Capitol Notebook: Reynolds orders flags in Iowa to half-staff to honor late Sen. Claire Celsi

DES MOINES — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff and remain there from sunrise to sunset Oct. 25 to honor late state Sen. Claire Celsi, who died at 59 earlier this month.

The flags will be flown at half-staff at the Iowa Capitol, all public buildings, grounds and facilities throughout the state on the same day a ceremony will be held to celebrate Celsi’s life.

Celsi, of West Des Moines, died Oct. 6 after several weeks in hospice care.

She entered hospice care Sept. 18, according to her family. Celsi missed a portion of the 2025 legislative session due to an undisclosed ailment but returned in the closing weeks after undergoing surgery in April.

“Claire was an impassioned voice for Central Iowa constituents and advocated on their behalf for several years in the State House,” Reynolds said in a statement. “Even while privately battling illness, Claire made it a point to return to her post during this year’s legislative session and stand for her beliefs. Our family is praying for Claire’s loved ones at this time.”

Celsi had represented Senate District 16, which covers parts of Clive, West Des Moines and Windsor Heights, since 2023. She had served as the ranking member on the Iowa Senate Government Oversight Committee since 2021 and as Senate Democratic assistant leader in 2024.

Iowa adds 8 mine land reclamation projects

Eight more land reclamation projects near former coal mines in southeast Iowa are underway, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said this week.

The eight projects represent more than $5 million in combined investment by the state and are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, Naig’s office said.

There were roughly 300 abandoned coal mine sites in Iowa, and restoring the land on those sites has been the duty of Iowa’s Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Project since 1983. The program is federally funded with fees paid by present-day coal mining companies.

About 122 projects have been completed over the life of the program, according to the state. Another 138 sites await reclamation.

Since the 2021 federal infrastructure bill went into effect, annual funding available to the program has tripled to $9 million.

Sites may include dangerous piles, embankments, high walls, pit ponds and bare acidic soils that need to be graded and neutralized for reclamation, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

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“Each abandoned mine land reclamation project reflects the state’s ongoing investment in conservation and is a visible sign of progress, producing cleaner water, healthier soil, and safer land for future generations,” Naig said in a press release.

Of the eight new sites, five are in Marion County, two in Van Buren County and one in Wapello County.

Iowa warns of fraudulent computer virus scams

A man from Chicago was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly conspired with others to commit theft against an older individual in Grimes, the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau said Thursday.

Ali Mohammed Martuza Syed was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit a non-forcible felony after he allegedly attempted to retrieve gold from a victim near Grimes. Syed was confronted by officers and was taken into custody after attempting to flee in his vehicle. He is being held at the Polk County Jail.

The charges against Syed follow an investigation that began in early October related to fraudulent computer virus scams, according to the Iowa Insurance Division Fraud Bureau.

“These scams specifically target older Iowans and we continue to work numerous investigations involving this computer virus scheme as well as a variety of other scam schemes,” Iowa Insurance Division Fraud Bureau Chief Matt Mortvedt said in a statement. “We are dedicated to working with all local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to protect Iowans’ hard earned money by disrupting these scammers’ operations to ensure it is not profitable to target Iowans.”

Iowans can view resources and learn more about this and other scams and how to protect themselves and others at iowafraudfighters.gov.

The Iowa Insurance Division’s Senior Financial Exploitation team is available to assist Iowans with questions or to help provide resources and can be reached at (515) 654-6464 or via email at sfe@iid.iowa.gov.

Iowans with information about insurance or securities fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at (515) 654-6556.