MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A Mason City man accused of injuring an infant was sentenced to five years in prison, according to KIMT-TV. 21-year-old D’Airio Cryer was arrested in December and charged with two counts of child endangerment. Authorities say he fractured the ribs of a six-week-old child and pushed a bulb syringe up the baby’s nose, causing a gash in one nostril. He pled guilty.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Eight arrests were made after a chase through Davenport into Bettendorf, according to WQAD-TV. Police responded to the scene of a call of shots fired, where they found shell casings and a suspect vehicle at the scene, which led to a high speed chase. The 11-minute chase ended when the driver lost control of the vehicle. Eight people ran from the van and ultimately four adults and four juveniles were taken into custody in Bettendorf.

MARION, IA (IRN) – Police are looking for answers after a man was found injured on a street in Marion, and later died. KWWL-TV reports 63-year-old Richard Thompson was found outside of the VIP Lounge Easter morning. Thompson, who had been drinking at the bar Saturday night, had injuries to his face and upper body and later died at a local hospital. Someone driving down the street found him and when police arrived he was still conscious, but couldn’t tell them what had happened to him. Friends say Thompson had terminal cancer and didn’t have long to live.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Randy Metcalf has been found guilty of committing a hate crime, according to KGAN-TV. A jury returned the verdict Wednesday afternoon in a federal courtroom in Cedar Rapids. Metcalf repeatedly stomped on the face of a 31-year-old black man in a racially motivated bar fight in Dubuque in January. Defense witnesses defended Metcalf’s character, but the jury found the assault to have been racially motivated.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Honey Creek Resort will soon be under new management, according to WHO-TV. The Iowa Natural Resource Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to enter into a contract with Delaware North Companies. The firm currently has contracts to run operations at the Grand Canyon and Kennedy Space Center for NASA. Plans call for a new outdoor pool, and shops to provide services to guests, such as hair and makeup shops for weddings.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Construction crews have dug up some ancient finds in eastern Iowa.
WHO-TV reports crews unearthed fossils while doing work at the University of Iowa on Tuesday. Geologists explain them as fossilized coral and sponge-like creatures, and they say that’s evidence that a prehistoric ocean once covered the state. Experts say the fossils date back 385 million years. They were found 30 feet underground.