Friday, November 13, 2015

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines woman woke early Friday to the sound of loud banging on her glass patio door. KCCI-TV reports she was walking into her living room when the door shattered. Three men, one armed with a pistol, walked through the broken door. “Where is he?” asked one of the men. The woman sat down on her couch as the three men searched the home before they left.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Dubuque is the “drunkest city” in Iowa, according to the financial news and opinion company 24/7 Wall Street. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports the rankings were compiled using data from a University of Wisconsin report. Nearly 31 percent of adults in the Dubuque metropolitan area reported binge or heavy drinking in the past 30 days. Dubuque’s rate is the second-highest in the U.S. among metro areas, behind only El Paso, Texas.

WASHINGTON, DC (IRN) – Harrisvaccines, the vaccine developer based in Ames, is selling itself to pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., according to the Des Moines Register. The purchase, which the firms expect to close this year, comes as Harrisvaccines recently announced it will supply a vaccine to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help prevent poultry from getting the deadly bird flu virus that battered Iowa and 14 other states this year.

ELKADER, IA (IRN) – A top Clayton County official will meet with an investigator from the Iowa Attorney General’s Office to discuss concerns about the county auditor’s continued absence. The Dubuque Tribune Herald reports Gary Bowden, chairman of the county supervisors, said he and the investigator will discuss the performance of Auditor Dennis Freitag, who largely has been out of the office since the end of June. Freitag is caring for his terminally ill wife.

MARTENSDALE, IA (IRN) – The Martensdale – St. Mary School District is apologizing to parents for sending students home on school buses during Wednesday’s tornado warning. WHO-TV reports Superintendent Tom Wood says he did not see any warning for tornado threats until after the buses left on their routes. Wood apologized for frustrated and concerned parents but said the time frame of the storm made decision making tough. He adds “We made the best decision we could with the information we had at the time.”

CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – A University of Northern Iowa student was found dead in his dorm room, according to KWWL-TV. On Thursday UNI Police and medical personnel found the body of Kyle Raarup inside his room on campus.  Raarup was a sophomore from Wyoming, Minnesota.  No foul play is suspected and the investigation is ongoing. This is the second student death on campus this semester.

LUCAS COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A combine and car collided on Highway 34 near Russell in Lucas County around 6 p.m. Thursday night, according to KCCI-TV. Russell Fire Department officials said three people in the car were treated for minor injuries. The cause of the crash is unknown.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The Cedar Rapids School District is embarking on a new effort for some of its students–the homeless ones. KCRG-TV reports the district will work with the non-profit Neighborhood Transportation Service beginning Monday. The service will be picking up children at homeless shelters and motels among other locations. There are approximately 620 homeless students in the district.