HARTLEY – A teenager died in a single vehicle crash in O’Brien County Wednesday morning. The Iowa State Patrol reports the unidentified juvenile was traveling eastbound on 300th Street in a rural part of the county and struck a creek embankment. The 16-year-old was not wearing a seat belt and died from his injuries. JOHNSON COUNTY – The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is looking into the death of an individual at the Johnson County Jail earlier this month. A press release issued late Wednesday indicated a deputy was monitoring a camera and witnessed 36-year-old Nathaniel Davis, Jr., fall over on camera after he was booked into the facility for a seven day sentence. Jail staff responded and attempted CPS and a defibrillator. He later died at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics on March 19th. Iowa’s DCI and the State Jail Inspector are investigating. DES MOINES – Legislation is moving ahead with bipartisan support that would restrict, but not ban, the use of traffic cameras in the state. KCCI-TV reports a bill that made it through the house subcommittee would require communities that install speed cameras to prove its improving safety along a roadway and changing driver behavior. It requires those municipalities to apply through the Iowa DOT and include justification for installation. The bill applies to any state, federal, or interstate highway. It would still need to pass out of both chambers in the next few weeks to take effect July 1st.

FORT DODGE – Fort Dodge Police have released the name of the man who was shot and killed by an officer over the weekend. WHO-13 reports the victim of the officer-involved-shooting has been identified as 24-year-old Tyler Stansberry of Fort Dodge. Officers were called to a home on Saturday morning on a report of a violent individual, who as he allegedly moved towards officers with the knives in his hands, he was shot and killed. The officer who shot Stansberry remains on leave. CRESTON – A Creston man has been charged following a fatal crash last month in Madison County. KCCI-TV reports 30-year-old Charles Lohoff faces a count of homicide by vehicle – operation under the influence, and another homicide charge for reckless driving. He’s accused of causing the death of 42-year-old Jonathon Taylor of Adel. IOWA – As soon as he arrived in Iowa City, he was gone — again. KCRG-TV reports former Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor decommitted from the University of Iowa after announcing his return to campus in January. Proctor, a Southeast Polk graduate, committed to the Hawkeyes while in high school, only to switch to the Crimson Tide, where he started this past fall season. Proctor is expected to return to Alabama after leaving the Hawkeyes following just over a month in black and gold.

DES MOINES – Despite bipartisan opposition, a bill that would overhaul Area Education Agencies in Iowa passed in the Senate after hours of debate Monday. The Des Moines Register reports the version of the legislation would essentially turn AEAs to a fee for service agency, redirecting 90% of the funding they currently receive back to school districts for special education service by fiscal year 2026 for special education services and removing any guaranteed funding for the other functions of the agency. A bipartisan group of legislators voted against the measure, worried a lack of guaranteed money would destabilize the regional agencies and lead to significant loss of effectiveness. Several differences remain between a version passed by the Iowa House, and the two chambers would have to reach a compromise before sending something to Governor Kim Reynolds for a signature. She praised the Senate for passing their version in a statement following the vote. ZEARING – The Story County Sheriff’s Office has filed multiple felony charges against four individuals accused of severely abusing a family member. A press release issued late Monday indicated that Gary and Danielle Graham and Aaron and Kaitlynn Williams, all from the Story County community, are charged with 1st degree kidnapping, a Class A felony, and willful injury, a Class C felony. The sheriff’s office responded to a call for a severely injured and malnourished male at a local hospital, brought to the emergency room by two of the family members. The adult victim weighed 70 pounds and had several life-threatening injuries stemming from alleged abuse, including a brain bleed and fractured ribs. An investigation found the family had all allegedly been part of the attacks, which included restraint by handcuffs and severe diet restrictions. IOWA – Five NCAA Division I basketball teams in Iowa are dancing in March Madness this week. The Iowa Women’s Basketball team received a No. 1 seed and the Iowa State Cyclones men a No. 2 seed in their respective 68-team brackets. Both Drake teams and the Cyclone women are also playing for a national championship.

DES MOINES – The final estimate has been made for Iowa’s state funding in the fiscal year 2025. The Revenue Estimating Conference concluded that lawmakers will have just under $9.7 billion to spend in the upcoming 12 months. Republican leaders in both the Iowa House and Senate are considering additional tax cuts, as a surplus continues in the general fund, along with full reserves in other areas of the budget. Iowa Democrats are calling for additional investment in public education. COLFAX – One person has died in a house fire near Colfax. KCCI-TV reports an unidentified body was found dead in the basement of a rural home that at one point was fully engulfed by flames. As firefighters fought the blaze, they learned of a possible occupant. Nearly 12 hours after the fire was reported, the individual was found. The cause of both the fire and death remains under investigation. RED OAK – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources continues to investigate the New Cooperative fertilizer spill near Red Oak in Montgomery County. The release has been stopped and clean-up efforts are underway. The product flowed several miles downstream of Red Oak in the East Nishnabotna River, reaching Missouri. The DNR encouraged private well owners in Montgomery, Page, and Fremont counties near to the stream to contact their county health department to test their wells for nitrate. Due to low water levels in the East Nishnabotna, the concentration of the liquid nitrogen fertilizer is higher than during normal stream flows.

PERRY – Iowa’s minority political party in the statehouse is seeking a re-extending of unemployment benefits. Last year, Republican lawmakers shortened the window of post-termination support from 39 to 26 weeks. Democrats, who are overwhelmingly in the political minority statewide, are citing concerns over a Tyson plant closing and more than 700 Perry residents losing full-time work, with no immediate alternatives available. Only Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver or House Speaker Pat Grassley could bring such a measure to the floor of their respective chamber this late in the legislative session. MARSHALL COUNTY – A grain bin in rural Marshall County exploded early Friday. The Times Republican reports that several emergency crews responded to reports of a blast at 5:27 that morning. Marshall County deputies reported a soybean bin containing more than 300,000 bushels had fully collapsed, the force of which pushed a nearby office building off of its foundation. No employees were on scene at the time of the incident. IOWA CITY – Thousands of potatoes made their way to the former state capital Friday. KCRG-TV reports 58,000 pounds of spuds were take in pallets to food pantries throughout Johnson and Linn Counties, with the United Way helping make the shipments possible. The Farmlink Project helped connect the donor to the local area.