CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Students at Poyner Elementary and Bunger Middle School were safely relocated Wednesday afternoon after a gas leak was reported at both schools. In a message on his Facebook page, Waterloo Community School District Superintendent Jared Smith shared that both schools were dismissed early following the reported leak. At the time of his post, he said that the source of the gas leak had not been identified. Students were taken to the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church for parents to pick them up.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Police have arrested a woman and charged her with making false claims after she reported having been shot in the leg by a masked assailant last month. In a press release, investigators said 39-year-old Amber Snider, of Cedar Rapids, shot herself in the leg on Oct. 16 at about 7:41 p.m. When police were called to Snider’s home, they said Snider claimed to have been shot in the leg by an unknown, masked person outside the home. Through their investigation, officers said they discovered Snider’s injury was self-inflicted, and her claims were false. Investigators also said they found illegal substances and firearms at Snider’s home.
DES MOINES, Iowa – School board elections are set to be held on Tuesday across Iowa. Usually, they’re held without much fanfare, but that’s not the case this year. Some major advocacy groups are endorsing school board candidates and even spending thousands of dollars to back them. For example, the success Moms for Liberty saw with changing state law regarding education was only the start. Now, they want a seat at the table as the law comes into effect. Much of Moms for Liberty’s endorsements in Iowa center around the Des Moines and Cedar Rapids metro areas. The FAMiLY Leader, a conservative evangelical group, endorsed and spent money in support of four candidates in the Johnston School District, a suburb of Des Moines. Drew Zahn, a spokesman for the organization says the endorsements represent a growth in their ministry.
CLIVE, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa Pork Producers Association is adding another Iowa State player to its “Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon” marketing campaign. The NIL deal now includes Cyclones Linebacker Alec Cook. The marketing now encourages Iowans to not just purchase more ham and bacon, but to also cook more ham and bacon. In a 30-second video posted on social media, the four players, Myles Purchase, Tyler Moore, Tommy Hamann and Caleb Bacon stand with their backs to the camera so their last names are visible. The image cuts to a vehicle’s trunk full of ham and bacon, and Purchase asks, “so, now what?” Alec Cook then steps into frame behind Purchase so the names on the backs of the jerseys reads “Cook Moore Hamann Bacon.” The Iowa Pork Producers Association said it is donating $4,000 worth of pork to food pantries in the hometowns of Myles Purchase, Tyler Moore, Tommy Hamann and Caleb Bacon on behalf of the players to help fight food insecurity. The IPPA is now also providing an additional $1,000 worth of pork for each food pantry, as well as the Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha, which is Alec Cook’s selection.
