DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE

Appeals court temporarily halts Dakota Access line shutdown

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal appeals court has temporarily halted a judge’s order that the Dakota Access Pipeline be shut down in three weeks. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Tuesday issued an “administrative stay” of the judge’s order. But The Bismarck Tribune reports that the appeals court said its order “should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits” of the case. The stay will remain in place until the appeals court rules on whether developer Energy Transfer can keep oil flowing while the court decides its appeal of the shutdown order.

ABSENTEE VOTING-LAWSUIT

Latino groups sue to stop Iowa absentee ballot procedure law

Two Latino advocacy groups sued the state of Iowa Tuesday over a law that prohibits county election officials from using information readily available in the voter registration database to fill in any information missing from a voter’s absentee ballot request. The law approved by Republican lawmakers in the final hours of the legislative session last month requires county election officials to contact the voter directly by phone, email or mail to confirm any missing information. Supporters say it’s a voter fraud protection measure. The League of United Latin American Citizens and Majority Forward say in their lawsuit that it’s unconstitutional.

MISSING GIRL-IOWA

Person of interest identified in Iowa girl’s disappearance

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Investigators have identified a jailed sex offender as a “person of interest” in the disappearance of a 10-year-old Davenport girl who vanished last week. Henry Dinkins has not been charged in the disappearance of 10-year-old Breasia Terrell but Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski says he may have information about her whereabouts and merits further investigation. Dinkins is being jailed on a charge of violating sex offender registration requirements. Sikorski said that anyone who has information regarding Dinkins’ whereabouts between July 9 at 10 p.m. to noon on July 10 should contact police immediately.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ILLINOIS

Chicago officials expand quarantine order for visitors

CHICAGO (AP) — People traveling from Iowa and Oklahoma to Chicago will have to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival or face possible fines starting Friday. Chicago first issued a quarantine order early this month for 15 other states based on increasing numbers of confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The city updated the order Tuesday, bringing the total number of affected states to 17. States are included based on the rate of new confirmed cases per 100,000 residents. Illinois health officials announced 707 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease and 25 deaths.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-TEST IOWA

Iowa auditor questions legality of Test Iowa reporting chain

Iowa Auditor Rob Sand says the Test Iowa program brought to the state under a $28 million no-bid contract by Gov. Kim Reynolds on recommendation from actor Ashton Kutcher is violating state law in the way it handles test results data. Sand says Test Iowa results first go to two Utah companies contracted to provide testing then to the state’s chief information officer and then to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Sand says this indirect route violates a law requiring laboratories to immediately report infectious diseases to the public health department. Pubic health spokeswoman Amy McCoy says the reporting process follows Iowa law.

BURNING HOME RESCUE

80-year-old woman rescued from burning home in Iowa

MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say two police officers have rescued a woman from a burning Iowa home. The Muscatine Fire Department said in a news release that Police Cpl. Matt Fowler and Officer Mark Schollmeyer were on patrol Tuesday morning when they noticed heavy smoke and found a home engulfed in flames. The two officers tried to enter the home through the front door but were turned back by the heat and flames. They then went to the back of the home and saw an 80-year-old woman lying on the floor. The release said they then broke open the back door, pulled the woman to safety.