DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Gov. Kim Reynolds announced today that she has received Chuck Palmer’s retirement as director of the Iowa Department of Human Services effective June 16, 2017. The retirement comes amid much controversy within the DHS, after two prominent abuse cases that ended in the starvation deaths of two Iowa teens.
MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A 23-year-old man was stabbed in the chest by another man Tuesday in Mason City. KIMT-TV reports the victim was treated at the scene by officers and medics before being transported to an area hospital. Police have towed a vehicle that may have been used by the suspect as he fled the scene.
MARION, IA (IRN) – The Marion Police Department is looking into newly reported allegations of child abuse at Starry Elementary School. A 16-year-old was previously convicted of three counts of sexual abuse that happened while he volunteered in a classroom in 2016. It’s unclear if the new allegations are related.
LANSING, IA (IRN) – An Iowa man died Tuesday when the roadway just east of the Lansing bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River. KWWL-TV reports 59-year-old James Walleser of Lansing was approaching the bridge that crosses the Mississippi and links Lansing, Iowa to Wisconsin. A witness saw the roadway collapse and the vehicle plunge into the river.
ALTOONA, IA (IRN) – Iowa’s two Republican senators say full repeal of Obamacare is unlikely. KCCI-TV reports Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst say majority Republicans don’t agree on an alternative to Obamacare, and lack the votes to overcome Democratic opposition. A Congressional Budget Office analysis projects that the Republican plan would cause 23 million Americans to lose coverage by 2026 and create prohibitively expensive costs for some in poor health.
WASHINGTON, DC (IRN) – Two eastern Iowans are among the nearly 300 spellers competing to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee this week, according to KCRG-TV. Haebin Han is an 8th grade student at Roosevelt Middle School in Dubuque. Lydia Bitterman of Cedar Rapids, is a 7th grader in the Marion Homeschool Association program. The preliminary rounds are on ESPN tonight, with the finals airing Thursday.