Iowa
SYC: Iowa Big project focuses on helping unsheltered
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A group of Cedar Rapids High School students are making sure people without a home have the essentials this winter.
Gavin Cornwell and his team of Iowa Big students filled 100 bags this week with a little bit of everything.
“We have some fruit roll-ups, some gushers, and a granola bar,” said Cornwell.
For this team, it’s more than just a class. Once done, the bags will go to the unsheltered population living at the winter overflow homeless shelter.
“People really don’t understand, everyone has their own story,” said Cornwell.
These care packages will go to each person who stays at the low-barrier shelter this winter.
“We kind of grabbed the basic necessities to include in these care packages to give them some cheer this holiday season,” he said.
The homeless population in Linn County grew by more than 40% in 2024. Denine Rushing oversees operations at the overflow shelter and said the bags provide items that those who sleep at the shelter might not otherwise get.
“Being able to have these bags that they can just throw in their backpacks or in a bag or just carry with them and utilize throughout the day,” said Rushing. “I think it is going to be really helpful for people.”
Rushing expected to see more people utilize the shelter this year, especially during snow events and bitter cold temperatures.
“You really have to kind of have things on the go, things that you can kind of just grab and take with you while you are out and about throughout the day,” said Rushing.
Cornwell said they planned to hand the bags out this Monday at the shelter. A place this Prairie High School senior is now closer to, a place that was more visible thanks to this school-based project.
“You might drive by and you might see somebody experiencing homelessness but you don’t really know what they’re experiencing,” said Cornwell.
Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa State Patrol said it responded to 206 calls for service after another weekend winter storm Saturday.
From 5:30 am to 5:30 pm, ISP said it covered 88 crashes, with 74 resulting in property damage.
Officials said one person died and 13 others were injured.
The patrol had 118 motorist assists.
Copyright 2025 KCRG. All rights reserved.
See Iowa DOT snowplow camera capture moment SUV rear ends plow
An Iowa DOT snowplow was hit while clearing snow along Iowa Highway 60 in Sioux County on Nov. 29, 2025. The crash was caught on the plow’s cameras.
A winter storm warning remains in effect until 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, for a large swath of the state, from northwest Iowa to much of central Iowa and southeast Iowa.
Drivers should expect slippery conditions.
Snow fell through the morning with accumulations of 2 to 3 inches across most of Iowa, according to the National Weather Service. The light, fluffy snow will taper off in the afternoon.
The weather service advises that snow-covered roads will make travel slick and more difficult and to use caution.
The counties affected include Pocahontas, Sac, Calhoun, Webster, Hamilton, Crawford, Carroll, Greene, Boone, Story, Marshall, Guthrie, Dallas, Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Warren, Marion, Mahaska, Monroe, Wapello and Davis.
Where did snow fall the most in Iowa?
Southern Iowa felt the brunt of the snow Saturday morning, with some areas experiencing nearly five inches of accumulation. Here are the highest totals so far in Iowa:
- Milton: 4.5 inches
- Parnell: 4.5 inches
- Norwalk: 3.8 inches
- Badger: 3.5 inches
- Bloomfield: 3.3 inches
- Carroll: 3.2 inches
- Buffalo: 3.2 inches
- North English: 3 inches
- Winterset: 2.6 inches
How much snow has fallen in Des Moines?
The Des Moines International Airport reported 1.2 inches of snow as of 6 a.m. Saturday. Norwalk, just south of Des Moines, reported 3.8 inches of snow by 10:30 a.m. Clive reported 2.7 inches of snow at 10 a.m.
How much snow did Iowa City get?
North Liberty, just north of Iowa City, reported three inches of snow as of 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Tiffin, which is to the northwest of Iowa City, reported 2.7 inches of snow at 10 a.m.
Roads across the state are covered in snow
The Iowa DOT reported that, as of 11 a.m., many of central Iowa’s highways and interstates were completely covered with snow. The organization said travel on I-80 from central Iowa to the Illinois border is not advised.
“Visibility and road conditions are deteriorating rapidly, causing multiple crashes and closing lanes,” the DOT said in a social media post around 11 a.m.
More snow followed by frigid temps
A cold weather advisory is in effect for much of northern, central and southeastern Iowa into Sunday morning. In the Des Moines area, wind chill values could drop to as low as -15. Wind chills across the state are expected between -20 and -30 starting at 6 p.m. Saturday.
(This article has been updated to include new information.)
CLARKE COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa man was charged Friday in connection to a deadly horse-drawn buggy crash that killed a teenager last month.
Jacob Wright, 41, of Grand River, is facing charges including involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of a deadly accident.
The crash happened in Clarke County on November 12. According to the crash report, Wright’s car hit the back of the buggy and ran it into a ditch.
Elmer Borntrager, 16, was thrown from the buggy and died at the scene.
Police found Wright’s damaged vehicle days later about five miles from the crash scene.
Copyright 2025 KCRG. All rights reserved.
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