTION OF THE FUNDRAISING EFFORT FOR THE PROJECT. THE TOTAL ESTIMATED COST TO BUILD THE CEDAR FALLS WHITEWATER COURSE IS FOUR MILLION DOLLARS. WORK ON THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR.
THE IOWA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IS AWARDING MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS IN TAX CREDITS TO A GRUNDY CENTER ORGANIZATION. THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUNDS WILL ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO REDEVELOP AN OLD SCHOOL BUILDING. THE STRUCTURE WILL BE REPURPOSED AS A DAYCARE AND AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMMING CENTER. A TOTAL OF MORE THAN 20 MILLION DOLLARS IN TAX CREDITS WAS ANNOUNCED FOR A DOZEN PRESERVATION PROJECTS AROUND THE STATE YESTERDAY.
THE WATERLOO BUCKS WERE SWEPT IN A ROAD DOUBLE-HEADER BY THE MANKATO MOONDOGS WEDNESDAY. THEY HOPE FOR BETTER TONIGHT AT RIVERFRONT STADIUM WHEN MANKATO VISITS AT 6:35.
AN INTERESTING TWIST FOR AN IOWA MAN ARRESTED ON GUN CHARGES IN CHICAGO OVER THE WEEKEND. 32-YEAR-OLD KEEGAN CASTEEL OF ANKENY IS ALLEGED TO HAVE HAD A RIFLE WITH A LASER SIGHT TRAINED ON A POPULAR RECREATION AREA FROM HIS 12TH FLOOR HOTEL WINDOW. HOTEL STAFF DISCOVERED THE SITUATION AND REPORTED IT TO CHICAGO POLICE, WHO TOOK CASTEEL INTO CUSTODY ON SUNDAY. AFTER INITIALLY BEING HELD ON CHARGES OF UNLAWFUL USE OF A WEAPON, CASTEEL POSTED BOND WEDNESDAY, THEN PROPOSED TO HIS GIRLFRIEND WHO HAD BEEN ON THE TRIP WITH HIM. MEDIA ON HAND AFTER CASTEEL’S RELEASE CAPTURED THE MOMENT.
FLOYD COUNTY IS ON TRACK FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION EARLY NEXT MONTH. THE QUESTION ON THE BALLOT AUGUST 3RD WILL BE WHETHER THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WILL EACH CONTINUE TO BE ELECTED AT-LARGE OR WHETHER THE COUNTY WILL BE DIVIDED INTO ELECTIVE DISTRICTS. LAST MONTH, FLOYD COUNTY SUPERVISORS REJECTED A PETITION TO HOLD THE SPECIAL ELECTION, BUT A LAWSUIT BROUGHT NEW URGENCY TO THE QUESTION. THIS WEEK, THE SUPERVISORS VOTED TO SETTLE THE SUIT AND HOLD THE ELECTION. THE FLOYD COUNTY AUDITOR’S OFFICE EXPECTS TO SPEND NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS TO CONDUCT THE EFFORT.
PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES IN GRUNDY CENTER, COGGON, AND OXFORD ARE RECEIVING GRANTS FOR GRAIN RESCUE TUBES. PAUL STEVENSON OF NATIONWIDE INSURANCE SPOKE TO KXEL ABOUT THE COMPANY’S RUNNING EFFORT TO PROMOTE GRAIN BIN SAFETY. HEAR MORE FROM STEVENSON DURING NEXT HOUR’S KXEL NEWSCAST.
