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Trial rescheduled for caregiver charged with murder
The murder trial of an assisted-living caregiver, originally scheduled for next week, has been moved to September. Catherine Forkpa, 31, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 77-year-old Lynne Stewart at Courtyard Estates at Hawthorne Crossing, an assisted living center in Bondurant. The charge carries a penalty of up to 50 years in prison. […]
Police sergeants challenge city over bargaining rights
Urbandale’s police sergeants are taking the Iowa Public Employee Relations Board to court, arguing they shouldn’t be excluded from collective bargaining. The Urbandale Police Sergeants Association filed a petition with IPERB last October, hoping to establish a bargaining unit comprised exclusively of the 10 Urbandale police officers who hold the rank of sergeant. The City […]
Davenport dialysis center led the state in violations last year
Last November, an eastern Iowa man was preparing for his usual Saturday morning dialysis treatment when he was called at home and told his appointment was canceled due to a lack of staff at the local clinic. For patients with failing kidneys, dialysis is a life-saving treatment that filters the blood and removes toxins or […]
Des Moines Walgreens store faces new charges of prescription-filling errors
A Des Moines pharmacy already on probation has been fined $5,000 for incorrectly filling customers’ prescriptions. The civil penalty is part of a settlement agreement that the Walgreens store at 3140 S.E. 14th St. made with the Iowa Board of Pharmacy. In September 2021, the store was inspected and it was found that the on-hand […]
‘Curmudgeonly old man’ sues Facebook, Google over ‘woke’ policies
An Iowan who describes himself as a “curmudgeonly old man” is suing Google, YouTube and Facebook, claiming the internet giants are stifling his right to voice opposition to their “left-wing, woke censorship and suppression of free speech.” Timothy-Allen Albertson, 67, of Council Bluffs is suing the companies in state court for allegedly violating his First […]
State keeps secret the details on abuse case
In an unusual move, the state of Iowa is keeping confidential the identity of all the parties involved in an unemployment case involving dependent-adult abuse. Typically, the names of workers and employers who are involved in disputes over unemployment benefits are made public once the matter goes before an administrative law judge and there’s a […]
State: Intruder was in care facility four hours before entering resident’s bed
An intruder allegedly spent four hours inside an eastern Iowa nursing home before the staff found him partially undressed in bed with a female resident. According to newly released state inspection reports, the intruder – later identified by police as Michael James Beaver, 54, of West Branch – interacted with the staff at Crestview Specialty […]
Puppy mill update: Iowa still leads the nation in both violators and citations
Iowa continues to lead the nation in the number of regulatory violations committed by puppy mills. During the first quarter of 2023, federal inspectors cited the nation’s licensed dog breeders for 303 violations. Of those, 107 were committed by Iowa breeders. The 107 violations were committed by 26 different Iowa breeders, which means Iowa also […]
Iowa-licensed surgeon faces new allegations of incompetence
An Iowa-licensed surgeon accused last year of unnecessary surgeries and lying to patients is now facing charges of professional incompetence. The Iowa Board of Medicine alleges Dr. Giovanni Ciuffo, formerly of Sioux City, is guilty of professional incompetence, engaging in a practice that is harmful or detrimental to the public, and knowingly making misleading or […]
Two lawsuits accuse the state of discriminating against workers
The state of Iowa is facing a pair of lawsuits alleging discrimination and retaliation by top agency leaders. One of the cases alleges discrimination based on disabilities, while the other claims discrimination based on national origin. The most recent of the two cases, filed in federal court, involves Kemal Delilovic of Polk County. He who […]
Sheriff’s office sued for illegal search that led to 251 days in jail
An Osceola man who spent 251 days in jail after drugs were allegedly found during the illegal search of his car is suing the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District if Iowa, names Guthrie County, as well as the City of Stuart, as defendants. Steven Schoessler […]
Federal government sues four Iowa businessmen accused of bilking taxpayers out of millions
Four Iowa businessmen accused of fraudulently collecting millions in tax credits from the U.S. Treasury are now being sued in federal court for $70 million. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, paints a startling picture of how four Iowans allegedly invested a total of $250 to establish an […]