ANAMOSA, IA (IRN) – An inmate serving a 15-year prison sentence at the Anamosa State Penitentiary died Monday due to an apparent suicide. Anthony Spurgeon, 31, was pronounced dead at 9 a.m. Monday, April 18 at the prison. Spurgeon had been serving his sentence for the crime of habitual offender and other charges out of Wapello County. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Firefighters and police are on the scene of a fire this morning in downtown Cedar Rapids. Crews responded to a call of a fire just before 3:00 a.m. Multiple businesses and storefronts are located in the area. POWESHIEK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Firefighters in Poweshiek County battled a fire at Ponderosa Lumber near Montezuma yesterday. There’s no word on the cause, or if anyone was injured. AMES, IA (IRN) – The Ames Police Department is looking for a man who allegedly assaulted a nurse in the Mary Greeley Medical Center emergency room on Monday night. At about 9:45 p.m., a man entered the hospital and assaulted a nurse at the front counter. He then left. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Tuesday was supposed to be the last day of session for the Iowa legislature, but some issues are still under debate. A major sticking point is private school vouchers. Governor Reynolds and Senate Republicans want to take money from public schools to be used as tuition for private school students. So far, House Republicans and Democrats are opposed. Opponents say private schools will be able to choose which children they enroll, and won’t have the same accountability public schools do.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A bill that would allow older teens to work in child care facilities just grew closer to becoming law. It would also increase the ratio for how many kids these providers would watch. The Republican-sponsored measure passed through the Senate yesterday in a 30-18 vote. Safe and affordable child care activists are unhappy with the new bill. If it becomes law, it will lower the age to be eligible to work in child care centers unsupervised to 16. They say it’s unsafe. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A ruling from a federal judge in Florida declared mask mandates on airplanes and other transportation methods unlawful because the CDC exceeded its statutory authority and violated the Administrative Procedure Act. As a result, many airports across the country, including Iowa, have dropped the mask requirement. HUDSON, IA (IRN) – The Hudson Police Department is warning of gas thefts with the recent rise in gas prices. The Hudson Police Department is asking the community to be vigilant. ANKENY, IA (IRN) – A junior from Ankeny High School recently found out she got a perfect ACT score of 36. Sydney Madetzke said she found out her results while she was in class, and was very excited–nearly hyperventilating. Less than one-half of 1% of all test takers earn the top score.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A Clear Lake man has taken a plea deal to avoid a kidnapping trial. Thyago Silva Miranda, 31, was accused of abducting a woman on December 19, 2021. Police say he slammed the woman against the side of his car and then forced her inside. The woman was released somewhere north of Manly in Worth County in 20 degree weather after Miranda took her cell phone. He was initially charged with third-degree kidnapping but pleaded guilty to domestic abuse assault causing mental distress. Miranda has been sentenced to 74 days in the Cerro Gordo County Jail and fined $855. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids man argued with construction workers over road work Thursday before hitting one of the workers with his car. 66-year-old Bruce Schutte pulled up to a ‘road closed’ sign and tried to move it out of the way. Workers confronted Schutte, who told them to move, or he would run them over. Schutte got back in his car and accelerated toward a worker and then allegedly hit him, leaving him with injuries to his knee, hip, and elbow. Schutte took off but was later taken into custody by police. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Former refugees from Bosnia in Iowa are helping refugees who just arrived from Afghanistan. The Bosniak American Association of Iowa and Des Moines Refugee Support collected food and hygiene products for Afghan refugees at the Ezan Mosque Sunday. Volunteers immediately delivered the food to the refugees in need across Iowa. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Saturday was the first day of the last season for Iowa Greyhound Park in Dubuque. The track is one of only four in the country, but in just a few weeks, that number will be down to three. IOWA (IRN) – Easter snow stuck around Central Iowa most of the day Sunday, leading to a gray and dreary holiday. The snow, which at times mixed with rain, kept temperatures down in the low 30s most of the afternoon. Warmer ground temperatures were able to keep roads clear in all but the heaviest snow showers. In a few cases, some light accumulations were reported, generally around an inch, though New Virginia did report several 2 to 3.5 inch totals.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids man argued with construction workers over road work Thursday before hitting one of the workers with his car. 66-year-old Bruce Schutte pulled up to a ‘road closed’ sign and tried to move it out of the way. Workers confronted Schutte, who told the workers to move, or he would run them over. Schutte got back in his car and accelerated toward a worker and then allegedly hit him, leaving him with injuries to his knee, hip, and elbow. Schutte took off but was later taken into custody by police. IOWA (IRN) – The Iowa House has passed a moratorium on the Iowa Utilities Board scheduling of eminent domain hearings for carbon-capture pipelines. The bill would not change rules regarding the use of eminent domain but rather provide 11 months for negotiations between landowners and companies. WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Grand View men’s volleyball team defeated Benedictine Mesa 3-1 Saturday to win their second straight NAIA volleyball championship. JOHNSTON, IA (IRN) – There was a great show of support Saturday for Afghan refugees in central Iowa. A wide variety of household goods were dropped off at the Johnston Lions Club. The Johnston Area Democrats asked for items to help refugees who escaped Afghanistan with just the clothes in their suitcases. It added up to 15 pickup truck loads of goods.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two teenage pedestrians were hit by a car near Lincoln High School in Des Moines. One vehicle, traveling eastbound, was attempting to cross Southwest Ninth Street at Kirkwood. The vehicle was struck by a northbound car. The collision sent a car onto a sidewalk, where it hit the two teenagers. Both were transported to the hospital with injuries. SAINT ANSGAR, IA (IRN) – A northern Iowa man who pleaded guilty to taking part in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has a new sentencing date. Daryl Johnson, of St. Ansgar, is due back in court on June 1. Johnson and his son, Daniel, who lives in Minnesota, pleaded guilty to felony charges back in January. Each faces up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Six other Iowans face charges in connection to the insurrection. DYERSVILLE, IA (IRN) – The new owners of the “Field of Dreams” site in Iowa plan to use $80 million in private investment to make the popular tourist attraction a destination for youth baseball and softball tournaments. Go the Distance says the money will be used to build baseball and softball fields, team dormitories and a hotel, among other improvements. Go the Distance’s CEO is longtime Chicago White Sox star and hall-of-famer Frank Thomas. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – For the first time since the pandemic, churches are celebrating the Easter holiday without COVID restrictions. Many worshipers will be returning to the pews for the first time since the pandemic started a couple years ago.