News

More Layoffs Confirmed at John Deere Facilities in the Quad Cities

Nearly 300 jobs between two John Deere facilities in the Quad Cities are being eliminated at the start of 2025. A company spokesperson confirmed to Iowa's News Now on Wednesday that around 80 production employees will be let go from John Deere Davenport Works on Jan. 3, with another 200 getting laid off from John Deere Harvester Works in East Moline, Illinois the same day. Seven workers at Moline, Illinois' John Deere Seeding and Cylinder will also lose their jobs at the start of the year. A statement from John Deere says the layoffs are not related to production moves. Deere claims the layoffs this fiscal year are due to the weakening farm economy and a reduction in customer orders for equipment. The state of Iowa's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) log shows John Deere has laid off almost 1,700 workers across Iowa in 2024 - including more than 960 at the company's Waterloo facility. The vast majority of the cuts have been manufacturing and production positions. Layoffs have also hit Deere's Eastern Iowa operations in Dubuque. Facilities in Ankeny, Johnston, and Urbandale have also dealt with cuts.

Dubuque Man Charged with Sexual Assault of a Runaway under the Age of 16

A Dubuque man has been charged with the sexual assault of a a runaway under the age of 16. The TH reports that in January, police received a report of a “found runaway” girl under age 16 who had been sexually assaulted. The girl told police a male took her to his residence, provided her with alcohol, sexually assaulted her and gave her money before dropping her off. Investigators examined the girl’s phone with her parents’ consent and discovered chats and calls involving a phone number associated with 27-year-old Cody Schmidt of Dubuque. The phone conversations included attempts by Schmidt to have the girl send him explicit photos and Schmidt’s plan to pick her up. Investigators reviewing traffic camera footage could see the girl entering Schmidt’s vehicle. The vehicle then travels in the direction of Schmidt’s residence. Police interviewed Schmidt on March 8th and he “admitted to taking (the girl) to his residence.” Schmidt told police he was asleep while the girl was at his residence and that he knew the girl was under 16 years old. Testing of DNA samples provided a likely link between Schmidt and an article of the girl’s clothing. Schmidt was arrested Tuesday on a warrant charging third-degree sexual abuse, prostitution, enticing a minor under age 16 for a sexual purpose and harboring a runaway child.

Rural Center Point Home Considered a Total Loss after Fire

A rural Center Point home is considered a total loss after a fire Thursday. At about 12:10PM, Linn County Deputies along with Linn County Paramedic Rescue 57 and several area fire departments, responded to a house fire at the corner of Klemish Circle and Mohler Road in rural Center Point.

Upon arrival, first responders found the residence at 1 Klemish Circle to be fully engulfed in flames. Home owners, Veronica and Charles Peterson, were quick to notify that no persons were in the residence, but they did have several animals inside. The Residence was a complete loss and a camper nearby sustained damage as well. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time and this incident is still under investigation.

Highway 136 Project in Cascade to be Completed by end of October

Work continues to progress on the Johnson St./IA136 project in Cascade.  Early last week the drive lanes of the rural portion of the project were paved. This amounted to about 1,250 feet of 24-foot-wide pavement.  On Friday, the 4-foot shoulders on each side of the rural drive lanes were paved. The plan for this week is to continue handwork placement of concrete on the remaining sidewalks and ADA ramps. Additional fine grading and topsoil placement will also continue through the week and remaining asphalt is scheduled to be placed as well. Those who live and travel throughout the project corridor on a regular basis, please use caution around the ongoing construction. The project should be completed on November 1st.

Report Says East Central Iowa Deer Population Density Stable

A new report from the Iowa Department of Natural resources details county-level deer population densities across the state and reports East Central Iowa counties’ densities are at a relatively stable level and vary based on land use. Clayton County was found to have one of the highest deer-population densities across Iowa. It also boasted the highest deer harvest statewide. Dubuque and Jackson counties’ populations are stable and increasing, while Delaware County’s population was among Eastern Iowa’s lowest. The new county-level report will help the DNR and other conservation agencies make management decisions regarding whitetail deer. The animals provide an economic benefits to rural businesses but also bring potential negative impacts on both crops and motorist safety. To get the county-level counts, the DNR analyzed surveys and the number of deer harvested by hunters during annual hunting seasons, tallied the number of reported deer vs. vehicle collisions on the state’s roads and conducted a nocturnal survey of deer with spotlights. Altogether, those results showed that Clayton County had 34 deer per square mile from 2022 to 2024, Jackson County had 24, Delaware County had 20 and Dubuque County had 15. DNR also weighed the surveys’ deer counts against each county’s deer habitat quality, by which area counties were ranked the same as in their deer habitat density.

Farmers Use Field Equipment to Stop Field Fire in Dubuque County

Farmers used field equipment to halt a field fire in Dubuque County. According to Dubuque County Sheriff Joe Kennedy, a group of hay bales caught fire at approximately 3:30 p.m. Sunday at 16461 N. Cascade Road. Kennedy says winds pushed the fire across the road into an adjacent field, where area farmers used field equipment to till the area to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby standing corn. No damage estimate was listed in the report.

Three Killed in Delaware County Wrong-Way Crash

Three people are dead after a wrong-way driver crash on Highway 20 in Delaware County. The driver of a Chevy Impala was driving eastbound in the westbound around 3:30 a.m. Sunday. The car collided head-on with a large freight truck and both vehicles became fully engulfed in flames. Three people in the car were killed, the driver and two passengers. The driver of the truck survived the crash but was injured. The names of those killed are currently being withheld. The crash remains under investigation.

Dubuque Man Dies after being Struck by Semi

A Dubuque man died after being struck by a semi-tractor trailer early Monday morning in Dubuque. According to a Dubuque Police Department crash report, a semi driven by 56-year-old Eric Fiene, of Rock City, Ill., was eastbound on East 16th Street on the ramp to U.S. 61/151 at about 3:15 AM, when he struck 44-year-old Joseph Ray of Dubuque. Ray was transported by EMS to UnityPoint Health-Finley Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. No citations or charges have been issued at this time.

Woman Dies after being Struck by Car at Independence Walmart

Independence Police have identified a Jesup woman killed this week after she was hit by a car and forced into the side of the local Walmart. According to a press release, around 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, officers responded to an accident in the Walmart parking lot on Enterprise Drive. At the scene, police found that 27-year-old Leann Dumire had been forced into the side of the building. Dumire was brought to the Buchanan County Health Center where she was pronounced dead. Police say the driver of the vehicle was a 14-year-old who was driving with an adult family member. The 14-year-old has a valid learners permit and the adult family member is a licensed driver.

Authorities Identify the Person Killed in Jackson County Crash

Authorities have identified the person killed last week in a Jackson County crash. According to a an Iowa State Patrol crash report, 48-year-old Tamara Lazak, of Muskegon, Mich., was killed in the crash, 32-year-old Andrew Lindemann of Victoria, Texas, and 58-year-old Randall Diesling, of Maquoketa sustained injuries in the crash. The crash happened Oct. 3 near the intersection of 196th Avenue and U.S. 61. The report states that Lindemann’s vehicle was traveling south on U.S. 61 when it struck a tractor in front of it driven by Diesling. Lazak was a passenger in Lindemann’s vehicle.

Dyersville Area Chamber of Commerce wants to Pack the Pantry

The Dyersville Area Chamber of Commerce is encouraging the businesses, employees and residents to “Pack the Pantry”. With rising needs in the community, the chamber encourages residents to contribute non-perishable food items and drop them off at designated locations by October 29.

Dyersville drop off locations are: Fidelity Bank & Trust (2nd St), MidWestOne (Hwy 136), DuTrac, Community Savings Bank, Dupaco and Divine Word College in Epworth, making it easier than ever for the community to participate. Businesses are also encouraged to collect internally with their employees. All collections can be dropped off at the Dyersville Rural Community Food Pantry on October 29th from 4:30 to 6pm. The food pantry is seeking a variety of non-perishable food items, including bodywash, toothpaste, dish soap, brownie & cake mixes, pudding mix, jello, Kleenex, paper towels and of course monetary donations are appreciated. For questions, please contact the Dyersville Area Chamber of Commerce at 563-875-2311.

Dubuque Woman Faces a Felony Neglect Charge after Driving while Impaired with Child

A Dubuque woman faces a felony neglect charge after driving while impaired with a child in her vehicle. The TH reports that officers responded to an intersection in the area of U.S. 61 and Rockdale Road at about 9:15 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a rollover crash. Upon arrival, they located a car on its top and identified the driver as 26-year-old Nicole Bakey. Bakey was driving the vehicle when she lost control and it overturned. Also in the vehicle was Bakey’s young daughter, who was uninjured and picked up by Bakey’s mother. Bakey completed standardized field sobriety tests and showed signs of impairment and she tested positive for alcoholic beverage consumption on a preliminary breath test. She told officers she had consumed three drinks earlier in the evening prior to driving. Bakey was arrested on charges of neglect or abandonment of a dependent person and operating while intoxicated-first offense.

Dyersville City Council Approves Variety of Property-Related Measures

The Dyersville City Council approved a variety of property-related measures, including the purchase of a parcel needed for a future overpass project. At Monday's meeting, council members voted to approve a future hearing on November 4th to enter into a General Obligation Bridge Improvement Loan Agreement for an amount not to exceed $275,000. The subject is the Greenwood property located at 822 1st Avenue West that council members voted to approve purchasing at their August 19th meeting. The land would be needed in the future for an overpass over the railroad at Beltline Road, which would also include a roundabout to raise and realign the intersection of Seventh Street Southwest, First Avenue West and Beltline Road. That purpose, was why the new resolution was necessary. The city isn’t looking to obtain a loan at the moment but has been advised by bond counsel to hold the hearing to allow the city to utilize debt service funding in the future for a potential project. Also at this week’s meeting, the council held a public hearing for the voluntary annexation of property owned by Daniel, Lynne, James and Mary Kay Lueck at the north end of the city. The annexation passed unanimously, with Council Member Jim Gibbs absent. The council also set a second hearing for the first council meeting in November to amend the city’s Urban Renewal Plan to reset the 20-year Tax Increment Financing area around the industrial park for four projects: the new childcare center, Batch Plant project, the third phase of a Dyersville Economic Development Corporation project and a warehouse for Scale Models — the latter of which is technically outside the industrial park.

Monticello Heritage and Cultural Center Hosting Spark!

The Monticello Heritage and Cultural Center is hosting Spark! Places of Innovation, a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street (MoMS) program. According to a press release, Spark!n dives into innovation and invention happening in rural America. Spark! Places of Innovation is part of MoMS, a unique collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, state humanities councils across the nation, and local host organizations. Spark! features stories from over 30 rural communities across the nation that reveal the dynamic relationship between place and creativity. The Monticello Heritage and Cultural Center will be open normal hours during this exhibit Sundays 1:00pm to 5:00pm and Tuesdays 6:00pm to 8:00pm. It is located at 211 North Sycamore Street, Monticello.

One Injured in Tractor-Trailer Crash near Cascade

An Illinois man was injured in a semi-tractor trailer crash on Friday. According to a crash report from the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Department at about 6 p.m. Friday, 71-year-old Leo Moriarity Jr. of Cascade, was attempting to turn his semi right from U.S. 151 onto North Cascade Road when he was rear-ended by a semi driven by 31-year-old Andrei Proca of Carpentersville, Illinois. The semi Moriarity was driving rolled onto its left side, spilling its load of corn. The semi Proca was driving crossed the median into the northbound lanes of U.S. 151 before coming to rest in the ditch. Proca was transported to UnityPoint Health-Finley Hospital for treatment of his injuries. Proca was cited with following too close.