DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The city of Des Moines will buy the old Nationwide Insurance building and parking garage on Locust Street. The proposed $40 million deal was approved during last night’s city council meeting. It will allow the city to put most of its employees under one roof. The overall goal of the move is to attract more workers to the downtown area. The entire process could take a couple of years to complete.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids man has been arrested after allegedly breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s residence and trying to kill another man. Police say Phillip Horak unlawfully entered a residence and demanded to know where a male subject was. He then threw a large object at the victim who was asleep. Horak jumped on the victim and attempted to kill him with a knife and his fists. The victim sustained injuries and lacerations to the wrists, face, and back of the head.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police are investigating several weekend crimes on Court Avenue. In 48 hours, there were two stabbings, a shooting and a car chase, all stemming from fights in the Court Avenue district.

IOWA (IRN) – Farmers moved another week towards harvest in Iowa, but the crop conditions are moving in the wrong direction. According to the weekly USDA crop report, Iowa corn and soybean conditions were downgraded in the last week. Just 63% of each crop is currently rated good to excellent by the USDA.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The University of Iowa is tied with Yale as the No. 2 university in the country for writing, according to the latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report. Iowa is the only public university in the top 10, behind No. 1 Brown University.