High Winds Contribute to Accidents

There've been several accidents statewide being attributed to exceptionally high winds, and at least 2-people are dead. The Des Moines Register reports between winds as high as 70 mph, couple with light snow, some areas have had blizzard like conditions. Three of the seven accidents reported today have involved semi's.

No Confidence Vote by UNI Education Faculty

UNI teacher education faculty members have cast a no confidence vote against the Board of Regents and President Ben Allen and Provost Gloria Gibson. The faculty's not happy with the recommendation and vote to shut down Malcolm Price Laboratory School. The vote came despite Allen's assurances that closing the school would boost teacher education by offering diverse training experiences working with urban and rural school districts.

Woman Meets WDM Officer in Hospital Lobby to Get Tickert Before Surgery

Angela Smith checked into Mercy West Lakes Medical Center for her gallbladder surgery today, but not before meeting a West Des Moines Police officer in the lobby to get a $114 speeding ticket. She was stopped on the way to the hospital Monday for the procedure when she was stopped for speeding. Smith says even after explaining the loss of control over some bodily functions caused by the gallbladder, officer Adam Porath told her they'd have to set a time when he could hand her the ticket.

State House Democrats Walk Out Over Gun Bills

House Democrats walked out of the Statehouse this morning in protest over gun bills brought to the floor by the GOP Majority. Democratic leader Kevin McCarthy says GOP leaders told them they weren't going to act on the gun bills, but did so anyway. One would change Iowa's Constitution, by inserting the right to keep and bear arms. The GOP says Democrats had notice the bills were going to be debated. Speaker Kraig Paulsen says they haven't decided what they'll do next.

Rock Starts Chain of Events

Somebody threw a rock in Waterloo that shattered the windshield of a semi that was traveling on the Sixth Street Bridge around 3 p.m. The driver braked, the cargo in the trailer shifted forward and came crashing through, into the cab of the truck. The truck driver then got out of the truck, chased the person who did the rock throwing, but didn't catch them. The driver was not hurt, but his rig sustained about 15 thousand dollars in damage.

No One Hurt in Horiffic Crash

A high speed chase in Marshalltown on Friday night didn't injure anybody, but sent a suspect vehicle and a Marshall County deputy's car over a 25 food embankment. KCCi reports that Deputy Tim Hungerford spotted the suspicious car, and it took off on ice covered roads and snow covered gravel roads, hitting 90 miles an hour at times. Neither vehicle made a T intersection, and both vehicles went over the embankment. Suspect Robert Fischer and his accomplice, Candice Trowbridge tried to flee on foot but were quickly caught.

State Senate Passes Bill Pulling 'Retarded' from State Laws

The State Senate's passed and sent to the House a bill that would remove the word “retarded” from all state laws, and replace it with the phrase “intellectual disability.” Democratic State Rep. Lisa Heddens of Ames is pushing the proposal. Her son has Democrat Down syndrome, and she says advocates for the disabled consider the word “retarded” offensive.