Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A longtime store in downtown Cedar Rapids has closed after 125 years in business. Smulekoff’s Home Store closed its doors at the end of Friday, after shoppers made last-minute purchases and reminisced about the store’s history. The store had five floors of furniture, and included electronics and other home products. Its 72-year-old owner decided to shut down the store after he had no one to turn it over to.

HAMBURG, Iowa (AP) — Two communities in southwest Iowa are asking residents whether it’s OK to merge their school districts in response to dwindling student enrollment. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports a special election will be held Tuesday to decide whether to merge the school districts in Hamburg and Farragut, located in Fremont County.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say two people were hospitalized after two semitrailers collided in northwest Iowa. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office says the crash happened Friday afternoon at an intersection between Highway 60 and a county road. Both vehicles ended up in a ditch.

DYERSVILLE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a woman has died after her car was hit by a locomotive in northeast Iowa. The Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office tells KCRG-TV Mary Buillion of Coralville died Friday at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. The collision occurred early Wednesday near Dyersville.

A juvenile was arrested in Red Oak Saturday for intentionally “keying” a car owned by a rural Red Oak couple. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office arrested 16-year-old Justice Myers of Villisca after an investigation into a vehicle that had been damaged in the parking lot of Red Oak Lanes.  Myers was charged with Criminal Mischief 2nd Degree and was cited into juvenile court and released to his parents.  Damage to the Chevy HHR amounted to approximately $2,500.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say two people were hospitalized after two semitrailers collided in northwest Iowa. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office says the crash happened Friday afternoon at an intersection between Highway 60 and a county road. Both vehicles ended up in a ditch.

Authorities say diesel fuels and oils from both vehicles spilled onto the roadway, located near Le Mars. Environmental officials were expected to assess the scene. Additional information about the drivers has not been released. The crash remains under investigation.

w/ Chris Parks

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.7MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The Red Oak Police department responded to an two vehicle accident at 2nd Street and Valley Street at 5:12pm Friday, November 28th.  It was determined that a 1999 Dodge Durango driven by 24-year-old Valerie Garner of Red Oak was traveling West on Valley Street and a 2001 Volkswagon Jetta driven by 22-year-old Heather Graham of Red Oak was traveling North on 2nd Street.  Garner had the right of way and entered the intersection and was struck on the left side by the Graham vehicle in the middle of the intersection. Both vehicles traveled to the north side of the intersection with the Garner vehicle stopping on the sidewalk and the Graham vehicle striking a porch of a home at 111 E Valley Street.

Graham was transferred to the Montgomery County Hospital with possible injuries.  Garner and a passenger in the vehicle were uninjured but Graham was cited for failure to prove liability insurance. Graham was cited for failure to yield.  Both vehicles were towed from the scene.

Officers with the Red Oak Police Department arrested a Council Bluffs man on an active warrant on Friday (11/28) night at 11:38pm.  Officers spoke with 44-year-old John Bowen in front of the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center about an issue and discovered he had an active warrant through Douglas County, Nebraska.  He was then taken into custody and held on $5,000 bond and set for trial.

An escapee from the Clarinda Academy was quickly apprehended Friday night. Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers said in a Press Release that a white male who was originally from the Elk Horn, Iowa, area, escaped sometime between 7:30-and 8-p.m., Friday. Just before 9-p.m., Brothers announced the escapee had been apprehended and brought back to the facility.

Other than the suspect’s physical description, no other details about the incident were released. There have been numerous, previous escapes from the Clarinda Academy this year. The Clarinda Academy, is a privately run school that offers educational and residential treatment programs for boys and girls.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say icy roads have led to multiple car crashes on Interstate 29 in Sioux City. Sergeant Mike Manthorne with the Sioux City Police Department says the Friday morning crashes involved six vehicles traveling southbound and taking an exit ramp.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa City man has been accused of stabbing his wife repeatedly with a piece of broken glass. Forty-eight-year-old Scott Bender faces an attempted murder charge in connection to the Wednesday morning altercation. A family member allegedly stopped the attack. The woman survived, but authorities haven’t released additional information about her condition.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie has vetoed a politically charged bill that would have banned the use of certain pig cages in the state. On Friday, the potential 2016 presidential contender called the bill a “solution in search of a problem.” The contraptions are rarely used on New Jersey’s 300 pig farms. But they’re widespread in Iowa, a state that’s home to the nation’s first presidential nominating caucuses.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Council Bluffs is considering whether to begin regular city inspections of rental housing, but the idea has drawn fire from some landlords. The Daily Nonpareil says the current policy requires self-inspections by the property owners. Mayor Matt Walsh says Council Bluffs is the only city in Iowa with a population of 15,000 or more that doesn’t have professional inspectors.