IOWA – A medical center in Des Moines is working to combat a shortage of obstetrics care in rural areas with a new service. The Des Moines Register reports MercyOne has created a Maternal Transport Team, aiming to deploy to help women struggling with labor and delivery. Nearly 1/3rd of Iowa’s hospitals have closed their labor and delivery units since 2000. The Register says the unit has been deployed three times in the short window the service has been available. SPENCER – One person died from apparent self-inflicted wounds following a police pursuit in Spencer. KCAU reports the Clay County Sheriff’s Office attempted a traffic stop on Tuesday afternoon for an allegedly stolen pickup truck. The driver took off and led police on a pursuit through the Spencer community, and is accused of showing a firearm and shooting outside of a window. The driver, 30-year-old Andrew Phillips of Spirit Lake, allegedly caused significant damage in a construction zone before stopping at First Christian Church, where the sheriff’s office says he took his own life. DES MOINES, Iowa — The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) is teaming up with law enforcement agencies across Iowa to promote road safety during the Thanksgiving holiday season. Drivers can expect to see increased police presence on Iowa roads through December 1st. Last year, during Thanksgiving week, 34 people died or suffered severe injuries on Iowa roads— 40% were not wearing seatbelts. A total of 306 people have been killed on Iowa’s roadways so far in 2024 — just above the five-year Iowa DOT average.

DES MOINES – Another new name will be highlighted at the Iowa Events Center. Polk County and Oak View Group, announced a new 10-year naming rights partnership with EMC Insurance, a Des Moines-based commercial insurance organization, to rename the exhibit hall and meeting space venue, EMC Expo Center, effective on January 1st. The Polk County Board of Supervisors will vote on the proposed new name at their scheduled meeting on November 19. The current space is named Hy-Vee Hall, and that agreement is set to end this year. IOWA – Iowa’s farmers had an average of 3.6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending November 17, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Primary fieldwork activities included fall tillage, fertilizer applications, and some row crop harvest. Topsoil moisture condition rated 8 percent very short, 28 percent short, 61 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus. Corn harvested for grain reached 97 percent statewide.

SWISHER – A Swisher teenager died in a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 380 over the weekend. The Des Moines Register reports 17-year-old Kaden Blair was a Cedar Rapids Prairie graduate enrolled as a pre-med student at the University of Iowa. Blair was ejected from a vehicle after striking the barrier between lanes on Saturday morning. FORT DODGE – Twelve people were displaced and six were injured in a Sunday morning fire in Fort Dodge. WHO-13 reports crews responded to a call for trapped occupants on the third floor of a building in town. One person was flown to the University of Iowa Hospital with serious burns, two were transported to a nearby hospital, and three others were treated on site. The fire took several hours to extinguish.DES MOINES – A longtime pollster renowned for her accuracy until the 2024 election is ending her tenure with the Des Moines Register. According to KCCI-TV, J. Ann Selzer is not renewing her contract and made the announcement in an op-ed. Selzer had predicted statewide elections with accuracy that earned her some of the highest ratings from polling aggregate websites. However, the Iowa Poll had Vice President Kamala Harris leading the now President-elect Donald Trump by three points in a late October poll — Trump won Iowa by 13. Selzer claims she made the choice to step down over a year ago.

Two people died on Iowa’s roadways on Friday. The Iowa State Patrol reports 27-year-old Cole Lantz of Williams died while attempting to pass another vehicle on U.S. 69 in Hamilton County at 6:30 a.m. Lantz collided head-on with another vehicle and caused a third to swerve. The other was a car vs. pedestrian incident in Fort Madison. Seventy-year-old Nancy Lynne Kuhljergen attempted to cross a road and was struck by a Toyota Tacoma. Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 3.0 percent in October amid job cuts in manufacturing and construction. Meanwhile, the state’s labor force participation rate ticked down by 0.1 percentage points to 66.2 percent last month, and the U.S. unemployment rate remained at 4.1 percent in October. The number of unemployed Iowans increased to 51,000 in October from 49,400 in September. The total number of working Iowans fell to 1,633,200 in October. This figure is 1,400 lower than September and 19,300 lower than one year ago.

IOWA CITY – A Democratic challenger for the U.S. House seat representing southeast Iowa has requested a recount in one of the most competitive seats in the country. The Associated Press reports Christina Bohannan has asked for a new count as she trails current U.S. Representative Marianette Miller-Meeks by nearly 1,000 votes in 20 counties. DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds toured Broadlawns Medical Center on Thursday, signing a proclamation for apprenticeship week. The Des Moines Register reports the governor was promoting apprenticeships as a way to fill high-demand careers and build a pipeline for future workers. DES MOINES – A vendor at the Iowa State Fair has had its contract terminated after allegations of not paying employee wages and other fees. KCRG-TFV reports Steer N’ Stein owe the fair itself over $100,000, and the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals had received 14 complains about lack for payment. The report alleges another contractor is owed $218,000 by Michael and Kimberly Krantz.