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Nursing home chain faces lawsuits, arbitration and fines alleging negligence
The family of an Iowa man who wandered away from a Waterloo nursing home and was found days later in a ditch is suing the facility’s owners for alleged negligence. The wife and children of Michael Jensen, a former Wartburg College music instructor, is suing Ravenwood Specialty Care and the home’s owners, Care Initiatives of […]
Iowa doctors receive confidential warnings
The Iowa Board of Medicine recently sent confidential letters of warning to a dozen Iowa physicians for issues ranging from surgical care to criminal behavior. The board investigates more than 500 complaints every year, and when it decides not to take public disciplinary action against a doctor, it has the option of sending a confidential, […]
State trooper, disabled by COVID-19, sues the state over unpaid wages
An Iowa state trooper is suing the state’s Department of Public Safety for allegedly refusing to pay him his salary while he’s incapacitated by COVID-19. Trooper Matthew T. Eimers of Hamilton County, who has been employed by the department for the past 21 years, is suing the agency in Polk County District Court. He alleges […]
Alleged ‘mastermind’ of bank-fraud case is sentenced to 14 months in prison
A central Iowa businessman alleged to be the “mastermind” of a million-dollar scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration has been ordered to serve 14 months in prison. Federal prosecutors had asked the judge in the case to sentence Michael Barry Slater, the founder and president of Vital Financial Services in Clive, to 57 months […]
Teaching associate ousted for mask violations and peddling candy is denied jobless benefits
A teaching associate who was forced out of work for failing to wear a mask during the pandemic and selling candy to students has been denied unemployment benefits. Stacy Weston, who worked for the Waukee Community School District as a teaching associate, was forced to resign in February 2021 in lieu of being fired, according […]
‘It hurt so bad:’ Multiple acts of abuse alleged at Iowa nursing home
An Iowa nursing home where a resident was repeatedly slapped, and where workers reportedly borrowed money from a resident, poured water on his head and called another resident a “wimp” after she cried out in pain, is currently facing a $6,750 fine from the state. Last week, the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals issued […]
Iowa Supreme Court dismisses malpractice case despite claim of ‘concealed’ cancer
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly characterized an October 2021 decision of the Iowa Court of Appeals on this case as Friday’s decision by the Iowa Supreme Court. The Supreme Court overturned the Court of Appeals and said the case should be dismissed. The family of a deceased Iowa woman should not be […]
State auditor alleges Department of Natural Resources is violating air and water laws
The state auditor says Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources is violating laws intended to protect the state’s air and water. In a report issued this week, the Office of Auditor of State noted three provisions of Iowa law the DNR appears to be violating. For example, the auditor says the DNR has not complied with […]
Iowa nurse sues over job loss caused by ‘patently inaccurate’ background check
An eastern Iowa nurse is suing a background-check company for allegedly costing her a job offer. Jennifer Malatek of Johnson County is suing First Advantage Background Services in U.S. District Court. She alleges the company violated the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, which regulates not just credit reports, but also background checks made for employment […]
‘Easter Bunny’ listed as prosecutor in hundreds of Iowa court cases
The Easter Bunny was representing the prosecution in several hundred Polk County criminal cases. At least that’s what Iowa Courts Online, the court system’s official, statewide web-based repository of court records, indicated for most of April. On April 4, the online docket sheets for hundreds of Polk County cases – primarily misdemeanors and drunken-driving cases […]
Anti-vaxxer demands $17 million in silver from boss, then wins jobless benefits
An Iowa hospital employee fired after refusing a COVID-19 vaccine and demanding her employer pay her $17.2 million in silver dollar coins, in part for its face-mask requirement, has been awarded unemployment benefits. State records indicate Lori D. Harper worked as a systems analyst for Mercy Medical Center from July 2015 until she was fired […]
Iowa licensing board loses legal fight over subpoenaed patient records
An Iowa judge has quashed a state licensing board’s subpoena for a counseling center’s billing records. The Iowa Board of Behavioral Science issued a subpoena last spring, aimed at Ardent Counseling Center in Fairfield. The board’s investigator wanted the contact information and billing records for six named patients as part of an investigation into an […]