Iowa courts

The two teenagers accused of killing a beloved high school Spanish teacher in Fairfield were back in court Tuesday, asking to be released ahead of trial. The 16 year olds both requested that their $1 million cash-only bonds be reviewed. Prosecutor meanwhile argued that bond amount should be maintained or even raised to $2 million.

Attorneys representing Gov. Kim Reynolds and other state officials are asking a panel of federal judges to overturn a court ruling that blocked enforcement of Iowa’s ban on school mask mandates.

A jury has convicted Steven Vogel, a white man, of first degree murder and abuse of a corpse, in the killing of Michael Williams, who was Black. Investigators have said the murder was not racially motivated but some of Williams’ family members have called it a lynching.

The Scott County Board of Supervisors is pushing ahead with a plan to use pandemic relief funds to build a new juvenile detention center. That’s despite organized opposition from advocates who say the plan is an immoral and ineffective way to address troubled youth.

Hundreds of people gathered in Fairfield on Friday to honor Nohema Graber, a Spanish teacher who investigators believe was killed by two students. The 66-year-old mother of three is being remembered as a loving friend and an inspiring educator.

Two high school students in Fairfield have been arrested for allegedly killing a Spanish teacher. The two 16 year olds face a first degree murder charge in the killing of Nohema Graber, who taught at Fairfield High School, where the boys were students. The teens have been charged as adults because of the circumstances of the crime.

Iowa school districts can keep mandating masks after a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit brought by parents and disability rights advocates. Judge Robert Pratt's ruling will halt enforcement of the law until the suit is resolved, a step he says is needed in order to protect school children from “irreparable harm."

A group of Iowa environmental organizations argue the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) didn’t do its job in determining if MidAmerican Energy Company met all the requirements for its emissions plan and budget—and properly weighing the appropriate factors. IUB and MidAmerican say they are asking for more than what the law requires.

Iowa school districts can still require students and teachers to wear masks after a federal court order was extended Monday blocking enforcement of a statewide ban on school mask mandates.

After a discussion charged by the polarized debate over masks, the Ankeny school board voted to require them to be worn in schools, following the same decision for Johnston Tuesday evening.