CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Sales of fireworks in city limits in Cedar Rapids are legal, but setting off the fireworks in city limits is not. Roger Jensen, the Vice President of the Freedom Foundation, a veteran’s organization, said the ease of access to fireworks in the city can hurt veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Jensen said he and many veterans in his organization are not bothered by large, scheduled firework shows. He said when a firework goes off without warning, it can make him feel like he’s suddenly under attack. He said the best way to help veterans with PTSD around the fourth of July is to not set off fireworks in residential areas.
MARION, Iowa (KCRG) – A 30-year-old man has been found guilty in federal court following a day-and-a-half-long trial. Court records show that Cory Gall of Marion exchanged text messages with a person who stated that she was 13 years old back in December 2023. The person was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. Gall reportedly sent explicit sexual messages and traveled to meet with her. He was found guilty of attempted enticement of a minor. Gall faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
FORT DODGE, Iowa (KCRG) – A 16-year-old is dead, and two others are hurt after a car crash at a park in Fort Dodge. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the teens were driving through a park in Fort Dodge when the driver lost control of the car. The vehicle hit a tree, and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. One person had to be flown to the hospital, and another person was treated and released. Officials have not detailed the condition of the person who is still in the hospital.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – On June 29, 2024, a 45-year-old woman was arrested after driving into a construction zone and driving off a bridge. Investigators say Rosalia Chavez Amaya drove a 2015 Ford Explorer into a clearly marked construction zone and around equipment and signs and then off a demolished bridge. Chavez Amaya allegedly had bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech, and smelled of alcohol when officials arrived on the scene. Responders conducted a field sobriety test and she blew a 0.120% BAC. She was charged with Operating while Under the Influence – 1st Offense.
