DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Some Iowa families have been unable for weeks to bury loved ones who have died because of a backlog of autopsies at the Iowa state medical examiner’s office. Television station KCCI reports that the office is backlogged at least two weeks, and 47 families are currently waiting for autopsies. The Iowa Department of Human Services blames a lack of specialized pathologists, retirements at the county level, and a 25% increase in autopsies in the last year for the backlog. Christy Smith, of Urbandale, says she’s been waiting 17 days for the state to perform an autopsy on her 21-year-old daughter, Madeline Wise, to determine how she died on Aug. 11. The waiting, she says, “is horrific.”

The Creston Police Department reports three arrests on Thursday.

At 12:15 p.m. Officers arrested 40-year-old Jason Lee Schilapia of Creston at 302 N. Pine Street on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault by Strangulation. Shilapia was being held on no bond at the Union County Jail until seen by a judge.

At 4:29 p.m. Officers arrested 22-year-old Amanda Marie Blakley-Luddington of Creston at 520 Livingston Avenue on a charge of Driving While Barred. Blakley-Luddington had bail set at $2,000 cash or approved surety. She posted bond and was released.

At 10:11 p.m. Creston Police arrested 34-year-old Michael Edward Baker of Creston at Jefferson and Sumner on the charges of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, 3 counts Possession of Controlled Substance- 3rd or subsequent offense, Driving While Suspended, Failure to Affix Drug Tax Stamp, and Carrying Weapons. Baker was taken to the Union County Jail and held on $22,300 bond.

Des Moines, Iowa – On August 27, 2020 the Iowa Department of Revenue extended tax payment deadlines for certain businesses. The extension is a result of Order 2020-04, signed by Director of Revenue Kraig Paulsen, which provides flexibility for certain businesses disrupted by COVID-19.

The order extends payment deadlines for sales tax and individual income tax withholding. Any due date for the payment of sales tax or individual income tax withholding that falls on or after August 27, 2020, but before October 1, 2020, shall be extended until October 31, 2020, for a business that is a bar or other alcohol establishment in Black Hawk, Dallas, Johnson, Linn, Polk, or Story County ordered to close to the general public pursuant to the Governor’s August 27, 2020 Proclamation.

The latest information regarding Iowa tax changes is at tax.iowa.gov/COVID-19. Taxpayers and tax professionals who need assistance can contact the Department by email at idr@iowa.gov or call the taxpayer services phone line at 515-281-3114 or 1-800-367-3388.

The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs recently announced that seven Iowa communities will receive support through two creative placemaking programs that help regions attract investment, tourism and quality-of-life enhancements.

The department has designated Indianola and Stanton as new Iowa Great Places and has re-designated the Sixth Avenue Corridor in Des Moines. The state agency also designated Cultural and Entertainment Districts in Ames, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Elkader and Spencer.

“It’s my pleasure to welcome these communities into the Iowa Great Places and Cultural and Entertainment District programs,” Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Director Chris Kramer said. “Now more than ever, these state investments will generate economic growth in rural and urban areas where Iowans have developed bold visions for the future and formed the plans and partnerships to make those visions a reality.”

The Iowa Great Places program recognizes communities that cultivate the unique and authentic qualities of their local places – neighborhoods, districts or regions – and make them attractive places to live and work. Those qualities include arts and culture, architecture, business incentives, the diversity of the community’s residents, historic assets, housing options and the natural environment. The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs partners with leaders of the Iowa Great Places communities to build their visions for future development.

In recent years, Stanton residents have seen new and creative businesses spring up downtown, alongside iconic symbols of the community’s Swedish heritage. A new events center opened last year, and plans for adding public art are in the works.

The department has invested nearly $21 million in a total of 44 designated Iowa Great Places since the program’s creation in 2006, leveraging local and private investment to drive economic growth. Funding for the program comes from the Iowa Legislature through an annual appropriation from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The number of Iowa counties eligible for help from the federal government for damage after an unusual wind storm is dwindling/ Iowa emergency management director Joyce Flinn on Thursday said nine of the 27 counties that originally had requested Federal Emergency Management Agency help for individuals with damage to homes or other private property have withdrawn their applications for federal assistance. Flinn said those counties didn’t appear to meet federal guidelines for the number of properties destroyed or with major damage. Assessments are nearly completed for the remaining 17 counties initially included in Reynolds’ request for federal individual disaster assistance.

By RYAN J. FOLEY Associated Press
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A judge is ordering an Iowa county to invalidate 50,000 requests for absentee ballots, agreeing with President Trump’s campaign that the county elections commissioner overstepped by pre-filling them with voters’ personal information.Judge Ian Thornhill issued a temporary injunction that orders Linn County Auditor Joel Miller to contact those voters in writing to inform them that the forms should not have been pre-filled with their information and cannot be processed. Instead, voters will have to either fill out new blank requests for absentee ballots or vote in-person on Election Day. At issue was Miller’s decision to send absentee ballot request forms to about 140,000 county voters in July that were pre-filled with their personal information.