1 Iowa House Passes Bill Banning Vaccine Passports
(Des Moines, IA) -- The Iowa House passes a bill that would ban coronavirus vaccine passports in the state. The bill passed Wednesday, but an amendment to ban vaccine passports from health care facilities failed in a bi-partisan vote. The bill now heads to the senate.
2 Man Arrested After Police Chase In Ames
(Ames, IA) -- A man's facing several charges after a police chase in Ames. Iowa State Police say they stopped the driver for traffic violations Tuesday night but he drove off, led officers on a chase, and later crashed. Police say the driver ran but was caught. Police also say they found marijuana in the car.
3 Dog Reported Missing In Tipton Found Dead Near Mechanicsville
(Tipton, IA) -- A sad update on a dog reported missing from Tipton. A Great Dane named Moose was reported missing earlier this month and his owner was offering 15-hundred dollars for his return. On Wednesday Moose's owner posted on Facebook he was found dead in a ditch just south of Mechanicsville. A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money for a non-kill shelter in Moose's name.
4 WI National Guard Confirms Jets Seen In Iowa From Them
(Undated) -- The Wisconsin National Guard says two fighter jets that were seen over eastern Iowa last week were theirs. The National Guard says the F-16's were training over Cedar Rapids and Dubuque last Thursday. Several people reported seeing the planes and not knowing where they were from.
5 Iowa DOT Urging Iowans To Get Real ID
(Ames, IA) -- The Iowa Department of Transportation is urging Iowans not to put off getting their Real ID. The D-O-T says the deadline to get a Real ID has been extended to May 2023. After that date people who fly on a commercial airline or enter a federal building will be required to have a Real ID. About a million-and-a-half Iowans have one.
6 Deadly Rock Island Police Shooting Ruled Justified
(Rock Island, IL) -- A deadly Rock Island police shooting is ruled justified. The Rock Island County State's Attorney says the officers involved in the April 1st shooting death of DeShawn Tatum won't face charges. The State's Attorney says the officers' decision to shoot Tatum was objectively reasonable.
7 Davenport City Council Approves Standards For SRO's And School District
(Davenport, IA) -- The Davenport city council approves standards for student resource officers working with the Davenport School District. A Memorandum of Understanding says student resource officers will be evaluated by the city and the school district. It goes into effect immediately and expires at the end of June 2022.
8 Man Arrested In Connection With Death Of Girlfriend In Davenport
(Davenport, IA) -- A man's arrested in connection with a recent murder in Davenport. Police say Sylvis Nelson has been charged with first-degree murder in the March 24th death of his girlfriend Cobrianda Anderson. Nelson was arrested Wednesday.
9 Woman Seriously Hurt After Rollover Crash In Moline
(Moline, IL) -- A woman's seriously hurt after a rollover crash on Moline's south side. Police say the woman lost control of her SUV in the 34-hundred block of John Deere Road Wednesday morning, hit a concrete barrier, and rolled. The woman was taken to the hospital with life threatening injuries.
10 Davenport School District Offering Vaccines To Students Over 16
(Davenport, IA) -- The Davenport School District is partnering with Hy-Vee to offer the coronavirus vaccine to students 16 and older and their family members. The district will hold vaccine clinics at the former Gordmans store on Elmore Avenue on May 4th and 6th. A consent form must be filled out on the Hy-Vee website.
11 Over One-Million Iowans Have COVID-19 Vaccine In Iowa
(Undated) -- Over one-million people are now vaccinated against coronavirus in Iowa. The Iowa Department of Public Health says 32 percent of eligible adults in the state have the vaccine. Governor Kim Reynolds says her goal is for 65 percent of people to have the vaccine by the end of May and 75 percent to have it in June.
12 Two Hospitalized After Shooting In North Des Moines
(Des Moines, IA) -- Two people are hurt after a shooting on the north side of Des Moines. Police say the shooting took place near Jefferson Avenue and 11th Street Wednesday evening. The victims were taken to the hospital in unknown condition. Police haven't announced any arrests.
13 Man Escapes Work Release Facility In Council Bluffs
(Council Bluffs, IA) -- Police are on the lookout for an inmate who escaped from a Council Bluffs work release facility. The Iowa Department of Corrections says Orlando Williams walked away from the facility sometime Tuesday night into Wednesday. Williams was convicted of robbery in Pottawattamie County.
14 Truck Driver Dies In Southwest IA Rollover Crash
(Fremont, IA) -- A truck driver's dead after driving his truck off the road in Fremont County in southwest Iowa. The Iowa State Patrol says Joseph McMullen of Gravity crashed into a ditch filled with water just west of Hamburg Wednesday morning. He died at the scene.
15 DM Resident Says Scammer Going Door-To-Door Claiming To Be With Blank
(Des Moines, IA) -- A Des Moines resident claims a man is going around posing as a fundraiser for Blank Children's Hospital and asking for donations. The Waveland Park resident says the man recently came to his front door without any credentials. He says he refused to donate and the person got mad and tried to pressure him. Blank says it's not doing door-to-door fundraising.
16 Senator Ron Johnson: Biden Spending Plan Unaffordable, Unnecessary
(Washington, D.C.) -- Wisconsin's Republican U.S. Senator didn't like any of what he heard from President Joe Biden during his speech to Congress. Senator Ron Johnson last night said the president laid-out a spending plan that the country cannot afford, and called most of America racist. Johnson says the president has failed to make good on his promise to unite the country. President Biden last night proposed a one-point-eight trillion-dollar plan to pay for everything from free child care to free community college.
17 Wisconsin State Parks Open-Up Tomorrow
(Madison, WI) -- Wisconsin's state parks are opening-up a bit more, starting tomorrow. The state's Department of Natural Resources yesterday said playgrounds and observation towers will finally open in parks across the state. There will also be new rules for pavilions and snack bars, more people will be allowed in each. Camping and hiking are already back to pre-coronavirus levels. DNR expects big crowds at state parks this summer as people continue to navigate the virus and the state's reopening.
18 Officers Cleared In DeShawn Tatum's Death
(Rock Island, IL) -- None of the officers involved in the chase or shootout that killed DeShawn Tatum will face charges. Rock Island County State's Attorney Dora Villareal yesterday said officers were justified in shooting and killing Tatum earlier this month. Villareal unveiled new details about the case as well. Body cam video shows Tatum run from police, try to steal a car, knock down two officers with that stolen car, grab an officer's gun, cause it to go-off, then try and run over officers who were trying to arrest him. One of the officers was grazed in the head by a bullet. That's when officers shot him. Not everyone is happy with the decision. Rock Island Fifth Ward Alderman Dylan Parker yesterday said he wants to know why police didn't just let Tatum runaway.
19 Rock Island County Offering Walk-In Vaccine Clinic Today
(Rock Island, IL) -- Public health managers in Rock Island County say there's a wait-free opportunity for people to get their coronavirus shot today. The county is offering a walk-in vaccine clinic at the Camden Centre in Milan. Doctors have the Johnson & Johnson one-dose shot, as well as Moderna second shots available. The county is trying all it can to get more people to get their shots.
20 Davenport Developers Pitch I-74 Bridge Pier
(Davenport, IA) -- The latest plan for the old I-74 Bridge would have people walking on it. The Marigold Resources group wants to turn what's left of the bridge into a public pier. The idea is to have walking and biking trails, as well as restaurants and other shopping opportunities. No one is saying how much it would cost, or what it would take to make the project a reality.
21 Illinois Cuts Unpaid Bill Backlog Down To Three-Point-Five Billion
(Springfield, IL) -- Illinois is pretty much paying its bills on time. Comptroller Susana Mendoza, the woman who pays the state's bills, yesterday said the state has cut its unpaid bill backlog from 16-point-seven-billion-dollars in 2017 to just three-point-five-billion-dollars today. Mendoza says Illinois is paying most of its bills within 30 days. A six-and-a-half-billion-dollar loan from the federal government helped whittle away at the backlog, and Illinois still has to find the money to pay that loan back. Mendoza is hopeful the state can use some of its stimulus money to pay down that loan.
22 (KCRG) - The inaugural season of “FilmScene in the Park,” a free outdoor film series in Iowa City, kicked off Wednesday with a screening of the animated film “Wolfwalkers.” The event, held on Wednesday and Saturday nights through August, is a collaboration between the nonprofit cinema FilmScene and Iowa City Parks and Recreation. With a high-quality projector, 48-foot screen, and speakers strong enough to be heard over downtown traffic, They hope to offer moviegoers an experience unlike any they’ve had before. But providing that experience isn’t cheap. According to city council documents, FilmScene and the City of Iowa City each invested $50,000 to buy the equipment and put the series on.
23 (KCRG) - The Independence Police Department warned residents of a rental property scam. In a social media post, the department said people were taking pictures of property they didn’t own and posting it on social media to get a security deposit out of it. Curt Martin works as a realtor for Re/Max Independence Realty. He said the pandemic was making scams like these more common. Martin said these types of scams didn’t happen often in smaller towns like Independence because there weren’t many places to rent. He said this scam happened once in the last few years. People looking for a place to rent should reach a landlord or a property manager before trying to secure a rental property and especially before any money was exchanged.
24 (KWQC) - Four people have been arrested in connection with a report of gunfire in East Moline earlier this month. Police were called to the 1300 block of 9th Ave. around 7:40 p.m. on April 13, 2021. According to a news release, an investigation revealed it was related to a feud between two groups. Within a few days, the investigation lead to the arrest of four people and the seizure of three firearms, two of which were reported stolen. Those arrested in the case are: 18-year-old Roderick Walls III. He is charged with aggravated unlawful use of weapon Carson Harvey, 18, is charged with two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm. 22-year Shawn Castillo faces two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm. A female was also arrested. 20-year-old Emily Ledesma is charged with reckless discharge of a firearm.
25 ((KCRG) - Gov. Kim Reynolds signed new legislation into law addressing the state’s broadband infrastructure on Wednesday. The new law is expected to dramatically improve Iowa’s broadband infrastructure, facilitating better internet connectivity across the state. The bill passed unanimously in both chambers.
26 (KCRG) - The Iowa City Farmers Market will be in-person when it begins May 1 at Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp. Organizers said visitors must wear a mask while in the parking ramp due to the pandemic. Other health and safety precautions include a reduced number of vendors, and a controlled number of visitors. Customers will also be asked to eat or drink products outside the parking ramp. The Farmer’s Market will run from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 7:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays from May through October.
27 (KCRG) - First responders were called to a motorcycle crash on 21st Avenue, about one mile north of Van Horne in Benton County just before 9 p.m. on Tuesday. Officials said 32-year-old James Sherill, of Van Horne, sustained life-threatening injuries in the crash. Sherill was airlifted to the University of Iowa Hospitals and clinics. Officials did not report the cause of the crash. It remains under investigation.
28 (KWQC) - The backlog of bills is being brought under control according to Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza. She says the state’s backlog of unpaid bills has fallen from $16.7 billion in 2017 to $3.5 billion this week, which means most vendors and providers of goods and services are getting paid without delay. For the first time in many years, the State of Illinois can pay its bills as they come in. There remains $3.5 billion in interfund transfers owed to other branches of government, group health insurance bills with limited appropriation authority, and invoices at state agencies that have not yet been forwarded to the Office of Comptroller for payment. Mendoza said when the backlog gets down to $3 billion in a $42 billion budget, that’s essentially within the 30-day payment cycle common in private industry.
29 (KWQC) - North Marquette Street will have a portion of it closed starting on Wednesday for work being done. City officials say North Marquette between High and Pleasant streets will be closed Wednesday through Tuesday, May 4. This will be closed while Iowa American Water Company crews do repairs on a water main. There will be a detour in place for drivers in the area.
30 (KWQC) - A Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination clinic will be held in Henderson County on May 1. This will be at the Henderson County Health Department in Gladstone, Illinois. The clinic will be from 8 - 9:30 a.m. and open to all Illinois residents 18 and older. Those in attendance will not need to register in advance of the clinic. Registration forms can be downloaded from the agency’s Facebook page.