(West Branch, Iowa) – A crash involving multiple vehicles in eastern Iowa’s Johnson County Sunday night, left at least three people with serious or life-threatening injuries. Preliminary information from the Iowa State Patrol indicates the crash began at around 9:25-p.m. on Interstate 80 near mile marker 252 (between Iowa City and West Branch), when one of the vehicles that was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes collided head-on with one vehicle before colliding with two other vehicles.

A fourth vehicle traveling westbound struck the wrong-way vehicle, while another westbound vehicle struck part of the first (wrong-way) vehicle.

The vehicles involved in the crash included a 2025 Nissan Altima, a 2011 Lexus ES 350, a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a 2024 Volvo semi, and a 2015 Honda CR-V. It’s not clear by the initial report, which vehicle was traveling in the wrong direction, and no names the conditions of those involved in the crash, have been released at this time.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird says her office will thoroughly investigate undercover videos that suggest University of Iowa staff are circumventing Iowa’s law barring Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programming on campus.

“Basically it is people who work at the university talking about how they are disregarding and getting around the law that the legislature passed that said they can’t do D.E.I.,” Bird said Saturday. “…Instead of changing and following the law, according to the video, it looks like they just renamed it.”

One of the undercover videos was featured on Fox News last week and Governor Reynolds filed a complaint with Bird’s office. The second video of a different University of Iowa staffer appeared on the Townhall website. Both university employees have been placed on leave.

Bird said her office plans to review internal university documents. “We’re going to let the facts go where they go and investigate all of it, pull that curtain back and get some sunlight on what is going on at the University of Iowa,” Bird said.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird speaks at a campaign fundraiser in Adel on August 2, 2025. (RI photo)

Bird cautions the probe will “take some time,” but when it’s done she says the results will be made public. “Here in Iowa, our taxpayer funded universities are supposed to be about education, not indoctrination,” Bird said. “It’s your tax dollars.”

Bird made her remarks this weekend to a crowd at a fundraiser for her 2026 campaign. Bird announced this summer that she would not run for governor and would seek a second term as attorney general. “I was born and raised on a farm…and I learned something on the farm. You don’t quit halfway through the job, do ya? You keep on going until you get the job done and we’ve done some good things in the attorney general’s office to help Iowa, but we are not done,” Bird said. “The work is not done and I’m not going to leave that unfinished to run for something else.”

Bird told the crowd her reelection campaign is in “high gear.”

“I believe 2026 is going to be a pivotal election and it’s nothing tht we can take for granted,” Bird said. “…Last time we kind of caught them napping in the attorney general’s office a little, but this time around they already have a candidate running against me for the last three months.”

Bird defeated Democrat Tom Miller in 2022 by a 1.7% margin. Nate Willems, an attorney from Mount Vernon, is the only Democrat to enter the race for attorney general.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz, the winner of the Iowa GOP’s 2016 Caucuses, and Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt were scheduled to speak at Bird’s fundraiser, but both remained in Washington, D.C. for senate votes on Saturday.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Organizers of Produce in the Park says they have another great lineup at the park in Atlantic, this week, including fire truck water fights, a foam party, face painting, and–scheduled in a hurry by popular demand–another sushi truck! The event is themed “Back to School, Back to COOL.” Please note: Chestnut Street will be closed between 6th and 7th Street during PiP for our Fire Truck Water Fights. The rest of Chestnut is open!

Atlantic Fire & Rescue will have water fights set-up at the Aug. 7th PiP

Produce in the Park takes place from 4:30-until 6:30-p.m., Thursday, August 7th, at the downtown Atlantic City Park. There is no cost to attend. Food Trucks this week include Liza’s Sushi & More, B&D’s Ice Cream, and Amos Fabulous Foods.

More than 25 vendors will have on-hand: Fresh Produce (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and more); Farm-Fresh Eggs; Local Meats (lamb, chicken, pork, beef); Baked Goods & Desserts; Freeze-Dried Snacks; Local Honey; Arts & Crafts; Garden Decorations, and Compost.

Visiting community organizations and businesses with tables or booths at the event include: Zion, Healthy Cass County, Atlantic Public Library, Civil Air Patrol, Cass Health, T.S. Bank, and more.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) offers more than 200 hunter education courses each year, and now is the time to enroll before hunting seasons arrive.

Hunter education is a mandatory program designed to introduce students to firearms safety and several other life-long skills that are important to the many different types of outdoor recreational activities.

A person who is 11 years old or older may enroll in a course, but those who are 11 and successfully complete the course will be issued a certificate which becomes valid on their 12th birthday.

Students may certify in several ways, such as the traditional classroom course or a hybrid online/field day course. Students 18 years of age and older may certify completely online with no field day requirement. For more information on course options, visit: https://www.iowadnr.gov/things-do/hunting-trapping/hunter-education-safety

“Our courses are taught by volunteer instructors who are also hunters, so very few classes take place after mid-November,” said Jamie Cook, program coordinator with the Iowa DNR. “Many new hunters, and parents of new hunters, tend to delay in finding a hunter education course until classes become unavailable. My advice is to check the website weekly.”

To find a course and begin the registration process visit https://license.gooutdoorsiowa.com/Event/EventsHome.aspx

Hunter education is required for anyone born after Jan. 1, 1972, in order to purchase a hunting license. Iowa recognizes hunter education certificates issued by another state and some foreign nations.

(Guthrie Center & Adair, Iowa) – The Guthrie Center and Adair-Casey School Boards will hold Special, separate meetings Monday (Aug. 4th) to act on approving a Part-Time Business Consulting Agreement with Patricia Townsend – School Business Official (SBO), CPA (Certified Public Accountant).

The A-C Board meeting takes place at 7:30-a.m. in the AC/GC Junior High Superintendent’s Office. The Guthrie Center Board meeting begins at 7-p.m. in the AC/GC High School Superintendent’s Office.

(Warren and Delaware Counties) – Three people, a teenager and two adults, died Saturday in two separate Iowa crashes. According to the Iowa State Patrol a teenage passenger in a Ford Focus died during a crash that occurred at around 3:40-p.m., Saturday, between Carlisle and Hartford. The accident happened when the car went out of control as it was on eastbound Highway 5 near 200th Avenue.

When the car left the road, the driver, 16-year-old Isabella Ashford, of Pleasantville, over-corrected, causing the vehicle to enter a ditch sideways. The car rolled over at least once, officials say, and came to rest on the driver’s side. A front seat passenger, 16-year-old Donald O’Neil McCormick, of Pleasantville, died at the scene. Isabelle Ashford was transported by Hartford Ambulance to Blank Children’s Hospital for treatment of her injuries. Both teens were wearing their seat belts.

Carlisle Police, Hartford Fire/Rescue and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene.

The second accident happened at around 6:15-p.m. southeast of Hopkinton, in Delaware County. The Iowa State Patrol says a 2006 Volkswagen Beetle driven by 44-year-old Bobbi Jo Bauers, of Delhi (IA), was southbound on Iowa Highway 38, when it crossed the center-line of the road and struck a northbound Chevy pickup truck head-on near 310th Avenue. The driver of the pickup was identified as 33-year-old Anthony Nile Mentzer, of Monticello. Both drivers – who were wearing their seat belts – died at the scene.

The Patrol was assisted by the Delaware and Jones County Sheriff’s Offices, along with Hopkinton Fire and EMS.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Fire Department was dispatched at around 12:20-p.m. today (Saturday), to a reported fire underneath a trailer home. The incident took place at 1205 E. 4th Street. All residents and household pets evacuated prior to the fire department’s arrival. When KJAN News Director Ric Hanson arrived on the scene moments later, no smoke or flames were visible.

Ric Hanson (photo)

It appears a neighbor used their garden hose to help prevent the spread of any flames. Additional information was not immediately available. Atlantic Police, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies were on the scene, in addition to Atlantic Fire.

MADISON COUNTY, Iowa [KCCI-TV]  — A former Madison County official will not face charges for entering a contract with a consulting firm. Teri Kaczinski was under investigation by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. The investigation was part of a case regarding a contract into which Kaczinski, in her role as Madison County auditor, entered with consulting firm RMG.

The investigation found “insufficient evidence to find that Ms. Kaczinski had the requisite intent to violate the Code of Iowa,” according to a news release.

No charges will be filed.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — A second University of Iowa employee is on paid administrative leave following an online video that appears to show the employee discussing recent diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) laws and ways faculty members can get around the laws. KCCI-TV reports a video posted to conservative news site Townhall appears to show a University of Iowa employee — identified in the story as Cory Lockwood, the senior associate director of the Iowa Memorial Union — talking about how the university has complied with recent DEI laws enacted by the state legislature.

The University of Iowa confirmed Lockwood was on paid administrative leave as of Thursday. Lockwood is at least the second University of Iowa employee to be placed on paid administrative leave after a video surfaced in which they discussed enforcement of Iowa’s DEI laws. Another employee, Drea Tinoco, was placed on paid administrative leave Tuesday.

The video of Tinoco also drew an official complaint from Gov. Kim Reynolds to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, which subsequently launched an investigation.