Saturday, February 27, 2016

ELK RUN HEIGHTS, IA (IRN) – A man died Friday after his gun fell on the ground and went off. KCRG-TV reports Black Hawk County Sheriff’s deputies were called to Elk Run Heights and found 45-year-old Martin Lawrence unconscious. Investigators say he was getting out of his car when his gun dropped onto the ground and fired, hitting him in the leg. He later died at the hospital. Deputies believe the bullet traveled up Lawrence’s body and caused internal injuries.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A house fire in Iowa City was quickly contained Friday night, according to KWWL-TV. Crews were called to the location after smoke was spotted near the roof of the house. The fire was declared under control within ten minutes of fire crew arrival. No injuries were reported, but seven people living in the house have been displaced.

JOHNSTON, IA (IRN) – A former Johnston school bus driver will be sentenced in March.
KCCI-TV reports 61-year-old Robert Scarbrough was charged with assault causing injury and child endangerment last October. Police said Scarbrough approached a 15-year-old student with special needs after he failed to follow instructions. The student directed an inflammatory comment toward the bus driver who grabbed the student’s coat, hit the boy in the face and pushed him to the floor. In videos of the incident, students can be heard screaming, demanding the driver to stop.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa Senator Rob Hogg (HOEG) is filing nomination petitions for U.S. Senate on Monday at the offices of the Iowa Secretary of State in Des Moines. The filing will include more than 13,000 signatures from Iowans from all 99 counties. Hogg is running against incumbent Senator Chuck Grassley.

OSCEOLA, IA (IRN) – An unemployed southern Iowa man can stop his job search after he won a Publishers Clearing House lifetime prize. WHO-TV reports the prize patrol was in Osceola on Friday to award its youngest-ever big prize winner. 21-year-old Ryan Hart won the lifetime prize and will be awarded $5,000 a week for the rest of his life. Hart had his mother on the phone with him when he was awarded the prize at his doorstep. Hart said he’s been entering the contest for a year, and isn’t sure what he will do with the money.