CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The Cedar Rapids Fire Department responded to its third fire of the day on Wednesday afternoon. Fire crews responded to the 300 block of 31st St. NE around 2:14 p.m. for a report of an apartment fire. Crews found smoke and flames coming from the second floor of a two-story complex. One person was found outside and received medical care on the scene. The fire was put out within 20 minutes of the call. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The first apartment fire of the day was reported around 3:00 a.m. in the 200 block of 31st NE. That one was ruled accidental. A different apartment fire broke out around 10:19 a.m. in the 200 block of 40th Street Drive Southeast.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A Medicaid change on Dec. 1 will add work requirements for Iowa Medicaid recipients. People ages 19 to 64 who are able must work, participate in an education or work program, volunteer, or do a combination of these activities for 80 hours per month. People exempt from the work requirement are American Indians/Alaska Natives; those under 19 or over 64; individuals who are medically frail, disabled, or otherwise have special medical needs; pregnant or had a baby in the last 12 months while on Iowa Medicaid; caregivers of children under 14 or someone with a disability; participating in a drug or alcohol treatment program; participants in SNAP or FIP work programs; veterans rated as totally disabled; and individuals currently or recently in jail or prison. If any of the Medicaid changes apply to you, Iowa HHS will mail you a letter. Eligibility also can be checked on the Iowa HHS website.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Iowa Capital Dispatch/KCRG) – Alliant Energy Corporation has closed a $5.1 billion loan package with the U.S. Department of Energy to fund power generation and energy storage projects in Wisconsin and Iowa. A news release from the DOE said the loan would help to “strengthen grid reliability in Iowa and Wisconsin” by adding more than 2.6 gigawatts of power generation capacity and delivering electricity cost savings of more than $1 billion to ratepayers in both states. A spokesperson for Alliant said if the company accesses the full lower-interest loan package from DOE, the projected lifetime-adjusted interest savings would result in Iowa customer savings of $800 million and Wisconsin customer savings of $400 million. Alliant said with the 30-year loans, the company may pursue: 1.6 GW of new natural gas generation; 240 megawatts, or MW, of increased capacity at existing natural gas facilities; 1 GW of energy storage; and 2 billion cubic feet of liquified natural gas storage. The news release notes the company is not limited to pursuing only those projects. Alliant’s earnings reports show the company anticipates 60% load growth by 2031, and that it has contracted at least 3.4 gigawatts of demand from data centers. Alliant has planned several new natural gas generating plants in Iowa, including the Bobcat Energy Center in Marshalltown, which a spokesperson for Alliant said is one of the projects the company may pursue, but is not limited to, with the DOE loan.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – New court documents detail what caused a driver to run into a power line pole Tuesday morning. The crash caused around 1,300 customers to lose power, including several nearby schools. A criminal complaint from Cedar Rapids Police says Eric Olmstead, of Cedar Rapids, has been charged with operating under the influence. He was also cited for several traffic violations. The complaint says he was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the crash. He refused a urine test but told officers he smoked marijuana the night before. Police say he failed two out of three field sobriety test and showed signs of impairment. The complaint also says he caused an accident and left the scene.
