DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Democratic Party is scrapping the traditional caucus structure that requires making a presidential pick in-person. Instead, Iowans would mail in a card to express their presidential preference, and the 2024 in-person democratic caucuses would focus solely on party business. AMES, IA (IRN) – An Ames nurse practitioner who is accused of sexually abusing young boys for a decade is the owner of several Ames businesses geared towards family entertainment. Carl Markley, 44, was arrested on Friday and charged with Sexual Exploitation of a minor after a first victim came forward against him. Ames and Gilbert public school districts both contracted Markley to provide pre-activity physical examinations. More victims are coming forward. FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – A man is dead after a shooting in Fort Dodge Tuesday night. Fort Dodge police say a man in his 20s was shot and killed in front of the Community Health Center. The man was not associated with the health center. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) After hours of debate Tuesday, Iowa House lawmakers approved a plan that would make major changes to Iowa’s child labor laws. The plan passed in a 60-34 vote. Republicans say Senate File 542 would expand opportunities for Iowa teenagers. But Democrats argue it would put children in dangerous situations. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A country music legend will perform in Des Moines this summer. Willie Nelson & Family are booked for a June 27th show at the Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park. Nelson, who just turned 90, has enjoyed a seven-decade music career. He’s also racked up acting credits, published books, and launched cannabis companies.

BOONE, IA (IRN) – Fire crews responded to a large fire that destroyed a home in Boone Monday. Boone police said they were first dispatched to the scene and spoke with a man identified as Michael Glynn, who was believed to be in violation of a no-contact order. Glynn refused to leave the house, and it is believed he started a fire. As the fire spread, Glynn ran from the house and was taken into custody. He was then transported to the Boone County Hospital. He is charged with arson, interference with official acts and violating a no-contact order. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Lawmakers are in overtime for the 2023 legislative session, but that didn’t stop House Republicans from passing legislation relating to Iowa caucuses. House Republicans passed a bill with a vote right down party lines. The bill requires people participating in caucus to register with a political party 70 days before the caucus date. This would kill the planned Democratic caucus changes, if constitutional. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An Iowa woman who broke through police lines and stormed into the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection was sentenced Monday to five months in prison. Deborah Sandoval, 56, pleaded guilty in December to entering a restricted building. In exchange for her plea, several other counts were dropped. FAYETTE, IA (IRN) – Upper Iowa University has announced that they are reducing the number of sports programs offered in their athletics department. The sports being cut include men’s and women’s bowling, men’s cross country, men’s indoor and outdoor track and field, women’s tennis, and shotgun sports.

FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – A Fort Dodge Baptist missionary was found guilty of felony sexual abuse, incest and misdemeanor child endangerment after two hours of jury deliberation Friday. 30-year-old Jordan Webb didn’t tell his wife he’d had extramarital affairs until after both he and a 4-year-old family member tested positive for gonorrhea. Webb faces up to 32 years behind bars. GILBERT, IA (IRN) – Ames Police arrested nurse practitioner Carl Markley Friday on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor during a physical exam. Markley performed similar exams on Gilbert Community School District students, and the district alerted parents about Markley after his arrest. Markley performed annual athletic exams on middle and high school students in the district since 2017. Police used search warrants on Markley’s home and businesses after his arrest. They found a clock and a pen with hidden cameras, as well as sexually explicit pictures of minors likely taken with the hidden cameras. CLIVE, IA (IRN) – Police believe they’ve found the body of 48-year-old Joann Stone, who went missing early Friday morning. Police say a body was found at a pond in Clive and that they have tentatively identified the body as Stone. She was last seen leaving a medical facility in West Des Moines just after 2 a.m. on Friday. WASHINGTON, D.C. (IRN) – Five Iowans serving federal prison time for methamphetamine charges will soon be released. On Friday, President Joe Biden commuted the sentences for 31 people convicted of non-violent drug-related crimes across seven states. They will all be released from federal prison by June 30 but will serve the remainder of their sentences in house arrest. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Kids were gifted free tackle boxes Sunday for the Iowa Wild’s Wild About Fishing event at Gray’s Lake Park. Despite the wind and cold, people came out to the event to enjoy some spring fishing. The Iowa Wild said the goal of the partnered event with Fleet Farm was to bring fans of the hockey team together during the off-season.

AMES, IA (IRN) – Ames Police arrested a nurse practitioner after a monthslong investigation into alleged sexual exploitation of minor patients. Carl Markley, 44, was arrested at the North Grand Mall on Friday. Police also executed search warrants at his home and businesses. Police found a clock and a pen with hidden cameras, as well as sexually explicit pictures of minors that police said were likely taken with the hidden cameras. LITTLETON, IA (IRN) – Kayakers had to be rescued from the Wapsipinicon River near Littleton Friday night. Four people had been kayaking on the river when some of the kayaks began to take on water, and two of the people ended up in the water. One person was able to make it to shore. Emergency crews responded and the three remaining people were located after an hour and were safely returned to shore. No injuries were reported. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – The battle against Mother Nature is underway for some river cities in eastern Iowa. The Mississippi River is expected to crest on Monday, but high water already covers streets in the Quad Cities. Davenport is bracing for a top-6 flood crest. OSKALOOSA, IA (IRN) – A cat fight is playing out in Oskaloosa. The city is evicting a half-dozen feral felines from Edmundson Park, but a group of caretakers is trying to make sure the cats keep their home. Christy Smith has been feeding the cats for 12 years and said they are well-known around town. Smith says,”There’s people that get their McDonald’s and bring it out here to eat because they want to see the cats.”

IOWA (IRN) – Iowa farmers will begin paying a fee this summer on corn, soybean and other grain sales to replenish a state fund that helps cover grower losses if local elevators and feed businesses file for bankruptcy. The board that oversees the Iowa Grain Indemnity Fund reinstated a quarter-penny per bushel fee on corn, soybeans and other grain sold in Iowa, after three elevators filed for bankruptcy in the past two years, nearly depleting the fund. It’s the first time the fee has been triggered in 34 years, the Iowa Department of Agriculture said. COGGON, IA (IRN) – The Hawkeye Area Council Boy Scouts of America sold Camp Waubeek near Coggon, IA for $1 million at an auction on Thursday. A judge ruled that the national Boy Scouts of America would pay almost $2.5 billion in compensation to more than 84,000 sexual abuse survivors. Each council across the United States will help the national organization pay back that figure. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – An American doctor who lived in Sudan but traveled to work with Mercy Iowa City several times a year was killed during ongoing violence in the country. Leaders with Mercy Iowa City confirmed Dr. Bushra Sulieman’s death on Thursday. Dr. Sulieman practiced at Mercy Iowa City’s Gastroenterology Clinic and performed surgeries at Mercy Iowa City Hospital. He was stabbed to death while taking his father to dialysis. He was in Sudan with his wife and two of his four children, caring for his parents and teaching medicine. MARSHALLTOWN, IA (IRN) – Three people were displaced after a fire destroyed their home in Marshalltown Thursday. The fire was reported by a neighbor who was mowing his lawn. When firefighters arrived they found the attached garage of the single story home engulfed in flames. No one was hurt. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An outside group backing a potential 2024 bid for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is scaling up its efforts in Iowa. The Never Back Down political action committee confirms they’ve hired Tyler Campbell as their Iowa state director and Ryan Koopmans as an advisor. Campbell founded and works for FIN strategies, a Des Moines-based political strategy firm. Koopmans runs a legal and consulting group and was Gov. Kim Reynolds’ chief of staff in 2018.