LINN COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – The Linn County Board of Supervisors shared Monday that it will not move forward with changes to its EU-2 zoning district. The changes would have let large-scale data centers be built near nuclear energy facilities. The county’s EU-2 zoning district currently allows building for nuclear power generation facilities, nuclear waste storage and natural gas-fired electric generating facilities. The changes would have been made as data centers eye the proposed restart of the Duane Arnold Energy Center near Palo. The change would have let data centers work with the Energy Center before the end of the county’s 18-month moratorium put into place on July 1. The decision comes after residents met with the county Planning & Zoning Commission on July 20. At the meeting, residents shared concerns related to water, power, land-use, environment and other logistics with data centers. Supervisor Brandy Meisheid said while data centers could play an important role in restarting the Duane Arnold Energy Center, the county wanted to make sure the community was on board. The supervisors said they will use the moratorium time to develop policy that aids informed decisions reflecting the needs of the community.
DUBUQUE COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – The Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office is releasing more information about a crash that killed two people and seriously injured five others Saturday night. The sheriff’s office identified one of the people killed as 33-year-old Joshua Tack of Union. The release says the other person killed was a 10-year-old child. At about 9:21 p.m. on Saturday, first responders were called to the intersection of East Worthington Road and Comer Road for a report of a car vs UTV accident. The 10-year-old child was declared dead at the scene. Six others, including Tack, were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Tack later died from his injuries at the hospital. Tack was a Principal for the BCLUW Community School District. He had served in the position since 2023. The school shared a social media post Monday morning asking for the community to keep his family “in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.” The crash remains under investigation.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Two Cedar Rapids teenagers charged in connection to a shooting that injured five people earlier this year at the Iowa City Pedestrian Mall will appear for trial later than planned. Damarian Jones and Ka’Mari Dozier, both 17, were scheduled to go to trial together on August 18. Both face five counts of attempted murder, among other charges. On Friday, Dozier waived his right to a speedy trial. This reset the trial date for Dozier and Jones. A new trial date has not been set yet. There is a trial scheduling meeting set for Friday afternoon.
FAIRFAX, Iowa (KCRG) – Iowa State Patrol has identified a driver killed during a chase south of Fairfax on Saturday as 34-year-old Robert Oppenheimer of Olin. The Linn County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation at Williams Boulevard and East Southview Road in Fairfax at 9:13 p.m. on Saturday. The driver refused to pull over and led the deputy on a pursuit. The chase went southbound on Lefebure Road. According to deputies, the vehicle failed to negotiate a T-intersection with Wright Brothers Boulevard, left the road, and came to rest in the south ditch. Emergency responders performed life-saving measures, but the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle–identified as Oppenheimer in a crash report–was pronounced dead at the scene. The Iowa State Patrol is investigating.
