The Justice Department awarded more than 19-million dollars in grants to dozens of police departments seeking to start using body cameras, but only one Iowa city was among the recipients. The Dubuque Police department already had 60-thousand dollars in matching funds for the cameras, and received the allocation, while Des Moines was turned down for its 252-thousand dollar request.
A Des Moines area Metropolitan Planning Organization survey shows bridges around the metro have been going downhill since last year, rising to 28 percent in poor condition in low-income areas. The MPO report also found that accident rates are also up in those areas.
An Ames company has been awarded the first license by USDA to develop a bird flu vaccine. Harrisvaccines says it gets to keep testing the vaccine’s effectiveness and be prepared if the ag department puts in an order for manufacturing.
Congress is racing to wrap up three ag bills set to expire the end of this month. Livestock mandatory price reporting, grain inspection standards and the National Forest Foundation are being packaged into one bill in the senate.
A Polk County District Court judge says state lawmakers and the leader of the state workers’ union have the right to sue the governor for shutting down two state mental hospitals. He said the lawmakers can sue because they contend the governor violated an Iowa law requiring the state to operate four mental hospitals…and the workers have a right to sue because of their job loss.
Presidential candidates from both major parties are stumping in central Iowa today. Hillary Clinton will pay a visit to Moulton Elementary School, and Rick Santorum will make stops at the Iowa Caucus Consortium at the State Historical Building this morning and the ISU Presidential Caucus Series this afternoon.
An Iowa state lawmaker is expected to announce today his plans to challenge Chuck Grassley for his senate seat. Rob Hogg plans to visit 12 cities to kick off his campaign tour. Grassley will be seeking his 7th term next year.
Iowans are getting slimmer. The state has dropped from having the 12th highest adult obesity rate in the U-S to the 16th highest, according to the Trust for America’s Health. Arkansas has the highest, with just under 40 percent of its population obese.
Starting Saturday, Greater Des Moines habitat for Humanity will be doing renovation projects in Dallas County, along with Polk. They’re looking for 50 volunteers to work on their first project in Perry.
A misconduct investigation that ultimately exonerated Iowa State Patrol officers unfairly damaged their reputations, according to one of their lawyers. The probe was into a deal providing handguns for state officers. Department officials have never said what the officers had been accused of doing.
A spur of the moment purchase at a convenience store paid off for Richard and Elizabeth Martin. The Pleasant Hill couple are the latest million dollar Powerball winners.
