DES MOINES, Iowa, July 3 -- Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird issued the following news release on July 2, 2024: Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird today discussed the office's cold case unit's partnership with local law enforcement to investigate Iowa's more than 400 unsolved murders. The announcement was made in a press conference at the Cedar Rapids Police Department in Linn County. Speakers at the press conference also included: * Steve Ponsetto, Investigator and lead of the Iowa cold case   more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas, July 2 -- The U.S. Air Force Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland (16th Air Force) issued the following news: The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center director of the A9 Studies, Analyses, Assessments and Lessons Learned Directorate has a unique perspective on the Air Force few others can match. Leaving her hometown of Westside, Iowa, for the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1996 and graduating in 2000, Jadee Purdy served a decade on active duty before  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, July 3 -- The Illinois House Democrats issued the following news: Motorists would soon have the option to use a digital driver's license under a plan backed by state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria. "With smartphones now common, this update will give people another, more convenient way to show their identification when needed," Gordon-Booth said. "As more states offer digital forms of identification and technological improvements ensure this will be a secure system, Il  more

LINCOLN, Nebraska, July 3 -- Gov. Jim Pillen, R-Nebraska, issued the following news release: * * * Register for the 2024 Summit at govsummit.nebraska.gov. * * * Governor Jim Pillen, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED), and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) encourage Nebraskans to register for the Ag & Economic Development Summit: One Nebraska. This year's event will take place August 7-9, 2024, at the Younes Conference Center North in Kearney. Registration for t  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, July 2 -- Gov. Kim Reynolds, R-Iowa, issued the following letter on July 1, 2024: * * * Today, Gov. Kim Reynolds sent a letter to Department of Labor's Acting Secretary Julie Su in response to Iowa businesses being targeted with excessive fines. The full letter reads as: "I am writing on behalf of small businesses across Iowa that are facing excessive fines due to the U.S. Department of Labor's enforcement of youth labor laws. "My office has received multiple reports of sm  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, July 2 -- Gov. Kim Reynolds, R-Iowa, issued the following open letter on July 1, 2024: * * * Today, Gov. Kim Reynolds released the following open letter to the state of Iowa: The U.S. Department of Labor is on a crusade to root out what it calls "oppressive child labor" in Iowa, and it's prepared to "fully utilize its statutory and regulatory authority" by imposing maximum penalties on businesses. In a recent opinion piece, the Des Moines Register's editorial board was fully  more

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, July 2 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa issued the following news release: A Lyon County man who defrauded pork producers while working as the regional manager of an Iowa livestock dealer, "Lynch Livestock," was sentenced on June 24, 2024, to six months in federal prison. Robert Harry Bickerstaff, age 52, from Rock Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 1, 2023, guilty plea to one count of wire fraud. At plea and sentenci  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, July 3 -- The Iowa Utilities Commission issued the following news release: After 38 years as the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB), the state agency is welcoming a name change on July 1, 2024, and is now the Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC). In conjunction with the agency name change, Board members will now be known as Commissioners. Additional changes to legal, physical, digital, and agency branding will be phased in over the next few months. The IUC website -- now iuc.iowa.gov -- a  more

AMES, Iowa, July 3 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Ames National Laboratory issued the following news release: New findings about chitinases, enzymes found naturally in plants, could allow farmers to address fungal infections sooner and more efficiently. Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy Ames National Laboratory investigated chitinases from corn and rice to better understand their roles in indicating if a plant is under stress and combating fungal attacks. Their findings   more

OTTUMWA, Iowa, July 2 -- Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig issued the following news on July 1, 2024: * * * Wapello County farm family is focused on the future of agriculture * * * Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig presented the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award to the Doug and Janet Brinegar Family of Wapello County today. The presentation was made during an event at the Wapello County Expo Grounds. Brinegar Cattle Company is a diverse crop and livestock family farm located near   more

BEAUMONT, Texas, July 2 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas issued the following news release: A Beaumont man has been sentenced for federal violations related to a COVID-relief fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Acheon King Aleidron, formerly known as Cameron Alexander, 35, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Cro  more