Good morning from Iowa Capital Dispatch.
“It’s going to take all of us to keep our democracy strong.” — Erika Cook, former West Des Moines educator and former state chief academic officer, at a weekend Iowans for Decency rally at the State Capitol.
Calvin Community, a 188-unit continuing-care facility on Des Moines’ Hickman Road. (Photo via Google Earth)
A federal lawsuit has been filed seeking to force the owners of Des Moines’ Calvin Community nursing home and assisted living center to sell the nonprofit facility to a group of New York investors.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, seeks to compel the sale of the 188-unit continuing-care facility on Des Moines’ Hickman Road to Everview Group, which is a trio of New York-based investors who allege they have spent almost a year negotiating a purchase of the property.
New London Specialty Care in Henry County. (Photo via Google Earth)
Citing a missed deadline in the filing of court records, a judge has dismissed felony criminal charges against an Iowa nursing home worker accused of stealing residents’ painkillers.
Court records show that in December 2025, licensed practical nurse Ashley Bessine, 30, of Burlington was criminally charged with four felony counts of prohibited acts involving controlled substances, plus one count of tampering with records, and one count of dependent adult abuse.
Dozens of former West Des Moines teachers expressed their disappointment with U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson Saturday at the Iowa State Capitol during the launch of a new grassroots organization, Iowans for Decency.
The former medical director of an Ames health spa is facing sanctions from a second state licensing board.
An Iowa pharmacist who was alleged to be incorrectly reporting vaccinations and immunizations to the state for 15 years has been issued a warning by state regulators.
In the past two years, a dozen states have either approved new U.S. House maps or are moving toward doing so — a highly unusual mid-decade revamp prompted by President Donald Trump and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling late last month. And the situation isn’t settled yet — even as ballots are being printed and early voting is already underway in some places. Pending litigation could scramble the situation even further, Stateline reports.
The fiscal leaders of several states are demanding transparency and consumer fairness as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to refund billions in international tariffs following a recent Supreme Court loss, Stateline reports.
The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to preserve telehealth access to the abortion drug mifepristone until after the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled on the merits of the high-stakes federal lawsuit Louisiana v. Food and Drug Administration.
COMMENTARY
The U.S. Senate Democrats held their second debate and a GOP gubernatorial candidates debate is coming up May 19. Dave Price, Laura Belin and Kathie Obradovich also lift the curtain a bit about debate organization. The podcast is a production of Iowa Writers’ Collaborative.
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