Des Moines’ firefighters’ union has censured its chief for lack of safety protocols and lack of respect for his workers. John TeKippe has been criticized for leaving positions open and for setting up a policy that puts new firefighters on probation for two years, unable to help with medical duties.
Iowa’s Board of Regents is reportedly ditching its top lawyer. Tom Evans had served as the board’s chief negotiator for contracts with labor unions and advised the regents and schools on legal and human resources matters since 2004.
Democratic presidential hopeful Martin O’Malley got a full house last night at a stop in Ames. He said he plans to be in Iowa frequently, and he doesn’t mind his underdog status.
GOP presidential candidates were plentiful in the state over the weekend. Lindsay Graham, BobbyJindal, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump made appearances in central Iowa.
It may have dried out a little over the weekend, but the city says several Des Moines roads are still closed until the waters recede. Fleur Drive is shut down between Bell and MLK Parkway, Flagg parkway is closed between Fleur and Park Ave, Southwest 30th is shut down between Flagg and Bell, Hartford Ave between the soccer complex and Southeast 30th, and East Border Street at North River.
A fort built by a group of Ames kids in Munn Woods is down, just days before the city said it was going to tear it down. The Fort Kids posted on Facebook that their hangout was unstable because rain flooded the creek next to it…so they decided to take it down.
Iowa’s recent downpours have put a damper on the state’s soybean crop. Ag experts say the rainfall is threatening crop yields, with the soil too wet in some places for farmers to even plant. The state’s ag secretary says many folks will be trying to plant over the next week or so.
Iowa food pantries are getting 44-thousand pounds of fresh pork loins from the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation and Iowa Select Farms. Iowa Select is the state’s largest pork producer.
The weather smoothed out enough over the weekend to draw crowds into the Des Moines Arts Festival at Western Gateway Park, and to the Iowa Fair
