DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – New U.S. Census estimates released Monday show Iowa’s population continued to increase slowly in the last year and now numbers 3,155,070. The July 1, 2019, estimate was up over 108,000 from the 2010 population. Iowa’s population would have been significantly lower if not for international immigration, which since 2010 has added nearly 48,000 people to the state. That immigration offset nearly 30,000 residents who moved from Iowa to other states during that period.

ALDEN, IA (IRN) – A two-vehicle collision killed one person and sent three others to the hospital on Monday, according to the Iowa State Patrol. A 2007 Eclipse collided with a semi at an intersection. A passenger under the age of 18 was killed.

GLENWOOD, IA (IRN) – Glenwood Resource Center Superintendent Dr. Jerry Rea has been fired from following an investigation into alleged experiments at the facility, according to the Iowa Department of Human Resources. The investigation involved “human subject experiments” focused on “optimal hydration” and “sexual arousal studies.”

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An Iowa mom wants to warn others about a face mask that burned her stepdaughter’s face. WHO-TV reports the mask is made by the company Yes To and it’s called the Vitamin C Glow-boosting Unicorn Paper Mask. Chelsea Anders said after her stepdaughter had the mask on for about two minutes, she said it felt like it was burning and told her to take it off right away. The girl’s face was welted with red, swollen, itchy raised abrasions, that appeared to be a chemical burn. One hundred reviews from customers on the Ulta website say the same thing.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – After six months of living together, an eastern Iowa man claims a coyote became an emotional service animal to him and that he’s struggling to get up each morning without the animal. KCRG-TV reports Animal Control seized the coyote from Matt Stokes in October. It’s illegal to have a coyote as a pet in Iowa, which presents significant legal hurdles as Stokes tries to regain custody. He found the coyote as a pup, and named him Drifter.

ELGIN, IA (IRN) – A man is facing attempted murder charges after shooting at another person outside a bar in Elgin. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office says a fight began outside the Elgin Tap early Sunday morning. Investigators say Wyatt Aubrey Guyer, 25, of Elgin pulled out a gun and fired at another person. Guyer was arrested later that day at his home.

POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The body of a missing Nebraska man was pulled from an icy Iowa pond on Saturday. George McNamara, 39, was reported missing from Bellevue, Nebraska, on Dec. 22. A car crash was reported that day near the pond, and deputies found a vehicle but no driver. Officials found a hole in an icy pond and a pair of shoes near the crash site on Friday, but the search was suspended when it became too dark.

CLINTON, IA (IRN) – A rescue crew was on the Mississippi Saturday evening when a car began to sink into the river with one person trapped inside. KGAN-TV reports the victim was in the car’s front seat and was unable to escape the vehicle on their own. Fire crews were able to free her from the car. The victim was sent to the hospital with a case of hypothermia.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two teenagers face multiple charges after they allegedly fired a gun in Des Moines and then led police on a chase. WHO-TV reports the youths were caught, and police found two guns in the car, one of which was stolen.

BOONE, IA (IRN) – A massive red, white and blue mural surrounding an image of President Trump is now displayed in downtown Boone. The Des Moines Register reports mural painters started stenciling on Sunday, Dec. 22, and worked for two more days adding blue and white stars surrounding one big blue star with the image of the president off to the right. Social media lit up with people both opposed and in favor of the mural. When the building’s owner, Dee McKnight, was asked what the mural’s inspiration was, she said, “I couldn’t really say.”

GILBERT, IA (IRN) – A Story City woman is dead after a crash in Gilbert Saturday morning.
The Iowa State Patrol says a pickup driven by 68-year-old John Paulson failed to yield, crashing into another pickup truck. Passenger 68-year-old Marcia Olson died. Paulson, and the other driver, 38-year-old Michael Manke, of Nevada, and Manke’s two passengers, including a 3-year-old child from Nevada, were all injured.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A man received multiple charges after a Christmas Eve incident where he allegedly shot at a home in Dubuque, according to KCRG-TV. Earnest Jones Hunt, Jr., 18, of Dubuque was charged with attempted murder and intimidation with a dangerous weapon, among other charges. He fired a gun at a home where a woman and her two children were inside.

ADEL, IA (IRN) – A single mother in Adel is without a home just days after Christmas. WHO-TV reports Adel fire and rescue crews were called out to a residential fire shortly after 7 a.m. Saturday. When they arrived, the home was fully engulfed in flames. A single mother and her pets were able to escape unharmed and no children were home at the time of the fire. The initial cause of the fire points to an electrical problem with a space heater.

ORLANDO, FL (IRN) – Iowa State and Notre Dame faced off for the first time at the Camping World Bowl Saturday in Orlando, Florida. Early miscues led to a first quarter deficit the Cyclones could never overcome, losing 33-9.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – Mason City Schools settled a gender discrimination lawsuit filed by a former official for more $170,000. The district issued its former human resources director Jodie Anderson $31,500 in wage differential payment and $73,500 for damages, according to the Globe-Gazette. Another $70,000 was issued to cover court and attorneys’ fees. Anderson filed the lawsuit in July 2018, alleging that men employed by the district were being paid more than women. The district denies any wrongdoing.

WORTH COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Three people are facing drug charges after an early-morning traffic stop in Worth County yesterday. KIMT-TV reports a K9 unit indicated the presence of narcotics in the vehicle and methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were found. They are in jail.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City residents may end up paying a higher property tax starting this summer. KCRG-TV reports in the proposed budget for the next fiscal year, city staff suggest adding an emergency property tax. Staff says that money from those taxes will go entirely towards the city’s climate action plan.

SAN DIEGO, CA (IRN) – It was a VERY happy holiday for the Iowa Hawkeye football team, who blasted #22 USC 49-24 Friday night to win the Holiday Bowl and finish the season with an impressive 10-3 record.