(Johnson County, Iowa) – Four people were taken to the hospital after an RV rollover crash on I-80 in eastern Iowa, Friday morning. The Iowa State Patrol the crash happened at around 8-a.m. near Oxford, as an RV that was pulling a Jeep Gladiator was heading westbound on I-80 near the Black Hawk Avenue overpass.  The RV left the roadway and went into the ditch for unknown reasons.

The driver attempted to correct, but struck the bridge guard rail. The RV continued across I-80 and hit the median side bridge guard rail, rolled and went into the median just to the west of the on-ramp to Black Hawk Avenue NW. The crash blocked westbound traffic for several hours.

Those injured were identified as 71-year-old Clarence Douglas Brackens, 76-year-old Nora Ann Brackens, and 52-year-old Peggy Sue Brackens, all of Summerville, SC. The fourth crash victim was a 14-year-old juvenile whose name was not released.

Authorities say Clarence Brackens was transported by helicopter to the U-of-I Hospital in Iowa City. The others were transported to the same hospital by ambulance. The crash remains under investigation.

(Wright County, Iowa) – A car collided with a moving train Saturday evening in northern Iowa, resulting in two people being hurt. The Iowa State Patrol says a 2016 Toyota Prius driven by 26-year-old Haley Marie Hanus, of Webster City, was traveling east on 330th Street in Woolstock, when the car hit a train. The crash happened at around 6:40-p.m.

The driver, and her passenger, 26-year-old Dwarn Richard Glover, Jr., of Webster City, was both seriously injured, according to the Patrol, and transported by helicopter to MercyOne Hospital in Des Moines. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Wright County Sheriff’s Office, Woolstock, Eagle Grove and Webster City Fire & EMS.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak, Saturday (today) arrested a man wanted on two Union County warrants for Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd or subsequent offense (A serious misdemeanor), and Public Intoxication (also a simple misdemeanor). 35-year-old Kyler Ray Wiece was taken into custody at around 2:30-a.m. in the 2000 block of Highway 34. Wiece was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop in Villisca early this (Saturday) morning resulted in the arrest of a woman from Union County. According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, 45-year-old Crystal Marie Mack, of Creston, was arrested at around 12:20-a.m., for Possession of Methamphetamine/3rd or subsequent offense, a Class-D Felony.

Deputies transported Mack to the Montgomery County Jail, where she was being held on a $5,000 bond.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report two people were arrested on separate charges, Friday:

40-year-old Arturo Marin, of Afton, was arrested at the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center at around 6:10-p.m. Marin was taken into custody on a Union County Warrant for Failure to Appear on a charge of Driving while license Denied or Revoked. He was later released on a $1,000 cash surety bond.

And, at around 4:30-p.m., Friday, Creston Police arrested 30-year-old Micheal Steven Cox, of Lorimor, for Driving while barred, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Cox was being held in the Union County Jail on a $2,300 bond.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The 75th Cass County Fair continues this weekend, in Atlantic. The schedule for Saturday and Sunday includes:

8-a.m. Sheep Show

8-a.m. to 8-p.m. 4-H/FFA Exhibits open

10-a.m. Pet Show

10-a.m. To 8-p.m. Mechanical Bull

11-a.m. To 10-p.m. Inflatable Carnival

11-a.m. Meat Goat/Dairy Goat Show

Noon Lunch Special Ham Balls or Lamb

Noon until 10-p.m. Commercial Booth Barns Open

Noon until 4-p.m. Family Fun Day

Noon Communication Events

1-p.m. Exotic Animals & Youth Water Fights

2-p.m. To 5-p.m. Atlantic Elks Bingo

3-p.m. Clover Kids Animal Show & Exotic Animals

5-p.m. Exotic Animals

6-p.m. Tractor Pull

SUNDAY, July 28

7:30-a.m. Swine Show

8:30-a.m. Tractor Ride

10-a.m. Poultry Show (Next to the poultry barn)

11-a.m. To 10-p.m. Inflatable Carnival

10-a.m. to 8-p.m. 4-H/FFA Exhibits open

Noon Special: Windsor Chop

Noon to 3-p.m. Decorator’s Showcase

Noon to 10-p.m. Commercial Booth Barns Open

1-p.m. Exotic Animals & Pig Pals Show

2:30-p.m. Pedal Tractor Pull

3-p.m. Exotic Animals

4:30-p.m. County Fair Church Service

5-p.m. Exotic Animals & 75^th Fair Grounds Celebration Cake Social

6:30-p.m. Cow /Calf Feeder Calf Show

7-p.m. 75^th Fair Grounds Celebration & Community Photograph (Grandstand event)

A reminder: The Fair runs through July 30th, and concludes with the Livestock Auction at 8-a.m. Tuesday. The Cass County Fair is always FREE: No entry fee, no charge to park, and no charge to view the exhibits and entertainment. There’s also great Fair food at the 4-H and FFA Foodstands, along with the Chuckwagon, each of which have a variety of delicious hot, and refreshingly cold, food and drinks to choose from.

See the full schedule HERE.

(Radio Iowa) – A site in the basement of a Cedar Rapids school is serving breakfast and lunch to children and adults after Hy-Vee pulled out of their neighborhood. Wellington Heights Neighborhood Association president Eric Gutschmidt says he was proud of local leaders for putting the funding to work during an emergency.

The City of Cedar Rapids, Linn County and Teamsters Local 238 funded the site. Meghan Dittmar manages the school district’s only free meal site which city leaders hope will lessen the blow of the grocery store closing.

The meal site will run until August 16th, one week before school starts. City leaders are actively looking into how to replace the now-closed grocery store.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – On Thursday, July 25th, 2024, the Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors visited the Cass County Fair in Atlantic to learn more about this week’s schedule of events, what the fair has to offer, and the community’s support.

Liz Denney, Fair Food Stand Superintendent and Fair board member, shared about what her different roles are around the fair, which are a year-long commitment. For 27 years, Denney has had the privilege of working in the 4-H Food stand, and she enjoys every moment of it. With the help of two other assistant superintendents, Mike McDermott and Derek Sanny, she helps out by lining up volunteers to run the food stand and explaining the different required duties. Denney also shared about the different lunch specials that the 4-H Food Stand serves such as chicken & noodles on Friday, ham balls or lamb on Saturday, Windsor chops on Sunday, and a roast beef dinner on Monday.

Ambassadors from Left to Right: Kyle Lenderman, Alisha Wagner, Steve Tjepkes, Jennifer McEntaffer, Jim Kickland, Lana Westphalen, Jeremy Butler, Elaine Otte, Dolly Bergmann, Bailey Smith, Scott Bennett, Liz Denny, Krysta Hanson, Julie Waters, Jeff Christensen, Anne Quist, Chirs Parks, Tori Gibson, Bill Saluk, Kelsey Beschorner

Another important aspect that was shared was how important the community’s support to the food stand is, as it helps continue to keep the Cass County Fair free. The Cass County Fair is the only 100% free county fair in the state of Iowa, which is something that the Fair Board and others involved are proud of. The many contributions and generous support to keep the fair the best that it can be is deeply appreciated, as it also helps continue the great nightly entertainment and add improvements to the grounds. New to the fair this year, are two electronic screen TVs in the Food Stand featuring sponsor information, entertainment, show schedules, weather and more. Also new to the Food Stand this year, macaroni and cheese and brisket macaroni and cheese has been added to the menu.

For more information about the Cass County Fair, visit their Facebook page, Cass County Fair – Iowa or call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132. The Fairgrounds are located at 805 W 10th Street in Atlantic.

(Radio Iowa) – A northeast Iowa hospice center is piloting a new healthcare model for patients with dementia. Cedar Valley Hospice is one of about 400 care facilities nationwide unrolling a new program aimed at improving care for at-home dementia patients. Michaela Vandersee, the Waterloo center’s executive director, says the program’s focus will be a step toward better treatment for rural Iowans.

The program is a new approach to provide both healthcare and reimbursement resources for patients and their in-home caregivers. Vandersee says dementia is all-too common in the region, and support in rural areas has been sparse.

Vandersee estimates an additional 12-hundred patients will be eligible for assistance across the center’s 15-county area, as part of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid’s GUIDE program.

(Grant Leo Winterer, Iowa Public Radio)