Iowa
Northeast Iowa Community College president sues trustees in alleged DEI disagreement
The president of Northeast Iowa Community College, currently on administrative leave while the college proceeds with termination, has filed suit against the college’s Board of Trustees, alleging violations of open meeting laws.
Herbert Riedel says in the suit that the board violated the state’s open meeting laws when it implemented proceedings that, while discussed in closed session, were never voted on in an open setting. He filed the suit in December in Winneshiek County and it was served Jan. 22.
Northeast Iowa Community College put Riedel on administrative leave in early October and has initiated termination proceedings, NICC spokesperson Tara Cooley said in an email. During that process, Riedel has the right to a private hearing where a judge will determine whether the cause for his termination was justified.
More: Iowa Board of Regents tells UI, ISU, UNI to eliminate DEI positions not required by law
Riedel said in a statement posted on social media that he will contest the college’s action against him.
“The Board is wasting a lot of taxpayer money by its politically motivated and ego-driven refusal to allow me to return to my job and provide solid leadership to advance NICC’s mission for the benefit of our students,” Riedel said in his statement.
The institution declined to comment and remains committed to its mission and students, Cooley said in the email. There is no timeline for the search for a new president, and David Dahms, NICC vice president for finance and administration, is serving as acting president.
“NICC intends to vigorously defend itself against the Petition recently filed by Dr. Herbert Riedel, and will not comment further on pending litigation,” Cooley said in her email.
President claims plan for him included ‘re-education’ on diversity, equity and inclusion
The closed meeting in question occurred in June 2023 and pertained to Riedel’s performance as college president. Riedel believes, according to the suit, that the board also discussed his contract, salary and a “performance action plan.”
Once the board convened in open session, it voted to take action on Riedel’s contract and pay but not the plan, which was still implemented, according to the suit.
According to the suit, Riedel is asking the court to void the action plan. He is seeking damages from the board members involved in the violation.
Riedel said in his statement that the action plan was politically motivated, as evidenced by an early draft which would have had him undergo a “re-education” on diversity, equity and inclusion, which he called a “highly ideological and controversial movement favored by some at the College.”
The college did not respond to questions about the details of the performance action plan or activities relating to diversity, equity and inclusion.
“When I arrived at the College, the DEI Committee had plans to institute training on gender pronouns and to survey students on private sexuality, gender, and race issues,” Riedel said in the statement. “I directed the Committee to follow Iowa’s laws, refrain from controversy, include an openness to viewpoint diversity, and foster a workplace and learning environment that is respectful of employees and students, while promoting diversity and inclusiveness.”
Find this story at Iowa Capital Dispatch, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions:kobradovich@iowacapitaldispatch.com.
SERGEANT BLUFF, Iowa (KTIV) – Gelita USA held an open house Friday, July 10, to celebrate the completion of a new wastewater treatment facility at its plant near Sergeant Bluff, marking the end of years of regulatory violations tied to its discharge into the Missouri River.
Gelita manufactures gelatin and collagen, ingredients used in food, medicine, and supplements. That manufacturing process produces large amounts of contaminated wastewater containing proteins, fats, and ammonia, a substance categorized as a toxic pollutant.
According to an Iowa Department of Natural Resources sampling inspection from March 2025, the plant was processing nearly double its design capacity. Before the upgrade, the Iowa State lab documented black water in the Missouri River near the facility’s discharge site. The Iowa DNR found Gelita had exceeded ammonia limits multiple times.
The report said that at the outfall to the Missouri River, Iowa DNR Tom Ross observed that the effluent had a black coloration. Roos requested additional testing at this location.
“Following the inspection, the discharge location on the Missouri River was visited. During the visit, the effluent at the river appeared to be a dark color, much different then the effluent observed at the treatment facility. It was explained during the visit, the color of the discharge to the river was a violation of 567-61.3(2) ‘c’, lowa Administrative Code, which states that all surface waters shall be free from materials attributable to wastewater discharges or agricultural practices producing objectionable color, odor, or other aesthetically objectionable conditions.”
Jeff Tolsma, General Manager of Gelita USA, said the upgrade was the result of an extended dialogue with regulators and upgraded technology.
The new facility includes ultraviolet disinfection, a feature the old plant did not have. The UV light treatment damages the DNA of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms before discharge, improving the company’s compliance with Iowa DNR standards.
Company, regulators call it a turning point
“We met with the EPA and the Iowa DNR probably 18 months, two years ago. It’s been a long dialogue with them, but they were great partners, great to work with,” Tolsma said. “And this wastewater treatment plant allows us to basically meet those new regulations that have been put in place. I think what is significant is that this actually brings us forward from a compliance standpoint for a long-term sustainable operation.”
The Iowa DNR said it will continue monitoring the facility to ensure ongoing compliance.
Gelita USA has operated in the Siouxland area for approximately 30 years and employs around 200 people.
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Copyright 2026 KTIV. All rights reserved.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Andrew McKeever is hard to miss at an Iowa practice. The St. Mary’s transfer and center stands 7 feet, 3 inches tall and averaged 8.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game last season.
‘Nothing like I’ve seen in practice’
Teammates have taken notice of McKeever’s size. Forward Trey Thompson said the center’s hands alone drew a reaction.
“Yeah, he’s big. That’s for sure. I saw him looking at his phone and it looked like a tiny, little iPod in his hand. I was like, ‘Geez, man,’” Thompson said.
Forward Joey Matteoni said McKeever’s presence in the paint stands apart from what he has seen in recent seasons.
“He controls the paint for sure and nothing like I’ve seen in practice the last couple of years. No offense to Cam (Manyawu), but I mean 7′3” is just different,” Matteoni said.
McKeever on why Iowa made sense
McKeever said the decision to transfer to Iowa was straightforward.
“It was a pretty obvious choice for me,” McKeever said. “Their team was so good last year, making an Elite 8 run. I was maybe a key piece that they needed with a little bit more size, even though their bigs were good, but they just didn’t have the height as some of the other teams did in the Big Ten. So I figured I could help in that way.”
From baseball to basketball
McKeever was not always a basketball player. He stood around 6 feet, 2 inches early in high school before a significant growth spurt changed his trajectory.
“I was like 6′2” during COVID and then I grew to 6′10″ when I was out of COVID. I was playing baseball at the time, and I was like, yeah, I got to go to basketball. I locked in during my sophomore season,” McKeever said.
His high school coach pushed him to make the switch permanent.
“My high school coach who I had been with growing up said, ‘You need to stop playing baseball and just focus on basketball.’ That’s kind of when it flipped the switch for me,” McKeever said.
Adjusting to his own size
Even after committing to basketball, McKeever said adapting to his own frame took time.
“Maybe a little uncoordinated and slow for my size. But I kind of worked on it a lot when I was at St. Mary’s and I got better at it,” McKeever said.
McKeever now joins Iowa’s program under head coach Ben McCollum.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
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