Author: Iowa Radio News

WEST DES MOINES – A press conference held on Wednesday about an arrest made in a 15-year-old cold case revealed very few new details about the case. KCCI-TV reports West Des Moines Police held a news conference with siblings of West Des Moines Realtor Ashley Okland, who was killed in April 2011. Earlier this week, police arrested 53-year-old Kristin Ramsey of Woodward. West Des Moines Police say they can’t release too many details due to the nature of the judicial process taking place.

DES MOINES – Through the Safe Haven Law, a baby girl born on March 6 is now in the care and custody of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services and will be placed with a foster family until permanent placement is determined. This brings the overall total to 80 infants since the law went into effect more than two decades ago. Iowa’s Safe Haven Act is an option for parents in crisis who determine they cannot care for an infant up to 90 days old. Designated safe havens are locations like hospitals and police and fire stations.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Blue Star Mothers are planning a procession for two Iowa National Guard Soldiers returning to Iowa this week. WHO-13 reports that Major Jeffrey O’Brien and Sgt. Declan Coady will be laid to rest this weekend. This afternoon, community members are encouraged to line the streets of Des Moines, as the remains of the two soldiers are expected to arrive at the Des Moines International Airport.

WEST DES MOINES – An arrest has been made in a cold case that spans over 15 years. KCCI-TV reports 53-year-old Kristin Elizabeth Ramsey of Woodward has been charged with first degree murder in the death of Ashley Okland. The realtor was found dead with two gunshot wounds in a model townhouse in April of 2011. The case has been unsolved since then. Ramsey is being held on $2 million bond.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Bettendorf man was sentenced this week to 18 years in federal prison for receipt of child pornography and 24 months in federal prison for revocation of his supervised release. According to public court documents, 35-year-old Jacob Lawson Bertrand was on federal supervised release for a 2016 conviction for possession of child pornography. In October 2024, Bertrand was found to have an unauthorized cell phone, which he’s accused of using to possess more than 3000 images and 600 videos containing child sexual abuse material. Bertrand also had social media accounts which he used to talk to minors and had not reported to the Iowa Sex Offender Registry.

IOWA – The March weather roller coaster continues across the state of Iowa. After blizzard conditions shut down most major highways in the state overnight Sunday to Monday. The National Weather Service says those fortunes will quickly change, with temperatures climbing into the 70s and 80s for many by Friday and Saturday. This comes as much of the state remains in drought, especially in southeast Iowa.

DAVIS COUNTY – A Moulton man died in a head-on collision in West Grove on Sunday evening. The Iowa State Patrol reports 61-year-old David Downen was traveling on Highway 2 in Davis County and was traveling westbound in the eastbound lane of the highway. His vehicle collided with a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Both occupants of that vehicle were injured, Downen was not wearing a seatbelt and died from his injuries.

IOWA – A report from an environment group shows Iowa counties that are in the top 20% for glyphosate application have an increase in a specific cancer. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports Food & Watch Watch claims that 82% of the high-spray counties have non-Hodgkin lymphoma rates above the national average. The report comes after an update to the Cancer in Iowa Report commissioned by the Governors Office, that showed cancer rates were generally lower in rural communities than in urban centers.

AMES – A mother and child stabbed to death in Ames last week were identified publicly. WHO-13 reports 26-year-old Markasia McCuddin and one-year-old Liam Sanders-McCuddin were found suffering from multiple stab wounds on March 13th. Both were pronounced dead shortly after. Davontrez McCuddin — the child’s uncle, has been arrested and charged with first degree murder. Witnesses claim they saw the man stabbing his sister multiple times. He was also wanted on a charge of attempted murder related to a January shooting in Fort Dodge.

IOWA – A powerful blizzard swept through Iowa on Sunday into this morning, halting travel for many. The Iowa DOT shut down nearly all of Interstate 80 overnight for powerful winds of up to 65 MPH. The Iowa State Patrol responded to dozens of crashes before the worst of the gusts started to impact a wide range of the state. It came after severe thunderstorms were reported in eastern Iowa before the onset of snow. Travel conditions are expected to remain difficult to nearly impossible in some parts of the state, as bitter cold has settled in. Wind chill values as low as 30 below zero are possible in the northern part of the state through Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

ANKENY – Ankeny Police released more details about an apparent homicide that occurred on Saturday. WHO-13 reports that officers arrived early Saturday morning after dispatch received information about a dispute involving a possible murder-suicide. An adult victim was found with a stab wound and a second individual believed to be the suspect, who was injured in an apparent suicide attempt. Criminal charges are pending the medical recovery and investigation, according to the Polk County Attorney’s Office.

IOWA – Several basketball programs officially learned they are dancing into March Madness and the NCAA Men’s and Women’s tournaments later this week. KCCI-TV reports the Iowa Hawkeyes men are the No. 8 seed and take on Clemson this Friday at 5:50 p.m. The Iowa State Cyclones are the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region, and take on No. 15 Tennessee State on Friday at 1:50 p.m. The University of Northern Iowa men are the No. 12 seed in the East Region, and take on No. 5 St. John’s Friday at 6:10 p.m. The Iowa Hawkeyes women are the No. 2 seed and host 15th seeded Fairleigh Dickinson, and the No. 8 seeded Iowa State Cyclones open against Syracuse.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) was notified by the Illinois Department of Public Health that an Illinois resident with confirmed measles traveled to Iowa during their infectious period. Iowa HHS is notifying the public of potential exposure locations, which including the Comfort Inn and Suites in Independence from March 4th through the 5th. A total of 1,281 confirmed measles cases have been reported in the United States in 2026. Of these, 93% were unvaccinated. In Iowa, nine measles cases were identified in 2025. To date, no measles cases have been identified among Iowa residents in 2026.

GRIMES – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office reports that a child declared missing in Grimes on Friday morning has died. WHO-13 reports that police were searching for a five-year-old boy with autism, and that nearly an hour after the missing report, he was found unresponsive at a nearby intersection. Despite life-saving efforts, the child died. The sheriff’s office reports that an initial investigation has found nothing suspicious related to the fatality.

DES MOINES – With a $9.67 billion budget proposed in the ongoing legislative session, the state will spend more than a billion than it will take in for a second year in a row. The Des Moines Register reports the revised Revenue Estimate Conference projection shows $8.47 billion in revenue for the current fiscal year. Iowa Republicans are using the state’s Taxpayer Relief Fund to pay the difference, with that balance currently at roughly $4 billion.