DUBUQUE, Iowa – One person died and three others were injured when three vehicles collided Tuesday afternoon in eastern Iowa’s Dubuque County. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the crash happened a little before 4:30-p.m.. on Highway 52 at Kemp Road in Dubuque.

Patrol investigators say a Honda SUV was northbound on Highway 52 at the same time a Toyota van was southbound. Both vehicles collided head-on. A northbound Subaru SUV then struck the Honda. Two of the drivers were taken to the hospital where one was pronounced dead. A passenger in one of the vehicles was also injured and transported to the hospital. The driver of the Subaru was injured, but did not require hospitalization.

The crash remains under investigation. The names of the victims was not immediately released.

(Radio Iowa) – University of Northern Iowa administrators are asking the state Board of Regents for the O.K. to demolish a 75-year-old dorm and to approve buying an apartment complex that’s adjacent to the Cedar Falls campus. U-N-I spokesman Pete Moris says over 40 percent of U-N-I students live on campus and there’s been a growing demand for campus housing, but students prefer apartments rather than a dorm like Campbell Hall.

“When you look at the…over $27 million of deferred maintenance that we would have to put into Campbell, just to keep it standing, it didn’t seem like a really fiscally responsible thing to do for the university,” Moris says, “so when this opportunity arose to purchase this apartment complex, it was really a win-win.” A 10-acre property called “The Quarters” sits near U-N-I’s basketball arena and has 11 apartment buildings that could house up to 480 students.

Moris says the apartment complex is fairly new and the 21 million dollar purchase price can be covered by the university’s revenue bonds.  “You’re talking about a facility that’s got its own clubhouse. It’s got its own pool, so it’s really kind of the best of both worlds,” Moris says. “You’re very close to your campus community, but it also feels like, ‘Hey, you’re on your own,’ and beginning your adult life and living in an apartment.”

Campbell Hall — the dorm targeted for demolition — doesn’t have a fire sprinkler system and hasn’t been occupied for three years. The Board of Regents is scheduled to consider the university’s housing plans at its January 15th meeting.

DES MOINES— Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has issued a proclamation to ease restrictions on transportation of heating and motor fuels.

The proclamation is effective immediately and continues through 11:59 p.m. on February 6, 2025. The proclamation suspends the regulatory provisions of Iowa Code pertaining to hours of service for crews and drivers delivering propane, diesel, natural gas, and other fuels used for residential, agricultural, and commercial heating purposes.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – Officials with the Adair/Guthrie County Emergency Management Agency, this (Tuesday) evening, released details about a fatal fire that occurred earlier in the day. EMA Coordinator Jeremy Cooper said in a press release, that at around 9:20-a.m., the Guthrie County Communications Center dispatched a simultaneous page for Menlo Fire and Stuart Fire and Rescue for a possible house fire in the 400 block of 3rd Street, in Menlo.

A Menlo firefighter and truck arrived on the scene several minutes later and confirmed there was smoke showing from the residence, and that there was an active fire. As the firefighter walked around the structure assessing the structure and situation, he was met by neighboring people who told him there may be someone inside the home. As he performed a walk around of the structure, the firefighter banged on the windows and side of the house to see if he could get the attention of anyone inside the home or hear any voices from inside the residence.

The Stuart Fire Dept. arrived on the scene at around 9:35-a.m. and found heavy smoke coming from the eaves of the home and flames bursting out the peak of the west gable wall above an attached garage. Stuart Fire initiated a quick interior attack with a search team, and within minutes, found the body of a 73-year-old woman at the end of a hallway, about 16-feet from an exit. Medical crews responded at around 9:45-a.m., and requested an air ambulance, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

EMA Coordinator Jeremy Cooper said it appears that the fire was burning for a while, prior to the 911 call, as a portion of the floor burned through, and furniture was falling into the basement. He said the fire appears to have started in the northwest corner of the home’s living room area, as that was where extensive fire damage was located. Cooper said “Menlo and Stuart Fire crews did an amazing job and quickly responded to the fire, unfortunately a life was lost today, and that always weighs heavy on our first responders.

“They not only battled the flames and cold,” he said, “but also their emotions as most people in small communities as Menlo know everyone and have a connection with each other.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation, as the State Fire Marshal’s Office was on the scene working the investigation (late Tuesday). The unidentified victim was transported to the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny, to determine the cause of her death.

Agencies on the scene included: Menlo Fire; Stuart Fire; Stuart Rescue; Dexter Fire; Casey Fire; the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office; Stuart Police, and the Adair & Guthrie County EMA.

(Massena, Iowa) – The Cass County Conservation Board (CCCB) will hold a Cabin Fever Escape program near Massena on January 18th, from 1-until 4-p.m. The program/open house will take place at the Outdoor Educational Classroom outside of Massena. It is FREE, and all ages welcome.

You’re invited to cure your cabin fever by spending some time outside with family friendly FUN! Bring your mugs, sleds, dress for the weather, snowshoes, and cross country skis will be available! If you get cold, warm and tasty drinks and a movie will be playing inside our lodge! There will be no snow activities planned as well!

The Outdoor Educational Classroom can be found by taking Highway 148 south of Massena. Turn Left on Tucson Road and follow it East for about two miles. Then, turn right into the parking lot. The CCCB hopes to see you there, on January 18th.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Two people were arrested on drug charges Monday, in Glenwood. According to the Glenwood Police Department, 31-year-old Cody Smith, and 38-year-old Courtney Vcelik, both of Glenwood, face charges that include: Gathering; Possession of a Controlled Substance; and Keeping a premises for controlled substance.

Smith was additionally charged with Possession of Marijuana. His total bond was set at $9,000. Vcelik was additionally charged with possession of a controlled substance 3rd offense and possession of drug paraphernalia. Her total bond was set at $12,300.

SPENCER, Iowa (KCAU) — A 15-year-old girl was arrested in Clay County after allegedly making threats against Okoboji High School.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said in a release that the FBI reached out to the sheriff’s office Monday about “some concerning messages” that were sent on Snapchat.The FBI said that Snapchat informed them that a 15-year-old juvenile who lives in Clay County made a threat to Okoboji High School in a Snapchat message to her friends.

The sheriff’s office investigated the incident and arrested the teen on charges of threat of terrorism, a class D felony. The teen was later released to her parents.

Authorities are still investigating the incident.

The FBI, Clay County Attorney’s Office, and Milford Police Department assisted the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

(Radio Iowa) – The latest Iowa Business Council survey finds “a significant increase in optimism” about the economy among some of the state’s largest employers. The council represents 21 Iowa-based companies that employ over 160,000 people, with a combined payroll of over $10 billion.

“While we do represent big business, keep in mind all of our companies have engagements from a contract basis or a client basis or other sort of strategic partnerships with small and medium sized firms all across the state,” said Iowa Business Council president Joe Murphy, “so it does really give us a great sense of where the state is heading from an economic standpoint.”

The survey indicates over the next six months that vast majority of Iowa Business Council members will either hire more employees or don’t expect to make changes in their workforce, “meaning a lack of layoffs, which is obviously good thing,” Murphy said.

“We’ve had some seasonality adjustments in the labor force and some softening in the labor market with respect to ag manufacturing, but our members are very positive about future employment opportunities in this state and are constantly looking for people to hire up and down the spectrum of occupations.”

Iowa Business Council president Joe Murphy (IBC photo)

The survey found almost 70% of Iowa Business Council members plan to make capital investments in infrastructure or technology over the next six months that are higher than what was spent on physical assets in the last half of 2024, “which is a really important metric,” Murphy said. “This is about investment in Iowa, investment in Iowa communities and firms across the state and that really gives us a good sense of optimism and a good sense of momentum heading into 2025.”

Over 60% of Iowa Business Council members expect sales increases in 2025. Surveys of Iowa Business Council executives during the first, second and third quarter of 2024 reflected a general sense of uncertainty about the economy, but Murphy said that evaporated during the survey conducted in December. “We’ve got some very clear indication now at the federal level of where policymakers are going to go. We have a very clear understanding of where policymakers in Iowa want to go,” Murphy said. “And I think also from a national market perspective or business perspective, we’ve got some certainty around federal rate making and the markets in general.”

The Federal Reserve, for instance, has signaled it will cut interest rates a half a point in 2025.

The following companies are Iowa Business Council members: Alliant Energy; Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company; Casey’s General Stores, Inc.; Collins Aerospace; Corteva Agriscience; Deere & Company; Fareway; HNI Corporation; Hy-Vee, Inc., Iowa Bankers Association; Kent Corporation; MercyOne; MidAmerican Energy Company; Pella Corporation; Principal; Ruan Transportation Management Systems; The Weitz Company; UnityPoint Health; Vermeer Corporation; Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa; and Workiva.

(Radio Iowa) – Most Iowans know if you eat right and exercise, it’s good for your health, but researchers at the University of Iowa want to take that common knowledge to the next level. Lucas Carr, a professor in the U-I’s Department of Health and Human Physiology, says they’re studying the feasibility of testing all patients’ physical activity levels during every clinical care visit.

“We found that it’s a really simple process, only a couple of questions that we ask, and it takes less than 30 seconds to do it,” Carr says. “Secondly, we wanted to demonstrate the value of this information. Patients who were active had a reduced risk of up to 19 different diseases, which are all diseases that we know are related to physical activity.” The U-I study links regular physical activity to a significantly reduced risk of multiple chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and diabetes.

“People should take their physical activity seriously, and hopefully healthcare organizations are taking the time to ask patients about their activity,” Carr says, “and if patients are in need of some help, that they’re helping facilitate connecting them to resources.” He says one’s physical activity level should be gauged during visits to the doctor’s office like all other vital signs.

“They’re always going to measure your heart rate, they’re always going to measure your blood pressure and your temperature,” Carr says. “Physical activity sometimes gets asked, but it’s not consistent across most hospital systems, and so that’s what we want to do, is make sure that it is consistently asked of every patient at every visit.” Most of us are used to being given a prescription as a remedy for whatever ails us, and Carr suggests if the patient isn’t being physically active, that they be written an “exercise prescription.”

“There are free resources available on the American College of Sports Medicine’s website,” Carr says. “Basically all it is is a single document that a provider can fill out that helps a patient identify a few basic exercise goals, including how many days per week would they want to exercise, for how many minutes and at what intensity.” Most of the country’s hospitals do not quiz patients about their physical activity, and Carr says no hospital system in the Midwest is doing so, either.

“People undersell the value of physical activity. We want to make sure that people fully grasp how important it is to maintain an active lifestyle,” Carr says. “Our bodies were designed to move, and if healthcare providers can be a part of that conversation, that’s always a good thing.”