IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City police are investigating a bomb threat at Iowa City West High School Tuesday morning. KCRG-TV reports Iowa City police received a 911 call reporting an explosive device at the school. Students and staff were evacuated by bus to an off-site location, and all were reported safe.
Alexandria, IA (IRN) – A van transporting three campaign volunteers and a Dr. Ben Carson campaign employee hit a patch of ice and flipped on its side where it was struck by another vehicle this morning. The accident happened near Atlantic. Three of the passengers were checked out at a local hospital, and a volunteer was transported to the trauma center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Carson cancelled remaining campaign events for the rest of the day.
GLENWOOD, IA (IRN) – All charges have been dropped in connection with a Glenwood fight where one man was shot. WHO-TV reports charges against Colton McDaniel and Denver Cook have been dropped. Charges against Hurl Beechum III, a former Iowa State basketball player, have also been dismissed. The three men were part of a brawl involving Glenwood High School principal Richard Hutchinson, who is Beechum’s stepfather. The incident allegedly began over a racial slur. Hutchinson suffered injuries in the scuffle and Beechum allegedly shot McDaniel in the leg. The court couldn’t determine who was the primary aggressor, and found it reasonable to conclude Beechum was acting in self-defense.
BOXHOLM, IA (IRN) – The Boxholm fire chief says a space heater may be the cause of a fire that killed a mother and her three children. The Des Moines Register reports that Boxholm Fire Chief Dave Huffman said the state fire marshal is investigating the Sunday house fire but a preliminary investigation reveals that a space heater may have been the source of the blaze.
BLACK HAWK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – One man is in the hospital after a crash in Black Hawk County. KCRG-TV reports 28-year-old Bobby Higgins of Oelwein rolled over into a ditch after avoiding a head-on crash at a round-about. The accident is under investigation.
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Iowa’s top utilities regulator is backing a plan to build an electric transmission line outside Cedar Rapids that is opposed by some homeowners along the route. KWWL-TV reports the Iowa Utilities Board believes the line would provide more reliable energy service in eastern Iowa. Homeowners can appeal the decision.
.AMES, IA (IRN) – Three men’s college basketball teams have visited the state of Iowa ranked No. 1 this season. All three have lost. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports Iowa State became the latest Iowa team to beat a No. 1 when it knocked off Oklahoma on Monday night. This follows a November win by UNI over North Carolina, and Iowa crushed Michigan State in late December.