Police have arrested a 22-year-old Des Moines man in connection with a fatal hit-and-run that happened last week…we told you about the incident this morning. Des Moines Police said Lim Bol Choul was arrested yesterday after an anonymous tip led investigators to him. Police also found the dark-colored SUV that was involved in the collision Thanksgiving night. Choul is facing charges of leaving the scene of a fatal accident and driving without insurance. When authorities responded to the crash shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday, they found a pedestrian who was critically injured. That man was taken to a hospital where he later died from his injuries.
The Iowa Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 data shows an increase of 1,200 confirmed cases of the virus from 10:00 a.m. yesterday to 10:00 a.m. today. The 24-hour positivity rate is 39.6%. 25 new deaths were reported over the last 24-hour stretch – meaning 2,403 Iowans have died from COVID-19 during the pandemic. There are now 228,996 total cases confirmed in Iowa…1,162 people are now hospitalized in Iowa because of COVID-19.
A Republican candidate is hanging onto a single-digit lead in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District after a recount in a race that will help determine the size of Democrats’ majority in the House of Representatives. Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks has just six more votes than Democrat Rita Hart, this after the recount that wrapped up Saturday in Clinton County, which was the last of the district’s 24 counties to report its results. A state canvassing board will certify the results of the race today…a six vote margin from than 394,400 votes cast.
Thousands of streetlights still need to be repaired in the Cedar Rapids area months after they were broken when a derecho tore through Iowa. Alliant Energy officials do not have an estimate as to how long it’ll take to repair the lights. The utility prioritized restoring power to homes and businesses after the Aug. 10 derecho. Streetlight repairs began at the end of October and crews have been out in “full force” to repair them. The company’s crews and contractors have fixed hundreds of streetlights. Alliant says it has 12 two-person crews dedicated for streetlight repairs in every quadrant of the city.
