(Iowa City, Iowa) [Updated 5:54-p.m.]  – A crash Saturday night in eastern Iowa’s Johnson County, claimed the life of a 22-year-old woman. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2008 Saturn Vue driven by 17-year-old Keasean Ford, and a 2012 GMC Acadia driven by 17-year-old Elijah Seals, both of Iowa City, were traveling westbound on Court Street in Iowa City, when they failed to stop at the intersection with S. 7th Avenue. A 2017 Chevy Malibu was struck in the intersection. The car was driven by Jennifer Russell, of Waterloo. Russell, who was wearing her seat belt, died at the University of Iowa Hospitals (UIHC) in Iowa City.

Both drivers, and a passenger in one of the vehicles, 17-year-old Michel Mbokolo, of Iowa City, were injured and transported by Johnson County Ambulance to the UIHC. The crash happened at around 10:54-p.m., Saturday. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Iowa City Police and Fire Departments, and Johnson County Ambulance.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston said Sunday, no injuries were reported Saturday, following an accident at an uncontrolled intersection. Authorities say a 2019 Mazda CX5 driven by 73-year-old Diane Lynn Lydon-Poore, of Creston, was traveling north on Maple Street at around 10:19-a.m. When she failed to yield to a 2007 Chevy Equinox that was traveling west on Page Street, and driven by 33-year-old Cornelio Rodriguez, of Lenox.

The Mazda struck the Chevy in the intersection, causing a total of $7,000 damage. Rodriguez was cited for having no valid driver’s license. No other citations were issued.

(Iowa DNR News) – The calls have been coming in to Iowa DNR field offices and conservation officers for the past few weeks and deer fawning season. Officials say those called are expected to increase, as the first few weeks of June marks the peak of the deer fawning season. Callers report finding an “abandoned” fawn in an unusual place, like a flowerbed or small patch of cover. Rest assured this is normal deer behavior. Jim Coffey, forest wildlife research biologist with the Iowa DNR, says “The doe searches out an isolated location where she feels safe and on occasion those places are not what we may think of as ideal. She chose that location because it made sense to her. The worst thing someone can do is to ‘rescue’ the fawn. Mom is likely nearby and watching you. Leave it be or if you did handle the fawn, return it to where you found it and walk away.”

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will not be rehabbing or co-mingling fawns with other deer to avoid the potential of spreading chronic wasting disease – or other disease – to new areas. The spindly legged newborn fawn is designed with a few survival tools built in –its spots are cryptic camouflage that emulates the sunlight spots on the leaf litter on the forest floor and its lack of movement the first two weeks helps to reduce scent patterns. This combination is its best chance at survival until it is able to follow the doe. After the fawns are born, the doe will return to fairly normal behavior – sleeping, feeding – but returning to nurse and care for the fawn.

The fawning season also coincides with an increase in deer vehicle collisions. “There is a lot of movement this time of year that is part of the social structure of deer. The doe is on the move looking for the safe isolated place to have the fawns.  In addition last year’s fawns – teenagers now – are starting to venture out to find new space. These yearlings have to make their own decisions for the first time, encounter other adult deer and build new social structures,” Coffey said. “This movement behavior can occur during all times of the day. Once it settles out, the active time will return to dawn and dusk.”

Drivers are reminded to drive defensively, avoid distractions, and slow down and not to veer for deer. If they hit a deer, drivers can get a salvage tag by calling either the local conservation officer or local law enforcement. There is no fee for a salvage tag it does require that the entire deer is taken.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak, Saturday, arrested a man wanted on a Montgomery County warrant for Failure To Appear on an original charge of Theft in the 5th Degree. 22-year-old Sebastian Kage Meek, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 6:24-p.m. in the 100 block of W. Coolbaugh Street, and transported to the Montgomery County Jail. His cash-only bond was set at  $1,000.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors hosted a new area business, FMJunk-It on Thursday, May 25th, 2023, during a ribbon-cutting at the Atlantic Area Chamber office.

FMJunk-It is a junk removal service based out of the Carson area. The business was started in March of 2023 by brothers, Drake and Cale Roller. The two are able to remove unwanted items from both residential and commercial spaces and specialize in furniture and appliances removal, apartment cleanouts, garage cleanouts, basement cleanouts, and the removal of any other various trash. FMJunk-It also offers a minor demolition service for items such as small sheds, cabinets, and playground sets.

Both Atlantic natives, Drake and Cale are very familiar with the community and can travel to Council Bluffs, Glenwood, Underwood, Atlantic, Avoca, Red Oak, Harlan, or any other area within an hour of Carson. FMJunk-It is a veteran-owned business, as Drake served as a field artillery section chief in the United States Marine Corps. The name “FMJunk-It” is inspired by the phrase “Full Metal Jacket”, a type of ammunition commonly used in the military. The brothers also want to emphasize that their main goal is to help different people out in many ways. One aspect is donating half of their profit to any veteran charity for every veteran clientele.

FMJunk-It offers a free estimate for all item removal and pricing is based upon the load size or other various landfill fees. To book their services, visit their website, https://www.fmjunk-it.com/ and fill out the free estimate form under their pricing tab or call Drake at 712-249-9978.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) -An official with the Union Pacific Railroad has provided KJAN News with an update concerning a train derailment in Council Bluffs. According to Mike Jaixen, Senior Manager – U.P. Corporate Communications – said that ” At approximately 5:30 p.m. Saturday [afternoon], about a dozen empty rail cars derailed in our Council Bluffs, Iowa yard. There were no injuries or contents released. Union Pacific crews are currently working to resolve the issue. One crossing, at 14th Avenue, remains blocked; we hope to clear this crossing by early this [Sunday] afternoon.”

Police officers in Council Bluffs were on routine patrol when they discovered the derailed railcars in the area north of 14th Ave. and S. 15th St. The intersections of S. 12th St. and 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 14th, and 16th Avenues, as well as S. 16th St. and 23rd Ave., were all blocked due to the derailed train covering those intersections.

Union Pacific official had not requested assistance from the police department as of the latest report, and no police resources were deployed to the incident.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources report that at around 1-p.m. today (May 27, 2023), a boat operated by 31-year-old Jeffrey Mattison, of Cedar Rapids, collided with a bridge piling on the Cedar River, upstream from Ellis Park in Cedar Rapids, located in Linn County, Iowa.

Mattison was non-responsive and immediately transported to the University of Iowa hospital by helicopter. The cause of the collision is unknown at this time.

The Department of Natural Resources is currently investigating the incident. The Linn County Sheriff, Linn County Conservation Board, and the Cedar Rapids Fire Department assisted with the response.

(Iowa DNR News) – Thousands of Iowans will be camping and building campfires this Memorial Day weekend and throughout the summer. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages campers to buy firewood from where they will burn it instead of bringing it from home. Tivon Feeley, DNR forest health forester says “Moving unseasoned firewood around the state can threaten the health of our forests by spreading insects like emerald ash borer that live in firewood.”

The emerald ash borer (EAB) is a small, metallic-green, invasive wood-boring beetle native to east Asia that attacks and kills ash trees. It attacks trees of any size, age, or stage of health. The spread of EAB into uninfected areas has been primarily through people moving firewood from county to county or state to state. Feelet said “These pests don’t move far on their own, but they can travel hundreds of miles in a single day in contaminated firewood.” Plenty of firewood is available locally to your favorite state or county park. Ask a park ranger or campground host where to get firewood locally. Make sure to burn all firewood at the campsite and not leave it or transport to a new area.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship requires all firewood sold or acquired in Iowa to have the county and state of harvest location on the label of packages and the delivery ticket for bulk firewood. Learn more about emerald ash borer and why not to move firewood on the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/eab.

(Radio Iowa) –  For the fourth time in her record-setting career, Iowa-born astronaut Peggy Whitson is now onboard the International Space Station, this time as the first female commander of a private space mission. During a question-and-answer session with Texas elementary schoolers, Whitson urged the students to challenge themselves to do things they don’t know how to do, saying, “if you fail at something, you learn something from it and you’ll be better the next time.”

The 63-year-old from Beaconsfield talked with the kids about the wide array of scientific experiments they’re conducting, as well as changes she’s noticing about the orbiting station, and how easy it is to adapt to microgravity.

Prior to this mission, Whitson held the record for spending a total of 665 days in space, more than any other U.S. astronaut, and she’s adding to the total on this 12-day trip. She and her three crewmates are scheduled to return home next week.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a bill into law that will let teenagers work longer hours in Iowa and be paid to work in some jobs that are off limits to minors today.  “Honestly, it helps fill a need and it allows kids to earn a little bit of extra money,” Reynolds says, “maybe start saving for college or to buy that first vehicle.” Reynolds made her comments during a recent appearance on Iowa Press on Iowa P-B-S.

The law, which takes effect July 1st, will let 14 and 15 year olds work later at night. Sixteen and 17 year olds will be able to serve alcohol in a restaurant, if their parent gives permission. Teenagers are still barred from logging, mining and other dangerous work, like on the slaughter line in a meatpacking plant. But if they’re supervised by an adult at an approved work site, teens will be able to do light assembly work, use power tools and work in industrial laundries and meat freezers.

“Really common sense, practical things are included in that bill,” Reynolds says. Critics say Reynolds and Republican lawmakers are trying to solve the state’s workforce shortage with child labor and they say some parts of the law will conflict with federal regulations. House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says letting 14 and 15 year olds work six hours a day — until 9 p.m. during the school year — is the wrong move.  “We need to be protecting kids from those extra work hours because school should be a priority,” Konfrst says, “and there’s not a lot of protection in there for that.”

One element of the new law calls for a study of whether teenagers should be allowed to drive to and from work. Teenagers can get school permits now to drive to and from school and school activities. The bill originally called for letting minors with a driving permit commute to work as well. The governor backs that change. “They’re kids. They get distracted and so that’s why I think the study is probably a good idea,” Reynolds says. “…Cell phones have kind of brought a new element into that, so we just have to be really careful.”

The new law removes the requirement that businesses have to get a state permit to hire minors.