FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – A Fort Dodge man will face life in prison for murdering his wife. Justin Hurdel shot and killed his estranged wife, Maggie, last August, then attempted to take his own life. A witness saw Hurdel wait in a detached garage and confront his estranged wife before pulling the trigger. She was a 38-year-old mother who was well-known for her love of art and helping others. The violence dates back to November. Justin Hurdel was charged then with harassment after telling his wife, “I will kill you if you try to leave” and “you’ll be dead anyways.”

ADAIR COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Authorities are investigating after finding a person’s body off a rural Adair County road Thursday and are treating the death as suspicious.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Security officials at an Iowa jail must allow a man charged with killing a state trooper to meet privately with his lawyers, a judge ordered Thursday. Staff at the Black Hawk County jail in Waterloo had refused to allow Michael Lang — who is awaiting trial for murder in the shooting of Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Jim Smith — to meet with his lawyers outside their presence. They argued that taking their eyes off Lang would pose a unique threat given his alleged hatred of law enforcement.

CORALVILLE, IA (IRN) – Fire crews responded to a fire at a Perkins restaurant in Coralville Wednesday night. Officials said the fire was primarily contained to the roof and crews extinguished it in about 30 minutes. The building sustained heavy smoke and water damage estimated at around $500,000.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Fireworks injuries more than doubled in Iowa in the four years since a 2017 law legalized their sale and use, with far more children getting hurt and more patients requiring amputation, according to a new study. Emergency room visits stemming from fireworks-related injuries rose to an annual average of 147 from 2017 through 2020. That’s a 114% increase from the state average of 69 over the previous four years.