From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
A second person has died after a house fire Tuesday morning in Cedar Rapids. Crews were called to the home on the city’s southwest side near Jones Park. Firefighters found 74-year-old Nancy Fite dead inside the house. 77-year-old Richard Fite was seriously hurt in the fire and later died at the hospital. Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire.
Coralville fire crews were called out to an apartment complex for a stubborn fire that kept reigniting. The building is located in the 900 block of 22nd Avenue. A pot on the stove of one apartment caused the initial fire. Then hours later, crews returned. A third call was reported with flames seen coming out of the roof at an apartment on the other side of the building. 15 people had to shelter overnight at the nearby rec center. Four adults and three children are now displaced. The American Red Cross is providing assistance to them.
One person is dead from the severe weather than swept through Iowa yesterday. Des Moines Police say they were called to a homeless encampment, where they found a man who was struck by a falling tree. The man has not been identified. Several trees were downed in the Dubuque area and flood alerts were issued in many parts of eastern Iowa. Some of the wind speeds were estimated at 80 to 95 miles per hour.
Deere and Company in Dubuque says it plans to hire 30 employees. The Dubuque factory produces crawler dozers, skid steers, backhoes, and forestry machines, among other Deere equipment. In addition, the Davenport John Deere facility is welcoming 20 employees back to work this month. Across the U.S., John Deere says 400 employees have been rehired since January. Deere says the callbacks signal improving markets and increased demand for manufacturing equipment.
Some lawmakers say they are concerned the U.S. isn’t doing enough to eradicate the New World Screwworm. 21 senators sent a letter Thursday to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins about the growing threat. There are at least seven confirmed cases, mostly in cattle in Texas. The parasite, which had been eradicated for decades, could cost the economy billions and raise beef prices.
