Transcripts For KCRG KCRG TV9 News At 5 20160224

People hed been shot in the leg. Police have not identified that victim for his own safety. The second victim is also a witness. That persons safety is of concern, and he has been interviewed by our investigators the chief says investigators have not come up with a reason for the shooting yet although officers are convinced it wasnt a random driveby type incident. Tonight on tv 9 news at 6 ill tell you about another shooting at this complex in a parking lot last fall. Cedar Rapids Police recorded six homicide cases last year with one remaining unsolved. Live in cedar rapids, Dave Franzman kcrg tv9 news. Remember, whenever you see news, call newsline nine at 3193659999. You can also and videos to newsroom at kcrg dot com. Lets turn now to our waverly city cam. You can see the flag blowing in the wind on this blustery day. Meteorologist joe winters joins us now. Joe, when will those winds start dying down . As a major winter storm moves east across the great lakes and ohio valley our weather remains gray, but quiet. Highs pressure moves in from the plains into the upper midwest later on thursday. This allows our winds to diminish later thursday and sets us up for a great start to the weekend. Sunshine is still in store for saturday as highs rebound well into the 50s. Have a super night tonight partly cloudy, windy low 2228 winds nw 1530tomorrow partly cloudy, windy high 3339 bruce and beth. The eastern iowa area avoided a large snow storm that hit other parts of the midwest. But it still experienced airline delays. Chicago airports canceled more than 900 flights earlier today before the storm hit. And that caused some delays and cancellations at the eastern iowa airport. Families and doctors gathered in des moines today to voice their concerns as iowa transitions to a privately managed medicaid program. Yesterday, federal officials gave iowa the go ahead to implement the transition on april first. Advocates for iowa medicaid gathered in the rotunda of the State Capitol earlier this afternoon along with former Iowa Governor chet culver. More than half a million iowans currently use medicaid. That includes more than 120thousand with disabilities. The group says iowans with disabilities stand to lose the most from the transition to privately weve invited both republicans and democrats; we believe this is not a partisan issue; it has been so far, it definitely should not be. However, if it continues to be, we are prepared to make this an issue in the november elections senators today took up a bill that would give lawmakers more power to monitor the privatized care system. Today iowa senator Chuck Grassley defended his decision to not hold hearings for anyone president obama will nominate to the supreme court. Grassley is the chair of the Senate Judiciary committee. He and other republicans on the committee sent a letter to Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell yesterday with the decision. Today, grassley told reporters the senate should wait until the next president takes office and selects a nominee to fill the seat that became vacant with the death of justice antonin scalia. He said he believes americans should have a voice in the process. This issue is not about a person. Because thats really what president might nominate somebody. Does it become an issue about who he nominates . Absolutely not. Its an issue about the process. Today, president obama said he believes the Judiciary Committee should consider his nominee. He said a refusal to consider the nominee could hurt the supreme courts credibility. He is planning to meet with grassley next week to discuss the situation. Some central city parents claim the School District is in serious debt, and theyre petitioning for a reaudit of the districts 2015 fiscal year. They say the district is breaking rules by withholding information. The district disagrees, saying its being transparent. Kcrg tv nines Forrest Saunders joins us herein the studio. Forrest, the parents are taking their concerns to the Central City School board tonight . Meeting to ask the school board for answers. Heres what theyre concerned about. Central city parent amber weber is frustrated. He r School District is currently looking to cut 550thousand from next fiscal years budget to avoid going into the red. Amber is on a committee weighing the legality and feasibility of more than 50 options. Things like staff cuts, combining classrooms, cutting programs. Amber is hesitant to pick. She says the district isnt releasing the Financial Information she needs. Were tax payers. Thats a concern. We have kids there. Its kind of hard to make cuts if we dont know what theyre doing with the money. Ambers group says one of their biggest issues are monthly finance reports. Amber claims the district is refusing to give them up, breaking iowa code. Amber says shes asked other area districts for the same info and quickly gotten it. The six area schools were able to provide me that information within, i think the quickest time was 27 minutes to an we checked with the superintendent to find out where those reports are. He told us the simple answer is, its a small district. It doesnt have the staffing to make those reports readily available. But, officials are working to get the info to parents as soon as possible. We dont necessarily have somebody that can drop everything and do a request like that as quickly as some other districts can do. When it comes to breaking iowa code, the superintenden t says they arent. The information we have on our website meets the state law. And were working on improving what we have and do what other districts are doing. Amber isnt satisfied. Thats why shell take a petition with 80 names to the School Board Wednesday calling for an audit of the districts budget. Another answer parents want, why the district is in this budget bind to begin with. The superintenden t told me there are a number of factors are to blame. Two big ones, limited funding from the state and open enrollment taking about 45 kids out of the small district. Of high school in dubuque have a chance to get back on track. The School Districts now working to personalize plans to help those students earn their diplomas. Winds remain brisk both tonight and tomorrow, still coming in at 15 to 30 mph from the northwest. We ought to see more sunshine tomorrow, though, along with cooler highs in the 30s. Were back around 40 on friday, with 50s ahead for the weekend. Saturday looks like the pick day with more sunshine before more clouds roll in on sunday. Well cool tonight partly cloudy, windy low 2228 winds nw 1530tomorrow partly cloudy, windy high 3339 winds nw 1530tomorrow night partly cloudy low 2127 winds nw 515friday partly sunny high 40 low 24 saturday mostly sunny, mild high 58 low 29 sunday mostly cloudy high 54 low 44 monday partly cloudy high 44 low 29 tuesday mostly cloudy high 40 low 28 thanks joe. Now heres tv nines mark carlson with a look at what youll see tonight on kcrg tv nine news at six. At first it was a vision, now its becoming a reality, leaders in Johnson County are considering putting in a jail diversion campus, with Mental Health, sobriety treatment and other services to divert people from the Johnson County jail, well have that story coming up tonight on the tv9 news at 6. Last year, iowa had more grain bin accidents than any other state in the country. But overall, grain bin deaths and injuries are and an eastern iowa group works to bring a purple heart memorial to all Veterans Park in cedar rapids. Stay with your 24 hour news source, kcrgtv9. A new study from purdue leads the nation in the number of grain bin entrapment incidents. Nationwide, there were 47 incidents of people getting hurt or trapped in grain bins last year. Seven of those cases, or 14 percent, happened in iowa. Behind the seven grain bin accidents in iowa, each had two. Nine other states, mostly in the midwest, had one incident each. Perdue University Says the 47 incidents nationwide last year is a 34 percent drop compared to 2014. Last year, the us had 71 confirmed cases of grain bin accidents. Johnson county has new renderings of its planned ambulance building. The county is planning to tear down the building that currently houses its ambulances on south dubuque street near downtown iowa city. Its planning to rebuild the facility with 7 Million Dollars starting next month. The new facility will include space for the medical examiner. The ambulances will be housed in other buildings while construction is underway. An eastern iowa group wants to recognize wounded and fallen veterans at a cedar rapids park. This is video of a purple heart monument in north carolina. The Eastern Iowa Purple Heart Monument Committee wants to install a similar one at all Veterans Park this summer. It would cost dollars, and the committees raised 30 percent of that amount so far. One group member says this would be a way to honor veterans who were wounded or who died in battle. When you stop and think about it, the people that have been wounded in action, or killed in action, or died as a result of fighting, they gave the most plans call for the monument to measure more than six feet high and six feet wide. Itll be made from granite from texas. On how to donate, just go to this story on kcrg dot com. The Dubuque Community School District says its seeing success with a program aimed at helping High School Dropouts drop back in. A former student will explain how the Program Changed his outlook. Thats next here on tv the duworking to help students whove recently dropped out get their High School Diploma or an equivalent. A few years ago, the district started a program it calls re engage dubuque. It works with Northeast Iowa Community College and project hope to help young people aged 16 to 21. The Us Department of education says 73 dubuque students, or one and a half per cent of the student body, dropped out during the 20132014 school year. Thats the most recent Data Available for grades seven through 12. The numbers slightly below the states average drop out rate of one point 84 percent for the same timeframe. Kcrg tv nines Katie Wiedemann reports the dubuque School District is working to help those drop outs get back on track. When Joseph Schwenker was a high school student, he found school to be anything but engaging. I would just get out of bed in the morning and just think, why i am going to this place that makes of the rigor thats not even pertaining to academia. He was an almost 4 point 0 student, but stopped going to class. And eventually dropped out. I knew i didnt want to go to high school anymore but i didnt know what else i wanted to do to escape from that. Thats when he connected with dubuques re engagement program. I think we try to listen to their story and decide whats best for their future. Students in the program take High School Equivalent Classes Online in order to earn their diploma or hsed. We want them in a comfortable place. And if bricks and mortars and being in a school type setting is what turned them away, we dont want to put them in that environment anymore. But the coaches say its the relationships they build with the students, that really helps them succeed. We dont come in directly on the education path, its like a hey where are you in your life . Whats going on . How can we help you . When theyre up. We are there for them. When they are down. Were there for them. A sophomore at the university of dubuque, where he has a close circle of friends. And is taking a full load of classes. I want to go into medical research, so i am a biology major right now. So far ive veen a 4. 0 student at u. D. So i am pretty proud of that. Just as he should be. In dubuque Katie Wiedemann kcrg tv9 news. The reengagement coaches are currently working with more than 100 dubuque students. Since the program started in 2012, theyve helped 95 students earn their High School Equivalency diplomas. Now heres a look at whats coming up at 5 30 on abcs world news. Coming up, breaking news. My excluse interview with apple ceo tim cook. For the first time, he talks about apples decision regarding the building a diversion campus that could help people with drug and Mental Health issues. Hear from university of northern iowas new Athletic Director david harris. Tonight at 6. Lets go back to joe now for a final look at tonights forecast. As a major winter storm moves east across the weather remains gray, but quiet. Highs pressure moves in from the plains into the upper midwest later on thursday. This allows our winds to diminish later thursday and sets us up for a great start to the weekend. Sunshine is still in store for saturday as highs rebound well into the 50s. Have a super night tonight partly cloudy, windy low 2228 winds nw 1530tomorrow partly cloudy, windy high 3339 winds nw 1530 breaking news tonight. Were on the scene of a deadly tornado outbreak. Several states, homes destroyed. A dangerous night ahead from South Carolina all the way up through new york. Also breaking tonight, the race for president , and donald trump, now marching to super tuesday. His landslide win in nevada. And the major republican now predicting a trump surprise. The abc news exclusive tonight. My oneonone interview with apples ceo, tim cook. For the first time, cook on why apple is refusing to help the fbi break into the iphone used new details tonight on the pilot in that deadly chopper crash. What he was trying to do. And the famous sports reporter, the dancing with the stars host, erin andrews, suing her stalker and a major hotel tonight. Did they put the stalker right next door . Her father tonight, breaking down. Good evening tonight from san francisco. And we are here for our exclusive interview with apple ceo tim cook. For the first time, answering questions why apple will not help the fbi break into the iphone used by the gunman in san bernardino. But first tonight, the horrific scene playing out across several states. Deadly tornadoes and dangerous weather ahead this evening. From the carolinas, all the way up to the northeast, stretching across 1,000 miles already. An ef3 ripping through this apartment complex in pensacola, florida. In north carolina, sending School Children into the hallways. And in virginia, at least three