A plan to develop a casino in Cedar Rapids could be considered by voters later this year. According to the Linn County Auditor’s Office, voters could see a gambling referendum appear on the ballot again before the initial approval from 2013 expires. Officials tell our coverage partners at Iowa’s News Now the referendum would need to be placed on a ballot in calendar year 2021…either at a special election on September 14, or the regular city and school elections on November 2. The city has tried to land a gambling license from the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission but was turned down twice, in 2014 and 2017. The Linn County Board of Supervisors will need to make the final decision to place the referendum on a ballot.
The federal government announced yesterday it will support the ethanol industry in a lawsuit over biofuel waivers granted to oil refineries during the Trump Administration. The Environmental Protection Agency said it is reversing course and will support a January 2020 decision by the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a lawsuit filed by the Renewable Fuels Association and farm groups. The lawsuit is headed to arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court this spring. The move by the EPA was praised by Iowa leaders.
A 61-year-old Mason City man was killed, and three others were injured, yesterday in a two-vehicle accident on U.S. Highway 65. The Iowa State Patrol said Timothy Wilmarth was killed…while 21-year-old Exiquio Martinez, 23-year-old Mayra Perez, and 25-year-old Alvaro Almonte, all of Hampton, were injured. Authorities said the vehicle driven by Martinez was northbound when the driver lost control due to slippery road conditions, sliding across the centerline and striking Wilmarth’s vehicle. The accident happened just south of Rockwell.
An Iowa State University building was closed yesterday due to an early morning fire. ISU officials said the fire started in a custodial closet on the first floor of Ross Hall shortly after 6 a.m. The fire was out in less than an hour. Police said there was one person inside the building who made it out safely. ISU officials said there was smoke damage throughout the building and it was therefore closed yesterday.
At least three other counties appear to be experiencing issues with their coronavirus vaccine supply due to weather. Butler, Tama, and Grundy Counties have shared on social media that their vaccine shipments were impacted due to winter weather last week. Winneshiek County earlier reported a similar issue. Officials in both Grundy and Butler Counties say they weren’t able to schedule first dose appointments or clinics because of the lack of vaccines.
Meanwhile, Greenwood Pharmacy is offering residents aged 65 and older nearly 1,000 COVID-19 vaccines this coming weekend. Registration is available at the pharmacy website. The vaccines will be given by appointment Saturday and Sunday at The Pavilion building on the National Cattle Congress grounds in Waterloo. People will need to be available to get their follow-up doses on March 20 or 21, and should bring a photo ID and Medicare card. The vaccine will be free for anyone who signs up. The requirements will help Greenwood Pharmacy prevent people younger than 65 from getting vaccinated.
Iowa authorities are searching for a 33-year-old man in connection with a woman whose body was found in a downtown Ames apartment on Saturday. Police said Sunday afternoon they are looking for Richard Fleck in connection with the woman’s death, and say he may be in the Kansas City, Missouri area. Officers found the woman around 7 p.m. Saturday after they were sent to check on her welfare. Ames police didn’t say how the woman died, but they classified her death as a homicide.
A western Iowa man has been handed a lengthy sentence in federal prison for a second conviction of receiving child pornography. Federal prosecutors say 63-year-old Mark Sandell of Red Oak was sentenced last week to 15 years in federal prison. Prosecutors say that at the time of Sandell’s offense, he was already on supervised release for a previous conviction of receiving child porn.
