DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – MercyOne has dealt with a systemwide network outage after its information technology supplier was possibly targeted in a cyber attack. A mother says the lack of computers put her three-year-old son in danger under their care. Kelley Parsi said she checked her son Jay into MercyOne in Des Moines for dehydration on October 3, the same day Mercy’s IT issues started. She believes her son received an abnormally high dose of Tylenol and codeine because of a lack of communication and an inability to pull up his records. BELLEVUE, IA (IRN) – A Bellevue man has been charged with the murder of his estranged wife. Christopher Eugene Pritchard says he was “angry about the no contact order” 55-year-old Angela Pritchard had obtained, claiming domestic abuse. He confronted her about it and admitted to shooting her with a shotgun and leaving. POLK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The ATF is trying to figure out who put a suspected explosive device by a rural road in Polk County. A farmer found it between Ankeny and Polk City Thursday. The Des Moines Bomb Squad had to disable the device. Explosives experts believe it was some sort of bomb, but are waiting on lab tests to confirm it. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A state panel said Thursday that Iowa’s economy continues to perform well with record tax receipts for the fiscal year that ended in June, but tax policies enacted by lawmakers will slow the revenue growth in the coming years. Iowa closed the fiscal year 2022 with revenue growth of more than $1 billion, or 11% more revenue than the previous year. INDEPENDENCE, IA (IRN) – Family, friends, and colleagues of Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Jim Smith attended a statue dedication Wednesday in Independence honoring him. Smith was shot and killed in April 2021 after an hours-long standoff outside a home in Grundy Center. The man responsible was convicted and sentenced to serve a life sentence in prison without parole. Sgt. Smith lived in Independence for more than two decades and his kids went to school at Independence High School.

IOWA (IRN) – Strong winds, dry ground, and very dry air is leading to a heightened fire risk today in Iowa. Dry, cold air has moved into place and with very low humidity and strong winds fires could spread quickly. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The Iowa City man charged with killing his wife over the couple’s finances took a plea deal Wednesday. Roy Browning Junior was set to go to trial in less than a month. Authorities say he stabbed and killed his wife JoEllen in April of 2019. The couple had been married 42 years. Browning was charged with first-degree murder. On Wednesday, Browning pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree murder. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police responded to a serious accident involving an SUV and a UTV Wednesday morning in Des Moines near Grandview University. The SUV hit a John Deere Gator which was crossing the street. DUBUQUE, IA (IR) – Testing of Dubuque’s water has yielded some frightening results. The tests determined the prevalence of manmade chemicals known as per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or “PFAS,” are at a higher level than the EPA allows. PFAs are long-lasting chemicals that have been used in industrial applications and consumer products like carpeting, upholstery, food packaging, non-stick cookware, and personal care products. Exposure to PFAs has been linked to health risks such as cancer. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Gary Slater, the longtime CEO and Manager of the Iowa State Fair, announced his retirement on Wednesday. Slater has been in charge at the fairgrounds for the last 21 years. Slater called it “the honor of a lifetime to lead the Iowa State Fair” for more than two decades. He was hired for the job in 2001 after previously running the State Fair in his home state of Missouri.

VINTON, IA (IRN) – A teen is in stable condition after he was stabbed by another teen at Vinton-Shellsburg High School on Monday night. A 16-year-old stabbed a 15-year-old after a verbal altercation. They were attending a driver’s ed class. WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – West Des Moines police say the report of a body dumped into the pond behind the West Des Moines Public Library is false. Police say the bizarre story started with a report from Mason Kiefer, who told police that he killed a homeless man and threw his body in the water. No body was found. The man that Kiefer claimed he killed has been found alive by police. Kiefer is now being held at the Polk County Jail charged with harassment. JOHNSTON, IA (IRN) – The lack of rain has left rivers and streams in parts of Iowa in a constant state of recession since Spring. The National Weather Service in Johnston keeps track of the river levels even when there is little to no water. Some rivers in the state are nothing but a series of puddles. MADISON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The Madison County Sheriff’s Office is sharing a video of a mountain lion spotted roaming in central Iowa. The video was taken just outside of St. Charles from a hunter’s tree stand. The mountain lion can be seen making its way through the woods near the stand.

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A police investigation is underway near the library on Mills Civic Parkway in West Des Moines. Firefighters are searching the pond on that property. Police are also working the scene of a property on Fuller Road. The two scenes are connected. GRANGER, IA (IRN) – The Iowa State Patrol is investigating a deadly crash that happened on Monday morning in Granger. A semi was turning and failed to yield to an oncoming car. Larry Don Adams, 75, of Boone, died on the scene. CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – The University of Northern Iowa has announced a $50 million campaign for renovations to the UNI-Dome. The Dome, built in 1976, has seen some occasional updates, but nothing to the extent of the proposed renovations. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – One of the biggest stars in college sports is joining four young athletes and signing with Nike. The sneaker giant announced they are signing Caitlin Clark, along with Stanford women’s basketball player Haley Jones and top high school recruits DJ Wagner, Bronny James and Juju Watkins. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines city crews drove in a garbage truck and front-end loaders to tear down makeshift tents and clear the sidewalk outside of Central Iowa Shelter and Services on Monday. The city says it took action after people who live and work in the area made a number of complaints, calling the area a health and safety hazard. A homeless man, James Mansell says he feels mistreated and abandoned. “There are people out here. It gets cold at night. We don’t have nowhere to go.”

IOWA (IRN) – An aging Iowa landmark got a boost Friday as Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a $5 million grant for an overhaul of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch. The money came from the latest federal American Rescue Plan Act disbursement. BENTON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Two people have died after a pick-up truck struck a UTV Saturday near Vinton in Benton County. Both vehicles were traveling the same direction when the truck tried to pass the UTV. The UTV then made a left turn in front of the truck. When the truck hit the UTV, the UTV rolled into a ditch and both occupants were ejected and killed. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – One person is dead after a crash on Interstate 235 in Des Moines Sunday. They were reportedly dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A fire in Coralville has left 17 people without a home. Crews worked on putting out the fire for hours. Businesses including A-One Uniforms, Quality Care Lawn, and Taxes Plus are also in the building. CLEAR LAKE, IA (IRN) – A dinosaur, a snowman, or a cowboy. You never know what you might see in the morning at Clear Lake Middle School. Principal Mike Lester has been frequently dressing up in costumes to welcome students for four years now. A Halloween and Homecoming dress-up day enthusiast, he occasionally wears silly outfits outside of those special occasions. Lester says, “I just saw how much fun I had with dressing up, and I like getting kids laughing and giggling…I’m like, ‘Why can’t we do it every day somehow, or as much as possible?’ Getting them to come in with smiles is the greatest thing ever.”