BLACK HAWK COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – More information has been released about the farm equipment accident that resulted in one person dead on Friday. At approximately 3:50 p.m. Friday, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a single-vehicle rollover accident involving farm equipment. The accident occurred in the 11000 block of S. Canfield Road, according to the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department. Upon arrival, officers found a telehandler partly on its side in the ditch. The driver was identified as Allen Craft, of La Porte City. Police say Craft was trying to leave his field when he drove the vehicle over the edge of the ditch. He was thrown from the vehicle. Craft was pronounced dead at the scene.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – City officials gathered outside of the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library Monday morning for a ribbon-cutting ceremony commemorating the completion of a flood control project. The Czech Village flood control project consists of a storm water pump station, detention basin, concrete floodwall from 12th to 16th Avenue SW and a flood gate across 16th Avenue SW. This southwest-area project is the latest completed step of the permanent flood control system set to cost between $1.1-$1.3 billion with inflation, according to the City of Cedar Rapids. The project will protect the area to the level of the 2008 flood, which reached heights of 31.12 feet. The city-wide flood control system is projected to be completed in 2035, according to the city’s public works website. Following the opening of the Czech Village project, the city reported that it is 42% complete with the total planned flood protection system.
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa Department of Education is offering a $850,000 grant to help students gain computer science credentials. The competitive grant is available to Iowa school districts and accredited nonpublic schools. According to the Iowa Department of Education, the funding will assist high schoolers in earning “in-demand technology credentials with labor market value.” Funding will be offered to schools which provide a clear plan on how to offer the credentials, such as licenses or certifications, through computer science programs. Any computer science or IT-related class qualifies for the grant, as long as it is a new opportunity not previously provided to students. Applications for the grant are being accepted now through IowaGrants.gov. The application deadline is September 30.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – The University of Iowa announced Monday that its Summer Writing Festival will be discontinued. Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) has decided to discontinue the Summer Writing Festival due to ongoing funding challenges. The festival will be discontinued starting December 31, 2025. Iowa CLAS says the decision is based on the resources required and not a reflection of the dedication or effort of the staff. The Iowa Summer Writing Festival brought adult writers from across the country to lead in-person workshops in Iowa City every summer since 1987. The festival is for writers of all levels and backgrounds. The Iowa Summer Writing Festival says they’re forever grateful to all of the writers who have participated in the festival since 1987.
