BUCHANAN COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – Just before 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Buchanan County Sheriff’s Deputies went to 130th Street and Indiana Avenue after receiving a report of an accident. Authorities say that 80-year-old Michael John Puff from Oelwein was driving east on 130th Street in a 2000 Buick LeSabre. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Conner Scott Jorgensen was heading north on Indiana Avenue in a 2013 Chevrolet Equinox. The two cars crashed when they entered the intersection at the same time. The Sheriff’s Office suspects that visibility was obscured by the standing corn near the intersection. Puff’s car stopped along the east shoulder of Indiana Avenue, north of the intersection. However, Jorgensen’s car went into the northeast ditch and rolled over, stopping upside down. Puff had to be taken from his vehicle by mechanical means. Puff hadn’t been wearing a seatbelt. Puff was taken to Mercy One Hospital in Oelwein, where he died. Jorgensen only had minor injuries. The accident is under investigation.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) -Several Cedar Rapids firefighters are recovering from minor injuries after responding to a house fire. The Cedar Rapids Fire Department responded to calls for a house fire in the 2900 block of Center Point Road Northeast just before 9:15 p.m. Saturday night. Officials made sure no one was inside the house. Multiple firefighters received minor injuries while battling the flames. They were taken to an area hospital for treatment. The cause of that fire remains under investigation.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A federal judge has denied a temporary restraining order on Iowa’s new hemp law. Ten companies, including Big Grove Brewery and Field Day, are suing the state. They believe the law passed this year is discriminatory because it limits the amount of THC allowed in beverages. They argued the law is too vague in defining a serving size. But the judge rejected the injunction because the Department of Public Health issued more guidance on the law earlier this month. A lawsuit is still pending in the case.
LANSING, Iowa (KCRG) – The Lansing Police Department has lost its chief and its two officers, effectively leaving the towns of Lansing and New Albin without police officers. Until new officers can be hired, the Iowa State Patrol and the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office will be responsible for both of the towns’ calls. City officials said the departures were unexpected, and they had no time to hire more officers. The mayor said moving forward, he will push for an officer to be specifically assigned to New Albin. For now, it may take a bit longer for sheriff’s deputies to arrive in both towns.
