Author

Deputy Editor Clark Kauffman has worked during the past 30 years as both an investigative reporter and editorial writer at two of Iowa’s largest newspapers, the Des Moines Register and the Quad-City Times. He has won numerous state and national awards for reporting and editorial writing.
Court reinstates former prosecutor’s law license despite board’s objections
By: Clark Kauffman - August 3, 2023
A former Dickinson County prosecutor convicted of being intoxicated at work has had her license reinstated and is now prosecuting criminal cases in Palo Alto County. Newly disclosed state records show that the Iowa Supreme Court recently reinstated the law license of former Dickinson County Attorney Amy Zenor over the objections of the court’s own […]
Iowa attorneys sanctioned for mishandling client funds and other violations
By: Clark Kauffman - August 2, 2023
A Waterloo attorney has agreed to a 60-day suspension of his law license due to his mishandling of client funds. According to the Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board, attorney Wallace D. Parrish has admitted that he failed to properly reconcile trust fund accounts while knowingly providing the Client Security Commission with false information indicating […]
Pipeline company sues Story County to block latest attempt at local regulation
By: Clark Kauffman - August 1, 2023
For the second time in less than a year, the company that’s planning to install an interstate pipeline across Iowa to transport liquid carbon dioxide waste is asking a federal judge to block Story County’s efforts to regulate the project. Navigator CO2 Ventures and a group of affiliates are developing the $3 billion Heartland Greenway […]
Privacy lawsuit against Iowa newspaper publisher will proceed, judge rules
By: Clark Kauffman - July 31, 2023
A federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit alleging an Iowa newspaper publisher violated customers’ privacy rights through information sharing with Facebook. The Iowa-based newspaper chain Lee Enterprises is facing a potential class-action lawsuit alleging it has shared readers’ personal information, including the videos they watch on Lee websites, with Facebook in violation of […]
Des Moines care facility cited for denying residents their pain medications
By: Clark Kauffman - July 31, 2023
A Des Moines care facility with a history of care violations that includes maggot-infested wounds has been cited for repeatedly failing to give residents their narcotic pain medications. According to a report from the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, Genesis Senior Living Center, 5608 SW 9th St., Des Moines, has repeatedly failed to […]
Lawyer for Iowa cities and counties agrees to law-license suspension
By: Clark Kauffman - July 31, 2023
A lawyer who has spent two decades representing various Iowa cities and counties has agreed to a 30-day suspension of his law license due to admitted conflicts of interest. The disciplinary action stems from a series of incidents involving attorney Matthew Brick of the West Des Moines law firm Brick Gentry. In an affidavit filed […]
Harris asks Iowans to be vigilant in the face of a ‘full-on attack’ on freedom
By: Clark Kauffman - July 28, 2023
Vice President Kamala Harris stopped in Des Moines on Friday to call on Iowans to fight back against what she called a “full-on attack against hard-won freedoms.” During an hour-long stop at Des Moines’ Drake University, Harris focused on the Iowa Legislature’s recent passage of a law – stayed, for now, by the courts – […]
Iowa puppy mill operator sentenced to probation for animal neglect
By: Clark Kauffman - July 27, 2023
An Appanoose County man accused of animal neglect in the operation of a puppy mill has been sentenced to two years of probation. Henry Sommers, the 84-year-old owner of Happy Puppy on 141st Avenue in the town of Cincinnati, was arrested in February by the Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office. Sommers was charged with seven separate […]
Five Iowa nursing homes added to list of the nation’s worst care facilities
By: Clark Kauffman - July 27, 2023
Five Iowa nursing homes have been added to a federal list of the nation’s worst care facilities. One of the five is a Sioux City home that, after being cited for violations tied to four resident deaths, is now in the process of voluntarily closing. The five homes are all deemed eligible for inclusion on […]
‘Moral character’ law restricting out-of-state winery sales triggers lawsuit
By: Clark Kauffman - July 26, 2023
A small Oregon winery is suing the state of Iowa over a law that says only Iowans can be considered of sufficient “moral character” to sell wine directly to retailers. Pheasant Court Winery of Philomath, Oregon, produces 300 cases of wine annually and sells directly to consumers and retailers. In a lawsuit filed this week […]
Iowa City hospital says lender’s actions amount to ‘inexcusable’ threats
By: Clark Kauffman - July 25, 2023
Iowa City’s Mercy Hospital says claims by its chief lender that the hospital is on the brink of financial collapse amount to “inexcusable” threats that could damage the 150-year-old institution. Preston Hollow Community Capital, a lender and bondholder for Mercy Hospital-Iowa City, has filed a court petition seeking to have a receiver appointed to safeguard […]
Board discloses allegations against Iowa doctor in disciplinary case
By: Clark Kauffman - July 25, 2023
An Iowa physician continued to violate infection-control protocols this year even after being sanctioned for the offense last year, according to state regulators. Dr. Ravindrakumar Gangadhariah, who practices dermatology and internal medicine in Davenport, was charged last year with practicing in a manner that is harmful to the public, and with improper medical-record management. The […]