IOWA (IRN) – As Iowa crosses the one-year anniversary of its first positive cases of coronavirus, it is on track to hit another milestone, state officials said Wednesday; 1 million doses of vaccine will be administered by the end of the week.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Senate passed bills Wednesday that would heighten penalties for unlawful protests and ban cities from reducing police budgets. One bill heightens penalties for assaulting police, rioting or assembling unlawfully. It also makes blocking streets or highways a misdemeanor and requires those arrested for certain crimes to be held for at least 24 hours. Drivers who hit protesters unlawfully blocking streets or highways will be given civil immunity unless they engage in “reckless or willful misconduct.”

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A Georgia man was sentenced to two years in federal prison last week in connection with a scheme to obtain over $60,000 in fraudulent tax refunds from University of Iowa employees in 2015.

POLK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The Polk County Health Department is warning citizens not to turn to Craigslist to make a vaccine appointment. It may be a scam.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A jury in Polk County has found Des Moines Register journalist Andrea Sahouri and an acquaintance not guilty on all charges after their arrest last year during protests over racial injustice in Des Moines. Sahouri was covering the protests as a reporter, and had been charged with failure to disperse and interference with official acts. The acquittal is seen nationally as a victory for the First Amendment and freedom of the press.