Thursday, August 27, 2015

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A 23-year-old cellphone store employee told police that robbers sprayed him in the face with a chemical and beat him with a bat, then made off with about 50 iPhones from a Sprint store on Des Moines’ east side. The Des Moines Register reports the injured man said he thought the two robbers were familiar and had been in the store before.

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Governor Terry Branstad announced Thursday that two Iowa communities were selected to join the Main Street Iowa program — Centerville and Grundy Center. Branstad says Main Street Iowa communities have had 2.7 million hours of volunteer time invested into improving their city centers, a significantly increased job and business base, and over $1.4 billion in private investment.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – Council Bluffs police are investigating two armed robberies early Thursday morning, according to KETV. A man armed with a machete walked into a Kum and Go and demanded money. The clerk complied and the man fled on foot. Two hours later a man entered a Kwik Shop, pulled a knife and demanded money. The suspect took the money and fled. The robberies are not believed to be related.

EDDYVILLE, IA (IRN) – Witnesses to an accident on Highway 63 near Eddyville say a van went airborne off the highway on Wednesday before landing on a grassy patch next to the on-ramp. KTVO-TV reports the driver fell asleep.  They were taken by ambulance to Ottumwa Regional Health Center for facial injuries.

DES MOINES (IRN) – The police officer who shot an approaching unarmed man through her squad car window in Des Moines has been cleared of any wrongdoing by a grand jury. KCCI-TV reports Officer Vanessa Miller shot and killed Ryan Bolinger, 28, of West Des Moines on June 9. Miller was assisting another officer who was in a vehicle pursuit with Bolinger. Police are withholding the in-car video as an internal investigation is ongoing.

CLIVE, IA (IRN) – A high-speed chase through Clive ended with an arrest Wednesday night, according to WHO-TV. Police say Kevin Campbell is facing several charges in connection with the chase that approached 100 mph, including OWI and interference with official acts. He hit several cars before he crashed into a light pole and took off running. He was found hiding in a backyard.

DES MOINES (IRN) – Three competitors say the Branstad administration erred in its selection of four other companies to manage the state’s $4.2 billion annual Medicaid program. The Des Moines Register reports they allege nepotism, fraud or mismanagement among companies selected and a flawed review of bids which was described as “haphazard, inconsistent, inaccurate, arbitrary and capricious.”

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City was ranked the No. 1 least-stressed city in America according personal finance company SmartAsset.com. 500 cities were compared, and criteria included average workweek length, daily commute, unemployment, divorce rates, housing costs, average hours of sleep each night, entertainment opportunities and exercise rates. Madison, Wisconsin and Duluth, Minnesota were 2nd and 3rd. Most stressed city? Miami, Florida.