DALLAS COUNTY (NOT FOR RACCOON VALLEY RADIO) – An overnight house fire in rural Dallas Center claimed the life of one individual Monday. Firefighters found 80-year-old Dennis Felt inside the home deceased. According to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, 14 fire departments, three emergency crews and four law enforcement entities responded to the structure fire on New Years Day. The State Fire Marshal’s Office believed the blaze to be accidental. AMES – The FBI has joined an investigation into a missing girl from Ames. KCCI-TV reports five year old Avery Doherty was taken by her non-custodial mother, Esther Bender. Ames Police say it’s been over two months since either have been seen. FORT DODGE – A man who died from a gunshot wound in Fort Dodge has been identified. WHO-13 says 45 year old Ryan R. Andrews was found suffering from gunshot wounds early Friday morning. He was transported to a nearby hospital and died from his injuries. Fort Dodge police are investigating and no arrests have been made. ORLANDO – An Iowa Hawkeye punter who has won several national awards has broken a mark that has stood for 85 years. KCRG-TV reports Tory Taylor finished the year with 4,479 yards, a single season high mark for the 10-4 Hawkeyes, breaking a record that stood since 1938. Taylor won the 2023 Ray Guy National Punter of the Year award. Taylor has ended his career with the Hawkeyes in the Citrus Cheez-It Bowl Monday, and will likely land on an NFL Roster before the 2024 season.

CEDAR RAPIDS – One person has died in an officer involved shooting in Cedar Rapids. KWWL-TV reports the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is looking into the report of shooting performed following a vehicle pursuit. Cedar Rapids Police responded to a call of shots fired at a residence. In the subsequent chase, police arrested a passenger in the vehicle. A crash on Mount Vernon Road ended the pursuit, and five police officers and the suspect exchanged gunfire, which killed the unidentified individual. IOWA – Many of the bills signed by Governor Kim Reynolds in the previous legislative session go into effect as the new year begins. KCCI-TV reports one of the key provisions that’s new is how taxes can be filed in the state. Senate File 565 requires Iowans to use the same tax status they use for federal taxes on their state application. It also made tweaks to withholding and other savings plans. Senate File 496 was mostly blocked by a federal judge last Friday. The book ban and restrictions on teachers discussing gender identity were both halted until a decision is made. ORLANDO – It was a rough end to the football season for the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl Monday. Tennessee dominated the Hawks by a 35-0 margin. Iowa ends the season at 10-4.

CLINTON – A man has been arrested in a death reported in Clinton early Sunday morning. The Clinton Police Department arrested 33 year old Marquis D. Winston and charged him with first degree murder. Police responded to an individual with a gunshot wound, and the victim died from injuries at a nearby hospital. DECATUR COUNTY – A Davis City woman died in a single vehicle crash on New Years Eve. The Iowa State Patrol reports a Honda Accord driven by Amanda Zelasko was on Highway 69 southbound and left the roadway and hit a tree. Zelasko was pronounced dead on scene. IOWA – Approximately 7,000 pounds of ground beef is under recall, including some of which has been shipped to Iowa. The source is Valley Meats, LLC, and the frozen beef patty products have possible e Coli contamination. The recall mainly impacts restaurants who make large orders from products dated December 22nd. ORLANDO – The Iowa Hawkeyes are aiming to cap a strong season today in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. Iowa is seeking its 3rd ever 11-win football season agaisnt Tennesee. Action begins at noon Iowa time.

DES MOINES – An education law banning books from school libraries and teachers from discussing gender identity has been placed under an injunction by a federal judge. Senate File 496 was signed by Governor Kim Reynolds this past spring as part of a series of education related bills targeting topics that have been adopted by Republicans across the country. The law was set to go into effect on January 1st, but is now on hold until a formal decision can be made in federal court. The judge in the case cited the broad scope of the bill and it’s adverse impact on the first amendment rights of teachers and students. WINTERSET – The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Winterset police officer accused of reckless behavior in a 2018 incident. KCCI-TV reports Christian Dekker was responding to an emergency on Highway 92 when he hit James Penny five years ago. The court ruled that Dekker had lights and sirens on and appropriately slowed down near the intersection. MEMPHIS – The hometown offense was too much to handle for the Iowa State Cyclones in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Friday. The Cyclones fell to Memphis 36 to 26 in the final game of 2023. Iowa State finishes the fall at 7-6. Next up for football fans is the Iowa Hawkeyes taking on Tennessee in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl at noon on New Year’s Day. The Hawkeyes will aim to win 11 games in a season for the third time in school history.

DELAWARE COUNTY – The Delaware County Attorney’s Office reports they found no wrongdoing as it related to an officer involved shooting in November. A press release issued Thursday shows Attorney John Bernau will not charge Deputy Matt Menard for his wounding of 38-year-old Nathan Allen Russell in Hopkinton as part of his eventual arrest. Russell is charged with murder in Jones County for the death of a Fareway employee at a shooting in Monticello that same day. SIDNEY – A high schools student faces multiple felonies after allegedly making a hit list directed at classmates. The Des Moines Register reports 18 year old Kaelyn Alexis Surrell is accused of threatening acts of arson against the individuals on the list. Surrell is a cadet with the Shenandoah Fire Department and sent the threat via Snapchat. IOWA – Community colleges in the state saw another uptick in enrollment over the past year. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports student counts were up by 3.8% in 2023, with just over 85,000 in classes. Part-time students made up two-thirds of that number. Enrollment is still below pre-COVID totals of over 88,000, but this is the second consecutive year of growth. The boost is mostly driven by high school students taking dual enrollment, while traditional two-year degrees continue to decline. MEMPHIS, TN – The Iowa State Cyclones are returning to the Liberty Bowl to take on hometown Memphis. A large contingent of fans made the trip from Iowa to the home of the Elvis Presley as the Cyclones make their fourth appearance in the bowl game. Action begins at 2:30 this afternoon.