State/Local News
Gun rights constitutional amendment moves ahead in Iowa Legislature
DES MOINES — Opponents of an amendment that would write the right to keep and bear arms into the Iowa Constitution said the language goes too far in protecting Iowans’ gun rights, but...
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Bill would bar Iowa universities from spending nonstate money without state government approval
Although Iowa regents have extensive oversight of how their universities generate and spend money — requiring copious annual reports on the campuses’ budgets, appropriations requests,...
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Iowa House rejects call for mandatory masks, remote hearings
DES MOINES — House Republicans have refused to adopt rules requiring face coverings at the Capitol or to allow members to participate in committee meetings and floor votes from outside the...
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Iowa highway deaths increase despite lower traffic volume
DES MOINES — The Iowa Department of Transportation is setting an ambitious goal to reduce highway fatalities to a level not seen in nearly 100 years.
Concerned about the number of highway...
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Winning ticket for $731 million Powerball prize sold in Maryland
DES MOINES — A Powerball ticket sold in Maryland is the winner of an estimated $731.1 million jackpot, the first to get the top prize in months.
Thanks to math and bad luck, lottery players...
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Iowans 65 and older will be eligible for COVID vaccine starting Feb. 1
JOHNSTON — Hundreds of thousands more Iowans are about to become eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, but demand for the vaccine will outweigh supply early in the process, state officials...
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Iowa adds 1,685 coronavirus cases, 51 new deaths
Iowa reported 1,685 new, confirmed coronavirus cases and 51 new, confirmed deaths on Thursday, according to data analyzed by The Gazette.
The new numbers bring the state’s totals to 309,280...
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Jerry Burns hires Chicago area lawyer known for “Making a Murderer” documentary for his appeal
CEDAR RAPIDS — Convicted killer Jerry Burns, who fatally stabbed 18-year-old Michelle Martinko in 1979, has hired a Chicago area lawyer that received national attention for representing a man...
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Anthropolgie clothing store to open at Iowa River Landing
Construction will begin by early summer for an Anthropologie store in Iowa River Landing in Coralville.
The Philadelphia-based women’s clothing chain, part of the URBN parent company that also...
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Iowa ethanol production drops 12 percent in 2020
Iowa’s ethanol producers saw a 12 percent drop in production in 2020, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association said Thursday.
It marks the second consecutive year ethanol production declined after...
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Mariannette Miller-Meeks asking U.S. House to dismiss contest in 6-vote race
Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa will ask the U.S. House to dismiss an election contest filed by her Democratic challenger that argues the 6-vote race was wrongly...
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Police: Quad Cities girl, 3, fell from window, died from cold
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — A 3-year-old Illinois girl died after she apparently fell from a window on a frigid night and couldn’t get back inside her family’s home in the Quad Cities...
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Iowa sees decrease in unemployment claims, begins issuing extra $300 per week
Iowa Workforce Development saw slight decreases in weekly unemployment claims the week of Jan. 10.
New claims dropped from 7,366 to 6,785, and continuing claims dropped from 48,553 to 46,694.
The...
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Watch: Gov. Reynolds holds news conference, gives COVID vaccine updates (replay)
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds held a news conference at 11 a.m. Thursday. Watch it in the video player above, broadcast by Iowa PBS.
Reynolds gave updates about COVID-19 in Iowa and vaccinations.
The...
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Hinson and Miller-Meeks reach out to Biden
Just hours before Joe Biden was inaugurated Wednesday as the Democratic president, Iowa Republican U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Ashley Hinson joined GOP colleagues in a letter expressing...
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Iowa’s congressional delegation reacts to inauguration of President Biden
“While the outcome of the presidential election was not what thousands of Iowans had hoped for, it’s time to look ahead and work toward a brighter future for our children. That includes...
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Gov. Reynolds proposes school choice — charter schools, private school scholarships, ability to transfer out of districts
DES MOINES — Two major education pushes favored by Gov. Kim Reynolds and majority GOP legislators — expanding school choices for Iowa parents and students and providing 100 percent...
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A new day in America, but Iowa is still pretty Trumpy
So the country has moved on from Donald Trump. But in Iowa, some of the former president’s strongest backers and enablers still run the joint.
Sort of takes the fizz out of the Champagne.
Our...
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Amendment declaring no right to abortion sent to full Iowa House
DES MOINES — The Iowa House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to approve a resolution for a constitutional amendment that opponents call the first step toward a state ban on...
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If I have allergies, should I be worried about the COVID-19 vaccine?
As rollout of vaccines is underway in Iowa and across the country, public health officials are closely watching for any adverse reactions or unusual side effects from the COVID-19 vaccines....
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