FORT MADISON, IA (IRN) – A man, his wife, and their two children were all injured after he fell asleep while driving and crashed into another car in rural Fort Madison Thursday. WQAD-TV reports the man fell asleep at the wheel of his Honda Pilot and drove into the median, went airborne, and hit a car on the opposite side of the highway. The impact ejected one of the children from the car, resulting in major injuries. Everyone was wearing seatbelts. No one in the oncoming car was injured.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A maintenance worker for a Waterloo apartment complex has died after he was beaten last week and left with a broken neck. KCRG-TV reports Johannes Rodenburgh, 72, died Tuesday. Martavis Wise, 27, faces second degree murder charges. Wise allegedly punched and kicked Rodenburgh repeatedly, knocking him down and a slamming a bicycle on top of him.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A chase through Des Moines yesterday may have put a wanted man behind bars. WHO-TV reports the chase started when a deputy spotted a vehicle with license plates stolen in Sioux City. The driver refused to stop, leading police on a pursuit that ended on the east side of Des Moines. The van was stolen in Florida.

IOWA (IRN) – Nitrogen pollution flowing out of Iowa to the Gulf of Mexico has grown by close to 50 percent over nearly two decades. The Des Moines Register reports a new University of Iowa study shows the voluntary Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy isn’t working. The pollutants reduce oxygen in the gulf, causing a “dead zone” that threatens the Gulf’s seafood industry. Farming is the source of most of the pollution, although urban wastewater and industrial operations contribute as well.

STORY COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Nearly one-third of rest stops along Iowa interstate highways could be closing. The Iowa Department of Transportation is asking for public input on the issue. Officials say the specific areas they want to close are not being used or are too close to other stops. The agency is also looking to get rid of all 16 parking-only areas, which are usually used by semitractor-trailer drivers.