TOLEDO, Iowa (KCRG) – A nativity scene in Toledo is at the center of a controversy. The display has appeared on the front lawn of the Toledo Fire Department during the holiday season for about fifteen years now. Last week, The Freedom from Religion Foundation sent a letter to city officials requesting the nativity scene be removed from government property. The letter said the display violated the laws requiring the separation of church and state. Right after the letter was sent, the nativity scene was moved to private property, the yard of a retired firefighter a couple of hundred feet away. However, many in the town want to see the display reinstated in front of the Fire Department. About 75 people were at Toledo’s City Council meeting on Monday night, all of them in support of finding solutions that would put the nativity back in its traditional spot.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The Eastern Iowa Airport will purchase a residential property just south of the airport. In 2020, a University of Iowa professor tested multiple water wells surrounding the Eastern Iowa Airport. He was looking for PFAS in groundwater after hearing about similar situations in other states. The property approved for purchase Monday was one of the ones his team tested. The property was one of the 14 that tested positive for levels of PFAS. Although the airport is owned by the city of Cedar Rapids, the airport’s spokesperson says no local property taxes flows to the airport. Officials with the airport did say it planned all along to purchase this property, and that the PFAS in the groundwater was just a secondary motivator. The airport bought the property for $1.1 million, which is about 43 percent above the property’s assessed value. For now, the current residents will rent the property from the airport, but they can only do that for up to three years.
OTTUMWA, Iowa (KYOU) – The report of a house fire was called in around 7:30 p.m. on December 9th. Ottumwa Police and Fire Fighters responded within minutes to 204 Woodland Ave. A neighbor told KYOU; the emergency response immediately began breaking windows in efforts to get people out. First responders were able to recover most of the occupants of the house and did all they could, but a child and adult were stuck in the fire, resulting in their death. The neighbor that spoke with KYOU said the child was a three-year-old boy. First responders were on the scene from 7:30 p.m. until early Sunday morning. This is the third house fire in Ottumwa in a matter of weeks. This is also the 31st death from a fire in Iowa this year. The City of Ottumwa Fire Department has called in the State’s Fire Marshall’s Office to assist in the investigation of the origin of the fire.
CORALVILLE, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa Children Museum’s Robert E. Yager Active Learning award is granted to four Iowa teachers every year. While it celebrates only a few individual educators, the Museum wants it to raise awareness for all teachers. Teachers are nominated for their ability to engage a classroom by using innovative activities and fostering an active learning environment. Nominees are also being graded on their ability to use innovative techniques to make an impact in the classroom. Among other prizes, the winner is treated to a free trip to the Children’s Museum for their classroom, along with $100 for classroom supplies. Robert Yager, who the award is named after, was a professor of science at the University of Iowa and a longtime friend of the Children’s Museum. He passed away in 2019. The awards perks are paid in part by Yager’s family trust. Winners will be announced by surprise in their classrooms over January and February. They will also be invited to the Museum’s annual Gala in early March.
