matt mccoy
Polk County, WDM lift curfews after protests remain peaceful
The Polk County curfew related to violent protests over the past week has been lifted. The Polk County Board of Supervisors, in a special Zoom meeting Thursday afternoon, voted unanimously to end the 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew that had been in effect since Sunday. “After two nights of peaceful protests, we are lifting […]
Polk County declares curfew amid protests over Floyd death
In an effort to prevent more unrest after two nights of vandalism and violence, Polk County officials have declared a curfew from 9 a.m. Sunday until 5 a.m. Monday. Nationwide protests have broken out over the death of handcuffed George Floyd in Minneapolis after police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for over eight […]
Counties face mental health budget challenges as lawmakers prepare to reconvene
Iowa county officials are awaiting action from the Legislature on funding mental health services after a sales tax proposal was sidelined by financial uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Kim Reynolds has vowed to shift funding for mental health services from county property taxes to state sources. That was part of her Invest in Iowa […]
McCoy: ‘Something drastic’ is needed on mental-health funding
With the fate of the governor’s tax proposal still up in the air, Polk County Health Services is unsure whether, or how, it will meet the county’s mental health needs come July 1st. Depending on what the Iowa Legislature chooses to do, the county could be faced with a $14 million hole in its planned […]