Author: Iowa Radio News

DAVENPORT – Two people were charged with arson in connection to a house fire in Davenport Friday. KCRG-TV reports 30-year-old Daltyn Matthes and 39-year-old Jetal Womack are accused of intentionally starting the blaze in an enclosed porch. A neighbor across the street quickly called 911. Police later placed Matthes and Womack into custody, charging them with First Degree Arson.

DES MOINES – Two dozen cats were rescued from a home covered in feces and garbage recently. Des Moines Police and the Animal Rescue league report they removed 24 felines from a house in the state’s capital, according to WHO-13. All of the animals were in poor condition and suffering from multiple pests and illnesses.

WEST DES MOINES – A pair of West Des Moines sisters were honored for their efforts in saving two drowning children. KCCI-TV reports Senator Joni Ernst presented Jasmine and Jacora Morris with the Carnegie Hero Medal Friday, as the two saved two young boys from an icy pond a year ago. The two also were honored last fall by the City of West Des Moines.

IOWA – As the growing season draws near, most of Iowa remains in drought — some of the worst in recent memory heading into spring planting in several years. The U.S. Drought Monitor Report shows more than half of the state is in severe conditions or worse, with 18.5% rated as extreme. Nearly 96% of Iowans are experiencing at least drier than normal conditions, and a warm, dry February has only made the situation worse. Additional warm, dry days are in the forecast, although much of the state may be impacted by a mix of rain and wintry precipitation late Tuesday into Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

SIOUX CITY – A former deputy with the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office faces several felony charges following a state investigation. Caleb Haverdink, and his wife Jill, were charged with
seven counts of Neglect of a Dependent Person, Class C Felonies; two counts of Mandatory Reporter Violations, Simple Misdemeanors; and one count of False Report to Law Enforcement, a Simple Misdemeanor. At the time of the initial complaint, Caleb Haverdink was employed by the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy sheriff. According to the complaint and affidavits, the Haverdinks had prior knowledge of a child in their care committing numerous acts of sexual abuse and sexualized acts against other children and took no meaningful action to stop the acts or protect children under their care. Haverdink’s employment was terminated earlier this month

WASHINGTON D.C. – Both Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley largely praised a ruling by the Environmental Protection Agency to allow for year-round sales of E15 fuel at gas pumps. Governor Kim Reynolds was part of a bipartisan coalition of midwestern governors to call for the move. However, all three leaders expressed frustration that the ruling starts the process in 2025 — and additional petitions have been filed to start those sales this summer.

NEWTON – The Jasper County seat is looking to join another nearby community and several others in the state in implementing a speed camera along a four-lane highway. The Newton City Council unanimously voted to add the devices along a stretch of Interstate 80, according to KCCI-TV. The city says their emergency departments respond to just over 200 calls per year for the highway alone. Newton joins fellow Jasper County community Prairie City in the effort; the land of the buffalo received $1.7 million from their cameras in fiscal year 2022 on Highway 163. State lawmakers have tried for seven years to ban speed cameras, but have been unsuccessful.

MARION – Two men have been charged for the death of a 20-year-old Marion woman found dead near a lake in Iowa County. Marion Police, the Iowa DCI, and Linn County Sheriff’s Office arrested and charged 18 year old Dakota Lyle Van Patten with 1st degree murder, 1st degree kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony on Wednesday. Twenty-three-year-old McKinley Louisma, also of Cedar Rapids, was previously arrested earlier this week, and has also now been charged with 1st degree murder, as well as the same other counts as Van Patten. Hoffman was found dead near Amana Lily Lake this past Sunday. A criminal complaint shared by Marion Police found Hoffman died by strangulation, and was found with several stab wounds. She was last known to be alive late Saturday night.

ANKENY – An Ankeny Community School district teacher and coach faces five felony counts for an alleged multi-year sexual relationship with a student. Thirty-four-year old Rachel Whiteside was arrested Wednesday and charged with third degree sexual abuse and four counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee. Court records indicate Whiteside had several encounters with a student from 2015 to 2018, starting when the alleged victim was in 9th grade. Ankeny Police say they have an email Whiteside sent to the student in 2022 stating “happy anniversary,” indicating they had some type of sexual relationship for at least seven years. The alleged victim came forward to the Ankeny School District earlier this year and provided details of the encounters to police.

WINNEBAGO COUNTY – A single vehicle crash claimed the life of a Minnesota man in a single vehicle crash in Winnebago County Wednesday. The Iowa State Patrol reports a Buick Roadmaster driven by 69 year old David Wayne Mason left Highway 69 near 440th Street and rolled several times. Mason was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead on scene.

AMANA – An arrest has been made in connection to a woman found dead near Amana Lily Lake over the weekend. KCRG-TV reports 23-year-old McKinley Louisma of Hiawatha faces a count each of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony. The Iowa County Sheriff’s Office responded on Sunday as bystanders found the dead body of 20-year-old Melody Hoffman of Marion with multiple stab wounds. Louisma is accused of working with someone else to kidnap and kill Hoffman.

DES MOINES – Lawmakers have approved a bill that Republicans say expand religious freedom and Democrats claim will allow more discrimination. KTIV reports Senate File 2095 was passed out the Iowa Senate along party lines. The bill claims to prevent a governmental body from “treating religious conduct more restrictively than secular conduct.”

MARION – A settlement was approved to resolve a lawsuit between an Iowa school board and how a policy they approved provided accommodations to transgender and non-binary students. KCRG-TV reports the Linn-Mar School District voted to formalize what school staff was doing to support those kids. The Iowa Legislature passed a bill in response that rendered the policy largely useless. The advocacy group Parents Defending Education filed the suit and celebrated the settlement.

TRAER – The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s Major Crime Unit and the Tama County Sheriff’s Office arrested 46-year-old Karina Cooper Monday. She was taken into custody at her residence in Traer for her role in the shooting death of her husband, Ryan Cooper, on June 18, 2021. She was transported to the Tama County Sheriff’s Office and charged with Murder in the First Degree, a Class A Felony. Cooper is being held at the Tama County Jail. Bond is to be determined.

FOREST CITY – A man was arrested for his role in a shooting incident earlier this month in Forest City. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation reports Jose Alberto Carrera Patino was charged with Attempted Murder and Going Armed with Intent. The Forest City Police Department began an investigation into a shooting incident which had occurred over the weekend of February 10th, which was not reported to the Forest City Police Department until February 12th.

DES MOINES – Many low-income mothers in Iowa are a step closer to eligibility for a full year of Medicaid. The Iowa Senate passed Senate File 2251 by a 34-13 bi-partisan vote, according to the Des Moines Register. The bill expands the time for the majority of recipients to stay on care, but also lowers the threshold to qualify for postpartum coverage under Medicaid. Many of those 1,700 families would be moved to state programs under the measure.

DES MOINES – A Republican lawmaker is leading a bill that could cap insulin costs for state-funded insurance programs. KCRG-TV reports Senator Carrie Koelker of Dubuque County has introduced a bill that could limit the spending on the medicine for diabetes at $75 a month. She’s been trying to get a similar measure through both chambers in the last six sessions.