Iowa News

CUCCINELLI-CONTRACEPTION        Va AG prescribes jail as contraception protest        RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Virginia’s conservative Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli says going to jail may be an effective way to protest a federal mandate for employers to cover contraception in insurance plans.        On Iowa conservative radio host Steve Deace’s (DACE) Wednesday night show, the Republican gubernatorial candidate said civil disobedience is one way to attack the federal healthcare requirement being challenged in a federal lawsuit by Hobby Lobby stores.        Cuccinelli called the Affordable Care Act requirement an attack on the Roman Catholic Church and religious freedom. He suggested forcing authorities to crack down on those who don’t comply.        The Catholic Cuccinelli said he had spoken to a bishop who suggested he’d go to jail to protest it. Cuccinelli said he told the bishop, “don’t take this personally – you need to go to jail.”

IOWA SECRETARY OF STATE        Former Obama aide runs for Iowa secretary of state        DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A Democrat who is the former director of President Barack Obama’s Iowa campaign has announced his candidacy for Iowa secretary of state.        Brad Anderson made the announcement Thursday during a press conference at the Capitol. If Anderson wins the Democratic nomination, he could challenge Republican Secretary of State Matt Schultz.        Schultz declined to comment, saying he hasn’t decided whether he will seek re-election in 2014.        Anderson says he disagrees with Schultz’s strong support for voter identification. He labeled Schultz’s efforts to track down voter fraud “fruitless investigations” that waste money and intimidate Iowans from voting.        Anderson says he would tackle voter fraud by installing an electronic voter eligibility check-in system at the polls.        Anderson has garnered support from Democrats like former Iowa governors Tom Vilsack and Chet Culver.

BOIL ADVISORY-COUNCIL BLUFFS        Council Bluffs officials lift boil advisory        COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Council Bluffs officials have lifted a boil advisory after bacteria tests on the city’s water returned negative.        Council Bluffs Water Works director Doug Drummey announced the lift at a news conference Thursday. He says the tests confirmed the water system was not compromised or contaminated.        A water main break early Wednesday caused a drop in pressure. Officials worried it could have allowed contaminants to enter the lines, posing a danger to health.        Schools, businesses and city residents took extra precautions during the advisory, including drinking bottled water and boiling water for a certain period of time.

KING DAY-SCHOOL DISPUTE        Iowa school officials reverse on King holiday        (Information in the following story is from: The Des Moines Register, http://www.desmoinesregister.com)        DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – School officials in Des Moines have reversed a decision to hold classes on Martin Luther King Junior Day.        The Des Moines school district unanimously voted Thursday to cancel its plans to hold classes on January 21st. Officials had previously announced that students would attend classes on the holiday to make up a snow day.        The Des Moines Register reports a local NAACP youth group criticized the district’s move and collected hundreds of signatures for a petition against the decision.        Another snow day was scheduled for Presidents Day in February. The district now plans to make up the snow days in June.

CEDAR RAPIDS-SCHOOLS DIVERSITY        Iowa City school board delays diversity vote        (Information in the following story is from: Iowa City Press-Citizen, http://www.press-citizen.com/)        IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Iowa City school board members have delayed a vote that would establish a new diversity policy.        The Iowa City School Board announced Thursday that they will push back a vote scheduled for Saturday. The move comes after dozens of community members told the board to slow down the voting process.        Language in the proposed policy says the district cannot create new pockets of high- or low-income areas and transport those students outside their neighborhoods.        The district says Saturday’s meeting will allow the board to listen to the community.        The board passed a first vote in December. Two more are needed to make it final.

FINGERPRINT FIRING        State fires crime lab worker after noting errors        DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa public safety officials are tightening oversight at the state crime lab after firing an employee who mishandled fingerprint data.        Department of Public Safety officials say nine cases analyzed by the staffer in 2012 contained errors. In two of those cases the employee missed the opportunity to match the fingerprint data to a suspect.        In response, the department is contacting local authorities impacted by the mistakes and plans to toughen the agency’s process.        The employee, who had been with the department more than 16 years, was fired Wednesday. Officials wouldn’t identify the worker.        Charis Paulson, director of the Division of Criminal Investigation, says the errors didn’t lead to any wrongful convictions or derail any violent crime investigations. The crime lab handles about 15,000 cases annually for agencies around the state.

FLU SEASON-IOWA        Iowa health officials: Flu cases crowding ERs        DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Health officials in central Iowa are asking people with minor illnesses to avoid hospital emergency rooms because of an influx of flu-related cases.        Officials at several hospitals in the Des Moines area said Thursday that local emergency rooms are experiencing heavy volumes of patients and wait times due to flu cases. They recommend that people with non-life-threatening illnesses visit their primary health care provider, a local urgent care or walk-in clinic.        Officials say the visitors will be limited at Mercy Medical Center of Des Moines and facilities under the Iowa Health system. They called the restrictions temporary.        Iowa health officials have noted a jump in flu cases this season. They are encouraging residents to get vaccinated.

FIELD OF DREAMS-LAWSUIT        Iowa judge to consider ‘Field of Dreams’ lawsuit        (Information in the following story is from: Telegraph Herald, http://www.thonline.com)        DYERSVILLE, Iowa (AP) – A judge is considering whether to dismiss a lawsuit involving the new owners of the “Field of Dreams” movie site in eastern Iowa.        Dubuque District Court Judge Monica Ackley heard arguments Wednesday from attorneys for Go the Distance Baseball LLC and the Residential and Agricultural Advisory Committee.        Go the Distance is suing the committee, which is a group of area residents opposing a sports complex planned for the site in Dyersville. Go the Distance filed a petition in October saying the committee interfered with contracts related to the site’s sale.        A committee attorney says the petition lacks specific instances of misconduct. A Go the Distance attorney says there is more than enough information.        Ackley has not yet issued a ruling.

BUILDING EXPLOSION-IOWA        Officials at NW Iowa plant release details on fire        (Information in the following story is from: KTIV-TV, http://www.ktiv.com)        GALVA, Iowa (AP) – The CEO of a processing plant in northwest Iowa has released more details about an explosion that caused a small fire.        Mark Schuett of American Natural Processors said Wednesday’s fire happened after material being tested by employees at the American Natural Soy plant near Galva caught fire.        Schuett says the equipment was being prepped for oil seed processing and soy protein production.        The fire department was contacted as a precaution although employees were able to contain the flames. No injuries were reported and fire damage is estimated at less than $1,000.        The plant sits about three miles south of Galva, in Ida County.

GRINNELL-TAYLOR OUT        Record-setting Taylor breaks wrist, out for season        GRINNELL, Iowa (AP) – Jack Taylor, who set the NCAA scoring record with 138 points in a game in November, is out for the season after breaking his wrist.        Grinnell College spokesman Ted Schultz says Taylor fractured the radius on his shooting arm during a 119-117 win over rival Cornell (Iowa) on Wednesday.        Taylor will likely have surgery within a week and be out 2-3 months, costing the sensational sophomore the rest of the season.        Taylor captured the attention of the basketball world when he dropped 138 points against Faith Baptist Bible College on November 12th, shattering the previous mark by 25 points.  Taylor finishes his season averaging 36.3 points per game in leading the Pioneers to a 9-3 record.

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