AMES, IA (IRN) – Iowa’s average farmland value declined for the third year in a row, down 5.9 percent to $7,183 an acre over the past year. It’s the first time since the 1980s farm crisis that land values have fallen three straight years, according to an Iowa State University report released Tuesday. Average Iowa farmland values are now 17.5 percent lower than the historic high set in 2013 at $8,716 an acre.

KEOKUK, IA (IRN) – A Keokuk man saved two after a fire erupted in a downtown building Monday night. WGEM-TV reports the building next to Ben Mill’s residence on Main Street in Keokuk caught fire and he acted quickly to rescue men who had been trapped on an awning. Mills grabbed his ladder and helped assist his neighbors to safety. Mills had previously fought fires in the Air Force.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Two cats are recovering after being found in an ice-covered pet carrier in the trash outside a Davenport church. The Quad-City Times reports the cats were brought to a rescue organization on Tuesday. The temperature was approximately 9 degrees when the cats were found. They were put up for adoption after they warmed up.

HIAWATHA, IA (IRN) – A Hiawatha man has been charged with the murder of his mother and arson. KWWL-TV reports on December 2nd, Joseph Hubbard broke into a church where he stripped naked and poured gasoline inside. He then punched a man in the face before running away. When apprehended, he told police he had killed his 56-year-old mother by shoving a rotten apple down her throat. The apple was found during the autopsy.

OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – An Ottumwa woman accused of murdering a toddler wants to avoid a Wapello County jury, according to KTVO-TV. Lawyers for Kashenna Tucker have filed a motion to waive her right to a jury trial, leaving her fate in the hands of a judge. She was the guardian of three-year-old Wysdom Evans when the death occurred in 2014.

CLIVE, IA (IRN) – The Clive Fire Department is issuing bullet-proof vests to firefighters, according to WHO-TV. The action is a result of firefighters determining they needed the protection when responding to September’s double homicide outside the 7 Flags Event Center. Fire Chief Rick Roe says it’s a new era in the profession, it’s “a sad reality that we live in.”

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Davenport police are urging residents not to leave their cars running with the keys in the ignition during cold weather. WQAD-TV reports it takes approximately 12 seconds for a thief to get into a car that’s running, put it into drive, and speed away. 382 cars have been stolen in the city so this year. Police say don’t leave your gun in the car either. So far, 32 guns have been stolen from vehicles this year.