Author: Iowa Radio News

IOWA – The state of Iowa is well on its way to the warmest February on record. Despite a brief cooldown last Friday and Saturday, temperatures across the state are expected to climb and stay in the 40s and 50s well into March. The all-time mark was 39.2 for the daily average, according to the National Weather Service in a Des Moines Register report. The current average is 39.1 in 2024.

DEWITT – An astronaut born in Iowa will be honored for his service. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame is welcoming DeWitt resident David Hilmers, according to the Quad Cities Times. The ceremony will be held at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 1st. Col. Hilmers is a U.S. Marine Corps alumnus and flew on several space shuttle missions.

IOWA COUNTY – A body was found near a lake in Iowa County Sunday morning. KCRG-TV reports the local sheriff’s office was informed by citizens of the individual found near Amana Lily Lake. The name of the person will be released early this week. Several nearby agencies assisted in the recovery.

DES MOINES – The annual state high school boys wrestling tournament came to a close at Wells Fargo Arena Saturday. Southeast Polk, Osage, and Don Bosco were team champions — this is the sixth consecutive trophy for the Dons in Class 1A and 16th all-time, for the Green Devils, this marked back-to-back team victories, while the Rams won their sixth ever 3A championship.

POWESHIEK COUNTY – A New Sharon man was killed in a single vehicle crash in Poweshiek County Friday. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2003 Chevy Silverado operated by 30 year old Jamal Gant of Oskaloosa was traveling northbound on Highway 146, when he lost control and rolled into a ditch, coming to a rest on the roof. His passenger, 31 year old Cody T. Roberts, died as a result of injuries on scene. Gant was injured. Police believe the accident was caused by slick roadways due to overnight snow.

ANKENY – An Ankeny-based doctor was found guilty Friday of sexually abusing a child. WHO-13 reports Lynn Lindaman, a pediatric surgeon, was charged with second degree sexual abuse in June of 2023. He was found guilty, and faces up to 25 years in prison. Lindaman is also facing an enhanced charge due to a 1976 conviction of lascivious acts with a child.

DES MOINES – State champions will be crowned today from all over Iowa at the 2024 State Traditional Wrestling Tournament. A total of 42 champions will have their arms raised at Wells Fargo Arena after the grand march this evening.

IOWA CITY — Officially the “G.O.A.T.” is an Iowa Hawkeyes basketball superstar. Caitlin Clark scored the first eight points against Michigan for #4 ranked Iowa to become the NCAA’s All-Time leading scorer on Thursday night in while scoring a career-high and school record 49 points in the Hawkeyes’ 106-89 win. Clark broke the mark held by Washington’s Kelsey Plum of 3,527 career points from 2013 to 2017, according to ESPN.

DES MOINES – Republican lawmakers in both chambers have offered their own versions of changes to Area Education Agencies. The Iowa Senate offered to maintain many of the changes proposed by Governor Kim Reynolds, and instead spread them over two years to lessen their immediate impact, according to WHO-13. The Iowa House version is far more modest, and would keep AEA oversight of special education but allow districts to go elsewhere for media and educational services. It would also separate out a proposal to increase base teacher pay across Iowa in a different bill. Both versions were approved by committees ahead of today’s legislative funnel.

WEBSTER CITY – Two people are dead in what Webster County officials are initially calling a murder-suicide. KCCI-TV reports the Webster County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call just before noon Thursday to a home in Moorland, where they found 79-year-old Sharon Jones dead. Police believe she was killed by her 55-year-old son, Eric Jones, who was also found dead on scene.

DES MOINES – A police chief was found guilty on the majority of federal charges tied to abuse of authority when purchasing federally-regulated machine guns. The Des Moines Register reports Bradley Wendt serves as both the leader of the Adair Police Department and the owner of two Iowa gun stores. Wendt falsely told the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives the weapons he wanted for his store were for police use, and instead, he was reselling them. Wendt was found guilty of conspiracy and several other charges; he plans to appeal.

BELLEVUE – A jury found a Bellevue man guilty in the killing of his estranged wife. KWQC reports Christopher Prichard is guilty of first degree murder and first degree robbery. Angela Prichard was found dead with a gunshot wound in October of 2022. She had an active no-contact order against Christopher at the time of the killing.

POLK COUNTY – Gov. Kim Reynolds requested a Presidential Disaster Declaration for eighteen Iowa counties due to significant snowfall during the January winter storms. The governor requested funding under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance Program for 18 counties for trecord-breaking snowfall that occurred between January 8 through January 14. Following a joint federal, state, and local damage assessment of the affected counties, it was estimated the significant snowfall resulted in more than $8 million worth of damage that could be eligible under the Public Assistance program.

IOWA CITY – History is about to be made in Iowa City. Tonight, Iowa Hawkeyes Superstar Caitlin Clark is expected to break the NCAA women’s basketball all-time scoring record at Carver-Hawkeye arena. Clark needs eight more points to pass Kelsey Plum as the NCAA women’s career scoring leader, according to KCCI-TV.

WEBSTER CITY – A Webster City man has been charged in relation to a Hamilton County crash that killed a man last year. KCCI-TV reports 40-year-old Dustin Humlicek faces a count of homicide by vehicle following the incident this past September that left his passenger, 48-year-old Kevin Beightol, dead as a result of injuries suffered in the crash. Humlicek also is charged with OWI and driving while suspended.

PLEASANT HILL – Southeast Polk is receiving additional counseling services from the Heartland Area Education Services agency after several students witnessed a classmate jump from a third floor landing Tuesday. The individual involved was hospitalized, according to a release issued by district administration.

DES MOINES – A bull that fled from the Iowa Beef Expo at the Iowa State Fairgrounds was euthanized. WHO-13 reports Des Moines Police discovered a cow that went missing just before 8 a.m., and that officials located the animal nearly two hours later. The Iowa Beef Expo reported the bull was euthanized for safety reasons.

DES MOINES – Just over 1,000 Iowa high school wrestlers are convening at Wells Fargo Arena today to kick off their dreams of state champions at the 2024 Iowa High School Athletic Association state traditional tournament. In 2023, the meet expanded to include 24 total wrestlers over 14 weights in three classes. State champions will be crowned on Saturday evening after four full days of competition.