DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A Texas woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for causing a fatal Davenport crash in 2017. The Quad-City Times reports that 58-year-old Lauria Lee Kelly was speeding and had run at least two stop lights when her pickup hit a car, killing the driver, 53-year-old Cynthia Elaine Jones, of Davenport.
NEVADA, IA (IRN) – A former teacher in the North Polk Community School District has been sentenced for having a sexual relationship with a teenage student. KCCI-TV reports Kevin Muehlenthaler, of Ames, was given six years in prison at his sentencing. A jury had found the 30-year-old Muehlenthaler guilty of three counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee. The relationship began in 2013 when the girl was 16.
DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A body was pulled from the Des Moines River near the Grand Avenue bridge in downtown Des Moines yesterday. KCCI-TV reports construction crews spotted the floating body. A deceased male was recovered by water rescue crews. The body has not been identified, and police are investigating.
RENWICK, IA (IRN) – The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department has found an abducted Nebraska woman. WHO-TV reports the abducted woman was able to post on social media, and her family contacted authorities. Deputies found her in the northern Iowa town of Renwick. A Nebraska man has been charged with kidnapping.
DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A U.S. mine safety agency released their final report concerning a 2017 fatal accident at the Linwood Mine in Davenport. KWQC-TV reports a mine worker was fatally injured when he crossed over a berm that barricaded off a section of the mine to search for crystals. A section of the mine collapsed, burying him. The report says the accident occurred because safety protocols weren’t followed.
DES MOINES, IA (IRN0 – A 21-year-old Iowa Statehouse clerk was arrested Wednesday for public intoxication at the state’s Capitol building, according to the Iowa State Patrol. Troopers arrested Jessica Leeper, of Altoona, shortly after 10 a.m. Staff reported she smelled of alcohol and was acting strange. Once troopers met with Leeper, she became belligerent, pushing and kicking them. She screamed as troopers escorted her out of the building.