MASON CITY, Iowa – March 8, 2024 –Repairs are underway on the existing Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 2 Office. The bridge was closed on Feb. 25, 2024, after it was discovered that two of the bridge piers shifted, making the bridge unsafe for traffic. During the repair process, portions of the bridge deck will be removed, leaving large gaps in the bridge surface. The bridge is not safe for pedestrian use and will be closed to all traffic during repairs.

The bridge will not reopen until it is safe for public use. The repairs are expected to be complete by late April. Construction continues on the new bridge adjacent to the existing bridge. Project completion is anticipated in 2026.

For more information go to the Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing website or Facebook page.

CRESTON, Iowa – March 8, 2024 – If you travel on eastbound Interstate 80 near Van Meter you should be aware of upcoming ramp closure that may slow down your trip. Crews need to close the eastbound I-80 ramp (exit 113) near Van Meter so new grading and pavement work can be completed. The exit ramp will be closed from 8 p.m. Monday, March 18 until July 1, weather permitting.

While the exit ramp is closed you will follow a marked detour route by traveling on eastbound I-80 to the next exit at Dallas County Road R-22 (exit 117), and then travel west on I-80 where you exit at Dallas County Road R-16 (exit 113) near Van Meter.

Help keep everyone on the road safer. Drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, you should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles, and wear seat belts.

AMES, Iowa – March 8, 2024 – The Iowa Department of Transportation is requesting your input on a proposed bridge replacement on U.S. 30 over the Boyer River, 0.8 miles east of Crawford County Road M-14. Work on the bridge includes removing and reconstructing the bridge deck, replacing steel beam guard rails, and replacing paved shoulders. During construction traffic will be detoured to North Clark Street, Crawford County Road E-59, and U.S. 59. Construction is expected to begin in 2025.

Comments about the proposed bridge replacement can be made at: https://bit.ly/iowadotcom5766 Comments are due by Friday, March 22, 2024.

For general information regarding the public meeting, Shane Tymkowicz P.E., Assistant District Engineer, Iowa DOT District 3 Office, 6409 Gordon Drive, Sioux City, Iowa 51106, phone 712-274-5834 or 712-276-2822, email Shane.Tymkowicz@iowadot.us

LINN COUNTY, Iowa [KCRG] — A husband and wife from eastern Iowa died Wednesday following a seed truck rollover in Linn County. The Linn County Sheriff’s Office says the accident happened around 8:42 a.m. on Highway 13 near Travis Road, southeast of Marion.

Authorities say when the driver of the grain truck, 74-year-old John Kilburg, lost control, the truck rolled over and ended up on its side in the southbound lanes of Highway 13. He and his passenger, 70-year-old Donelle Kilburg, were trapped in the cab and had to be extricated.

John Kilburg was pronounced dead at Mercy Hospital after the crash. Donelle Kilburg died Wednesday afternoon at University of Iowa Hospital. Both were from Spragueville, in Jackson County. The accident remains under investigation.

WAUKEE, Iowa (KCCI)— A central Iowa woman accused of killing her own child was convicted by a jury, Thursday, of 1st-Degree Murder and Child Endangerment Causing Death. 27-year-old Yemissi Keto, of Waukee, was arrested in September 2023 on charges of first-degree murder and child endangerment resulting in death. A 1-year-old baby was found unresponsive on Aug. 31, 2023, and pronounced dead at the scene.

Court documents say officers on the scene found several open bleach bottles and cleaning substances around the baby. Keto, the child’s mother, said she held him on the ground and poured bleach or another cleaning substance over the child’s face before suffocating him. Keto admitted she took these actions with intent to kill the baby, according to court documents.

A Sentencing date has not been announced.

Yemissi Keto

DELAWARE COUNTY, Iowa – A collision Thursday afternoon in eastern Iowa between a pickup and a semi tractor-trailer, resulted in one person deceased and another injured. The Iowa State Patrol reports the crash happened at around 3:25-p.m. in the area of 210th St. West of County Road x47, East of Earlville. Investigators say a 2007 Ford F-350 was traveling eastbound on 210th street when it crossed the center line and crashed head-on with a semi-truck.

The driver of the pickup, 59-year-old Terry Meyer, of Dyersville, died at the scene. The driver of the semi, 50-year-old Tom Bufford, of Earlville, was taken to University of Iowa Hospitals for treatment of his injuries. The crash remains under investigation.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston, Thursday afternoon, arrested 61-year-old Ronald Dale Brammer, of Creston. He was arrested at 434 Wyoming on a charge of Driving While License Suspended. Brammer was taken to Union County Jail and later posted a $300 cash or approved surety bond before being released.

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2024 – Salm Partners, LLC, a Denmark, Wis., establishment, is recalling approximately 35,430 pounds of Johnsonville turkey kielbasa sausage that may be contaminated with foreign materials, specifically pieces of rubber, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The turkey kielbasa sausages were produced between Oct. 30-31, 2023. The following products are subject to recall [view labels]:

• 12-oz. vacuum-packed packages containing a single piece of “Johnsonville POLISH KIELBASA TURKEY” sausage and best by dates “05/17/24” and “05/18/24” printed on the side of the packaging.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “P-32009” printed on the side of the packaging. These items were shipped to retail locations nationwide.

The problem was discovered after the firm received complaints from consumers reporting they found pieces of rubber in the ready-to-eat turkey kielbasa products.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions or injury due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury should contact a healthcare provider.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

(Radio Iowa) – Daylight Saving Time starts Sunday and as Iowans move their clocks forward an hour on Saturday night, Emily Holley, with the Iowa Chapter of the American Red Cross, suggests you do a quick safety check of your smoke alarms, too. “We’re recommending that everyone tests their smoke alarms and replace the batteries if needed,” Holley says. “A smoke alarm that is 10 years old or older definitely needs to be replaced. And we want to make sure that everyone has working smoke alarms on every level of the home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas.”

Last year, Red Cross volunteers helped more than 18-hundred people in Iowa who were affected by 584 home fires. Nationwide, home fires account for most of the 65-thousand disasters to which the Red Cross responds. Holley says every second counts when there’s a fire, so making sure those smoke alarms are working is key. “We also recommend folks take the time to practice a two-minute home fire escape. It’s critical that you have escape routes out of your home and a joint meeting place,” Holley says. “Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half, and on average, you only have about two minutes to get out of the home.”

She says you should have at least two ways to get out of every room, and select a spot at a safe distance away from your home, like a tree or mailbox, where everyone can meet. For more information, download the free Red Cross Emergency app by searching “American Red Cross” in app stores.

redcross.org/homefires

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has passed a plan to raise the minimum salary for teachers by nearly 50 percent within two years. The current minimum salary is 33-thousand-500 dollars a year. Republican Representative Henry Cisneros of Muscatine was the only “no” vote on the bill.

Republican Representative Bill Gustoff of Des Moines says the plan would bring about the largest single boost to teacher pay in state history.  “The bill achieves a significant goal set forth by Governor Reynolds to move Iowa’s minimum starting teacher salary to $50,000,” Gustoff said, “and I thank her for setting a bold target that will vault Iowa to the top of the list to attract teachers in terms of pay.” The plan includes money to help districts not only raise the pay of current teachers who aren’t being paid 50-thousand dollars a year, but to pay a 15-dollar-an-hour wage to other school staff, like paraeducators.

Representative Sue Cahill, a Democrat from Marshalltown who’s a retired teacher, says there’s bipartisan agreement this is the right move. “It provides recognition of educators and those who work in our educational settings,” Cahill said, “and it shows the value we have for them.” The bill passed on a 93-to-one vote. House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says that margin sends a message to the governor and state senators who’ve tied a teacher pay decision to bills that overhaul Area Education Agencies.

“The House of Representatives is united in support of paying our teachers, paying our educators, paying our paraprofessionals in a way that is non-politicized,” Konfrst said, “…and is good for Iowa kids.” Gustoff calls it a “kumbaya”  moment. “This is a good bill that checks a lot of boxes and reflects the input of many stakeholders and many policymakers,” Gustoff says. “It brings the parties together and showcases that the legislative process does work.”

The Senate Education Committee’s A-E-A plan would raise minimum teacher pay, but to a lower level around 46-thouand dollars a year. In January, Reynolds also proposed a minimum salary of 62-thousand dollars for teachers with at least 12 years of experience. That’s not included in the House-passed plan or the one Senators have drafted.