KOSSUTH COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Livermore man has been charged with murder after a man was found dead at his home in LuVerne in Kossuth County Monday. WHO-TV reports 60-year-old Jeffrey Winters is charged with first degree murder in the death of 54-year-old Randy Page. Investigators received a call Monday from a woman who said her husband was unresponsive and on the ground. When deputies arrived, they found Page was deceased. An autopsy will determine the cause of death.
GRANGER, IA (IRN) – An investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Office of the State Auditor into a string of suspicious financial transactions at the Woodward-Granger Community School District has led to an arrest. Melissa Lee Lantz, 35, the school’s former business manager, allegedly made almost $222,000 in improper payroll disbursements.
AMES, IA (IRN) – A study released by Iowa State University says kids under the age of 18 whose parents have divorced are less likely to earn a bachelor’s degree. KCCI-TV reports researchers found 27 percent of children with divorced parents had a bachelor’s degree or higher — much lower than the 50 percent of those with married parents. Researchers say financial problems after a divorce may hinder a child’s ability to obtain a college degree.
DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The American Civil Liberties Union says panhandling is free speech. WHO-TV reports the ACLU says not allowing people to panhandle blocks free speech and criminalizes poverty. On Tuesday, the ACLU of Iowa sent letters to three Iowa cities demanding change. Those cities are Council Bluffs, Des Moines, and Grimes. It’s part of a larger effort nationwide to strike down ordinances that the organization believes are unconstitutional.
VINTON, IA (IRN) – An eastern Iowa couple who kept hundreds of animals in and outside their home have been given two years of probation for child endangerment. KCRG-TV reports In January officials found hundreds of animals in the their house and garage, including rabbits, rats, mice, hedgehogs, turtles, birds, guinea pigs, gerbils and a ball python.