Author: Iowa Radio News

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported five new cases of the U.K. variant of COVID-19 in the state of Iowa. According to the CDC, the variant “may be associated with an increased risk of death compared to other variants.”

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An amendment saying a woman’s right to an abortion is not protected passed another hurdle in the Iowa Statehouse on Wednesday. House Joint Resolution 5 passed through committee and is now eligible for debate on the full Senate floor. If it passes both chambers this year, the issue would need approval from Iowa voters in 2023 or 2024 in order to become law.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Citing concerns over an imbalance of political beliefs among faculty at Iowa’s public universities, a state lawmaker has introduced a bill requiring the state Board of Regents to survey employees at Iowa’s three public universities about their political affiliations. Republican sponsors fear there are too many Democrats among faculty, and want more balance.

JACKSONVILLE, FL (IRN) – Chris Doyle has found a new job, eight months after he left the University of Iowa following accusations of promoting racial disparities in the football program. On Thursday, the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL announced that Doyle had been hired as “director of sport performance.”

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines is launching a new initiative along with the Metro Waste Authority to educate Iowans about single-use plastics, the harm they can cause and how to cut them out of your life by “stomping the straw.” 17% of trash in landfills is single use plastic.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst is cosponsoring a bipartisan bill funding diaper banks nationwide. Before Congress passed the last COVID-19 stimulus package in December, Ernst tried to get $200 million added to support diaper banks. That didn’t happen but Ernst is trying again for $200 million in a bill not associated with a stimulus bill.

IOWA (IRN) – Governor Kim Reynolds is defending her decision to lift statewide COVID-19 mitigation efforts, arguing that the statistics show Iowa is turning the corner in the fight against the virus and that the rules are unnecessary. She says she trusts Iowans to do the right thing.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A measure that would require transgender people in Iowa schools to use bathrooms that correspond to the sex listed on their birth certificates won a subcommittee vote in the Iowa Senate yesterday. The measure would apply to people using bathrooms in elementary and secondary public and nonpublic schools.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A marijuana dispensary could open just two miles from the Iowa state line this spring. The shop would go in a small shopping center just a four minute drive from the Julien Dubuque Bridge. A dispensary could create $250,000 dollars in tax revenue for the city every year.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – About two dozen community members gathered in the cold Wednesday night to honor a man who was found dead in a portable toilet outside a Des Moines library. A snowplow driver clearing the parking lot near the Forest Avenue Library found the man’s body around 3:10 a.m. Monday. Authorities have not released the man’s identity or cause of death, but community members believe the man was homeless and trying to find shelter during subzero temperatures.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A resolution that would give Iowa voters a chance to amend the state constitution to say there is no fundamental right to abortion, or public funding for it, has passed an Iowa Senate committee. The Iowa Senate Government Committee approved Senate Joint Resolution 2 Wednesday.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa public health officials have selected Microsoft to develop an online COVID-19 vaccine scheduling system as they seek to get past a rocky start that has the state near the bottom nationally in doses administered. The will award a separate contract to run a vaccine call center later this week.

IOWA (IRN) – Iowa’s two high school athletics organizations announced Tuesday that they will continue mask and social distancing restrictions for spectators at upcoming state tournaments.
The Iowa High School Athletics Association and the Iowa Girls High School Athletics Union also encourage member schools to require that spectators wear masks and social distance. This is despite Gov. Reynolds’ move to lift state COVID-19 restrictions, including a mask mandate.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A House Education subcommittee advanced a bill Tuesday that would ban Iowa public schools from incorporating curriculum from the New York Times’ 1619 Project, created by Waterloo native Nikole Hannah-Jones. The Pulitzer Prize Winning project was published in 2019, and aims to reframe American history through the lens of slavery.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A Cedar Rapids woman wants everyone to shovel their sidewalks for people with physical challenges. Cathy Hafsi was born with cerebral palsy and relies on a walker or wheelchair to get around. She says, “if the sidewalks aren’t shoveled I just can’t walk where I want to walk…”

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A snowplow driver found a man dead in a portable toilet early Monday morning in Des Moines. Around 3:10 a.m., the snowplow driver clearing the parking lot of the Forest Avenue Library found the man. No foul play is suspected.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Iowa ranks last among states in its ability to administer COVID-19 vaccinations. Only 7.5% of Iowans have received at least one vaccine dose. Alaska leads the nation at 15% receiving at least one dose. This is one day after Gov. Kim Reynolds lifted mask and crowd restrictions in public places.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa House of Representatives on Monday confirmed its sixth COVID-19 case since the 2021 legislative session began.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The University of Iowa wrestling program has paused all in-person activities due to COVID-19 cases in the program. The meet against Penn State on February 12 has been postponed.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Democratic Black Caucus said it’s working with authorities to locate several people responsible for Zoom-bombing their meeting with racial slurs. The slurs began during opening prayer.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa legislators are considering legalizing recreational marijuana. Iowa is about to have two neighboring states where recreational marijuana is legal. South Dakota can begin selling marijuana on July 1, and it became legal in Illinois on Jan. 1. Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, is leading the charge. He wants Iowa to take the leap 15 other states have to regulate recreational marijuana like alcohol.

BETTENDORF, IA (IRN) – A Bettendorf police officer shot and killed a man Sunday. Police were called to a home around 12:15 a.m. because of a dispute between a man and a woman, but the couple had left the scene. They were found in a vehicle later. The woman exited and told officers the man had threatened to kill her. The man pulled a handgun and refused to comply with officers’ commands. An officer fired his or her weapon, and the man died at the scene.

MOLINE, IL (IRN) – One person has died and another sustained life-threatening injuries after their vehicle became submerged in the Mississippi River near Moline on Sunday. A construction worker saw a hole in the ice and heard someone yelling for help a few feet away. He found a 21-year-old man from Davenport wet, lying in the snow. Rescue crews recovered a submerged vehicle, with a 32-year-old man dead inside. Alcohol was involved.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Two firefighters were seriously injured Sunday when a hose line failed while they were battling a blaze at a Cedar Rapids apartment complex. One firefighter was struck in the head and knocked unconscious and another was struck in the chest and knocked down when the hose line failed. Neither injury was believed to be life-threatening.

VALPARAISO, IN (IRN) – The No. 25 Drake men’s basketball team is no longer undefeated, losing 74-57 to unranked Valparaiso on Sunday. The loss by Drake left No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 2 Baylor as the only remaining major college teams with spotless records this season.