Des Moines Asking For New Federal Courthouse
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A U.S. district judge in Iowa says plans for a new federal courthouse in Des Moines will resolve issues of limited space at the current facility.
Chief U.S. District Judge John Jarvey says a new courthouse will eliminate the need to rent an additional facility nearby for several district offices.
President Barack Obama approved a spending bill this month that includes almost $948 million for a list of projects that include a new southern district of Iowa courthouse. Information about how much the Iowa project would cost or where it would be located is not available. It’s also unclear when a new courthouse would open.
Jarvey says he has met with city planners to look at potential locations downtown for a new building.
Authorities Looking For Fort Dodge Man Regarding Animal Abuse
FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – Authorities are looking for a Fort Dodge man accused of throwing hot grease on his dog and burning him.
Ryan Baldridge, first assistant Webster County attorney, says an arrest warrant was issued Tuesday for 52-year-old Gary Wilson on one count of animal torture.
Wilson could not be reached through public phone listings for his name.
Wilson is accused of throwing hot grease on his black Labrador retriever, Bob, in November. Baldridge says the alleged abuse caused second- and third-degree burns to the dog’s head and face.
Baldridge says Bob received veterinary care and may undergo additional care for his injuries. The dog is under the care of another person.
WellCare Challenges Contract Termination
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A private company hired to help manage Iowa’s $4.2 billion Medicaid program is formally challenging its recent contract termination.
WellCare of Iowa says in a petition filed Monday that it wants the state Department of Human Services to temporarily halt its plans to terminate the company’s contract while the issue is sorted out in legal proceedings.
A WellCare spokeswoman says the company plans to file a lawsuit in district court.
A state official on Friday reaffirmed a judge’s recommendation that the state terminate WellCare’s contract over its contact with state officials during the bidding process and a failure to fully disclose information involving fraud or mismanagement.
The company challenges those characterizations and says they didn’t merit termination. A DHS spokeswoman says the department does not comment on pending litigation.
Clean Up Costs From Vandals For Webster County Courthouse Could Exceed $58,000
FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – Officials say it could cost at least $52,000 for cleanup completed at the Webster County Courthouse following a vandalism incident.
Webster County Supervisor Merrill Leffler says that total for a cleaning company doesn’t include associated costs like extra personnel who helped clean affected computers.
Insurance should pay for all costs associated with the vandalism, which was reported on Dec. 8 and closed the courthouse for a week.
Authorities say at least one person entered the courthouse and sprayed fire extinguishers throughout the third and fourth floors. Fine white powder from the extinguishers coated surfaces and got into computers and books. They had to be meticulously cleaned.
The newspaper reports a man has been charged with first-degree criminal mischief and third-degree burglary in the case.
Carson Looks For Balance In Foreign Affairs Policy
STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) – Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson will need a comeback if he wants to recover the momentum that briefly propelled him to the top of the GOP field this fall.
But since then, the retired neurosurgeon has faced questions about his readiness for the job and lashed out publicly at media scrutiny of his compelling life story.
His campaign leaders say he remains in a strong position to win Iowa and do well in South Carolina once voting begins in February, suggesting that those states will leave him in a good position heading into the March primaries.
But Carson aides also acknowledge that candidates like Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz have commanded the spotlight in a race now focused heavily on national security.
