PITTSBURGH, PA (IRN) – A judge has imposed a life sentence on a Pittsburgh man convicted of killing two of his next-door neighbors, the sisters of an Iowa state lawmaker. KWWL-TV reports 45-year-old Allen Wade was convicted Monday of shooting 38-year-old Sarah Wolfe and 44-year-old Susan Wolfe while burglarizing their home in February 2014.
DENISON, IA (IRN) – Winds gusting to 87 mph knocked over train cars and toppled trees in western Iowa early this morning, according to KCCI-TV. Crawford County emergency management coordinator Greg Miller says 17 double-stacked container cars were knocked over and are blocking two sets of tracks west of Westside. The 87 mph gust was reported at the Denison Municipal Airport around 2:15 a.m.
DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Four people were arrested Wednesday in Davenport after authorities found marijuana, marijuana candies and psychedelic mushrooms at two residences. WQAD-TV reports cash, scales, packaging materials and a ledger were also found, along with a list of names and dollar amounts.
DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An Iowa Department of Transportation driving examiner forced a customer to view sexually explicit images during an exam and then threatened her to keep quiet. KCCI-TV reports 60-year-old John Wayne Alexander faces charges after the woman complained Alexander made her pull into a parking lot so he could have a cigarette, then he got out his cellphone and showed her sexually explicit photos and videos of himself for nearly 20 minutes.
DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police have made an arrest in the death of a 65-year-old man earlier this month. Charles Wesley Brown died about a week after he was assaulted while riding his bicycle. A witness said she saw two men get out of their car and attack Brown for what seemed like no reason. 28-year-old Michael Joseph Scott of Des Moines was charged yesterday with second degree murder.
CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – A 19-year-old was killed in a crash yesterday in Cedar Falls after losing control of his motorcycle, according to KWWL-TV. Police say he tried illegally passing two vehicles at high speeds when he lost control and hit the center barrier. Witnesses performed CPR on scene, but he died at a hospital of major head injuries. He wasn’t wearing a helmet.
ALTOONA, IA (IRN) – Adventureland’s newest attraction just topped CNN’s list for the “best new U.S. roller coasters in 2016.” “The Monster” is will open at the end of June and features 2,500 feet of steel track. The first 133-foot hill will take passengers down Iowa’s steepest slope at a 101-degree angle, reaching speeds of 65 miles per hour. It will also feature the only negative-G stall loop in the Western Hemisphere, a slow loop which leaves riders with the sensation that they’re falling out of the coaster.