DUBUQUE – The Dubuque Police Department has requested assistance from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation with an officer-involved shooting. On January 4th, a uniformed officer on routine patrol observed a physical fight in front of Odd Fellows Bar. As the officer came to a stop and exited his vehicle, the officer witnessed 28-year-old Jaiondrick Lovely shoot 29-year-old Cory Wilson Jr. The officer then fired his weapon at Lovely, who then ran into the bar. Both Lovely and Wilson were transported to nearby hospitals and pronounced dead. The officer involved has been placed on leave. DES MOINES – Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.5 percent in November – up from 3.3 percent one year ago but down from 3.7 percent in September. There is no October rate due to the government shutdown. The labor force participation rate was 67.5 percent in November. The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 4.6 percent in November. STORY COUNTY – Story County has agreed to pay a settlement in relation to a former deputy that accused the sheriff’s office of harassment and discrimination. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports Ashley Murry sued the Story County Sheriff’s Office and several deputies in Iowa District Court. She worked as a deputy for approximately 18 months, and claims she was the recipient of derogatory comments. The county will pay $75,000, which was discovered due to an open records request by the Iowa Capital Dispatch.

TAMA COUNTY – The remains of a missing man from Tama County were found in Arksansas. KCCI-TV reports 22-year-old Nicholas Collins was reported missing on December 29th after he stopped communicating with family and friends after Christmas. On New Year’s Day, police found his car abandoned at a trail head in Arkansas, more than 500 miles away from Tama County. Police announced that found his body near that area, but no foul play is suspected. MITCHELLVILLE – An Iowa community is seeking direction for itself after a wave of resignations among city staff and elected officials. WHO-13 reports that departures on the City Council to begin the new year has left Mitchellville with just two active councilmembers, which means they are unable to form a quorum. Several police officers, the public works superintendent, and other employees have all left. One of the councilmembers leaving cited the behavior of the newly elected Mayor Tony Jensen and another councilmember as to why she and others are leaving. BLACK HAWK COUNTY – A teenage victim has been identified in a fatal crash that occurred in Black Hawk County on Tuesday. KCRG_TV reports 15-year-old Ciara Crisman of Waterloo was pronounced dead at the scene, as she pulled her vehicle eastbound in front of a semi driving southbound. The semi driver was uninjured.

DEEP RIVER – The first fatal crash of 2026 reported to the Iowa Department of Transportation occurred on Monday. According to the Iowa State Patrol, a Ford Escape traveling near Deep River on Highway 85 left the roadway on a curve due to icy conditions, overturning several times. Kara Westhpal of Deep River was pronounced dead on the scene and was the lone occupant in the vehicle that rolled. CLAYTON COUNTY – A farm equipment accident resulted in the death of a northeast Iowa man just before the end of 2025. WHO-13 reports the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office indicates that a victim was working on a farm before he became entrapped in a piece of agricultural gear. The victim’s identity and further details about the cause remain unreleased to the public. DES MOINES— Governor Kim Reynolds signed an executive order establishing the Iowa Nuclear Energy Task Force to advise her, the General Assembly, and relevant state agencies on the development and advancement of nuclear energy technologies and infrastructure in the state. The governor has appointed Iowa native Dr. Mark Nutt, Director of Nuclear Energy Programs at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, to serve as chair of the task force which will include at least 11 members who represent utilities, power production companies, local government, academia, the Iowa Utilities Commission, and the General Assembly.

VENTURA – A Ventura firefighter was injured while directing traffic at the scene of another crash in Cerro Gordo County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 53-year-old Charles Shropshire was transported to a nearby hospital by Clear Lake’s Fire and Rescue Team. The Ventura firefighter was directing traffic when a Ford Escape driven by 66-year-old Kevin Berry of Britt collied with the first responder after entering the emergency scene. IOWA – Funeral services have been set for two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed on duty in Syria earlier this month. KCCI-TV reports the life of Staff Sgt. Nate Howard will be remembered on Saturday at Marshalltown High School, while Staff Sgt. Edgar Torres-Tovar will be honored by a visitation on Sunday in Des Moines, before a funeral on Monday. Both will be recognized with military honors. MONONA COUNTY – Fog was likely a factor in a crash that killed a woman on Christmas Day. WHO-13 reports the Iowa State Patrol and several emergency agencies in Monona and Crawford Counties responded to a two-vehicle crash on a rural road near Mapleton. A Ford Escape operated by 75-year-old Rosemary Barber was attempting to turn around before it was struck by a GMC Sierra. Visibility was limited by fog at the time, according to the report. Barber died from her injuries.

WASHINGTON D.C. – The bodies of two Iowa soldiers killed overseas earlier this month were returned to Iowa this week. KCCI-TV reports the Iowa National Guard has indicated an airplane carrying Sgt. Edgar Torres-Tovar and Sgt. Nate Howard arrived at Des Moines International Airport with an honorable transfer on Wednesday. Both men were killed in an ambush in Syria on December 13th. APPANOOSE COUNTY – An eight-year-old child who fell through the ice at a pond in Appanoose County has died. WHO-13 reports several emergency crews responded to a possible drowning on Monday near Moravia. An eight-year-old had been fishing, but when parents when to find him, he was missing. The Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office attempted life saving efforts, but reported the child did not survive. IOWA – After nearly no reports of a White Christmas for most Iowans on a near-record breaking day of warmth, cooler days may be ahead. According to the National Weather Service, it was rare in a year where most of the state has already received more than a foot of snow to not have that frozen precipitation on the ground for Christmas Day. Temperatures will drop to near normal by Sunday after warmer days continue through Saturday. DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds appointed two new Iowa Board of Regents members. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports former media executive Steve Lacy and former state lawmaker Peter Cownie will serve on the group overseeing Iowa’s three public universities. Lacy served as the CFO and CEO of Meredith in Des Moines, while Cownie served as a Republican member of the Iowa House of Representatives in West Des Moines.