Sioux County Authorities Identify Fatal Accident Victim
(Orange City) — The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of the driver involved in the fatal motor vehicle accident that occurred near Boyden, IA on Tuesday, February 25.
The driver of the 2002 Dodge Stratus who died as a result of their injuries was Jordan Gritters, age 18, of Hull, IA.
The accident remains under investigation by the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office.
Iowa Democrats Finally Completes Caucus Results
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Iowa Democratic Party has released updated results of the Iowa caucuses after the completion of a recount requested by the campaigns of Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg. Buttigieg leads Sanders by a margin of 0.04 percentage points. The Associated Press has reviewed the
updated results and won’t call a winner, given concerns about whether the results are fully accurate. The party plans to certify the results Saturday.
Iowa awards 41 national delegates. As it stands, Buttigieg has 13 delegates and Sanders has 12. Elizabeth Warren won eight, Joe Biden won six and Amy Klobuchar won one. A final delegate will be awarded Saturday to Buttigieg.
Warren County Approves Construction Of New Jail
INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) – Warren County supervisors have approved construction of the long-sought justice center in Indianola. On Thursday the board backed a trimmed-down plan for the $30 million-plus project. Construction is expected to begin this summer with a goal of completion in the next 18 to 19
months. The plan includes an 88-bed jail. Voters had approved $29.9 million for the project in 2018, but the bids came in more than $7 million higher. A referendum to let the county borrow an additional $3.5 million for the project gained support from nearly 56% of the voters, but the referendum required approval from 60%.
Iowa House Approves Bill That Would Require Guards Or Metal Detectors At Locations That Prohibit Guns
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa House Republicans have passed a bill that would require local governments to install metal detectors or armed guards at entrances to government-controlled buildings that prohibit firearms. The bill pushed by gun rights advocate Rep. Steven Holt passed Thursday with
only Republican support. Holt argued that gun-free zones prohibit him and other legal gun carriers from protecting their families from shooters.
Cities and counties opposed the bill because of the cost of hiring guards or installing equipment at city halls, libraries, courthouses and other public buildings where guns aren’t allowed. The bill advances to the Senate.
Iowa House Sets Date For Hearing On Glenwood Resource Center
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa House leaders say they have set a date for a hearing to investigate problems that have surfaced at a state-run institution for people with intellectual disabilities. House Speaker Pat Grassley says the House Government Oversight committee will meet on March 16. Iowa Department of Human Services Director Kelly Garcia will discuss the state’s response to concerns over patient The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating allegations that the former Glenwood superintendent was planning to conduct human sexual arousal experiments and had begun questionable hydration therapy on patients. The department also is looking into a death rate that concerned employees.
Medical Director Says Test Kits To Arrive Soon
(Des Moines) — The state medical director says the State Hygenic Lab in Iowa City will be getting test kits for Covid-19, the coronavirus that has spread to more than 30 countries. Dr. Caitlin Pedati says those kits should arrive in one to two weeks.
Currently, only the Centers for Disease Control and a dozen other labs in the country have the capability to test for the virus. Pedati testified for nearly an hour before a state senate committee, answering questions about the outbreak.
Go to www.radioiowa.com to hear Pedati’s presentation to lawmakers.
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Weather Official Says We May Have Flooding, But Not As Bad As Last Year
(Kansas City) — The year 2019 stands out for record precipitation and record flooding across Iowa and much of the region, according to Doug Kluck, the Central Region climate services director at the National Weather Service in Kansas City.
Parts of Iowa saw more rainfall last year than ever before, as well as flooding that surpassed all previous recorded high water marks. The wet soil meant many Iowa farmers faced extreme difficulty with spring planting as well as the fall harvest. While there are predictions of a repeat in 2020, Kluck says he does NOT expect to see that mix of weather conditions again.
He says the patterns that are developing show we’re clearly moving toward more precipitation and storm events.
The first flood outlooks for the region released earlier this month predict major flooding is likely in most of the region’s river basins, including the Mississippi and Missouri.
