Iowa’s longest serving U.S. senator, Charles Grassley, announced this morning he is running for re-election. The word came via a tweet from his campaign account at 4 a.m., the time the 88-year-old leaves home for a morning run. Grassley has served in the U.S. Senate since 1981.
From the Associated Press:
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A man who was paralyzed when an Iowa police officer shot him in April is suing the officer. Marcelino Alvarez-Victoriano contends the shooting was not justified. Authorities say a Waterloo police officer shot Alvarez-Victoriano after he pointed a pellet gun that looked like a shotgun at two Black Hawk County sheriff’s deputies. But the lawsuit filed Thursday questions the official version of events. It notes that few details have been released months after the shooting. Black Hawk County Attorney Brian Williams says he’s still reviewing whether the officer’s use of force was justified. Waterloo Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald says the officer has been cleared internally.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state commission will submit a report to the Iowa Legislature that indicates Iowans who offered an opinion support the first set of maps drawn by a nonpartisan state agency. A majority of the five-member Iowa Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission supported Thursday a statement in their report to lawmakers that says the commission acknowledges that a majority of Iowans who expressed an opinion to the commission favor Iowa’s redistricting process and the first proposed redistricting plan. Two Republican appointees to the commission preferred to leave out language about Iowans who spoke or wrote in supporting the first plan but three members agreed it was accurate and stated the facts and should be included. The Legislature is scheduled to meet on Oct. 5.
ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — Attorneys say the city of Ankeny has settled a lawsuit filed by a man who was shot by a police officer during an attempted burglary. Myles Regenold sued after he was shot in March 2019 while breaking into an auto store. At the time, police said Regenold did not follow directions and advanced toward officers before he was shot. Regenold’s attorneys say video camera footage shows he was unarmed and complying when he was shot. The lawsuit was dismissed Wednesday after a $500,000 settlement from the city to Regenold. He was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to third-degree burglary.
WAUKEE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have charged a 22-year-old Waukee man with first-degree murder in the death of a 6-month-old baby. The Iowa Department of Public Safety says Nicholas Edward Cox was arrested Tuesday on the charge, as well as a count of child endangerment causing death. He was booked into the Hardin County Jail. Officials say Iowa Falls police and paramedics responded to a 911 call on March 2 and found the baby unresponsive. Efforts to revive the infant were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at a hospital. Police say Cox gave various stories about his attempts to save the baby, finally telling investigators he was “way too rough” with the infant. An autopsy showed the baby died of blunt force trauma to the neck and spine and asphyxiation.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The head of Iowa’s largest hospital says he’s worried a surge in coronavirus cases is burning out many nurses and other staffers. Suresh Gunasekaran, the chief executive officer of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, told reporters Wednesday that the hospital has hundreds of openings not only in nursing, but also for people in food service, housekeeping, maintenance and nursing assistance. The Iowa Department of Public Health says hospitalizations across the state jumped by more than 10% in the past week, to 638, which is the highest number since December. The agency reported 81 additional deaths, bringing the state’s COVID-19 death toll to 6,482.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Public Health medical director and state epidemiologist is leaving the job next month. The agency announced Wednesday that Dr. Caitlin Pedati, a pediatrician, will “pursue new opportunities.” Pedati has been in the job since 2018 and was a visible adviser to Gov. Kim Reynolds in the early months of the coronavirus pandemic last year, appearing in numerous news conferences. Pedati has not been a visible presence recently as the state has experienced a surge in cases involving the delta variant. The agency says it plans to quickly fill the position.
