WATERLOO, Iowa (KCRG) – American Airlines is expanding its offerings at the Waterloo Regional Airport with an early morning flight to Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The flights are expected to start April 4, 2025. However, starting June 5, 2025, the service will feature the Embraer E170 aircraft, which is a more spacious airplane, featuring First Class, Main Cabin Extra and Main Cabin seating options. “The reintroduced flight schedule aligns with passenger demand, offering ideal timing for business and leisure travelers seeking seamless connections through American Airlines’ major hubs,” Steven Kjergaard, Waterloo Regional Airport Director, said in a news release Monday.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Almost 600 people have signed a petition asking the Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD) to slow down implementation of the College and Career Pathways model. A parent in the district, Booke Oja, submitted the petition to the Board of Education on Monday. Oja said she started collecting signatures on November 20 because, in her eyes, there are still too many unknowns. After public comment, board members emphasized once again they want parents’ questions. One board member said they also need parents’ trust. While district officials said they’re looking for feedback, that doesn’t mean they’re putting anything on pause. At the meeting, the architecture firm INVISION presented renderings of the additions that would be built at Washington and Jefferson High Schools as part of the pathways program. The building additions are estimated to cost $59 million. A representative for Larson Construction said the company could start work as soon as spring break, but the “number one date” for breaking ground is when school is out for the summer. As for the petition, district officials said they’d verify the signatures and then put the petition on the Board’s next agenda so people could share their comments.
NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (KCRG) – A North Liberty woman is facing charges for allegedly leaving her children alone in an apartment where a fire later started, causing the whole building to be evacuated. Brittany Airhart, 29, is charged with Neglect or Abandonment of a Dependent Person. In a criminal complaint, police said Airhart recklessly left her 3-year-old and 5-year-old children alone in their apartment. Police said Airhart told them she believed the babysitter had picked the children up after she left the apartment, but she never confirmed that with the babysitter. At around 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 11, while the children were home alone, a small fire started in the living room of her apartment, causing the entire building to be evacuated. Officials say they believe the fire started when one of the children turned on a fireplace that had a basket of clothing that had been left nearby. Firefighters responded to the fire and rescued the children, who were found in their bedrooms, and a dog that was also found in the apartment. The fire suppression systems were activated, and the fire was mostly extinguished by the time fire crews arrived. The children were taken to the hospital, but they were not injured.
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (KCRG) – A Marshalltown woman pleaded guilty to presenting false information after investigators found she knowingly misrepresented facts to receive insurance benefits. In a news release on Monday, the Iowa Insurance Division said 35-year-old Tonya Weber, of Marshalltown, reported having been injured when she fell in the shower of a hotel room at the Meskwaki Bingo and Casino Hotel in February 2024. When the hotel’s insurance company requested photos of Weber’s injury, officials say Weber provided an image of a bruised limb that was later found to have been downloaded from the internet. Weber was arrested on June 27. After pleading guilty, Weber received a five-year suspended prison sentence and was placed on a five-year period of supervised probation. She was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,152 and a fine of $1,025.
