DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Bloomfield man who admitted to the vicious sexual assault of a six-year-old girl plans to appeal his sentence. KTVO-TV reports last December, Steven Crook pleaded guilty to four federal charges of Sexual Exploitation of a Child. In June, he was sentenced to a total of 120 years. Crook is challenging the federal sentencing guidelines in the case, but not his guilt. Crook was arrested last spring after investigators uncovered video evidence of his repeated assault of the girl. Crooks girlfriend, Kendra Hoover, faces state charges for her part in the girl’s abuse.
DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A 23-year-old Des Moines woman has been arrested in connection with the hit-and-run collision that caused the death of a 19-year-old Des Moines man. The Des Moines Register reports Kevin Truong‘s Toyota Camry was hit on the driver’s side by a Nissan Pathfinder. Truong was transported to a hospital with serious injuries and later died. The driver of the Pathfinder fled the scene. After an investigation, Alexandria Mae Newton had been charged with homicide by reckless driving. Police said they suspect excessive speed to be a major factor in the crash.
DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A 59-year-old man’s leg was amputated after it was caught by a boat propeller in the Des Moines River Thursday afternoon. KCCI-TV reports the man was floating on the river when he fell off his water craft and was struggling. Nearby boaters noticed and came to rescue him. As they helped him onto a boat, his leg was caught in the propeller, amputating the leg.
LAKE OF THE OZARKS, MO (IRN) – An Iowa man was seriously injured in a boat crash on the Lake of the Ozarks Wednesday night. The Missouri State Patrol says 66-year-old Rick Hansen of Wilton was driving his 2003 Baja on the lake when he hit a dock and crashed through its roof.
BELLEVUE, IA (IRN) – Cities and towns across the nation celebrated Independence Day yesterday, but the Iowa town of Bellevue on the Mississippi River did it a bit differently. KWWL-TV reports the highlight is the Ski Bellevue show team, a group of water skiers who put on a daring and athletic performance that draws big crowds. The Ski Bellevue Show Team has been performing in the area for over thirty years.