DES MOINES – One of two versions of legislation proposed by Governor Kim Reynolds to overhaul the Area Education Agencies in Iowa has been paused in the Iowa Legislature after public hearings held Wednesday. Iowa Starting Line reports House Study Bill 542 has been tabled following strong opposition from a wide range of educators, parents, and students who utilize the services of the AEAs. Governor Kim Reynolds remained defiant and released a statement to praise an Iowa Senate education subcommittee for advancing Senate Study Bill 3073 — although members who voted in support of the measure intended to further amend the Governor’s proposal heavily that would currently move AEAs to state government control and significantly reduce funding and services to those agencies as written. GUTHRIE COUNTY – A Guthrie Center man has died from a crash that involved a pickup truck and a bicycle Wednesday evening. The Iowa State Patrol reports they were called to assist the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office with the fatal collision near Guthrie Center at 5:38 p.m. on Highway 44. According to the state report, a Ford F-150 operated by 83-year-old Francis Junior Flanery of Panora was westbound, and a bicycle ridden by 69-year-old Wayne Wesley Haynes was also in that lane. The pickup struck the bicyclist in the travel portion of the roadway. Haynes was transported to Guthrie County Hospital, where he died from his injuries. The crash remains under investigation. IOWA – As a wild January wraps up today that included heavy snow, a blizzard, snow squalls, freezing rain, subzero wind chills, and just about everything that winter has to offer, February will start with a stretch of well-above average temperatures. According to the National Weather Service, daytime highs will range from 40s to 50s statewide well into next week, with mainly dry conditions coupled with the mild air. While not quite record breaking, most of these temperatures are 15-20 degrees above the typical daytime high in early February. CORALVILLE – Coralville will become the mecca of Iowa High School Wrestling over the next three days. The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union welcomes hundreds of wrestlers for their second-ever state tournament today and Friday at XTREAM Arena. That will be followed up by the 2024 Iowa High School Athletic Union team dual championships Saturday, also in Coralville.

JEFFERSON – A boy in Jefferson is safe after an Amber Alert was issued Tuesday. The Iowa Department of Investigation and Jefferson Police accuse Brandon Duong, age 34, of taking his seven-year-old biological son, Bryson Duong, from Greene Elementary School in Jefferson. A court order restricting Brandon Duong from having custody had been issued in December 2023. At approximately 4:53 p.m., law enforcement located Brandon’s vehicle in the area northeast of Remsen, in Plymouth County. Duong led officers on a high-speed chase and eventually crashed his vehicle. Duong left the vehicle on foot, carrying Bryson, and was in possession of a rifle. Several law enforcement agencies responded to the area, negotiated with Brandon, and eventually placed him under arrest. Bryson is in the care of the Department of Human Services. Brandon has been charged with one count of Kidnapping in the First Degree and will be transferred to the Greene County Jail. DES MOINES – The man charged with destroying a display at the Iowa Capitol has been charged with violating individual rights. KCRG reports Michael Cassidy of Lauderdale, Mississippi, is charged with Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree. The controversial display featured a Baphomet Alter that was damaged “beyond repair.” Officials say the cost to repair the damage exceeded $750. DES MOINES – Iowa lawmakers are trying to pass a hands free bill that also bans traffic cameras in the same legislation. KCCI-TV reports Senate Study Bill 3016 requires drivers to put down devices but also prohibits the use of municipalities to use red light and speed cameras. Bill sponsor and senator Brad Zaun says the two are combined in an attempt to pass both issues that have stalled otherwise. FREMONT COUNTY – One person was found dead in a garage fire in southwest Iowa. KETV reports the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office an unidentified person was located in a detached garage southwest of Shenandoah. Several fire departments responded to the blaze just after midnight this morning.

CEDAR RAPIDS – The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office confirmed they found a man missing since 2013 last fall. KCRG-TV reports Brian Burns was found near Manchester in November, nearly 10 years after he was first reported missing. Brian Burns was the cousin of Jerry Burns, who was found guilty in the killing of Michelle Martinko. Police have not determined in the incidents are connected. FORT DODGE – Webster County officials are investigating a shooting north of Fort Dodge. KCCI-TV reports gunfire was reported to the sheriff’s office Sunday, and 39 year old Molly Barlow and 63 year old Phyllis Versteeg were both found dead in a garage shortly after. The juvenile who reported the shooting told police the suspect had fled the scene, and deputies say the found 41-year-old Duran Barlow dead with apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds nearby. CORDYON – Cleanup is underway following a roof collapse at Wayne Junior-Senior High School in Cordyon. The Des Moines Register reports that more than seven feet of snow had collected on a portion of the roof over the middle school cafeteria. Hundreds of gallons of snow melt poured into the walls and flooring. Students had to move several activities upon returning to class on Monday. DES MOINES – Flat tires became a near-epidemic, at least along a Des Moines street Friday night. WHO-13 reports more than a dozen vehicles suffered tire damage with a giant pothole near Grandview Park School. The Morlans from Ankeny reported more than $3000 in damage, and said several cars hit the hole and suffered damage before city crews responded.

IOWA – From Glenwood to Burlington — with a ton of hills in between, the 2024 RAGBRAI route was announced Saturday night. The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa is in its 51st year and also includes the communities of Red Oak, Atlantic, Winterset, Knoxville, Ottumwa, and Mt. Pleasant. The route is the 8th shortest in the history of the event, but based on elevation data, it will be the hilliest for riders who go river-to-river July 20th through the 27th. CENTERVILLE – A Centerville man has been charged for the death of a toddler. Following a joint investigation by Centerville Police, the Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa State Patrol arrested 48-year-old Roger Gillespie on a charge of Child Endangerment Causing Death, a class B felony. The Centerville Police Department and emergency services responded to a home for an injured child on January 19th, where they found two-year-old Journey Marberry in critical condition. She was taken to the University of Iowa Hospital, where she died and served as an organ donor this past Saturday. Gillespie was the caretaker of Marberry when she found. LISBON – The parents of a newborn found dead in Cedar County in November of 1996 have been identified. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation reports that police were ultimately unable to locate the parents of a baby found inside a barn along Highway 30 near Lisbon 27 years ago. “Baby Jane Lincoln” was the name given to the child, whose death has since became a cold case. Recent advances in DNA technology have led the Iowa DCI to believe her parents are Luke Dean Wilson and Samantha Light Hope, both 43 years old. No charges have been filed as the circumstances surrounding the death of Baby Jane remain under investigation. SAN FRANSISCO – No matter who won, an Iowa Hawkeye and Iowa State Cyclone would have been represented in the Super Bowl. But in comeback fashion, it was the San Francisco 49ers and Pro Bowlers George Kittle and Brock Purdy who earned the right to win a championship after a 34-31 win over the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship game played Sunday evening. Former Cyclone David Montgomery and Hawkeye Sam LaPorta are with Detroit and lost the chance to move on. Super Bowl 58 will be played on Sunday, February 11th with the 49ers and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.

IOWA – The Iowa Department of Education announced 2023 fall certified enrollment numbers for public school districts, accredited nonpublic schools and certified participation in Education Savings Accounts on Friday. Public school district certified enrollment was just under 484,000, down approximately one-half percent from last year. Certified enrollment at private schools was nearly 36,200, an increase of 7.4%. A total of 16,757 participants used education savings accounts. One-third of those students using state funds did not attend a private school the year before. IOWA – An Associated Press report shows that of $75 million promised by Governor Kim Reynolds to schools for safety measures, far less has actually made its way to districts. The announcement was made in June 2022 following the shooting massacre in Uvalde, Texas. Since then, two Iowa schools have been impacted by gun violence — in Perry and at the Starts Right Here academy in Des Moines. Perry had not been able to finish applying for the funds before the tragedy earlier this month. IOWA – Girls wrestling continues to expand across the state as regional qualifiers were held Friday. There were 1,602 athletes competing in the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union sanctioned tournament, which is an 18.5% increase from 2023. Of those, 448 qualified across 14 weight classes at next week’s state tournament at Xtream Arena in Coralville, the second-ever officially held girls wrestling finals in Iowa.