In the News
Last week marked the 13th anniversary of the Iowa flood of 2008. During this disaster, I was a journalist at KCRG-TV 9 in Cedar Rapids, and I’ll never forget what it was like to cover the flood and its devastating aftermath.
Our community prepared as best we could, but there was only so much we could do as the Cedar River continued to rise and overtake buildings and homes throughout Cedar Rapids — until it eventually crested at 31.12 feet, the highest level in our history.
A bipartisan bill, aimed at expanding access to mental health care for veterans living in rural areas, is expected to be signed by President Joe Biden on Wednesday.
It's named in memory of Iowa Sergeant Brandon Ketchum, who died by suicide after investigators said he was denied access to mental health services through the Iowa City VA Medical Center.
He was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
The U.S. Senate unanimously approved the bill on June 24.
During a press call last Friday, U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, said she learned about navigating the legal immigration system during a visit to Gentle Dental in Cedar Rapids last week.
She said Dr. Vijay Vaddati, DDS, discussed the challenges faced by those who come legally to the United States.
“Many of them have children in this country, so the age 21 challenges that they’re facing, challenges of the employment-based Green Card backlog. And then, we talked a lot about potential reforms that could help improve our legal immigration system,” Hinson said.
Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson is pushing the Biden Administration to reopen federal offices to the public.
Many of those local offices - like social security administration and USDA offices - remain closed to the public as part of COVID-19 restrictions that started last year.
That’s despite most state, county and city offices, as well as businesses, reopening to in-person services.
Representative Hinson says her own local offices have been open for months.
The Supreme Court on Friday said an expanded number of small refineries can seek an exemption from certain renewable fuel requirements.
The high court ruled 6-3 that a small refinery that had previously received a hardship exemption from complying with Clean Air Act requirements may obtain an “extension” of that exemption. That's even if the refinery let a previous exemption lapse.
Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw made the following statement in response:
The City of Dubuque is receiving $5 million to make rail and fertilizer storage improvements in the Port of Dubuque.
The U.S. Department of Transportation recently approved the grant, which will see the renovation of an existing fertilizer storage shed at Gavilon Grain LLC, 505 E 7th Street, in Dove Harbor. Officials also will use the funds to replace and upgrade approximately 7,300 feet of inoperable rail and relocate another 2,800 feet of rail to improve the loading and unloading of fertilizer and other bulk products.
Agriculture is the most essential industry to the global population. It covers everything we need to eat. That is why industry reps want to be at the table when ideas are being shared about how to improve the environment. Not only to discuss how changes will affect the industry but to also share those stories about how many farmers have already taken the bull by the horns and implemented successful practices on their own.
House Democrats rejected consideration of an accountability measure for Vice President Kamala Harris and her border duties, introduced by GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA). The freshman congresswoman introduced legislation to block Harris from using further taxpayer dollars for travel until she visits the southern border to see the crisis firsthand.
rom Memorial Day to Flag Day, three hundred flags stand firm just east of AMVETS Post 49 in Cedar Falls. Each flag was purchased by a family that wanted to honor a fallen veteran.
Meeting in-person this year, dozes turned up Monday morning outside the post to commemorate those we've lost. The retiring post commander, Ron Kirkland, says this year stings a bit more.
"We lost members that we shouldn't have. It wasn't their time to go, but the virus caused it," Kirkland said.
MANCHESTER, Iowa — U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, called for tougher border security and a less costly infrastructure package before a crowd of more than 50 constituents, some of whom argued strongly with her, during a town hall Tuesday in Manchester.