DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The number of flu deaths in Iowa continues to rise. Public health officials say 22 people have died of flu-related complications since the season began in October. That’s up from 18 people last week. Thirty-three schools reported 10 percent or more of their students absent because of the flu.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An amendment to the Iowa Constitution passed the Senate on Thursday. The amendment says the constitution doesn’t “recognize, grant, or secure a right to an abortion or to require the public funding of abortion.”

CARLISLE, IA (IRN) – A Carlisle Community School District bus was involved in an accident Thursday morning but no one was hurt. WHO-TV reports the bus had a green light when it was hit by a semi that was unable to stop in time.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A Dubuque man will serve two years of probation for threatening students on social media last month. KCRG-TV reports Curtavion Saunders, 20, pleaded guilty to a charge of 1st-degree harassment. On January 13th, he posted a warning telling students at Jefferson Middle School not to go to school the next day, or they would ‘be in ashes, pure death.’ The Dubuque school district delayed classes 2 hours until authorities determined the threat was not credible. Investigators used Saunders’ cell phone to link him to the posts.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Invisible Fence of Cedar Rapids donated six pet oxygen mask kits to the Waterloo Fire Department, according to KWWL-TV. The masks allow firefighters to give oxygen to pets who are suffering from smoke inhalation from fires. Invisible Fence has donated more than 12,400 masks to fire stations across the country.

WATERLOO (IRN) – A man wanted for a double-homicide in Waterloo has turned himself in to the authorities. According to KWWL, 36-year-old Matthew Buford III of Waterloo turned himself into the police in Peoria, Illinois Wednesday night. On Monday night officers found Tamica Takeisha Allison, 42, and Andrea Rochelle Anderson, 41, dead from what appeared to be gunshot wounds when they arrived at a home in Waterloo. One of the women was Buford’s girlfriend.

IOWA (IRN) – More than 100 schools and churches have canceled or delayed activities this morning because of dangerous conditions. The Iowa DOT is warning of dangerous road conditions across Iowa, especially in rural areas, due to a wintry mix. These conditions are causing multiple crashes across central Iowa.

FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – A Fort Dodge man accused of beating a pastor to death outside a central Iowa church has been found mentally unfit to stand trial. KWWL-TV reports a court ordered 36-year-old Joshua Pendleton to undergo treatment at the Iowa Medical Classification Facility. Pendleton is charged with first-degree murder in the Oct. 2 slaying of 64-year-old Rev. Allen Henderson.

MAQUOKETA, IA (IRN) – Maquoketa city officials are asking residents to enroll in a program to monitor vapor contamination from a carcinogenic chemical that’s spread from a factory site. The Telegraph Herald reports that the contamination stems from the operations of Clinton Machine Co., which built small engines in Maquoketa from 1950 into the 1990s. The factory used trichloroethene, commonly known as TCE, as a degreasing agent. TCE is now known to be carcinogenic.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa Democratic Party chairman Troy Price announced his resignation Wednesday afternoon. Price is resigning because of errors made in reporting the results of the 2020 Iowa Caucuses. Price says, “serving as Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party has been one of the greatest honors of my life.”

POLK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines woman charged with hitting two minors with her SUV because of their race has been ruled incompetent to stand trial. KGAN-TV reports Nicole Poole, 42, is charged with two counts of attempted murder. Police say she ran over two minors, a hispanic girl and a black boy on December 9th. She’s also accused of going on a racist rant at a convenience store the same day.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Animal Rescue League of Iowa said it spent Tuesday rescuing dozens of cats and kittens from a “hoarding situation” in Des Moines. A total of 74 cats were removed from the property. Some of the rescued animals were found in critical condition.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – On Tuesday, people living across the state of Iowa gathered in Des Moines to advocate for right-to-die legislation, called the End-Of-Life-Options Act. The bill would allow terminally ill Iowans access to request medication to die peacefully in their sleep.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The NCAA is a billion-dollar industry and now student-athletes in Iowa are one step closer to taking their own cut of it. On Tuesday a Iowa Senate subcommittee unanimously approved Senate File 2058, which would prohibit the NCAA from penalizing college athletes from benefiting financially from their own name, image and likeness.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Des Moines International Airport Board said no to a proposed hotel and casino plan. The board met Tuesday to discuss a proposed $250,000,000 hotel and casino would have built on airport property and would have connected to the new terminal.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man is in “serious” condition Monday following an accident involving a vehicle and pedestrian in Des Moines. The 56-year-old man suffered injuries in the crash but is expected to survive.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The public and state lawmakers went back and forth on Monday over a House bill that some are calling “anti-LGBTQ” legislation. WHO-TV reports the bill would require schools to notify parents about any curriculum related to sexual orientation or gender identity, in case parents want to excuse their child from class. Supporters say it’s a matter of parental rights. Those against the bill say it continues a legislative trend of marginalizing and attacking LGBTQ youth.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two Iowans who tested for Wuhan coronavirus following recent travel to China do not have the virus, according to health department officials. They say the common flu is more of a concern, and cases are up this year, especially among children.

CLIVE, IA (IRN) – Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is the winner of a $150,000 Powerball prize. Vilsack says he will donate a portion of the money to his church, help out family, and pay against a mortgage, to help his retirement be “more comfortable.” Vilsack earns approximately a million dollars a year lobbying for the dairy industry.