A federal judge is halting a Trump administration effort that would allow Nebraska and four other states to tighten restrictions on what food stamp recipients can buy. The initiative granted waiver requests to nearly two dozen states to ban the purchase of sugary drinks and candy when using government assistance. The judge ruled that the Department of Agriculture lacked the authority to approve state waivers for the pilot projects in the Cornhusker State, Colorado, Iowa, Tennessee and West Virginia.
The USDA's Farm Service Agency has extended the application deadline for its Emergency Conservation Program in several Nebraska counties. They were hit hard by wildfires that erupted in Nebraska back in March. Producers now have until August 25th to apply for help restoring farm and ranch. Those in qualified counties can contact their local FSA office for more information.
Emergency room wait times at some Iowa hospitals are higher than the national average. Insurance comparison website Compare the Market reviewed 106 hospitals across Iowa and compared ER wait times to the national average of two hours and 42 minutes. Iowa hospitals in urban areas tended to have wait times above the national average, while rural hospitals generally had lower than average wait times. MercyOne Medical Center in Des Moines had the longest ER wait time statewide at three hours, 48 minutes.
Trial dates are set for two teens accused in a mass shooting that injured five in Iowa City. The trial for 17-year-old Damarian Jones is scheduled for August 18. Jones is accused of firing into a crowd on the Pedestrian Mall in April before fleeing the state. Iowa City Police say he was arrested in Georgia almost a month after the shooting and was extradited back to Iowa. Jones pleaded not guilty to five counts of attempted murder and other charges related to the shooting on Friday. Another suspect, 17-year-old Ka'Mari Dozier, is also facing attempted murder charges for allegedly giving Jones the gun. Dozier's trial is set to begin the same day.
Iowa is joining a lawsuit challenging California's Plastics Act. The Iowa Attorney General's Office says Iowa is joining 16 other states arguing California's Plastics Act has reaches beyond California's borders. The act says sellers can only access California's markets if their production, packaging design, and waste disposal procedures comply with the state's environmental mandate regarding the use of plastics. Iowa is joining 16 other states in suing to stop enforcement of California's Plastics Act.