Iowa Radio News

IOWA – A total of 351 people died on Iowa’s roadways in 2024, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. While the number is 27 fatalities less than 2023, it is still slightly above the previous five-year average. The report indicates 43% of those killed in vehicle crashes were not wearing a seat belt.NEW ORLEANS – At least two Iowans were witnesses to the attack that claimed more than a dozen lives in New Orleans early on New Year’s Day. KCCI-TV reports Jim and Nicole Mowrer were on Bourbon Street when a truck came slamming through festivities. Jim is a former congressional and Secretary of State candidate. Both told CBS News they saw police running toward the truck after they fled to safety, and they also saw many of the victims impacted. IOWA – While a blast of snow is impacting many across the state today, another round will come with even colder air by the weekend. According to the National Weather Service, for a system that starts on Sunday, the highest accumulations are expected in southern Iowa into Missouri, however the entire state can expect bitter cold temperatures which will last through the upcoming week.

POMEROY – The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is assisting in response to a shooting in Pomeroy. The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office is looking into an incident on New Year’s Eve involving an altercation that escalated into an exchange of gunfire involving multiple individuals. Two people were hospitalized with gunshot wounds. One of the people involved were arrested following a standoff with police in Manson. ORLANDO – Members of the Iowa State Marching Band were injured on their way back from the Pop-Tarts Bowl. The Des Moines Register reports at a motorcoach bus crashed with a school bus near Chattanooga, Tennessee. Twelve students suffered minor injuries in the incident, and the band arrived back in Ames on Tuesday. IOWA – The average price received by farmers for corn during November 2024 in Iowa was $4.12 per bushel according to the latest USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service Agricultural Prices report. This was 11 cents above the October price but 62 cents below November 2023. The November 2024 average price received by farmers for soybeans, at $9.85 per bushel, was 3 cents above the October price but $3.35 below the November 2023 price.

POTTAWATMIE COUNTY – A pedestrian was killed while standing on Interstate 80 in western Iowa. The Iowa State Patrol reports 51-year-old Michael Ponciano of Bellevue, Nebraska was in the travel portion of the east bound lane and struck by a Toyota pickup truck driven by an Illinois resident. The incident occurred just after midnight on Monday morning.IOWA – A new tax rate is set to begin on January 1st for taxpayers in Iowa. The Des Moines Register reports a flat tax first passed in 2022 that was accelerated by the Iowa Legislature last spring will start when the new year begins. All taxpayers will pay 3.8% in income taxes now under the new law. The state’s Revenue Estimating Conference estimated state coffers will take a $600 million hit in the current fiscal year through June 30th — Republican lawmakers contend there is significant buffer in the budget, citing $3.75 billion in a Taxpayer Relief Fund and a nearly $2 billion budget surplus. NASHVILLE, TN – The University of Iowa football team fell to No. 19 Missouri, 27-24, in the 2024 Transperfect Music City Bowl on Monday afternoon at Nissan Stadium. Iowa was outscored 13-3 in the second half. Brendan Sullivan finished the day completing 14-of-18 passes for 131 yards and adding one touchdown and one interception. The Hawkeyes finish the season at 8-5 overall.

IOWA – The Iowa State Patrol reported at least six traffic fatalities occurred just after the Christmas holiday. Four different incidents involved the death of someone driving, including in Lyon, Worth, Poweshiek, and Mills Counties from December 26th through the 28th. As of Friday, the Iowa DOT reported 344 people had died on the state’s roads, near the five-year average of 342. Of those, 105 people were not wearing a seat belt when available for use. KEOSAUQUA – Remains found nearly three years ago along the Des Moines River is southern Iowa have been identified. KCCI-TV reports Timothy Fortney went missing in 2019. In February of 2022, the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office found a femur bone just outside of a riverbank. Authorities partnered with Southeast Missouri State University and determined it was a match to Fortney’s DNA profile. The case remains under investigation by the Ottumwa Police Department. IOWA CITY – The University of Iowa is set to close several departments related to gender studies and programs related to race and religious education. KCRG-TV reports the university is combining several departments and programs related to African American, Jewish, Latino, Native American, and Gender Studies, and create a new major in social and cultural analysis. This comes after the Iowa Legislature has started passing bills to restrict education of some of those areas, and a new Iowa House Committee has been formed to further review programming offered at the state’s three Regent Universities.ORLANDO – Rallying from a 10-point second-half deficit, No. 18 Iowa State outlasted No. 15 Miami 42-41, in a high-scoring Pop-Tarts Bowl Saturday afternoon at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. When the game was on the line, the Cyclones went to quarterback Rocco Becht, who delivered his fourth game-winning drive of the season. The 11 wins are the most in Iowa State football program history.

POWESHIEK COUNTY – One person has died and several others were injured in a crash on Interstate 80 that closed both lanes of traffic Friday evening. The Iowa State Patrol reports an unidentified individual from Chicago died from a crash that involved a car rear-ending a semi, which forced the larger vehicle over the median and into oncoming traffic. In addition to the death, four people were injured — all of whom live out of state. DUBUQUE – A Loras College graduate who became one of the most recognized broadcasters in the country over the past five decades has died. CBS Sports reports that Greg Gumbel passed away Friday following a battle with cancer. Gumbel hosted coverage for NBC and CBS during several Super Bowls, the Olympic Games, and perhaps most famously, March Madness. Gumbel graduated from Loras in Dubuque in 1967, where he also played baseball.GLENWOOD – A Glenwood man died in a single vehicle crash Thursday afternoon. The Iowa State Patrol reports 38-year-old Kevin Deitchler was traveling alone near Silver City when he lost control of his Volkswagen and crossed the other lane before colliding with a driveway embankment, flipping over and landing the car on its top. Deitchler was pronounced dead on scene. CLIVE – Two Iowans won $250,000 lottery prizes over the holidays. Jessie Funk of Davenport won the fifth top prize in the Iowa Lottery’s “Payline” scratch game, while Darla Carpenter from Northeast Iowa won the second top prize in the “Winter Winnings” contest.