JOHNSON COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – Just after 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and emergency services traveled to the 2800 block of Dubuque Street Northeast where a fatal single vehicle crash occurred. At the scene, crews learned at a 2010 Jeep Wrangler had been traveling south on Dubuque Street when it entered the ditch and rolled, ejecting both passengers, 18-year-old Trevor Burrows from North Liberty and 18-year-old Jacob Cohen from Iowa City. The occupants were not wearing seatbelts. Trevor Burrows died at the scene. An ambulance took Jacob Cohen to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics due to his injuries.
DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) – A fire damaged a home beyond repair in rural Dubuque County on Friday night, according to officials. At around 9:42 p.m., the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a fire in the 6900 block of U.S. Highway 52 South. First responders arrived at the scene to see a home that was engulfed in flames. A man was inside the home at the time and was able to escape. He was taken to MercyOne Hospital in Dubuque and has since been released. Firefighters described the home as a total loss and estimated the damage at around $150,000. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — The driver of a car died after the vehicle slammed into a home in Iowa and burst into flames. The accident happened around 1:30 a.m. Saturday in Ankeny. Police say the people in the house got out safely, but the driver of the car was trapped and died in the fire. The driver’s name has not been released. The residents of the house and two police officers were treated for smoke inhalation but not hospitalized. The house was badly damaged and police said it was left structurally unstable. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Attorney General’s Office has paused its practice of paying for emergency contraception, and in rare cases abortions, for victims of sexual assault. The move has drawn criticism from some victim advocates. Federal regulations and state law require Iowa to pay many of the expenses for sexual assault victims who seek medical help, including treatment for sexually transmitted infections. Under the previous attorney general, Democrat Tom Miller, Iowa’s victim compensation fund also paid for the so-called “morning after” pill, as well as other treatments to prevent pregnancy. A spokeswoman for Republican Attorney General Brenna Bird, who defeated Miller in November, said those payments are on hold as part of a review of victim services.