712 Digital Group - top

Iowa early News Headlines: Wed., Feb. 12, 2020

News

February 12th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two doctors and other former employees of an Iowa care center for people with intellectual disabilities have filed a federal lawsuit against a state agency and several officials alleging a conspiracy to silence complaints about sexual arousal research they claim exploited fragile and dependent residents. The allegations center on the former superintendent of the Glenwood Resource Center who was fired in December. The lawsuit claims he conducted medical experimentation. The lawsuit was filed Monday in by two former Glenwood doctors and other former employees. They allege violations of civil rights and whistleblower laws, wrongful termination and interference with a doctor-patient relationship.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Democratic Party leaders and activists are describing widespread missteps in planning and implementation that made the Iowa caucuses a historic disaster. In interviews, they blamed bad decisions by party officials, technology failures and poor communication for the mess that humiliated Democrats, undermined confidence in the results and threatens to end the state’s tradition of going first. They said poor planning was to blame for problems with a smartphone app and phone hotline used to report results. And several officials said the Iowa Democratic Party’s decision to wait nearly a full day before releasing any results was a key miscalculation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa House has approved a K-12 education funding plan that would spend about $16 million more than a version approved by the state Senate. The House on Tuesday voted to increase state spending by nearly $108 million, for a total of about $3.4 billion. Lawmakers approved the funding after first rejecting a proposal by Democrats to spend an additional $20 million. The House action following approval by the Senate on Monday of a nearly $92 million increase. Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, had proposed increasing education spending by $101 million. Iowa has just over 320 school districts. The funding lawmakers are considering would provide money beginning July 1.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Police have identified two women found shot to death overnight in Waterloo. Police say officers and medics were called to the home around 11:20 p.m. Monday and found the bodies of 42-year-old Tamica Takeisha Allison and 41-year-old Andrea Rochelle Anderson. Station KCRG reports that Allison lived in the home where the bodies were found, while Anderson, who is also from Waterloo, was visiting the home. Police say they are searching for a suspect, 36-year-old Mathew Dee Buford III, who also lived in the home. Police have issued arrest warrants charging Buford with two counts of first-degree murder.