Body Of Dead Ice Fisherman Now Identified
(Cherokee) — Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office has released the identity of the ice fisherman that died Wednesday afternoon after falling through the ice on a rural pond near Cherokee. 66-year old Michael R Halder of Cherokee was recovered from the water and pronounced dead at the scene. Dive teams from Buena Vista County and Plymouth County assisted with the recovery of Halder’s body. Other assistance at the scene was provided by Cherokee Fire Department, Aurelia Fire Department, Cherokee Emergency Management, Cherokee Police Department, Cherokee Regional Medical Center and Wings Rescue.
Trial Set for Man Charged with Killing Iowa State Patrol Trooper
(Webster City, IA) — The man accused of killing an Iowa State Patrol trooper during a standoff in Grundy Center last year will go to trial for murder on May 9th in Hamilton County. Forty-two-year-old Michael Lang is accused of shooting Sergeant Jim Smith in Lang’s Grundy Center home in a confrontation on April 9th of last year. Lang, who himself was shot several times after police used an armored vehicle to breach his residence, is charged with murder, attempted murder and assaulting a police officer. Prosecutors did not oppose a defense request in January to move Lang’s trial out of Grundy County due to extensive media coverage and public interest in the case. Smith was a 27-year member of the Iowa State Patrol when he died of his wounds.
Sioux City Offering New Teachers $5,000 Bonuses
(Sioux City, IA) — In hopes of luring in more educators, the Sioux City school district will be rewarding new teachers with a five-thousand-dollar bonus. Permanent substitute teachers, food service workers and bus drivers will also qualify for a recruitment stipend. School board president Dan Greenwell says they’re focusing on positions where recruitment has been failing and adds that they “have to try something different.” There are more than 50 unfilled teaching positions within the Sioux City school district. Representatives from the local teachers’ union say they’re happy to see new hires rewarded, but also say the district needs to focus on retention.
Food Delivery Restrictions Passes Iowa House
(Des Moines, IA) — By a nearly unanimous vote, the Iowa House has passed a bill that would put new restrictions on food delivery services like Uber Eats and DoorDash. If the bill becomes law, the companies will face fines if driver are caught eating some of the food they’re supposed to be delivering. Representative Brian Meyer of Des Moines cites a 2019 study that found one in four delivery drivers sample the food. Restaurants would be required to put food in tamper resistant containers, delivery drivers would be prohibited from smoking while on the job, and they could not have kids or pets in the vehicle when food is being delivered. The bill also would force delivery companies to have an agreement with a restaurant before they could advertise and deliver the restaurant’s food. A similar bill is eligible for debate in the Iowa Senate.
