(Radio Iowa) – The Board of Regents facilities committee has approved the start of the modernization of the University of Iowa Hospitals with an estimated cost of more than three BILLION dollars. University of Iowa vice president Rod Lehnertz says the first project will change the entrances in preparation for the construction of a new medical tower. “It does also include some road work, site work, utility work that will advance our site to enable it for construction of the tower project,” he says. He says this project will cost 72-point-five million dollars and is funded by U-I Healthcare earnings. Lehnertz says the proposed tower will accommodate projected future patient growth and improve the patient experience by increasing inpatient and surgical capacity, and reducing the number of semi-private patient rooms.

“The target for the project is a one-point-five BILLION dollars. There would be an additional estimated two-point-two BILLION dollar cost for new equipment for the tower. University of Iowa Healthcare C-E-O Brad Haws says they talked with a consultant about the best way to deal with the aging facilities. One way is to move the entire medical campus. “That occurred at the University of Colorado, they moved from a downtown Denver location out to a former military base and they moved the whole thing, research, teaching and the clinical delivery system,” Haws says. “And and that doesn’t happen very often, as you might imagine. But when you get into aging facilities like we have and like a lot of academic centers have where the buildings are 50 plus years old, you have to kind of make a decision.”

Haws says other schools with medical campuses like Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska, Kansas and the University of Pennsylvania have decided to add on to what they have. “What most of these places have decided is because of the co-location of teaching research and the patient care that splitting those apart actually becomes less efficient and something that they really can’t do,” he says. “And the analogy that was given to me was you don’t often see an airport build a second airport, you do see is terminals added.” Haws says they will know more about the scope and cost of the project in November as some of the issues with federal funding are sorted out.

The full board of Regents will vote on the first work at their meeting today (Thursday).

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak arrested a man for Assault while displaying a Dangerous Weapon (ADW), Wednesday evening. Authorities say 36-year-old Brian Keith Yochum, Jr., of Red Oak, was arrested at around 5:30-p.m. in the 1400 block of Forest Avenue. Yochum was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

DES MOINES, June 11, 2025 – The Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI), in partnership with MidWestOne Bank, Wednesday, announced the winner of the 2025 Coolest Thing Made in Iowa competition: the CP770 cotton picker, manufactured by John Deere in Ankeny.  The CP770 Cotton Picker was introduced in 2021 and is a leader in cotton harvesting technology. The picker is larger, faster, and more efficient than previous models. In addition, the model features smart tech that offers guidance to farmers in the fields.

Sixty-nine products were nominated for this year’s competition, representing manufacturers from 51 Iowa communities. After an initial public voting round and a head-to-head bracket-style tournament, four finalists emerged to compete for the title. More than 93,000 votes were cast throughout the contest, demonstrating the pride Iowans have in the products made in their state.

JD CP770 Cotton Picker

One of the products that made it into the Top Four, was The Moose Fireplace Grill – The Moose Fireplace Grill , which is manufactured in Red Oak.

This is the second year of the Coolest Thing Made in Iowa contest. The Vermeer ZR5-1200 self-propelled baler won during the first year in 2024. The Iowa Association of Business and Industry says the contest is successful and plans to bring it back next year.

(Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Members of the Iowa Board of Regents told the public Wednesday they are listening and slowing down the process of implementing new board policy relating to diversity, equity and inclusion in classroom instruction. Regents said whatever policy is eventually approved might look different than its current form.

According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, Regent David Barker said a proposed policy barring universities from requiring students to take courses with “substantial content that conveys DEI or CRT (critical race theory)” to earn their credentials, with pathways to certain course exceptions, “will be an important first step” in preventing the teaching of controversial ideas as fact and raising confidence in higher education once again.

The board discussed the policy in its June 11 meeting, the first of two readings ahead of a vote for approval in July.

Under the proposed policy, students could not be required to take courses with “substantial content” covering areas “as primary principals” that include topics like antiracism, allyship, microaggressions, types of biases or privileges, social justice, critical race theory and systematic oppression, marginalization or gender theory, among others.

The Iowa Board of Regents read for the first time a policy that would bar required university courses with “substantial” DEI content. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

Mark Braun, executive director of the board of regents, acknowledged during discussion the vagueness behind the term “substantial,” but said board staff will work with the institutions to more clearly define it and demonstrate where it should apply as the policy is implemented. He emphasized that this policy would only apply to required courses and not electives.

“To a large extent, this will help highlight just how many academic programs do not require courses that meet the substantial standard,” Braun said.

Also included in the policy is an option for seeking exemption, Braun said, as the board understands some courses must include this content for different reasons. According to the policy draft, universities can submit which majors, minors and certificates should be exempted from the rules “each even-numbered year, no later than June 30.” The board must approve these requests.

Regent Christine Hensley and Barker said during the meeting they learned from the emails sent after the suggested policy was released by concerned parties, some of which Barker said were “a bit on the arrogant and pompous side” or “showed a misunderstanding of the policy.” However, what helpful information he said he received helped him determine that a better version of this first-draft policy could be developed.

The goal behind the policy is not to subdue a certain point of view, Barker said, but to prevent attempts on both sides of the political spectrum to present “contested, controversial ideas as settled fact.”

When the policy was first released, Hensley said the discussion this week was supposed to act as the first and second reading, which she said “lit a firestorm” in many people worried about the policy heading too quickly toward approval.

“I am a very, very strong proponent of when you have something that is controversial, and I would say that this has been controversial, it’s important that you take a pause — you push the pause button — you step back, and you take in information from the various groups out there,” Hensley said.

(Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed legislation setting state appropriations for primary and secondary education for the next fiscal year, but item-vetoed a line providing funds to the University of Northern Iowa for out-of-state tuition changes with a vow to further work with the university next year.

Reynolds signed Senate File 647 alongside other policy and appropriations bills June 11, according to a governor’s office news release. Reynolds said in a veto letter she line-item vetoed a $1.5 million appropriation to UNI to provide in-state tuition for students coming from states bordering Iowa not because she doesn’t support the program, but because of how it was being implemented.

UNI originally requested $3 million for the tuition change, Reynolds said in the letter, a one-time allocation to launch the program before it became self-sustaining, but the legislation would provide $1.5 million in the upcoming fiscal year “with an expectation of ongoing funding.”

Questions also remained about how the program could impact current students who fall under this category, Reynolds said in the letter. UNI President Mark Nook told lawmakers this spring lowering tuition for students from contiguous states would help bring more of them to Iowa, where they would likely stay after graduation.

“I look forward to working with UNI next year to further develop the details of the program and see it launched,” Reynolds said in the letter.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) – A Davenport man accused of neglecting his bedridden mother, causing her death, was given a deferred judgment and three years of probation on Friday. According to court documents, Jason Kelting pleaded guilty to felony neglect or abandonment of a dependent person in March.

Under the deal, his involuntary manslaughter and wanton neglect or nonsupport of a dependent adult charges were dismissed. The state also recommended against incarceration as part of the deal.

Kelting will have to serve three years of probation and make monthly payments on a civil penalty of $1,370 and a separate civil penalty of $1,000. As part of his probation, Kelting will have to get a mental health evaluation and complete any recommended treatment, stay employed, and follow any other terms set by his probation officer.

Kelting was arrested in February 2023 after police said he neglected his bedridden mother, causing her death.

(Updated; Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a bill to regulate Pharmacy Benefit Managers — the P-B-Ms that negotiate with insurance companies, drug makers and pharmacies to set the price of medications for people with insurance coverage. Supporters say the bill will ensure pharmacies are properly reimbursed for filling prescriptions. Representative Brett Barker of Nevada, who is a pharmacist, says the regulations will stave off an avalanche of pharmacy closures. “The day we passed it in the House there were pharmacists in the gallery shedding tears of joy,” Barker says, “because it means that much for them to continue to serve their communities.”

Over 200 Iowa pharmacies have closed since 2014. More than 30 closed just last year. Barker says without the bill’s protections, many more were going to keep losing money filling prescriptions and go out of business. “There were dozens of pharmacies holding on this session to see if we could get something done this year and luckily we were able to,” Barker says. “so the governor signing this bill has saved access to pharmacies in this state.”

Governor Reynolds says P-B-Ms have had outsized power over which pharmacy patients may use and which medications they may receive. The new law forbids P-B-Ms from forcing patients to use mail-order pharmacies and it requires a nearly 11-dollar dispensing fee for each prescription filled at small pharmacies. Business groups say the law will add 340 MILLION dollars to the cost of private sector insurance plans next year and they urged the governor to veto thte bill. Bill backers say that hasn’t happened in other states with similar laws. Reynolds says her office will monitor how insurance premiums are affected and take steps to mitigate costs for private employers.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education, this (Wednesday) evening received a report on costs associated with the District’s Insurance Renewal and Storm Protection. The information came from the District’s carrier, represented locally, by Kipp Harris. Later in the meeting they passed a resolution to join a consortium for a Storm Protection Fund.

In her report to the Board, Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnsen said District Maintenance Director Russell Peck received a cost estimate for the High School Roof Replacement project, which was $1.3-million dollars. That amount was in-line with the Engineer’s estimate.

District Finance Director Lisa Jones said those funds are available through the Local Option Sales Tax. The Board approved having Snyder and Associates soliciting a Request For Bids for the High School Roof Project. The current roof is close to 30-years old and has “Lived past its life expectancy,” according to Dr. Johnson.

Dr. Johnsen discussed with the Board a Facilities Master Plan created by SVPA Architects. The plan details $40-million dollars worth of proposed improvements/renovations. The Board was in agreement to proceed with the next steps in establishing a bond referendum for projects, as explained by Johnson.

Those steps will all have to happen within the next month, according to Johnsen. Later on during the action portion of their meeting, the Board approved bids for: Paint; Carpet; Fuel and a 12-passenger transit van. And, they approved the 2025-26 School Year Student Fees and Rates, which Superintendent Johnsen said are unchanged from the 2024-25 School Year.

And, they approved contracts with the Certified District Staff as presented.

The Board approved the resignations of:

• Alex Wilson – Special Ed Paraprofessional (retroactive to May 23, 2025)
• Gary Miller – Bus Driver (Retroactive to 5/30/25)
• Dexter Dobson, CTE Teacher (retroactive to 5/30/25)
• Audrey Farrington – Special Ed Paraprofessional (retroactive to 6/2/25)

They also approved the following Recommendations to Hire:

• Kay Schmidt – Summer Para for Voc. Rehab (20 hrs)
• Oran Perkins – Summer School Teacher (60 hrs)
• James Keller – KG Teacher, 25-26 School Year
• Summer Nutrition Hires
• Mark Andersen – HS Musical Director
• 25-26 Club Sponsors
• Elle Bryant – Transfer from WA Elem Custodian to MS Custodian.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau said Wednesday, two Iowa City residents, 26-year-old Keelan France and 49-year-old Nicole Linderholm, have each been charged with Financial Exploitation of an Older Individual, a Class B felony that carries a maximum sentence of an indeterminate term not to exceed 25 years, following an investigation conducted by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau.

The charges that are being prosecuted by the Johnson County Attorney’s Office, stem from a pattern of unauthorized spending and misuse of more than $500,000 of funds belonging to an elderly family member with diminished capacity. According to a criminal complaints related to France and Linderholm filed by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau, the defendants allegedly used their positions of trust to gain access to the victim’s financial resources, diverting money for their own personal benefit that resulted in substantial financial losses for the victim, with ongoing risk to her remaining assets.

The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Iowans are encouraged to report instances of senior financial exploitation and dependent adult abuse to the Iowa Insurance Division at 1-877-955-1212 and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-362-2178.

Additional information for Iowans related to senior financial exploitation can be found at IowaFraudFighters.gov or at the Iowa Fraud Fighters’ “Stop the Scammers” events in various communities around Iowa.