IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Hundreds of workers in Iowa City will lose their jobs as a major employer shifts production out of state. The Gazette reports Procter & Gamble will move production of hair care and body washes out of Iowa City by late 2020. Those products will be made in a new plant in West Virginia. 500 Iowa City Procter & Gamble employees will lose their jobs.
POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A deputy and a wanted man collided head-on after a chase in Pottawattamie County Tuesday. KETV reports when a Pottawattamie County deputy spotted a speeding Porche, the deputy tried to initiate a traffic stop. The driver, 26-year-old Dylan Hoffman, took off. Speeds approached 130mph during the chase. The chase ended near Macedonia when Hoffman pulled a “U-turn” and the deputy pulled in front of the Porsche to stop it.
DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A mother could spend up to 10 years in prison for leaving her children home alone in filthy conditions. WHO-TV reports 27-year-old Destinee Miller entered a guilty plea Thursday in Polk County to one count of Neglect or Abandonment of a Dependent Person. Miller was arrested after her children, ages one, two and four, were found home alone and covered in filth. She left the children so she could take one of her seven dogs to a veterinarian.
DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two bills that would make it easier for Iowans to purchase and carry handguns are being considered at the Statehouse. KCCI-TV reports the Constitutional Carry bill would remove the requirement for a permit to carry for a law-abiding citizen. Opponents say the measures would escalate gun violence.
IOWA (IRN) – Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans to return and sell health insurance policies compliant with the Affordable Care Act in Iowa next year. The company announced plans to offer policies as long as there aren’t any significant changes to the 2010 law also known as Obamacare. The company said it believes the individual market can be functional again. Minnesota-based Medica is the only company selling ACA-compliant policies statewide this year.
VINTON, IA (IRN) – Several businesses in downtown Vinton sustained damage from a fire last night. KCRG-TV reports the fire started at a furniture store, and quickly spread to a pharmacy next door. Multiple fire departments were on the scene for several hours, hampered by falling snow and cold temperatures. Neighbors brought doughnuts and hot coffee for the firefighters.