The administrator of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission reiterated today (Thursday) that the sports betting scandal among athletes at Iowa State and the University of Iowa has not turned up any attempts to fix games. Brian Ohorilko talked about the issue at the Commission meeting in Sioux City today (Thursday)

Ohorilko says they don’t believe the integrity of sports betting has been compromised.

The charges that were brought against the college athletes all involved underage sports betting or trying to hide underage betting. While college sports betting put the industry in the spotlight, Ohorilko says overall the industry has matured.

Ohorilko says it was expected after the big early push to get people signed up and all the promotions involved that things would settle in.

Sports betting began in the state in August of 2019.

October 5, 2023 (DES MOINES) – At today’s (Thursday’s) meeting, the Enhance Iowa Board awarded $430,000 in Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grants to a library in Waverly and a splash pad in Webster City.

Details for the projects receiving CAT grants follow:

Project Name: Make Room for Renewal, Waverly
Total Project Cost: $2,760,132
Amount Awarded: $375,000
Project Description: This expansion and renovation of the Waverly Public Library will include the extension of the footprint for the children’s area, the installation of a “story tree” art sculpture, the addition of approximately 1,200 square feet for a dedicated teen room, the renovation of conference space and surrounding area, and the complete renovation of the library interior to better fit the current needs of the community.

Project Name: Webster City East Twin Park Splash Pad, Webster City
Total Project Cost: $423,511
Amount Awarded: $55,000
Project Description: The project will construct a zero-depth, ADA-accessible splash pad with several zones consisting of 20 water features that cater to different age groups. Also included in the project are sidewalk paths to connect to the existing park and a new park shelter.

The Enhance Iowa Program provides financial incentives to communities for the construction of recreational, cultural, educational or entertainment facilities that enhance the quality of life in Iowa. To date, 130 CAT grants have been awarded by the board, totaling $43,260,023. The next Enhance Iowa Board meeting is scheduled for November 2, 2023.

(Radio Iowa) – October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Leigh Bair, program development director at the Domestic Sexual Assault Outreach Center in Fort Dodge, says they’ve seen a steady increase in demand from the 15 Iowa counties they serve. Bair says victims need to know they’re not alone.

“Domestic Violence Awareness Month is important just because it raises awareness for what we’re doing and why we’re doing what we do and why it’s so important,” Bair says. “It does also let people know that there are services available to those that need help that might not know that there’s help for them.” Bair says the center’s client list is continually growing. “Some quick stats,” Bair says. “We’ve served over 900 clients in the last year, over 6,000 nights in our shelter, and almost 400 crisis calls within the last six months.”

Bair says there many factors that may impact domestic violence cases. “I believe the economy, I believe COVID kind of had people in their house and then that got over and so people were wanting to get out,” Bair says. “There’s just a lot of things that we don’t know, but the numbers show an uptick.”

Bair says a ceremony will be held later this month in Fort Dodge to remember the victims of domestic violence.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report one person was transported to the hospital following a collision Wednesday evening at the intersection of Howard and Sumner Streets. Authorities say a Creston Police Officer witnessed the crash that happened at around 5:22-p.m.

According to the report, Officer Dorsey was stopped at the intersection with his vehicle facing westbound. An SUV with its turn signal on was stopped in the inside lane facing southbound, waiting to turn east onto Howard Street. A 2007 Chevy Tahoe driven by 36-year-old Stephanie Lynn Baucom, of Creston, was stopped behind the SUV in the traveled portion of the road.

A 2017 Dodge Durango driven by 23-year-old Kayleann Marie Buchanan, of Creston, was traveling south on Sumner Street, when she changed from the outside lane to the inside lane. Buchanan said she thought the Tahoe came to an abrupt stop, and that she did not have time to avoid the collision.

Baucom stated that she was being tailgated by Buchanan from the intersection of Townline Road and Sumner. When Baucom came to a stop, she looked in her mirror and saw that Buchanan was not slowing down. Baucom hit her vehicle’s horn to get Buchanan’s attention, just before the SUV struck the Tahoe from behind at a high rate of speed.

The Officer said he did not hear any tires squeal from Buchanan’s SUV moments before the impact, and there were no skid marks on the road, showing she had tried to stop. Following the crash, Baucom was transported by Medic 1 to the Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston. Her vehicle sustained $2,500 damage. Damage to Buchanan’s Durango was estimated at $15,000.

Neither driver was cited.

(Glenwood, Iowa) –  The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Omaha, 33-year-old Jody Lee Kudlacz, was arrested early this (Thursday) morning. He was taken into custody at around 1:30-a.m. for Assault. Bond was set at $300.

(Radio Iowa) – A popular Iowa City eatery with a long history reopened this (Thursday) morning under new ownership. The Hamburg Inn Number Two is now being overseen by former Hawkeye football player and Iowa City native Nate Kaeding, who’s a founding partner and strategist at Gold Cap Hospitality. Kaeding says the opening was a balancing act of meeting expectations while adjusting to what they think will bring customers back. “We really view the opportunity as kind of to be stewards of this business that’s had a really special place in town,” Kaeding says.

He says Pieshakes, the Coffee Bean Caucus and the Reagan booth are all coming back, too. There’s an underlying political theme as the restaurant is a frequent stop for presidential candidates during election years, and it was even featured on T-V’s “The West Wing.” Kaeding says the renovation work was focused on trying to stay true to a place with deep roots that date back to the 1930s.  “Our first goal was to really pay respects to the space,” Kaeding says, “and make sure that the essence of what the place is remains intact.”

For nearly a year under the previous owner, the restaurant periodically was shut down with managers and staff alleging withheld pay. Kaeding says under new management, “the Burg” is going for dependable. Customers like Mike Gatens say the right details remain, as he gestures to the tile mosaic floor that spells out the restaurant’s name.  “I looked down and looked at the floor and I knew they wouldn’t tear that out,” Gatens says. “I don’t think it really has changed that much.”

Photo from the Hamburg Inn’s Facebook page

The Hamburg joins two other downtown Iowa City restaurants — St. Burch and Pullman — in the Gold Cap portfolio.

(Zachary Oren Smith, Iowa Public Radio)

Malcom, Iowa (Updated 12-p.m., 10/5/23) — A Cedar Rapids man faces two felony charges, following an incident Tuesday on Interstate 80. The Iowa DCI reports that at around 8:10-a.m. October 3, 2023, the Iowa State Patrol responded to the reports of a stranded vehicle located on Interstate 80 at the 187 mile marker, heading westbound (Poweshiek County). During the response, Troopers located a male (identified as Jihad Abdul Malik Gasaway-23 years old) who was attempting to re-start a stalled vehicle. After an initial investigation, Gasaway was temporarily detained and the Troopers located a handgun in Gasaway’s pocket.

Jihad Malik Gasaway

During the search of the vehicle, the body of an unresponsive black male (later identified as 26-year-old Kemp Xavier Sherrod Harriel) was located on the floor and slumped over the passenger seat of the vehicle. Harriel’s body was concealed underneath clothing items and appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds. The Troopers requested medical services and the male was pronounced deceased at the scene. Investigators examined the vehicle and determined the shooting incident had occurred inside passenger area of the vehicle.

Gasaway was transported to the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office on a Class-C felony Abuse of Corpse, charge . He was being held at the Poweshiek County Jail on a $50,000 bond. On October 4, 2023 the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office determined Harriel died of two gunshot wounds to the chest and the manner of Harriel’s death was a homicide.  On October 5, 2023 Gasaway was also charged with Murder in the First Degree, a Class A Felony for his involvement in Harriel’s death.  Gasaway remains in custody at the Poweshiek County Jail.

The case remains under investigation by the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Division of Criminal Investigation.

MARION, Iowa (KCRG) — Sheriff’s officials in Linn County, Wednesday, identified the man who was killed in a crash Tuesday. Authorities say 48-year-old Chad Craig, of Cedar Rapids, was driving a motorcycle when he was hit head-on by a vehicle attempting to pass in a no-passing zone. Craig died in the crash that happened at around 7 p.m. Tuesday, near the intersection of Cottage Grove Avenue SE and Highlands Court SE south of Marion. Police said the driver of the vehicle that hit the motorcycle, 60-year-old Debra Trimble, of Marion, was charged with vehicular homicide, OWI and unsafe passing.

According to the latest data from the Iowa Department of Transportation, 282 people have died so far this year on Iowa roads. That’s 26 more than at the same point in 2022. Over the last five years, an average of 338 people have been killed in statewide crashes annually. Fifty-five people have been killed this year in motorcycle crashes, compared to 49 in 2022.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Auditor of State Rob Sand today (Thursday), released an audit report on the Fremont County Sanitary Landfill Commission.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS:
The Commission had total receipts of $606,124 for the year ended June 30, 2023, a 19.2% decrease. Disbursements for the year ended June 30, 2023, totaled $598,217, an 11.0% increase. The decrease in receipts was primarily due to lower gate collections and disaster tipping fees as clean up from the 2019 floods has come to an end. The increase in disbursements is due primarily to increased disbursements for equipment repair, outside services and accounting and legal fees.

AUDIT FINDINGS:
Sand reported four findings related to the receipt and disbursement of taxpayer funds. They are found on pages 30 through 33 of this report. The findings address a lack of segregation of duties related to disbursements, the lack of documenting the independent review of bank to book reconciliations and timely submission of Quarterly Solid Waste Fee Schedule and Retained Fees Report. Sand provided the Commission with recommendations to address each of the findings.

Two of the four findings discussed above are repeated from the prior year. The Commission has a fiduciary responsibility to provide oversight of the Commission’s operations and financial transactions. Oversight is typically defined as the “watchful and responsible care” a governing body exercises in its fiduciary capacity.

A copy of the audit report is available for review on the Auditor of State’s website at Audit Reports – Auditor of State.

[Polk County, Iowa (KCCI)] — A man injured in a nearly-deadly construction accident in Polk City in 2019 was awarded just over $3-million in damages after winning his jury trial. According to his attorney, Tim Kono was working on a home and was underground for a large part of the job he was doing for home construction company D.R. Horton.

He got trapped underneath several tons of soil — largely because he says D.R. Horton wasn’t using an OSHA-mandated trench box during the job. A fact sheet issued by OSHA, says that can equal the weight of a car.

In addition to the $3-million award, Kono will receive one-fourth of $16.18 million in punitive damages against his former company for what happened. By Iowa code, the remaining 75% of the punitive damage amount will go toward a civil reparations trust fund.

Kono’s lawyer said it’s the second-greatest dollar amount of punitive damage she’s ever seen in an Iowa case.