BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – A Burlington man who used a claw hammer to beat another man to death has been given 50 years in prison. KCRG-TV reports 32-year-old Layton Tapscott killed 32-year-old Julian Menke in Menke’s Burlington home in October 2016. Tapscott told a judge that he was angry at Menke because he thought Menke had made unwanted sexual advances to the mother of Tapscott’s child.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A federal grand jury has indicted seven Des Moines residents on charges of sex trafficking, according to the Des Moines Register. During the spring and summer of 2017, the defendants trafficked three adult victims. If convicted, each defendant may be sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two women connected to a violent assault on Court Avenue in Des Moines have been arrested. KCCI-TV reports 20-year-old Riley VerSteegh and 22-year-old Sydney Stuart face assault charges. They reportedly violently assaulted another woman last week as Court Avenue bars were closing.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A vandal has struck in Des Moines. WHO-TV reports on Sunday, someone spray painted “No Respect” on an Army recruitment billboard. Frank Cordaro, founder of the group Des Moines Catholic Worker, says a Christian political artist is responsible for the vandalism. Cordaro says the anonymous vandal is protesting the Drone Command Center in Des Moines. Airmen at the center use remotely-piloted aircraft that are armed with hellfire missiles and 500-pound bombs.

BUCHANAN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado touched down in Buchanan County during a wave of severe storms Saturday night. The EF-1 tornado briefly touched down southeast of Winthrop with a peak wind estimated at 95 miles per hour. The storm tore a roof off a Winthrop home.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A famous Iowan returned home this weekend, and worked a special stop into his schedule. University of Iowa Hospitals tweeted photos on Monday thanking actor Ashton Kutcher for visiting. Kutcher met with several kids recovering at the Stead Family Children’s Hospital.