Articles by Iowa Radio News

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Monday, September 26, 2022

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines’ largest private employer has announced another round of layoffs. Wells Fargo has announced that it laid off 36 workers this week. This marks the 10th round of cuts and more than 400 layoffs since April. Earlier this month, the company notified 75 workers at offices in Ankeny, Clive, Des Moines and West Des Moines that they’ll be laid off at the end of next month. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man has been arrested and charged with over 80 counts of sexual abuse with some of those charges being sexual abuse against a minor. Joshua Saul Gil, 44, was arrested by the Des Moines Police Department for sexual abuse and interference with official acts on Thursday. Gil possessed video of himself abusing the victim multiple times. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Des Moines Police Department is investigating an armed robbery at a Git n’ Go gas station on the city’s southeast side Friday night. The robber fled on foot and hasn’t been apprehended. MARION, IA (IRN) – The Marion Police Department responded to three incidents at Friday night’s football game at Linn-Mar High School. Two of the incidents involved reports of concealed weapons. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A new television and radio ad released by Governor Reynolds is drawing accusations of racism, of misreprenting the border crisis, and praising her leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic when over 10,000 Iowans died.


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Saturday, September 24, 2022

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The Iowan who was one of the first rioters to enter the Capitol on January 6th, 2021, was found guilty on all seven criminal counts Friday. Douglas Jensen will be sentenced on December 16. More than 870 people have been charged with federal crimes for their conduct on Jan. 6. Approximately 400 of them have pleaded guilty. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The Cedar Rapids Police Department responded to a report of a weapons incident on Friday morning. Police found a woman reporting she had been held against her will by a man in a nearby apartment. She said the suspect displayed a knife and sexually assaulted her. OSCEOLA, IA (IRN) – The Osceola Water Board has asked customers to voluntarily reduce water usage, as the city’s water source at West Lake is dropping and there are concerns about water quality deeper in the lake. WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A recent op-ed by the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union says “enough is enough” when it comes to bad behavior at games. They say there’s been a trend of bad behavior from players, coaches, parents, and fans that is directed toward officials across the nation. Findings from the National Association of Sports Officials report 46% of officials say they feared for their safety due to players, coaches, or spectators and 55% say verbal abuse is the number one reason they quit.


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Friday, September 23, 2022

FONTANELLE, IA (IRN) – The Good Samaritan Society nursing home in Fontanelle will be closing on Nov. 19. The closure is due to multiple challenges seen by the facility like hiring more staff, low resident numbers, and complications due to COVID-19. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Lincoln High School in Des Moines was placed on a brief lockdown Thursday morning because of a situation outside of the building. Police say there was a report of a dispute with a weapon outside of the school. Someone said they were going to get a gun and shoot another person. When officers arrived, the people involved in the fight were gone. Witnesses did not report seeing a gun or hearing any shots fired. NEW HAMPTON, IA (IRN) – A 15-year-old has been arrested and charged with a threat of terrorism after police received reports of a possible threat of a shooting at New Hampton Community Schools on Wednesday. Police arrested the teenage boy on Thursday. He was taken to the North Iowa Juvenile Detention Center in Waterloo. Police say there was no credible evidence of an active threat to students or staff. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The Animal Rescue League of Iowa said its Mobile Rescue Team rescued 46 sick cats and kittens from filthy conditions at a northern Iowa home on Wednesday. ARL staff said it responded to a call to help a family struggling to provide for numerous cats and kittens that had multiplied in the home. DHS was called to help the family. MARSHALL COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A human jawbone found in the Iowa River last month in Marshall County was determined to have likely belonged to a prehistoric man. There will be no criminal investigation.


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Thursday, September 22, 2022

WEBSTER COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A former corrections officer in Webster County has pleaded guilty to helping an inmate escape from jail last year. Jordan Mefferd broke out of jail in December of 2021. An investigation showed Michelle Valenti was the only jailer capable of unlocking the door he used to escape. She later admitted to also supplying marijuana and a lighter to an inmate. She also admitted to having sexual contact with a different inmate. Valenti will be sentenced on Oct. 31. WEBSTER COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A male teenager has been arrested for allegedly shooting a female teenager at a late-night party on Friday. Deputies with the Webster County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting at a party with teenagers. When they arrived they encountered a large number of juveniles fleeing the scene. Police arrested the 17-year-old male at the Fort Dodge Senior High School on Wednesday. The girl is expected to recover. EVANSDALE, IA (IRN) – Police in Evansdale are investigating after they say a person allegedly threatened someone before getting in his vehicle and leaving the area. A nearby school was temporarily locked down. BENTON COUNTY (IRN) – A school bus carrying nine students collided with an SUV on a gravel road near the Benton County town of Blairstown. The bus reportedly went into a ditch and rolled over. Three students and both drivers were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man is in the Polk County Jail facing multiple charges after police say he bit an officer Tuesday while they were trying to help him find a sober ride home. Officers were called to a report of a man passed out in a vehicle. Police found 27-year-old Jaston Boone extremely intoxicated and noticed open containers in the car. While officers tried to help him get a sober driver to take him home, Boone jumped in the car and tried to leave. During a struggle, Boone bit an officer on the arm.


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Wednesday, September 21st, 2022

Des Moines, IA (IRN) – The unusual warm weather forced several school districts to allow for early release Tuesday, as record-breaking temperatures went into the 90s. Many rural schools across Iowa don’t have air conditioning, and generally rural Iowa schools have dealt with the issue earlier in the school year. Dubuque, IA (KCRG) A 12-year-old boy from Dubuque was awarded with the Diana Award, an award named after Princess Diana that honors people between the ages of 9 and 25, who “selflessly create and sustain positive social change’. According to KCRG News, 12-year-old Arsh Pal from Dubuque has been painting for four years, and recently decided to sell his paintings to raise money for Saint Jude Children’s Hospital, raising over $1,000. Des Moines, IA (KCCI) Iowa will be selling more than $2.6 million of Iowa corn, soybeans, and other products to Taiwan. According to KCCI News, Taiwan is the 12th largest buyer of Iowa products, and a signing ceremony was held for the 2022 Taiwan Agricultural Trade Goodwill Mission. Gov. Kim Reynolds said Iowa’s exports to Taiwan have grown over the past five years. Cedar Rapids, IA (KCRG) – The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union employees of the company Ingredion are currently on strike in Cedar Rapids. According to KCRG News, disputes over wages, benefits and workers’ rights are stopping the union and company from reaching a deal as the strike approaches the two-month mark. Negotiations did not resume at Hotel Kirkwood between union workers and Ingredion as expected on Tuesday after the workers say Ingredion arrived escorted by six-armed security guards. The strike is currently on day 51.