DYERSVILLE, Iowa (KCRG) – The City of Dyersville has filed a lawsuit against Dubuque County after not receiving the $524,293.88 in American Rescue Plan Act funds owed to the city for the Field of Dreams project. According to KCRG-TV, in December 2023, the City of Dyersville was supposed to receive the money for renovations at the Field of Dreams, but the funds were fraudulently directed to a third party. Dyersville and Dubuque County entered the agreement in December 2022.

However, scammers hacked the City of Dyersville’s email and sent emails to Dubuque County, impersonating a Dyersville city clerk requesting the funds. Dubuque County Auditor Kevin Dragotto stated the office had no reason to question the payment and alerted law enforcement as soon as they were made aware of the fraud. However, the lawsuit filed Thursday alleges Dubuque County took no action to reach out to anyone in Dyersville to confirm the request for a transfer of funds, nor verified which account the funds were going to.

The investigation into the stolen funds started in February. Dubuque County Sheriff Joe Kennedy said the investigation is still active and includes the FBI. Sheriff Kennedy has said the money had been transferred to cryptocurrency, meaning it would likely be impossible to ever recover the funds.

The Iowa Communities Assurance Pool denied coverage for the money, saying that because the County actively sent the money to the wrong account, it does not meet coverage for a hacking or fraudulent act.

Dyersville city leaders say Dubuque County still owes the money. They’re filing the lawsuit for a breach of the contract.

(Radio Iowa)/KJAN) – As we reported Wednesday morning here on KJAN, a bond referendum for Iowa Western Community College failed to win voter approval by a slim margin, leaving college administrators and supporters to figure out a way to regroup. Iowa Western presented a 55 million dollar bonding referendum on General Election ballots in its 13-county community college district. Unofficial results show it fell a couple of hundred votes short of the 60 percent threshold required for approval. The final tally was 59-point-four percent.

Iowa Western President Dr. Dan Kinney said  “This would have allowed us to continue to build career and technical education jobs and, you know, definitely in rural and be able support our communities and things,” Kinney says, “and do it without a tax rate increase,” Kinney says. The referendum called for extending a current property tax levy that was set to expire — and use the money on technical training programs for in-demand careers and to expand the number of southwest Iowa students who could take Iowa Western Community College classes while they’re still in high school.

“A little disappointment there, but we’re a strong institution,” Kinney said. “We’ll keep moving forward.” Kinney says in retrospect, the college needed to do a better job of spreading the word that the proposal did not raise property taxes, but extended an existing levy for the college that was set to expire. “People didn’t know,” Kinney says. “I had people call me yesterday and they said: ‘It really wasn’t going to raise it.’ And I said: ‘No, it wasn’t.’ And they said: ‘Oh my God. I would have voted for it. I did not understand that.”

Kinney says part of the challenge was reaching voters across the 13 counties that are in the Iowa Western Community College region. Over 76-thousand residents in the region voted on the bond referendum.

(Ankeny, Iowa) – A car traveling in the wrong direction on Interstate 35 Thursday evening, resulted in a crash that claimed the life of a man from Minnesota, and resulted in a central Iowa man being injured. The crash happened in the southbound lanes of I-35 near mile-marker 88, at around 5-p.m., Thursday.

According to the Iowa State Patrol, 39-year-old Waulter Vasquez-Benitez, of Des Moines, was traveling south on the Interstate, when he saw a 2011 Chevy Impala driven by 91-year-old Paul J. Jacques, of Burnsville, MN, approaching in the wrong direction. When Benitez took evasive action to avoid a head-on collision, his 2008 Saturn Vue struck the concrete barrier.

A 2022 Toyota SUV driven by 78-year-old Hubert A. Morris of Ankeny, collided with the Impala, and went airborne and was struck by a 2004 Toyota SUV driven by 54-year-old Timothy E. Robinson, of West Des Moines. Both SUV’s came together and struck the concrete barrier before coming to rest.

Paul Jacques died from his injuries at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. Hubert Morris was injured, and transported to Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. Both drivers were wearing their seat belts. No other injuries were reported. The crash remains under investigation. Traffic on the interstate was at a standstill for about three-hours, following the collision.

(Des Moines, Iowa) –  A nursing home in Johnston and one in Griswold, both with a history of staffing shortages, have been added to a federal list of the nation’s worst care facilities. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports, last week, Bishop Drumm Retirement Center of Johnston and Griswold Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Cass County were added to the nationwide list of nursing homes whose quality-of-care issues make them eligible for what’s called “special-focus status.”

The national list of Special-Focus Facilities is updated monthly by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and includes homes deemed by the agency to have “a history of serious quality issues.” Nationally, there are 88 nursing facilities designated Special-Focus Facilities, with one or two slots filled by each state. Those homes are enrolled in a special program intended to stimulate improvements in their quality of care through increased regulatory oversight.

Because the number of Special-Focus Facilities is capped, new facilities – even those that have earned CMS’ lowest ratings for quality — can’t be named a Special-Focus Facility until other homes in that same state have either shut down or improved and “graduated” from the program. That’s a process that can take four years or more. As a result, there are several homes in each state that are designated “eligible” for special-focus status due to their ongoing quality-of-care issues, but they are unable to benefit from actual enrollment in the program.

The Griswold Rehabilitation and Health Care Center on Harrison Street in Griswold, Iowa. (Photo via Google Earth)

Currently, the two Iowa nursing homes designated as Special-Focus Facilities due to an ongoing pattern of quality-of-care issues are the Aspire care facility in Gowrie, and the Arbor Court facility in Muscatine. Both have been operating for more than a year under the Special-Focus Facility designation. On Oct. 30, Bishop Drumm and the Griswold home were added to CMS’ list of 10 Iowa nursing homes deemed eligible for special-focus status.

The other eight Iowa nursing homes deemed eligible for the designation are Correctionville Specialty Care, Westwood Specialty Care of Sioux City, Greater Southside Health and Rehabilitation of Des Moines, Harmony West of West Des Moines, The Ivy at Davenport, Parkview Manor in Wellman, Pine Acres Rehabilitation and Care Center in West Des Moines, and Via of Des Moines.

Griswold Rehab and Healthcare spent 16 months on the eligibility list until it dropped off in April of this year. Last month, state inspectors visited the 31-resident facility and cited it for 17 violations – an unusually high number – although no fines were imposed or held in suspension. The violations included mishandling of residents’ funds, inaccurate resident assessments, failure to meet professional standards, insufficient nursing staff, and inadequate infection prevention and control.

While inspectors were in the building, a resident complained about the lack of staff and noted that earlier that same day she had used her call light to summon someone to change her briefs and she had to wait four hours before anyone responded. She had to sit in her own waste for the full four hours, the woman allegedly reported. In their written report, the state inspectors said one nurse aide stated that when the inspection team had arrived that day, “she was working by herself” in the home. The aide allegedly said “it is very frustrating to be the only staff and being paged by everyone.”

The Iowa nursing homes that have spent the most time on the candidate list are Greater Southside Health and Rehabilitation of Des Moines, which has been eligible for special-focus status for 28 months, and Westwood Specialty Care and The Ivy at Davenport, both of which have been eligible for 14 months.

(Radio Iowa) – Voters in Story and Johnson counties approved conservation bonds to help fund new trails, support wildlife and improve water quality. The 25 million dollar Story County Water and Land Legacy Bond passed with nearly 80 percent of the vote. Jim Pease is chair of the Story County Conservation Board.

“It says, I think to us, how important parks and wild places and wild things are to the people of Story County and to people in general,” Pease says. He says the new funding will support more than one dozen projects in the next two decades and shows that people want more opportunities to recreate outside and that they value wild places in Iowa.

“Iowa is one of the most altered states in the union. The prairies, woodlands and wetlands that were once here have been tremendously altered to make a very strong agricultural state and a very altered state from the nature that was here,” he says.

Nearly 80 percent of the voters in Johnson County approved a 30 million dollar conservation bond. Residents passed a similar measure in 2008. Polk County passed conservation bonds in 2012 and in 2021.

(Radio Iowa) – A Cedar Rapids theater company is no longer in danger of closing after the community rallied to bring in last-minute donations. The Mirrorbox Theatre was launched in 2018 and exclusively puts on new and contemporary plays. Mirrorbox founder Cavan Hallman says they were in the midst of an ongoing 30-thousand dollar fundraising campaign.

“Last week, we did, however, receive a notice that we had three days to pay back rent,” Hallman says, “otherwise, we would be forced to vacate the property and terminate the lease.” The theater launched an emergency campaign and has raised enough to continue productions through the end of the year. “The financial struggle wasn’t new, but the urgency was new,” he says, “and that’s what led to the public part of the campaign.”

Hallman says the overall fundraising goal is -not- yet met and the theater will need to reevaluate its operations in order to move forward.

(Radio Iowa) – The University of Iowa currently owns just over half of a shopping mall in downtown Iowa City and the Iowa Board of Regents has approved a plan to buy the rest of the Old Capitol Town Center — for 20-point-six MILLION dollars. David Keift is the University of Iowa’s senior director of business and real estate. “This is less about either the short or long term need for the first floor commercial space in the building,” Keift says, “but more about the university acquiring control of a significant footprint in the heart of our campus.”

The mall was built in 1980 as part of an Urban Renewal District that also created the pedestrian mall in downtown Iowa City. “The mall, which covers nearly two city blocks in the heart of the University of Iowa campus, is nearly 375,000 square feet of space,” Keift says. In the late 1990s, the mall’s major tenants started relocating a new mall in Coralville and, in 2003, Keift says a group of local investors rescued the mall from bankruptcy. The University of Iowa struck a deal to purchase 45 percent of the property in 2006.

“The building became a monumental importance to the university during the 2008 flood as it was quickly reconfigured to host our School of Music for numerous years,” he says, “and our Memorial Union operations and bookstore.” Keift says. Under the deal, the university will use reserve funds to make an initial payment of 206-thousand dollars, then take out a commercial loan to pay the rest. Keift says the university will use rental income from current tenants in the building to cover those loan payments.

“The university views the purchase price, which was based on a recent appraisal, as a favorable value to the institution. It comes out to be about $123 per square foot for all the leased space and common areas in the building,” Keift says. “You couldn’t come close to duplicating that cost per square foot to rebuild this size of a building.” Keift admits the university doesn’t need the space right now, but he says the reason to buy now is to ensure 45 percent of the building isn’t acquired by other investors who may not be interested in upkeep of the property.

“It’s imperative that this building and this center remain an important and vibrant part of the university and community,” Keift says.

(Radio Iowa) – Donald Trump has said his first act after he’s sworn in on January 20 will be appointing a task force to plan for the country’s 250th anniversary in 2026 — and he picked Iowa as the spot for a major exposition. “The Great American State Fair will showcase the glory of every state in the union, promote pride in our history,” Trump said, “and promote innovative visions for America’s future.”

A video Trump posted on social media back in May of 2023 is recirculating online after X owner Elon Musk commented on it. Trump said he’d work with all the nation’s governors to create pavilions for each state that will be set up on the Iowa State Fairgrounds — for a year-long expo.

111,591 people attended the Iowa State Fair on August 16, 2024. (RI photo)

“My hope is that the amazing people of Iowa will work with my administration to open up the legendary Iowa State Fairgrounds to host the Great American State Fair and welcome millions and millions of visitors from around the world to the heartland of America for this special one-time festival,” Trump said. “Together we will built it and they will come.”

Governor Kim Reynolds, in a post on social media today, said Iowans “know the Iowa State Fair is the best fair in the country!…We stand ready to host the Great American State Fair.” Reynolds was at Trump’s Election Night party in Florida Tuesday night.

Jeremy Parsons, the manager and CEO of the Iowa State Fair, issued a written statement. “We know the world’s greatest state fair is in Iowa, but no formal request or inquiry has been made for use of the Iowa State Fairgrounds at this time,” Parsons said.

Trump has visited the Iowa State Fair twice. He also held a rally on the fairgrounds in October of 2021 and in 2016 Trump spoke at a fundraiser for Senator Joni Ernst that was held in the livestock pavilion. Trump’s first State Fair visit was in 2015. He flew his helicopter over the fairgrounds, then walked through the throngs of fairgoers on the same day Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were at the fair. In 2023, Trump visited the State Fair on the same day as Republican rival Ron DeSantis. Trump stopped at the Iowa Pork Producers’ grill, walked down the fair’s Grand Concourse and spoke to supporters who’d gathered inside a beer hall.

(Harlan, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Shelby County today (Thursday), released a report on arrests that occurred during the month of October. In order from the latest to the earliest:

On Oct.31st: 54-year-old Brent Allan Sorensen, of Harlan, was arrested for Interference with Official Acts, Disorderly Conduct, Possession of Contraband in a Correctional Facility, and two counts of Trespass 1st offense.

33-year-old Tremayne Donta Cherry, of Harlan, was arrested Oct. 28th, for Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Prohibited Acts.

35-year-old Bret Jay Crippen, of Harlan, was arrested Oct. 18th in Shelby County, for Domestic Abuse Assault- 2nd offense, and Possession of Controlled Substance.

There were two arrests Oct. 17th in Shelby County: 18-year-old Miranda Kay Lynn Jennings, and 20-year-old Coda Renee Mahan, both of Elk Horn, were arrested Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

On Oct. 11th, Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 27-year-old Abimail Perez-Gomez, of Iowa Falls. Perez-Gomez was arrested after a traffic stop on Highway 59. She was charged with Driving While License Revoked, OWI- 2nd Offense, Failure to Maintain Control, Open Container, and no Insurance.

On the 10th of October, 39-year-old Catherine Renee Johnson, of Shenandoah, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault.

34-year-old Cody Emmett Lister, of Harlan, was arrested Oct. 9th on an active Shelby County Warrant.

Two people were arrested on separate charges Oct. 7th in Shelby County: 39-year-old Daniel Gamsesun Casteel, of Harlan, was arrested for Public Intoxication; and, 52-year-old Silvia Jeane Barillas Castillo, of Council Bluffs, was arrested after a traffic stop on Highway 59 in Shelby County. Barillas Castillo was charged with OWI- 1st offense, Speeding, and improper Use of Lane.

There were three arrests on Oct. 3rd in Shelby County:

20-year-old Emma Jo Rossell, of Harlan, was arrested after a traffic stop on 7th and Durant. Rossell was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Violation of No Contact Order, Driving while License Suspended, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of a controlled substance, and Prohibited Acts; 23-year-old Levi John Klenda, of Harlan, was arrested for Violation of a No Contact Order; and, 40-year-old Kirby David Stoneking, of Harlan, was attested for Domestic Abuse Assault 2nd Offense.

And, on Oct. 1st, Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 33-year-old Michael John Tremayne, of Harlan, for Theft in the 1st degree.

Note: Criminal charges are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors held a Special Session this (Thursday) afternoon, Nov. 7th, to consider a request for an Administrative Recount of Precinct 5GF, following Tuesday’s General Election. The request was presented by Adair County Auditor Mandy Berg, who offered the following explanation for the administrative recount…

Board Chair Jerry Walker read a Resolution to authorizing the recount.

A motion was then made by Supervisors Jodie Hoadley and seconded by Matt Wedemeyer. The resolution was approved. The recount will be held on Friday at 1-p.m. Auditor Mandy Berg explained what happens next.

The brief, Special Session was then adjourned.