SIOUX CITY, Iowa (Sioux City Journal) — Nearly five years after Sioux City tore down a historic mansion, a judge has ruled the owners of the building must reimburse the city more than $100,000 in demolition costs. District Judge Jeffrey Neary ruled that James Gengler and Salvador Carrasco must pay the city for the July 2015 demolition of the 125-year-old three story home in the city’s Rose Hill neighborhood. Those costs amounted to $106,959 plus interest.

The city demolished the house after an extended dispute with its owners about structural deficiencies. Gengler, who holds the deed to the property, told the Sioux City Journal he may move to another community, adding that “my dream home is gone.”

(Radio Iowa) — Within 10 days, the majority of businesses and facilities Governor Kim Reynolds ordered to close in March will have been allowed to reopen, under new pandemic-related guidelines. Reynolds says critics of her decisions fail to acknowledge the distress that closures placed on the state’s economy and on individuals with mental health concerns or a volatile home life. “There is a societal cost, also, to just shutting down and not realistically moving forward through this pandemic,” Reynolds says. “We can do it. We are doing it. We’re going to continue to do it and we’re going to continue to manage it.”

By mid-day Thursday, 400 Iowans had died of COVID-19. Reynolds says she’s monitoring data points that indicate the threat from the virus is leveling off. Reynolds has repeatedly said with expanded testing and ample hospital space, the state will be able to manage COVID-19 outbreaks that may occur. “We have never said that we were going to prevent people from getting COVID-19. That’s unrealistic. It’s unattainable,” Reynolds says. “What we have to do is learn to live with it and manage the virus. And we have to get things back to normal.”

Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen of Des Moines says Reynolds has presented Iowans with the “false choice” of saving elderly Iowans or saving the economy. Petersen says the number of COVID-19 cases is still increasing and reopening businesses too soon will be deadly for our health and economy.

Authorities in Union County say a Creston man was cited following a collision late Thursday morning. 29-year old Jordan Lee Hoag, of Creston, was driving a 2004 Ford Ranger pickup northbound on Sycamore Street at around 11:38-a.m., when he dropped his cell phone onto the floor. After he leaned over to pick the phone up, he looked up and saw his pickup was on the other side of the road.

The vehicle was about to strike a parked 2000 Ford Taurus when Hoag turned to the right. He was unable to avoid striking the car head-on. Hoag then backed up and drove about half of a block before parking in a driveway.

He was cited for Left of Center, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, and Use of Electronic Communication. Damage from the collision amounted to $3,500.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Davenport police arrested a man Thursday in the death of his mother after officers were called to a home and found her body. Police charged 36-year-old McKinsley Steven Watson, of Davenport with first-degree murder in the killing of 59-year-old Victoria Watson. The Quad-City Times reports officers were called to an apartment complex a little before 5 a.m. Thursday to investigate a report of an unresponsive woman. They found Victoria Watson, and medics pronounced her dead. Police didn’t say how she died. An autopsy is planned. McKinsley Watson was held in the Scott County Jail without bond.