BUCHANNAN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a motor vehicle accident south of Hazleton this morning. The driver of a loaded semi lost control on the icy roadway and broke through a guardrail on a bridge, going over the side and coming to rest in the water below. The driver was assisted out of his vehicle and sustained only minor injuries.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The end of 2022 was met with disappointment for the Iowa State Patrol. Once again, more than 300 people died on Iowa roads over the course of the year. State leaders had hoped to keep fatalities under 300 last year, but 338 people died.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids police said one person was taken to the hospital Monday night after a “weapons incident.” No other information has been released.

IOWA (IRN) – Among the new laws going into effect in 2023 in Iowa is a change in the state’s “bottle bill.” Iowa grocery and convenience stores no longer have to accept customers’ empty cans or bottles. The new law also raises the handling fee for redemption centers to three cents per container. Previously, they were one cent.

CEDAR RAPIDS and IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Both Cedar Rapids and Iowa City earned perfect scores for the Human Rights Campaign’s annual rating of U.S. cities for their inclusion of LGBTQ people. The cities are within a group of 120 cities nationwide to earn a perfect score of 100 on the Municipal Equality Index. The rating is calculated using factors such as non-discrimination laws, leadership on LGBTQ+ equality, law enforcement, municipal services and municipality as an employer.