IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A retired Iowa farmer who applied to Gov. Kim Reynolds to have his gun rights restored has instead been charged with illegally possessing firearms. KCCI-TV reports Allan Phillips of West Branch had been out of trouble for 40 years when he sent in his application seeking restoration. He wrote that it was time to “clear my name” on a 1978 misdemeanor conviction for having a loaded hunting gun in his car. Phillips, 76, received a surprise visit in February from agents who were conducting a background check as part of the process. They found that he had firearms in violation of the gun ban that his 41-year-old conviction triggered. They charged Phillips with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Police found a woman’s body on top of a canopy at the nine-story Cedar River Towers apartment complex in Waterloo Tuesday. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports the body had been there for an extended period of time.
AUDUBON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Thirteen dogs in need of veterinary care were removed from a residential property in Exira on Tuesday, according to WHO-TV. The Animal Rescue League found the dogs outside the property in a muddy, chain-link dog run, covered in a tarp that was sagging with water collected from overnight rain.
DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Saydel Community School District Music Boosters uncovered thousands of dollars in missing money with help from the state auditor. KCCI-TV reports the State Auditor’s office determined a grand total of over $21,000 had allegedly been taken by the music booster’s former treasurer.
CRYSTAL LAKE, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says zebra mussels have been found in Crystal Lake in north-central Iowa. The invasive species are native to eastern Europe and are voracious eaters that gobble up plankton many native freshwater fish need to survive. The mussels can attach themselves to boat motors, bait buckets and dam mechanisms and cause damage to motors and facilities. Boaters are urged to clean, drain and dry watercraft to prevent the spread.