DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) – No one was injured after a deck caught fire on a Dubuque home. A neighbor called 911 just after 6 a.m. on Sunday after seeing the back deck on fire at a home on the 1600 block of N. Algona Street. More than a dozen firefighters arrived on the scene and put out the fire in minutes. Neither the fire nor the smoke reached inside the home, but the back deck is considered a total loss. The fire melted some siding on the home. There was roughly $6,500 worth of damage done.
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (KCRG/KCCI) – What started as a scratchy throat for Steve Moody quickly became a life‑threatening illness, his wife, Sarah Moody, said — and now a widening Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Marshall County has turned deadly. The state health and human services department confirms one person has died, and at least 21 cases have been confirmed. The person who died was an older adult with underlying health conditions, officials said. After weeks of cold symptoms, Sarah Moody said her husband’s condition worsened on Sunday. On Monday, she said doctors at UnityPoint in Marshalltown diagnosed Steve Moody with Legionnaires’ disease — a severe form of pneumonia. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Legionnaires’ disease is caused by Legionella bacteria and typically spreads when people breathe in small droplets of water or soil that contain the bacteria. People with lung disease or weakened immune systems face a higher risk. On Thursday, county and state health departments confirmed one person died amid an outbreak in Marshall County. Marshalltown Water Works said it tested the city’s drinking water for 30 pathogens it monitors and reported that those results came back negative. Health officials said they are still working to identify the source. Health officials urge anyone with symptoms such as cough, fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches, or headache — especially older adults and those with underlying conditions — to seek medical care promptly.
MARION, Iowa (KCRG) – The Marion Public Library is having bird film installed on its windows in response to recent bird collisions. The Marion Public Library will have a bird film installed on all exterior windows by Shades & Shields. The project started on September 2. The bird film is being installed to prevent future collisions. There have been multiple incidents. During construction, street parking will be closed for a boom lift and work area. Traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction, and a detour will be in place during this time. The project is expected to be completed within three weeks.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa City man pleaded guilty to prostitution after being accused of paying an underage person for sex acts more than a dozen times. 41-year-old Pablo Mejia Aguilar pleaded guilty to two counts of prostitution on Friday. In February, Pablo Mejia Aguilar was charged with 13 counts of third-degree sexual abuse, 13 counts of prostitution, and one count of distributing drugs to a person under 18. According to court documents, Mejia Aguilar befriended the 14-year-old victim and paid her $100 to engage in sex acts with him. Investigators say Mejia Aguilar met with the victim 13 different times at multiple locations in Iowa City and Johnson County between June and August 2024. Mejia Aguilar provided the victim with a phone so he could set up meetings with her and would assist her in sneaking out of her home in the middle of the night. Court documents say data from the victim’s phone identified Meija Aguilar’s business and a residence owned by him. A photo on the victim’s phone also showed her inside of Mejia Aguilar’s van. She also took a photo of his passport. The victim told investigators that Mejia Aguilar paid her $1,300. Investigators found more than $1,100 in a case inside the victim’s bedroom, along with alcohol and marijuana provided by Mejia Aguilar. A singular charge of prostitution includes a five year prison sentence. If convicted, Mejia Aguilar could face up to ten years in prison.
