CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (KCRG) – Just before 6 a.m. on Saturday, the Black Hawk County Dispatch Center took a 911 call concerning a garage on fire on Bluff Street’s 1000 block. The first crews on the scene found two garages that were completely on fire. In addition, a Chevrolet truck that was parked close to one of the garages was on fire. Crews were able to quickly extinguish the flames. However, both garages and the truck were destroyed by the incident. Two more cars sustained damage due to the heat. The fire is under investigation.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Just after 12:30 a.m. on Saturday Linn County Sheriff’s Deputies, Area Ambulance, and the Fairfax Fire Department all responded after receiving a report of a multiple vehicle crash located at Highway 151 and Commercial Drive in Walford. At the scene, crews learned that a tan Toyota Camry, which had been driven by 48-year-old Pierre Marielle from Cedar Rapids had been hit from behind by a white Toyota Corolla driven by 38-year-old Sarder Khan also from Cedar Rapids. The crash led to both vehicles entering Highway 151′s south bound lane. In the south bound lane, the two Toyotas were hit by a white Nissan Sentra, which was driven by 42-year-old Jennifer Stark from Amana. When the accident happened, all drivers were wearing their seat belts. After the incident, Area Ambulance took Khan and Marielle to local hospitals for minor injuries. Stark wasn’t hurt. The Linn County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.
PRAIRIE CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – As thousands of hunters took to the fields Saturday searching for pheasants, one group at the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge welcomed them in to see who bagged the longest tail. The Tail and Spur contest is a tradition that started during the COVID-19 pandemic by James Johnson to promote the outdoor activity. “We feel it’s a really important way to recognize hunting and hunting sports in the state,” Johnson said. Each year, on opening day, dozens bring in their best bird for a shot at the grand prize. This year’s winner came in at around 23 inches. Saturday brought near-perfect conditions for the expected 50,000 hunters participating. Iowa DNR says the pheasant population is the highest it’s been since 2015. It’s also a huge economic driver in Iowa. As one of the top two states in the country for pheasant hunting, people come from all over to take part. And rural communities all over the state reap the benefits. “These hunters all eat, so as a result, they have to go to restaurants, they go to restaurants in small communities, and it really supports the small community,” Johnson said.
DES MOINES, Iowa (Iowa’s News Now) – The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services says the flu and other respiratory viruses are going around the state. HHS announced the first influenza-related death of the season on Friday as an older adult, (61 to 80 years), from southern Iowa. Iowa’s most recent Respiratory Virus Surveillance Report shows the virus at a low level of activity, and hospitals are currently reporting low patient admission rates.
