Fernando Garcia-Franceschini
Reporter
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Fernando is originally from Ponce, Puerto Rico and has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the Universidad del Sagrado Corazon in Santurce, Puerto Rico. After finishing up his undergraduate studies, he pursued a Master's degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and graduated in August 2020.
Before joining KCRG-TV9 and as the final part of his graduate degree, Fernando worked as a Washington D.C. correspondent for KAMR and KTSM, the NBC affiliates in Amarillo and El Paso, Texas, respectively. There he covered Congress, immigration and climate change laws, among other topics.
When not at work, you can find Fernando jamming to the latest music, working out at the gym, exploring local parks and restaurants, or watching reality TV.
Do you have a story idea or want to say "hi"? Feel free to reach out at Fernando.Garcia-Franceschini@kcrg.com.
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Dubuque city council members have appointed Amy Scheller as the city’s first female fire chief.
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The Dubuque Community School District has named a principal for the district’s new online school.
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A popular bar and restaurant in Clayton County has burned down following a fire Tuesday night.
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Dubuque city officials have announced only Flora Pool will open this summer due to staffing shortages.
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A commission is recommending Dubuque hold a referendum next year for voters to decide whether they want to pay to build a new Five Flags Center.
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A church and a food bank in Dubuque are partnering to host a food distribution event on Saturday.
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Family, friends, city officials, community leaders, and neighbors gathered at the Church of the Nativity Thursday morning for former Dubuque police chief Mark Dalsing’s funeral mass.
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A bed and breakfast in Galena is bringing tourists in from across the tri-state area to celebrate 4-20.
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Low COVID-19 transmission rates drove UnityPoint hospitals in eastern Iowa to alter their indoor mask mandates.
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The Dubuque Police Department is honoring the impact and legacy of late police chief Mark Dalsing.
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This weekend will mark the start of the final season for the Iowa Greyhound Park in Dubuque.
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The Dubuque Police Department is taking steps to try to attract more people into a career in law enforcement at the department.
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Neighbors in the Cox Springs Road area in Peosta are concerned for the impact blasting and heavy truck traffic at a nearby quarry could have on their homes and the environment.
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Dubuque school district creates suicide prevention coalition to address students’ brain health needs
The Dubuque Community School District has put together a suicide prevention coalition with the goal of examining the district’s current policies when it comes to students dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts.
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HACAP officials say they are seeing an increase in need for assistance when it comes to paying their heating bills.
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The Western Dubuque Community School District will have a new superintendent next school year.
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The ACLU of Iowa has sent letters to four cities stating that their panhandling ordinances violate free speech and must be repealed.
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Dubuque schools superintendent presented a plan Monday detailing what would happen with students and staff if an elementary school closes.
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A Dubuque hair salon is hosting a fundraising event tomorrow to help out a local women with close ties to Ukraine.
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People gathered at Saint Peter's Lutheran Church in Dubuque today to pray for those affected by the war in Ukraine.
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An elementary school in Dubuque could be closing as soon as at the end of the school year as part of a plan that Dubuque Community School District officials are examining in an effort to reduce costs.
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An assistant Dubuque County attorney says he has been placed on paid administrative leave as retaliation for challenging the current county attorney in an upcoming election.
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Voters in Dubuque’s Fourth Ward will head to the polls on Tuesday to elect their new city council member.
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An eastern Iowa family is baking and selling cookies to help Ukrainian families affected by the war.
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A Ukrainian couple living in Dubuque is sharing just some of the issues they have faced while trying to get an emergency visa to bring some of their family to the U.S. from Ukraine.
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Covenant Family Solutions opened its new mental health clinic in Dubuque on Thursday. Staff say the goal is to meet an increasing need for those services.
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A pair of Dubuque artists is raising money for children affected by the war in Ukraine.
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The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, in partnership with Dubuque County government, has created a survey to identify perceptions on services, stigmas, and barriers when it comes to brain health in the county.
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Dubuque city officials say staffing shortages have created concerns regarding how the rest of the golfing season at Bunker Hill will look like.
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With emergency SNAP benefits ending in Iowa, food banks and pantries are anticipating a sharp increase in clients.
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Dubuque business and tourism leaders are staying positive despite the impact rising gas prices could have on the industry.
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Beekeepers in eastern Iowa are starting to get ready for bee season, but twin economic impacts of inflation and supply shortages are causing concerns.
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Catering business across eastern Iowa are feeling the impact of rising prices, particularly when it comes to gas and food.
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The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque is requesting $700,000 in American Rescue Plan funds to Dubuque County supervisors to create a countywide summer reading program.
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Dubuque and local businesses are already preparing for the arrival of a new 386-passenger cruise that is scheduled to make ten stops in the Port of Dubuque.
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As gas prices continue to rise across the U.S. amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine, those who spend much time driving in their cars are feeling the hit when they are at the pumps.
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The city of Dubuque will immerse itself in a year-long project to find the history related to people, events, and places of Black people of Dubuque from 1830 to 1980.
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The Dubuque Community School District will be installing more than 200 solar panels on the roof of a local elementary school in an attempt to reduce energy costs
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A professor at Loras College with strong ties to Ukraine says he is in contact with friends in that country as they try to stay safe during the Russian invasion.
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Jensen has served in the Dubuque Police Department for almost 30 years. He served as assistant chief since 2018 and as interim police chief after Dalsing’s retirement. Jensen said there are two main areas he wants the department to maintain or strive to do better under his leadership.
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A bill Governor Kim Reynolds signed on Thursday says transgender athletes must now compete as their birth gender.
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The Russian Ballet Theater will focus its performances on a message of peace and unity amid Russian invasion in Ukraine.
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Dubuque city officials say a plan to add more pollinators to local parks could save the environment while reducing maintenance costs.
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A new study released by a financial news and opinion company from Delaware shows Iowa as the third worst state for Black Americans.
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An ongoing blood shortage across the U.S. has sparked a debate on whether it is time to change donation guidelines to allow more people to be able to donate blood.
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A Dubuque non-profit is partnering with different organizations in the city to make period products more accessible, especially to middle and high school students.
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Dubuque County supervisors plan to appoint a former long-time county auditor to fill the vacant county treasurer position.
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Nearly $3 million in grants will allow the East Central Inter-governmental Association to help the elderly stay in their homes in Northeast Iowa.
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Crews worked overnight in Dubuque to clear streets as winter weather entered the area early Tuesday morning.
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Fifteen crews will work overnight to keep Dubuque streets as safe and clean as possible as winter weather moves into the area Monday night into Tuesday.
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