IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Iowa City Police Department says a woman is dead after a shooting early Monday morning. The department says officers were called at 2:38 a.m. to the 600 block of S. Dodge Street for a report of shots fired. Officers found a female victim at the scene. She was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. Her name is not being released at this time. The shooting is under investigation, but police say the shooting appears to be isolated. Anyone with information should reach out to Iowa City Police at 319-356-5275. People can also contact Crime Stoppers at 319-358-TIPS (8477).
POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – A pedestrian died after being hit by a vehicle while he was standing in the left lane of I-80 in Pottawattamie County early Monday morning. The Iowa State Patrol said it happened just after midnight Monday at around the 11 mile marker on I-80 eastbound. ISP said the vehicle was heading eastbound on I-80 when it struck the man who was standing in the left lane. The man died at the scene. He was identified as 51-year-old Michael Ponciano, of Bellevue, Nebraska.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Last week, Iowa saw three wrong-way crashes, killing four people. Two of those crashes were in Linn County. The Linn County Sheriff’s office said some factors in wrong-way drivers can be fog, impaired drivers or people just unfamiliar with the area. One safety tip Lieutenant Chris Smith recommends is staying in the right lane when driving. He says wrong-way drivers often end up in the left or middle lanes. Lieutenant Smith said one of the best things you can do is stay attentive. Lieutenant Smith said if you notice a wrong-way driver be sure to call authorities. He said to try to be as specific as you can when describing the area you’re in so they can get there as quickly as possible.
DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa Capitol Bureau) – Former President Jimmy Carter’s success in the Iowa Caucuses led to the state’s large role in the presidential election process for nearly five decades. Carter technically didn’t win the Iowa Caucuses. Voters who were uncommitted made up 37% of the vote, and Carter got 27% — more than any of the other named candidates. Former Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro met Jimmy Carter on his first trip to Iowa at a Young Democrats meeting in 1975. “I thought he was very impressive. He had a little bit of charisma to him. Tremendous smile. Very knowledgeable. Very knowledgeable, knowledgeable guy. Easy to like,” he said. Mauro said nobody knew who Carter was. “We’re going to be nice to this guy, but he has no chance. So, we’ll be nice to him and see what he has to say,” Mauro said. After the meeting, he took Carter to the Iowa State Fair. He said it was different than it’s been in recent years: There was no fanfare around the candidates. “And he’s shaking hands with people literally saying, ‘Hi, my name’s Jimmy Carter, and I’m running for president of the United States.’ And the Iowans they can be — they were nice and receptive of him, but I certainly didn’t have any clue that he would go on to be actually be the president,” Mauro said. Mauro drove Carter a handful of times throughout the campaign. “He’d want to know who were the movers and shakers that we need to talk to in order push this campaign further on,” he said. Carter felt comfortable here and was able to relate with Iowans, Mauro said. “He was impressed with the state. If you come here from outside the state, you get a different perspective. He was amazed at the fields and stuff like that,” he said.
