INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (KCRG) – Three people were seriously injured in an overnight apartment fire in Independence. At approximately 12:17 a.m. Wednesday, Independence fire crews responded to reports of people trapped inside an apartment on fire in the 600 block of 2nd Avenue NE. Police rescued one person from a window before firefighters arrived. Upon arrival, crews ran into heavy fire and found one person who had escaped but was seriously injured. Firefighters found a third person inside the building and performed life-saving measures. All three victims were taken to the hospital. Two were later flown to trauma centers due to the severity of their injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Cedar Rapids police are investigating suspected drug-related overdoses that resulted in the deaths of two people. Cedar Rapids police responded to the 600 block of 33rd Avenue SW, known as Econo Lodge, Monday morning. Upon arrival, officers found several people suffering from what appeared to be drug-related health issues. Three people were taken to a local hospital. Two of those people have since died. Police are not releasing the names of those who died. This is an ongoing investigation.
ALBIA, Iowa (KCRG) – The Albia Junior High and High School held class online Tuesday and Wednesday while the school undergoes carbon monoxide testing. The building was dismissed early on Friday due to carbon monoxide concerns. Alliant Energy, the fire department and emergency management inspected the building afterward, all confirming that the building was safe to occupy. The school also put additional carbon monoxide detectors throughout the building and says they “have not indicated anything unusual.” Classes returned as usual on Monday, but several students and staff said they did not feel well. One staff member went to the Monroe County Emergency Room that afternoon. The ER reported Monday evening they “showed signs of exposure to elevated levels of carbon dioxide.” The Albia elementary school was not affected. In an update Tuesday, officials said the school called in multiple mechanical and air quality experts to test and inspect the building, but they did not find anything to explain the issue. Another online learning day was issued Wednesday as new companies from the Des Moines area come in to provide a second opinion. The district issued a statement Wednesday afternoon saying no issues have been found and the building has been cleared for students and staff to return Thursday. The Alliance Environmental Services will be monitoring the building’s air quality Thursday.
DES MOINES, Iowa (Iowa Capital Dispatch/KCRG) – An independent candidate, Dave Bushaw, announced he would join the race for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District in 2026. Bushaw, a 31-year-old Hawkeye resident, is campaigning for the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, a Republican. Hinson is running for the open U.S. Senate seat, as Sen. Joni Ernst is not seeking another term in office. While Bushaw has had experience in Democratic politics — he worked as an organizer for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2019 and 2020 in Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina — the candidate said he is running as an independent because “both parties walked away from the people who built this country.” “There’s the Republican wing and the Democratic wing, but they are both part of the same bird that feeds the corporate class,” Bushaw said in a statement. “Politicians let corporate greed gut our main streets, poison our rivers, and turn neighbors against each other while they bootlick for donations and power. It’s time to take that power back and put it in the hands of the workers who keep this country alive.”
