ANKENY, IA (IRN) – Residents of an Ankeny apartment complex were forced to escape a fire through their windows early this morning. The fire began in a stairwell and forced 35 residents to evacuate the building. The fire was put out within minutes and four residents were taken to the hospital as a precaution.

OSKALOOSA, IA (IRN) – A man accused of fatally stabbing a college basketball player to death in Oskaloosa wants to claim a legal shield from prosecution under Iowa’s “stand your ground” law. Luke Van Hemert, 24, of Oskaloosa, is charged with second-degree murder in connection with William Penn University student Marquis Todd’s death. Van Hemert says Todd was “looking for a fight.”

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Carlisle woman will not serve prison time for stealing more than $40,000 from a metro soccer league. WHO-TV reports thirty-eight-year-old Brandi Preul pleaded guilty to second degree theft last week and received a five-year suspended sentence and three years of probation. She’ll also have to pay an undecided amount in restitution.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A vehicle backed into and through part of Kwik Coin Laundry in Mason City on Wednesday and left a hole in the exterior wall and additional structural damage. KIMT-TV reports a man driving a Cadillac Escalade backed over the concrete barriers and through the wall into washers and dryers. No one was hurt.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City firefighters knocked down a house fire in roughly 20 minutes Tuesday night. KGAN-TV reports neighbors called 911 after seeing smoke coming from the second floor of the house. No one was home at the time of the fire, but fire crews rescued a cat and a baby chicken.