URBANDALE, IA (IRN) – A man who had said he was only defending himself when he killed another man at a central Iowa bar has been given 50 years in prison. KCCI-TV reports 49-year-old Rodney Henricksen was sentenced for killing Joshua Sadlon. Sadlon, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, died a day after the incident at the Escape Lounge in Urbandale in January 2018.
Henricksen had said he’d tried to de-escalate threats made by the drunken Sadlon and said Iowa’s “stand your ground” law protected him from prosecution. The jury rejected his claim of self-defense. Prosecutors called it a bar beating, not a bar fight.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A federal grand jury indicted five men on Wednesday who are alleged to have participated in sex trafficking in Iowa and elsewhere. All are in custody and have made an initial appearance in federal court in Des Moines. Their victims included minors.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Two men and a woman have been indicted on multiple federal charges in connection to an unsolved crime from 2014 that resulted in the death of James Booner of Marion. The three were robbing Booner of meth in his possession, and proceeds from his sale of meth when they allegedly shot and killed him.

U.S.A (IRN) – Dressbarn will be closing all 650 of its stores. The women’s clothing retailer has locations across the country. There are 10 Dressbarn stores in Iowa.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City is bustling during the night hours, according to Iowa City Downtown District executive director Nancy Bird. Bird says, “We went from two hotels to essentially five or six…so that’s a really big impact.” KGAN-TV reports to tap into that night economy ICDD hired the next night-time mayor. Joe Reilly, an Iowa City local and University of Iowa alum, was hired. He’ll be responsible for marketing after-hours events and will serve as liaison between businesses and patrons.