Author
Cedar Falls won’t charge twice for access to officers’ body-cam video
The city of Cedar Falls has reversed its decision to charge the Iowa Capital Dispatch $700 for body-cam video of police officers clashing with an EMT on an emergency call. The reason: The EMT involved in the call has already paid the $700. Last week, the Capital Dispatch requested a copy of the video, noting […]
Newly disclosed FEC records shed light on Ernst ‘dark money’ case
A central Iowa group that allegedly spent close to $1.5 million supporting Sen. Joni Ernst’s 2020 reelection campaign says newly disclosed records from the Federal Elections Commission support the dismissal of a lawsuit against the organization. The FEC records show that while the commission’s general counsel found reason to believe several election laws were violated […]
Citing prison-rape law, county says video of fired jailer is confidential
An Iowa County that is refusing to make public video of a jailer physically abusing an inmate is relying on a federal law that pertains to prison rape. State records show that Stephanie Cox worked for Pottawattamie County as a full-time detention officer until she was fired in September. On Aug. 8, Cox allegedly was […]
Public home-health agencies among those cited for no-show workers and poor-quality care
Thirty-four of Iowa’s 136 home-health agencies were inspected by the state this year, with five of them cited for 10 or more violations. At four of the 34 agencies, the violations were serious enough that the agency and its registered nurses were prohibited from providing any basic-skills training to home-health aides and barred from evaluating […]
Human-trafficking lawsuits against Iowa school expected to be tried in 2024
A pair of federal lawsuits alleging that Western Iowa Tech Community College engaged in human trafficking are continuing to work their way through the court system. One lawsuit was filed entirely on behalf of 14 students from Chile, and the other was filed on behalf of 11 other students who mostly originate from Brazil. The […]
Iowa social workers accused of improper relationships with clients
An Iowa social worker accused of giving marijuana to a 15-year-old patient has agreed to refrain from practicing while criminal charges against him are pending in court. State records indicate Benjamin Skeers, 41, of West Des Moines, is facing one count of drug distribution to a person under the age of 18, and one count […]
City wants $700 to disclose video of officers clashing with EMT
The city of Cedar Falls is charging $700 for public access to police body-camera footage that was provided to an area hospital at no cost. The video, shot on Aug. 3, allegedly shows police officers interacting with William Abernathey, who was then a critical-care paramedic for Sartori Memorial Hospital. Abernathey and the officers were at […]
Six families still living at unlicensed inn, despite city and state violations
For the third time in two months, the state of Iowa has refused to issue a hotel license to a Charles City inn plagued by health and fire-safety violations. The Hartwood Inn, however, continues to remain in business, and the owner says there are six families living there now. The Iowa Department of Inspections and […]
Hospice manager claims she was ordered to lie about COVID-19 test
The former clinical manager of an Iowa hospice claims she was instructed to lie to a patient’s family about a caregiver’s COVID-19 infection. State records indicate Michelle Hopp of Davenport was working in Iowa for St. Croix Hospice earlier this year as a full-time manager of clinical services. On the morning of Aug. 29, one […]
Iowa surgeon accused of incompetence in patient’s death is fined $5,000
An Iowa surgeon accused of contributing to a patient’s death during a botched operation 10 years ago has been fined $5,000 and given a warning by the Iowa Board of Medicine. Dr. William E. Olson, a general surgeon who practices in the Quad-City area, was charged by the board two years ago with professional incompetence. The […]
DOJ settles with state over ‘deviant’ experiments on disabled Glenwood residents
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that it has reached a proposed settlement with the state of Iowa to resolve allegations concerning resident care at the state-run Glenwood Resource Center for people with disabilities. The settlement, which is in the form of a proposed consent decree that still must be approved by a federal […]
Care facility complaints up 45% from 2020, state data shows
State regulators have seen a significant increase in complaints about health care facilities this year. The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, which oversees nursing homes, assisted living centers and other health care providers, fielded an average of 151 complaints per month in 2020. Through October of this year, the average number of complaints was […]