Here First

A Polk County judge heard arguments Thursday on whether to block Iowa’s ban on school mask mandates. Republican Governor Kim Reynolds is criticizing Democratic President Joe Biden’s announcement of new COVID-19 vaccine requirements. Plus, there will be heightened security at the annual Cy-Hawk game in Ames this weekend.

As the rate of new COVID-19 infections remains high in Iowa, the state’s top health official says they are working on more rapid testing options. Gov. Kim Reynolds has announced that $100 million of the nearly $1.5 billion in federal coronavirus relief funds allocated to the state will go to build new homes. Plus, IPR’s Clay Masters reports on how misinformation about the outcome of the 2020 presidential election is already hanging over next year’s midterm in Iowa.

The Iowa Board of Regents approved a plan on Tuesday for the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics to build a new hospital in North Liberty. A funeral has been set for the Iowa native who was among the 13 soldiers killed following a suicide bombing in Kabul. Plus, former President Donald Trump is planning an October rally in Iowa.

A Polk County judge will hear arguments later this week on whether to suspend a state law banning school mask mandates while a lawsuit works through the courts. Under a new law, Iowa’s county election officials no longer get to choose where to set up additional early voting sites outside of their offices. Plus, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is making progress on testing every public water supply system in the state for a metal that can contaminate drinking water.

Many Labor Day celebrations have been cancelled for the second year in a row because of the coronavirus pandemic and the rise of the delta variant. Five Iowans have filed ethics complaints against Republican state senators who voted to ban mask mandates in schools. Plus, Tyson and Perdue Farms agreed to pay a total of $35.75 million to broiler chicken farmers to settle a class action lawsuit.

State officials say they’ll start updating Iowa’s coronavirus data website three times a week, instead of once a week. One of the Iowans arrested for alleged involvement in the January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol is going back to jail after violating the terms of his release. Plus, The USDA and conservationists say planting cover crops play a big role in preserving the soil. Harvest Public Media’s Seth Bodine reports on how some farmers in drier regions think differently.

More than 40% of confirmed coronavirus cases in Iowa were among children and people in their 20s. The Linn County Board of Health has sent a letter to its school districts strongly urging them to consider face coverings for students. Plus, sixty Iowa legislators are asking the Iowa Supreme Court to overturn a 2018 ruling that declared abortion a fundamental right under the Iowa Constitution.

The State Health Facilities Council has reversed its vote of six months ago and approved a plan for the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics to build a $230 million hospital in North Liberty. An organization founded in Iowa City has been working to help the people in Haiti still recovering from a major earthquake. Plus, the Farm Progress Show opened in-person this on Tuesday in Decatur, Illinois, despite the rise in COVID-19 infections.

The U.S. Department of Education has started investigating Iowa and four other states, citing concerns that banning mask mandates in schools may violate the civil rights of students with disabilities. Cristhian Bahena Rivera has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2018 murder of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts. Plus, parts of northeast Iowa are dealing with flooding from rivers that swelled because of last week’s heavy rains.

Housing experts fear Iowa may see a spike in homelessness now that there is no more federal eviction moratorium. Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson kicked off her bid for a second term in the U-S House with a fundraising rally over the weekend. Plus, a full year after last August’s derecho, service providers say some Iowans are still living in unlivable conditions. IPR’s Kate Payne explains that residents say the struggle to rebuild their homes has been a nightmare.