DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A jury has convicted a man who Des Moines police say was found with his dying girlfriend’s blood on his hands. The Des Moines Register reports that 33-year-old Nickolas Pettinger was found guilty Monday of first-degree murder. He’ll be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors say Pettinger choked and used a 20-pound weight to batter 19-year-old Katelynn “Kat” Gould in a Des Moines garage.

OSKALOOSA, IA (IRN) – An Oskaloosa man has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of a college basketball player last year. KCCI-TV reports a Mahaska County jury Monday convicted 24-year-old Luke VanHemert, who argued that he was defending himself when he fatally stabbed 22-year-old William Penn player Marquis Todd in March 2018.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A man is facing criminal charges after an argument at home devolved into several alleged assaults on Sunday in Davenport. WQAD-TV reports police responded to a call at a Kwik Shop, where Jacob Mitchell, 27, had allegedly shot a female clerk with a stun gun. Earlier, Mitchell reportedly got into a fight and assaulted his mother’s boyfriend, and then struck his mother numerous times in the face and head.

OTHO, IA (IRN) – An effort is underway in Webster County to preserve part of the state’s history. WHO-TV reports the historical museum in Otho is home to about 10,000 artifacts at risk of being destroyed. Phillis Stewart, the 83-year-old woman who runs the museum, said the leaky roof isn’t holding up.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Governor Kim Reynolds is asking Iowa lawmakers for $15 million from the ending balance of the current year’s budget for immediate work on levees and repairs in flooded communities. She’s also seeking $10 million from next year’s budget to accelerate housing improvements. Reynolds also announced the creation of a Flood Recovery Advisory Board, which will coordinate state recovery efforts. Reynolds says she’ll lead the panel of up to 15 people.