CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Bricks from a historic downtown Cedar Rapids building broke off and landed on the 3rd Avenue sidewalk Saturday morning. City leaders say police and fire crews received calls just before 7:30 that several bricks fell from the four-story Granby building. Police said they closed the affected sidewalk. City officials say fire crews used a fire department ladder truck to inspect the exterior and remove other loose materials. An initial inspection indicated the bricks fell from the building’s facade. The city advised the property owners to meet with a structural engineer to assess the building’s structural integrity within the next 48 hours. A spokesperson for the city says the Granby building is a commercial property and no residents live in the building. They also say the damage seems to be confined to the building façade and that it didn’t appear to be a deeper structural issue. The affected sidewalk will remain closed.
JO DAVIESS COUNTY, ILLINOIS (KCRG) – A few minutes after 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Deputies were sent to S. Steele Road and W. Steele road after receiving reports of a potential plane crash. According to witnesses, a plane that seemed to be in distress was flying low and then never reappeared. Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Deputies, AirCare, the Hanover Fire Department, Elizabeth EMS, and the Elizabeth Fire Department all searched the region for a downed aircraft. The Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Deputies found the pilot on Illinois Route 84 South, close to his plane, which was in a corn field. The pilot was the only person in the plane. Elizabeth EMS treated the pilot for minor injuries. The FAA and the Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The races at Hawkeye Downs Saturday had a much deeper meaning than just winning a regional event. It was to show the importance of organ donations. You didn’t have to look any further than NASCAR driver Joey Gase’s car. Hands covered the hood with messages from organ donors and a picture of Joe Bertling. “It was a true honor,” said Liz Schroeder, Joe’s sister. “It gave me a smile and made me tear up.” Bertling passed away in 2022 after a golf cart accident. It was then that Schroeder and Joe’s mom Jean Lake found out Joe was an organ donor. “He saved a lot of people,” said Lake. “A 20-year-old boy got his heart.” It was that conversation that Gase said people needed to start having. Something he knows all too well after his mom passed away in 2011 from a sudden brain aneurysm. “I’ve been able to meet two of my mom’s recipients and to know that they are still here today because of my mom’s gift,” said Gase. According to the Iowa Donor Network, there are 583 Iowans currently waiting for an organ transplant. Signing up to be a donor is something Gase and Bertling’s family said not only kept their loved ones’ memories alive, but gave new life to other families. “He’s watching us from up there, and I’m sure he’s smiling down on us,” said Lake.
DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) -Two people were injured after an accidental grease fire at an apartment building in Dubuque Saturday night. Crews received call for a fire at 1691 Main Street around 7:15 Saturday night. Crews entered the building and confirmed a grease fire which was put out by the occupant of the first floor apartment. Two people were taken to a local hospital for their injuries. Residents were able to return to their homes.
