(Radio Iowa) – Davenport police are investigating a fatal crash involving a bicycle. Police say a motorized bicycle was headed the wrong way on a one-way street in a residential neighborhood just north of Davenport’s downtown after 10 o’clock on Monday night. Investigators say the cyclist, a 46-year-old man, hit an oncoming car head-on.

He was taken to Genesis East Medical Center where he died of his injuries. Police say the victim was from Davenport but haven’t released his name.

(Radio Iowa) – As you look for some last-minute gifts for Christmas, the Iowa Lottery is running its annual “appropriate gifting” campaign. Lottery spokesperson, Mary Neubauer, explains: “That campaign is just our gentle reminder to folks that we have always considered lottery tickets for the adult marketplace or the grownups on your list,” Neubauer says. Someone who is under 21 can’t purchase a lottery ticket and they can’t cash it in if they win. “So we just encourage people if they are giving lottery tickets as gifts to reserve those for folks who are 21 and older,” she says.

Neubauer says there a lot of gifts that have restrictions on them and their goal is to give a simple reminder to everyone that lottery tickets fall into that category.”Because this is not the year that we need to be coming out with a really harsh message for folks. I think we’ve all had more than enough things to worry about this year, and we wanted to be really gentle in our approach this time — but still get that message across,” Neubauer says.

Neubauer says the appropriate gifting campaign goes along with their message of playing responsibly and not overextending yourself when buying Iowa Lottery tickets.

Plans by the Audubon School Board to award bids for the Building Project were “Shot down,” according to Superintendent Eric Trager, by significantly higher than anticipated quotes. Bid day for the renovation project was last Friday (Dec. 18^th). Trager said they’re trying to figure out now, how to get the project back to what they originally estimated it to be.

Trager said the bid market right now is all over the board. The reasons vary, he says, but there’s no doubt the year of COVID has something to do with it.

He said they’re trying to work with the low bidders to figure out where they can maintain efficiency without compromising quality. Work on the restroom asbestos abatement project was postponed until they Board knows where they stand on the other projects. Bids for the project came in last Wednesday.

In other business, the Audubon School Board approved two new hires. Brittany Williams was hired as Junior High Girls Basketball Coach, and an Associate. In addition to the long discussion with regard to bids, the Board talked about their Return To Learn Plan for the Second Semester.

WEST BRANCH, Iowa (AP) — An investigation continues into a wrong-way accident that killed three people on an Iowa interstate highway. The Des Moines Register reports that the accident happened about 4:30 a.m. Monday on Interstate 80 near the town of West Branch in Cedar County. The Iowa State Patrol says 20-year-old Eric Nunez of Plano, Illinois, was driving a 2015 Nissan Altima eastbound in the westbound lanes when the car struck a Dodge Grand Caravan driven by 70-year-old Robert Larson of West Liberty.

Nunez, Robert Larson and Teresa Larson, 68, also of West Liberty, all died in the crash.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Democrat Rita Hart is asking the U.S. House to investigate and overturn the race that Iowa says she lost by six votes, arguing that 22 ballots were wrongly excluded and others weren’t examined during the recount. The campaign provided the notice of contest to The Associated Press and announced its filing Tuesday morning. In the document, Hart argues that she would have netted 15 votes and defeated Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks had the 22 ballots been counted in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District.

Hart is asking the Democratic-led House to count those votes and conduct a uniform recount throughout the district’s 24 counties. She says she is confident she will be ahead after that process and declared the winner.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa. (AP) — A jury trial is scheduled for February for a man accused of killing his step-sister in Iowa nearly 22 years ago. The Council Bluffs Nonpareil reports that an attorney for Matt W. Kennedy entered a not guilty plea on his behalf on Friday. Court records show the trial will begin Feb. 2. Kennedy remains jailed on $1 million bond. Kimberly Ratliff’s body was found inside her car on Jan. 12, 1999, in Council Bluffs. Police say Ratliff’s throat had been slashed.

Kennedy, who is now 52, was arrested in October. An arrest affidavit says advancements in DNA technology enabled police to link him to the killing.

The Griswold School Board met Monday evening. Superintendent Dave Henrichs said the Board accepted the resignation of Chase Wallace as Middle School Boys Track Coach, and approved the hiring of Matt Spunaugle to fill the position. The Board also received an update on the status of COVID-19 in the District. Henrichs said they discussed the current positivity rate in Cass County, which, as of Monday was 14.9%.

Henrichs said the Board over the past few months been discussing having their remote learners return to school, unless they have a medical exemption.

In other business, Business Manager Dan Rold presented information with regard to the closing of the FY 2020 Financial Books. The report showed the District’s Spending Authority increased from $1.1-million to $1.4-million, and the Solvency Ratio went from 12.48% to 20.87%. Henrichs said for schools their size, the range should be between 15 and 20-percent, so they feel good about that. They also had what Henrichs described as an “Outstanding” Audit Report.

The Griswold School Board approved the District’s Developed Special Education Plan. Henrichs said also, there will be Special Joint Board meeting with Lenox on January 6^th, to look at continuing the shared Superintendent’s position. And a Work Session will be held 4:30-p.m. January 6^th, for the purpose of a facilities assessment.