He valued. Working with clients and helping them to reenter the community was one of his goals. Family members confirmed lawrence was a correctional officer working with people on probation. He had worked out of waterloo but some time ago transferred to cedar rapids. One long time friend of his father remembered lawrenen. I knew him just grorong up and trying to get a job. He was a good kid and just needed a break in life the handgun lawrence dropped would have looked like this larger calibre derringer model on display at a waterloo gun show. Modern handguns have safety features including a metal bar, that would work to prevenena discharge when a weapon is dropped. It would be the worst Case Scenario to have it hit on the back of the hammer hard enough to shove it forward a sheriris office commandee says lawrence had a permit to carry a the black county county medical examiner ruled the death an accident. Live i iwaterloo, dave franznzn kcrg tv9 news. The centers for Disease Control ranks Unintentional Injury as the fourth leading cause of death in the us. It estimates more than 130thousand people die each year from unintentional injuries. In 2013, 505 people died because of firearms discharging accidentally. Thats the most recent year that data are available. The Iowa Supreme Court today upheld a decision to dismiss part of a former dci agents lawsuit claiming he was filed for reporting the governors car speeding. The department of criminal investigation placed Larry Hedlund on administrative leave in 2013. It happened two days after he reported an suv carrying Iowa GovernorTerry Branstad and Lieutenant Governor speeding on highway 20. This is dashcam video from that day. Part of hedlunds lawsuit says he was improperly fired for doing his job. A District Court dismissed that part of the lawsuit, saying it was filed after the 30day appeal limit. Today, the Iowa Supreme Court upheld that decision. However, the court decided he can continue with other parts of his lawsuit. A waterloo man serving 100 years for drug and gun charges will likely have his sentence reduced after a decision by the Iowa Supreme Court. The waterloo cedarfalls courier reports the court today struck down firearms charges thatt added prison time for donald reed. Waterloo police searched his home on 1320 randolph street in waterloo in april 2012, finding 27 grams of crack in a bedroom and a gun in another room. The court decided there wasnt enough evidence to link reed as the guns owner, so they struck down the gun charge. Howevev, the court upheld his original drug charge, District Court for resentencing. Lets turn now to meteorologist Justin Gehrts whos live in downtown cedar rapids. Justin, were heading into a very nice weekend . A fantastic weekend is ahead of us, especially saturday skies clear out tonight as lows fall to the upppp 20s. Tomorrows looking sunny and mild with a gentle southwest breeze, boosting our highs well into the 50s. More clouds arrive on sunday, but itll still be mild with highs staying in the 50s. Monday looks to be a continuation of the quiet weather with partial sunshine ananhighs in the lower 50s. After that, our weather turns a bit complicated as a storm system passes through the central us. At this point, it brings a chance of rain snow on tuesday, but how high the odds are, and how much, remains this point. It will be turning cooler throughout t xt week, though. Tonight m mtly clear low 2531 winds sw 510 alo 27 dbq 26 iow 30 bruce and beth. Top High School Students can now attend the university of iowa before they finish high school. This week the state regents approved the martin and Melva Bucksbaum early entrance academy for science, technology, arts, engineering and math. The new academy will accept students after theyve completed at least their sophomore yearsrsn high school. The university of iowa hopes to admit 12 to 20 students this fall from across the state and country. Students at the university of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University can now earn dual degrees in physics and engineering in five years. It allows students to spend three years at uni studying physics and their final two years at isu studying engineering. The president s of both schools signed on to the program at the regents meeting this week. A group of iowa High School Students are republican president ial candidate donald trump as an apparent racial insult. It happened monday during a playoff game between dallas centergrimes in west des moines, and perry, a school north h des moineses Dallas Centers activities director says roughly a dozen students chanted trumps name after losing to perry. Dallas center is a largely white school, while perry is more racially diversese new jersey governor and former republican president ial candidate Chris Christie announced today hes endorsing donald trump for the gop nomination. Christie made the announcement at a News Conference in texas, saying he believes trump will protect the american people. The endorsement comes after last nights gop debate, where candidate marco bio attacked trump on a number of fronts. Mmhigan governor rick k yder has authorized 30 Million Dollars in aid to help People Living in flint pay their water bills. State regulators failed to require flint to treat river water with anticorrosion chemicals after the city 2014. That allowed lead in the citys aging pipes to get into the water, making it undrinkable. Snyder says s int residents shouldnt have to pay for water they cant drink. The plan will pay up to 65 percent of the water portion of their utility bills. But that assistance still doesnt solve flints Drinking Water crisis. Earlier this month, we told you that the dubuque organization, resources unite, was collecting bottled water for people in flint. The organization hoped to collect 24 thousand bottles of water. But kcrg tv nines Dubuque Bureau chief Katie Wiedemann reports that number has climbed to nearly 300thousand bottles. This has been the scene since resources unite first out out the call for donations a few weeks ago. Volunteers have been working, around the clock, loloing case after case on to these trucks. Truck load after truck load is filling up storage so far volunteers have loaded up hundreds of pallets of bottled water and water jugs. Organizers say they put the call out for donations via social media and word of mouth. They say the message spread across iowa, illinois, wionsin and minnesota. Resources united director josh jasper says mostt people really just want a way to feel like they are doing something to help. At the end of the day and at the end of peoples lives, all that matters is they got involved and made a difference. Thats what matters. Several businesses donated Storage Space and the trucks to help with the cause. Drivers will leave dubuque with all this water a week from today, on march 4 by then, jasper is expecting to take 9 full semi loads. In dubuque Katie Wiedemann kcrg tv 9 news. Iowa city says its received substantial pushback after it passed a number of rules that make it difficult for Rideshare Services, like uber, to operate in the city. Now the city says its ready to reconsider those rules. Saturday skies clear out tonight as lows fall to the upper 20s. Tomorrows looking sunny and mild with a gentle southwest breeze, boosting our highs well into the 50s. More clouds arrive on sunday, but itll still be mild with highs staying in the 50s. Monday looks to be a continuauaon of the quiet weather with partial sunshine and highs in the lower 50s. After that, our weather turns a biicomplicated as a storm system passes through the central us. At this point, it brings a chance of rain snow on tuesday, but how high the odds are, and how much, remains uncertain at cooler throughout next week, though. Tonight mostly clear low 2531 winds sw 510 alo 27 dbq 26 iow 30 tomorrow sunny and mild high 5561 winds sw 515 alo 56 dbq 55 iow 59 tomorrow night mostly clear low 4147 winds sw 1020 alo 42 dbq 41 iow 45 sunday mostly cloudy, still mild high 56 low 44 monday partly cloudy high 52 low 34 tuesday chance of rara snow high 39 lowow33 wednesesy mostly cloudy hiih 35 w 29 thursday partly cloudy high 35 low 22 friday partly cloudy heres another sign that spring is getting closer. Cedar rapids will be opening a new, updated farmzoo at bever park in april. The gazette reports the old macdonalds farm will be more interactive than its been in years past. Local farmers are providing young animals such as lambs, piglets, and calves that will live at the farm. Children and families will be able to pet and feed some of those animals. Equipment manufacturer john deere said today its laying off about 100 people from two iowa plants. Roughly 20 employees at the dubuque facility will lose theirobs. The other 80 employees are from davenport. Tonight, on the kcrgtv nine news at six, we look at how layoffs like these impact dubuques economy and workforce. Other providers have been bashing the states transition to a privately managed Medicaid Program. But he believes the state is ready to make the move come april first, regardless. Stay with your 24 hour news source, kcrgtv9. Iowa city is dealing with a bit leadershipip Iowa GovernorTerry Branstad today said hes confident iowa will be ready to hand over its Medicaid Program to three private companies on april first. Federal regulators approved the change the start from march first to april first. Branstad told Iowa Public Television today he thinks hospitals and providers have tried to scare their patients about his medicaid privatization plan. He said he believes people will see it working once the transition happens. Branstad originally wanted the privately managed care for iowas 560thousand medicaid patients to begin on january first. But the centers for medicare and Medicaid Services delayed the transition twice, saying iowa wasnnready. Iowa city city manager tom markus has about a month left before he leaves for the same job in lawrence, kansas. Ththcity council is expected to appoint Current Assistant city manager geoff fruin as interim city manager at its meeting on tuesday. Fruin handles many dayto d operations for the city andndlso played a kekerole in helping the city navigate through the monthlong landfill fire in 2012. Markus 21. He has been with the city since 2 20. There may be e me changes coming to the biggest cemetery in iowa city. Officials want to open this columbarium to hold more ashes. The columbarium has been in place since 2010 and offers space for mothers and babies who died during child birth. But its still empty. The city council will now decide if the space should be open to anyone. Theyd relocate a statue of a Mother Holding her baby on top of the columbarium if the council acts. The city council in iowa city is also planning to reconsider city regulations for taxi cabs and Ride Share Services. Right now, the rules make it almost impossible for uber and other Ride Share Services to operate. But now, the council is considering making it easier for uber to come to the city. Statawith your 24 Hour Services could get another shot at starting up in iowa city. Thats because iowa city is planning to reconsider an ordinance regulating Cab Companies and ride services. One year ago, iowa city passed an ordinance requiring metered taxicab drivers to post cityissued picture identification cards. It also required taxiCab Companies to have a unique color scheme for their vehicles. Those rules make it almost impossible for Companies Like uber to operate in the city. Thats because uber drivers us their personal vehicles to pick up passengers who request them through an app. After iowa city passed these regulations, uber said it would not open its Rideshare Service in the city. Kcrgtv9s Iowa City Bureau chief mark carlson joins us now live. Mark, why is the city reconsidering . Well, because of the sheer amount of feedback theyve gotten since that ordinance was passed. Officials say they take more inquires about why the about anything else. This new plan would require uber to register as a company with the city, but then would let uber, or other ride sharing services, do their own background checks and their own Vehicle Safety checks. Officials have been in contact with uber about this potential change for some time. They have indicated that they would like to operate in iowa city, theyve indicated they dont plan to operate in iowa city under our current regulatory framework, those regulations have been in place for nearly a year, so we dont expect to see them operate here under our current regulations. The council could vote on making changes to the`ordinance as early as tuesday. Traditional Cab Companies are not thrilled about this. Tonight at six well have their reaction to these potential changes. In iowa city, mark carlson, kcrg tv nine news. Well be right back. 100 people, all of t tm in eastern iowa. And the popular italian restaurant, crust, in dubuque, is closing its doors family are remembering 45yearold Martin Lawrence who died when his gun accidentally discharged overnight. He was a department of corrections probation officer who lived in elk run heights,s,ast of evansdale. The prereident of the waterloo naacp said she remembers lawrences commitment to Community Action and helping others. A dubuque organization has collected nearly 300 thousand bottles of water to send to flint, michigan. Flints water is undrinkable because of lead contamination. The organization, resources unite, originally set out to collect 24thousand bottles of water. Lets go back to justin now for a final look at tonights forecast. A fanstic weekend is aheaof us, especially saturday skies clear out tonight as lows fall to the upper 20s. Tomorrows looking sunny and mild with a boosting our highs well into the 50s. More clouds arrive on sunday, but itll still be mild with highs staying in the 50s. Monday looks to be a continuation of the quieteather with partial sunshine and that, our weather turns a bit complicacad as a ststrm system passes tonight, right here, the the president ial race turning personal. The new attacks leveled tonight. Rubio going after trum and Chris Christie tonight, now saying its time for president trump. Breaking news, the motive in the deadly rampage. The video now discovered, and the home c cching re. And the countdown is on. The oscars. Is this matt damons year for