Local government

The first Black female mayor elected in the state of Iowa has died. Former Clinton Mayor LaMetta Wynn died in Lincoln, Nebraska last week at the age of 87.

Thousands of protestors took to the streets of Iowa City in the wake of George Floyd's murder. In the year since, the city has taken some concrete steps to address racial injustice, but it hasn't come without conflict.

After George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, Sioux City created a committee to guide the all-white city council on inclusion and equity. Underrepresented groups have a seat at the table in city government. The committee has been largely well-received, but some say there’s still work to do.

Latino organizations across the Iowa are working on creating a statewide alliance. According to the Office of Latino Affairs, it will create a different, united effort for the first time.

A majority of the Iowa City City Council made clear Tuesday they are opposed to the possibility of abolishing the police. The discussion came during a meeting focused on recommendations for how the city could restructure its police department.

An Iowa City councilmember is calling for a conversation around abolishing the police, saying that modern policing is premised on state violence and that reforms to the system are insufficient.

Johnson County Supervisor Janelle Rettig is resigning her position. Rettig made the announcement over the weekend, citing personal health concerns that stem from Lyme Disease. Rettig also stated she wanted to step down as the coronavirus crisis was “concluding."

Iowa City’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission resumed its operations Thursday night, after a temporary suspension put in place by city officials was lifted. At the same time, local Black Lives Matter activists held an organizing meeting for their own Peoples Truth & Reckoning Commission.

Following three hours of debate and public comment, the Iowa City Council voted to temporarily suspend the city’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission Tuesday night, following a string of resignations and complaints of persistent dysfunction during the group’s meetings.

Mass clinics in counties including Cerro Gordo and Woodbury vaccinate hundreds to at least a thousand people each time. At the end of the day, they work to get any leftover doses into the arms of people who weren't initially at the clinic, so that no dose goes to waste.