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State releases heavily redacted COVID-19 document in response to record request
The Iowa Department of Public Health has released one heavily redacted, two-page document in response to a public-records request for information tied to the state’s response to COVID-19. The department says it is still working on a request for 1,394 email exchanges between the state medical director and the governor’s office. The redacted document, authored […]
Troubled state-run school in Eldora gets a new superintendent
The former superintendent of a juvenile correctional facility in Kansas has been appointed to lead the troubled Iowa Boys State Training School in Eldora. The appointment of Wendy Leiker as the new school superintendent follows what the Iowa Department of Human Services calls a “broad search and extensive interview process” that involved DHS leaders, the […]
Reynolds: Des Moines students risk being ‘left behind’ through online learning
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says she’s hopeful that state officials and the Des Moines Public Schools will soon come to terms on a plan that results in the district “complying with Iowa law” by having its students return to the classroom. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the students in Iowa’s largest school district […]
Reynolds defends DHS’ efforts to protect Iowa children
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Thursday she’s not sure why the state committee tasked with reviewing child deaths in Iowa hasn’t convened in 20 years. In 2000, Iowa legislators authorized the state medical examiner to convene a Child Fatality Review Committee to investigate child deaths in Iowa with the goal of determining whether the Iowa […]
COVID-related complaints against Iowa bars are up more than 500%
Complaints from Iowans about bars and restaurants failing to impose COVID-19 mitigation measures have increased five-fold in recent weeks. The increase in complaints appears to coincide with the Iowa Alcoholic Beverage Division’s July 30 announcement that it would be stepping up efforts to enforce compliance with Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proclamations regarding social distancing and other […]
Report: DHS discouraged complaints, then failed to investigate Sabrina Ray’s death
The Iowa Office of Ombudsman says the state agency tasked with protecting Iowa’s children wrongly rejected child-abuse reports in the months leading up to the starvation death of 16-year-old Sabrina Ray, and then failed to conduct an internal review of its own actions. The newly published 146-page report also takes DHS to task for having […]
Iowa hits a new milestone: 1,112 new COVID-19 cases in a single day
Iowa reportedly set a single-day record Thursday for coronavirus infections, with more than 1,000 additional suspected or confirmed cases. Over the past week, there have been an average of 568 new cases per day in Iowa, an increase of 21% from two weeks ago, according to the New York Times’ COVID-19 tracker. The tracker shows […]
IDPH offering food assistance to derecho victims
The Iowa Department of Public Health has announced additional assistance for families affected by the Aug. 10 derecho. The assistance targets Iowans who receive assistance through the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program. That is a supplemental nutrition program for babies, children under the age of 5, pregnant women, breastfeeding women and women who had […]
Unemployment claims increase as Iowa looks to reinstate work-search requirement
The number of newly filed claims for unemployment benefits increased in Iowa last week, to 6,544 from 5,282. Both numbers reflect the totals prior to any adjustments made by the U.S. Department of Labor. The previous week’s adjusted total of new claims is now 4,891. The number of ongoing, weekly unemployment claims for the week […]
Pate partners with dentists to promote address-confidentiality program
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has partnered with dentists across the state in an effort to raise awareness of an address-confidentiality program for the survivors of domestic violence. Pamphlets, brochures and magnets promoting the Safe At Home program have been mailed to dentists in all 99 counties, Pate’s office said Thursday. Dentists are being […]
Store clerk is jobless after wearing a shirt that says, ‘No f—ing mask, don’t ask for my help’
An Iowa store clerk frustrated with people’s refusal to wear protective face masks quit his job after showing up for work in a shirt that read, “No f—ing mask, don’t ask for my help.” Iowa Workforce Development records indicate that on May 14, Adam Archer quit his job at one of the 18 Iowa stores […]
Miller: Postmaster general hasn’t followed federal law
After being blocked by the governor from joining a lawsuit challenging a proposed overhaul of the U.S. Postal Service, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said Tuesday he believes the postmaster general hasn’t followed federal law. In 2019, Miller, a Democrat, agreed to seek the approval of Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds before joining multi-state lawsuits. As […]