BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – Officials are on the lookout for a man who failed to return to the Burlington Work Release Facility. KWQC-TV reports 23-year-old Eric Dewayne Coleman, Jr. was placed on escape status after failing to return to the facility from his job. Coleman was serving 10 years for robbery.
TIPTON, IA (IRN) – A painting of a partially nude woman is creating controversy in Tipton. KCRG-TV reports Hugh Stumbo owns a downtown art gallery and recently put several pieces in the front window, including the painting containing nudity. The mayor and police chief requested it be taken down, but Stumbo says if the community wants a gallery, they have to accept what artists do.
HAMDEN, CT (IRN) – The latest Iowa caucus poll by Quinnipiac University is out. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker continues to lead the Republican presidential field. Walker is the top choice of 18 percent of poll respondents. Six other candidates are battling for second place, including businessman Donald Trump and neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 10 percent, U.S. Senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz at 9 percent and former Governor Jeb Bush and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio at 8 percent.
SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – A tip from the public on the potential whereabouts of a longtime Iowa fugitive has led to his arrest in Mexico. KCCI-TV reports the U.S. Marshals Service says authorities in Mexico arrested Mitchell Meyer on Monday. Meyer was facing two counts of sexual abuse of a minor in 1999 when he was scheduled to appear for trial in Sioux City. He was released on bond but never appeared.
DES MOINES, IA – A 10-hour standoff with a man police say may be connected to a shooting in Des Moines ended peacefully Wednesday morning. WHO-TV reports the standoff was linked to a search for a suspect, Bobby Palmer, in a Sunday night shooting where one man was shot in the leg.
SPERRY, IA (IRN) – An attempted car theft that went wrong more than once resulted in the arrest of two people from Sperry, a community near Burlington. WQAD-TV reports Daniel McCarty, 41, and Natasha McCarty, 28, were arrested after they allegedly tried to start a Toyota Camry without a key. When that didn’t work, they then pushed the Camry with another vehicle for several miles before they were seen by the owner.
MOUNT PLEASANT, IA (IRN) – The final employees left the Mount Pleasant Mental Health Institute late Tuesday night. KCRG-TV reports staff and patients at the institute have slowly dwindled since Governor Branstad revealed plans to close the institute in January. The final patients were moved away from the facility late last week.
WASHINGTON, DC. (IRN) – Corn and soybean prices are significantly lower than they were last year at this time. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reports the average price received by farmers for corn during May in Iowa was $3.60 per bushel, $1.11 lower than May 2014. The May 2015 average price received by farmers for soybeans, at $9.57 per bushel, is $5.13 lower than the May 2014 price.