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09/28/2009
IOWA NEWS
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) Shops in Cedar Rapid's Czech Village that were washed away in last year's floods have rebuilt, but owners say the historic district is far from being back in business. .
Business owners say people still don't know they have reopened. They fear what wasn't destroyed by the flood will be washed away by the lack of business.
To keep that from happening, the business owners have banded together to organize a fall festival for next month. The Czech Fest and Grand Reopening is scheduled for Oct. 24.
Some businesses have reduced their hours, and others have borrowed money to pay their employees.
While they praise the decision by the National Czech Slovak Museum Library to rebuild in the village, they say it won't attract visitors until it reopens in 2012.
Information from: The Gazette, http://www.gazetteonline.com/
ESCAPED IOWA INMATE
Authorities apprehend escaped Iowa inmate
FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) Authorities say an escaped inmate from a minimum security facility has been apprehended.
Officers from agencies including the Lee County Sheriff's Department caught Kurt Martin Rohwedder around 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
According to a statement from the Iowa Department of Corrections, Rohwedder was located on railroad tracks a few miles north of Fort Madison.
Authorities say he escaped from a minimum security facility located near the maximum security Iowa State Penitentiary.
The 44-year-old was discovered missing during an inmate count around 1:30 p.m.
He's serving a 20 year sentence for crimes, including forgery. He has been in custody since 2004. IOWA MENTAL INSTITUTIONS
Iowa panel looks to close mental institution
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) One of Iowa's four regional mental health institutions likely will face closure under a review plan now taking place.
The Legislature ordered the review and a recommendation for the closure of one of the institutions in Cherokee, Clarinda, Independence and Mount Pleasant. Officials say the move reflects long-term drops in populations at the institutions and changing views of how to treat people with mental illness.
The facilities were established between 1861 and 1902.
Populations in the centers peaked during the 1940s, when they were home to about 6,000 people. By 2009, the institutions had a total average daily population of 231.
A task force is meeting in all the communities before making recommendations to the Legislature and Human Resources Department. IOWA FATAL HIT-RUN
Police: 1 dead, 2 injured in Iowa hit-and-run
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Police say one teenager is dead and two others are injured following a hit-and-run accident in Des Moines.
Des Moines police spokeswoman Lori Lavorato says the vehicle struck the three pedestrians late Friday evening.
Killed in the accident was 13-year-old Devin Donald Fry. Police say the student at Hiatt Middle School died Sunday morning at Methodist Hospital after surgery.
A 17-year-old female is hospitalized at Mercy Medical Center, but Lavorato says she is expected to survive. The other teenage, a 15-year-old male, suffered minor injuries and was not hospitalized.
Police have few details about the driver or the make of the vehicle. FATAL ACCIDENT -MONTICELLO
Police ID man killed in rollover near Monticello
MONTICELLO, Iowa (AP) Authorities have identified the 41-year-old man who died in a rollover accident near Monticello.
The Jones County Sheriff's Department says the name of the deceased is Timmy James Crawford. He died after an accident which happened before 3 p.m. Friday near Monticello.
Authorities have released few other details on the accident but say they are continuing their investigation.
Information from: The Gazette, http://www.gazetteonline.com/ HANDWRITTEN BIBLE-IOWA
Handwritten Bible exhibit to open in Iowa
GREENFIELD, Iowa (AP) A touring exhibit of a handwritten St. John's Bible is expected to open at an Iowa church next month.
The Bible was made by a calligrapher and a team of artists using techniques from the Middle Ages. For example, they used hand-cut ink quills.
The Bible began its international exhibition tour in April 2005. The project was commissioned by St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minn., one of the world's largest Benedictine monasteries.
The stop in Iowa will start Saturday at the United Methodist Church of Greenfield. The exhibit includes a video about the project. (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
© 2002 Associated Press.
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