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Citing Medicaid costs, Reynolds calls for an end to Public Health Emergency
Declaring that “we have returned to life as normal,” Iowa’s Kim Reynolds joined 24 other Republican governors Monday in calling on President Biden to end the federally declared Public Health Emergency. The Public Health Emergency, or PHE, is tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and is scheduled to expire on Jan. 11, 2023, although President Biden […]
Iowa Supreme Court sides with county in Open Records Law lawsuit
The Iowa Supreme Court says a Polk County judge erred in ordering a sheriff’s department to release investigative material related to a fatal accident. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by Michelle Vaccaro in an attempt to obtain government records dealing with the Polk County Sheriff’s Department and its investigation into a 2019 motorcycle […]
Care facility hit with more than $900,000 in fines for alleged abuse
A Taylor County nursing home is facing one of the largest fines ever imposed against an Iowa care facility by the federal government. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has fined the Lenox Care Center in Taylor County a total of $909,600. That fine stems from state inspectors’ recent findings that a resident of […]
Court dismisses most of fired jail administrator’s claims against county
A federal judge has tossed out most of the claims made by a fired Muscatine County jail administrator who is suing the county over his termination in 2020. The federal lawsuit filed by former jail administrator Dean Naylor initially claimed that when Muscatine County fired him for his published comments pertaining to gays and Muslims, […]
Nursing home cited for a meth-smoking resident and a threatening nurse
An Iowa nursing home where a resident was smoking methamphetamine and a tyrannical nurse allegedly left residents in fear for their safety could be facing fines from the federal government. State records indicate the Osage Rehab and Heath Care Center in Mitchell County was cited recently by state inspectors for 16 regulatory violations, including a […]
Accused of being drunk at work, county’s top prosecutor resigns
Dickinson County’s top criminal prosecutor, charged with public intoxication and accused of being “passed out” on more than one occasion while at work, has submitted her resignation to the county board. According to the Dickinson County website, the board of supervisors voted earlier this week to accept the resignation of County Attorney Amy Zenor. The […]
‘I am giving you one hour’: Urbandale dentist fined for ‘threatening’ voicemail
A central Iowa dentist with a history of sanctions has been fined $5,000 for threatening a patient with court action over an unfavorable online review of his practice. The Iowa Dental Board alleges that at some unspecified time in the past, someone using the screen name of Jolly Swim published an online review of the […]
Restaurant inspection update: Hungry rodents, moldy veggies and months-old salsa
State, city and county food inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and stores for hundreds of food-safety violations during the past four weeks, including moldy vegetables, long-expired food, and hamburger buns gnawed upon by rodents. One fast-food restaurant in Des Moines was cited for an overall lack of sanitation due to an accumulation of food debris, […]
Home health agency fined more than $123,000 for poor quality care
A home health care agency with a history of regulatory violations was fined $123,219 by the federal government earlier this year, the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals said this week. The fine, imposed early in 2022, had not been previously disclosed. The civil penalty is tied to a Dec. 7, 2021, visit by DIA […]
After mediation fails, dispute over Noah’s Ark restaurant heads toward trial
The family fight over the future of Des Moines’ Noah’s Ark restaurant has escalated with the filing of new legal claims against the property owners. In May, the owners of the Ingersoll Avenue real estate where the 75-year-old restaurant is located were enjoined from terminating their relatives’ lease to operate the restaurant. The court action […]
Board agrees to reinstate nurse’s license after convictions, drug use
The Iowa Board of Nursing has agreed to reinstate the license of a registered nurse convicted of theft and drug charges. State records show that in March 2019, Alexis Reynolds, then of Indianola, surrendered her registered nurse’s license. At the time, she was charged by the Board of Nursing with conviction of a crime related […]
Hotel inspection update: Moldy air conditioners, cockroaches and soiled bedding
In recent months, several Iowa hotels and motels have been cited for numerous health and safety violations in guest rooms, including insect infestations, animal feces, broken smoke detectors and soiled bedding. Several hotels were cited for operating without a license. One was cited for exposed electrical wiring, defective smoke detectors, soiled furniture, sinks that didn’t […]