TAMA COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – Two people were injured after a crash occurred on Highway 30 Monday morning. At approximately 8:04 am, the Iowa State Patrol received a report of a crash on Highway 30 westbound near mile marker 204. Investigators say a 2013 Ford F450 was disabled and parked in the right lane of the highway when a 2020 Volvo Tractor Semi-truck struck it from behind. The Volvo jackknifed into the median and caught fire. First responders pulled the driver of the Volvo out of the cab. They were taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals for their injuries. The driver of the Ford was standing outside of the vehicle at the time of the crash and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The crash remains under investigation.
NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (KCRG) – The North Liberty Fire Department is set to expand. The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded the city of North Liberty a grant of $1,013,539 to be received over three years to hire three full-time shift firefighters. Those firefighters will work 24-hour schedules, giving the city one full-time shift firefighter on duty at all times. They’ll also supervise the part-time firefighters, giving the city three firefighters on staff every night. “With North Liberty’s continued growth and with it an increasing number of emergency calls, this is a big win for the community,” Fire Chief Brian Platz said in a news release. “It’s the result of city officials and first responders’ hard work and determination.” The city said the addition of the three positions will increase the department’s reliability and reduce response times.
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – Blank Park Zoo has released the winning name for its male giraffe calf that was born on Sept. 7. The zoo said voters chose Bakari as the calf’s name, with a whopping 37 percent of the vote. More than 3,100 people voted. “Bakari means hopeful and promising, and we hope that Bakari will inspire action to save giraffes from the ‘silent extinction’ they are currently experiencing,” Anne Shimerdla, president and CEO of Blank Park Zoo, said in a press release. The zoo also announced guests will be able to see Bakari starting on Oct. 4, pending training and the weather. Other possible names included Mosi, Ikemba, and Tajiri.
WATERLOO, Iowa (KXEL) — Waterloo Fire Chief Pat Treloar will retire at the end of the year. His last day with the department will be Dec. 31, 2022. Treloar joined the Waterloo department as a firefighter in May 1997. He worked as a paramedic, engineer and community service director before he was appointed Fire Chief in 2011.
