PERRY, IA (IRN) – A child died in a house fire northwest of Perry this morning, according to Raccoon Valley Radio. The name of the child hasn’t been released.
DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A missing mother and her twin children from Des Moines have been found safe and healthy. KCCI-TV reports Jennifer Abbott-Brickles and her 10-month-old twins, Akire and Erika, were found Wednesday afternoon. Police didn’t say where the women and her children were found. They had been missing since December 1.
DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A former Des Moines tax preparer has been charged with tax fraud. Lony Tap Gatwas faces 18 counts of preparing and presenting false tax returns, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Officials with the Department of Justice say Gatwas devised a scheme which claimed dependents on taxpayers’ returns when he knew the dependents did not meet IRS requirements.
NEW YORK, NY (IRN) – President-elect Donald Trump nominated Gov. Terry Branstad Wednesday to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to China, and Branstad has agreed to serve. If Branstad is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds will become Iowa’s first female governor. Trump is in Des Moines today for a rally.
DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A judge has determined that a Dubuque woman is now mentally fit to stand trial for the beating death of her ex-husband. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports the Iowa District Court ordered Wednesday that 62-year-old Dolores Flynn stand trial on a charge of second-degree murder in the January death of 72-year-old Gary Breckenridge. Police say Flynn beat Breckenridge to death with a baseball bat.
POLK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A man is behind bars following a short high-speed chase in rural Polk County Tuesday night. A State Trooper tried to stop the vehicle, but instead of pulling over the driver fled the scene, leading officers on a chase reaching speeds of nearly 100 mph. Deputies played it safe and called off the chase, but the vehicle eventually crashed. 26-year-old Alexander Brunker faces multiple charges.
WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – West Des Moines police are warning the public that pick-pockets are targeting victims while they eat. KCCI-TV reports there are multiple reports of wallets being stolen. One victim said she was sitting down at a restaurant when her chair was bumped, and she didn’t notice her wallet was gone until after she left the restaurant.