Articles by Iowa Radio News

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Thursday, April 7, 2022

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police said a man found with gunshot wounds Thursday morning has died from his injuries. Police said the victim is a 36-year-old Des Moines man. His identity has not yet been released pending family notification. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man who faked his own death and fled the state to avoid a trial on child pornography charges is back in custody. After nearly six years on the run, U.S. Marshals arrested Jacob Greer, 28, in Spanaway, Washington on Monday. In April 2016, officers arrested Greer on charges of receipt and possession of child pornography. He was released on bond the next day with an ankle monitor. Police later found his ankle monitor in his car along with a suicide note, but no body. Greer was living with his grandmother in Des Moines at the time. JOHNSON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Johnson County Deputies responded to a report of suspicious activity on Tuesday, and initiated a traffic stop. The driver, 43-year-old Francisco Nunez of Muscatine, drove away. After a short chase, Nunez drove his vehicle down a boat ramp into the Iowa River. Police were able to rescue him. He faces multiple charges, including an OWI. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Three mental health bills face an uphill battle in the state Legislature. They passed the Iowa House with sweeping bipartisan support, but they’ve stalled in the Republican led Senate. Iowa currently ranks as one of the worst states in the country when it comes to psychiatric care. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa State Fair has made its final Grandstand announcement of 2022. ZZ Top will perform with special guest Ann Wilson from Heart. The rock legends will perform at 8 p.m. on August 16th. Tickets will cost $40-$60 and go on sale tomorrow.


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Wednesday, April 6, 2022

OSCEOLA, IA (IRN) – Fire crews spent hours battling a blaze on the downtown square in Osceola yesterday morning. The building was vacant, but there is an apartment building next to the fire. People living there were safely evacuated. The fire chief says the firewall stopped the flames from spreading. INDIANAPOLIS, IN (IRN) – The Indiana State Police said Tuesday that they used genealogical data and crime scene evidence to link an Iowa man who died in 2013 to the killings of three female motel clerks and the sexual assault of a fourth in Indiana and Kentucky from 1987 through 1990. Harry Edward Greenwell, who died at age 68 in New Albin, Iowa was the so-called “I-65 killer.” The killings earned that name because they happened at motels near Interstate 65. POLK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The Polk County Board of Supervisors committed over $15 million to affordable housing projects on Tuesday. A majority of that money will be used to support the acquisition, conversion and construction of permanent housing that supervisors said will be geared toward supportive housing for underserved populations. The units will be for single people making less than $19,000 a year, and $27,000 a year for a family of four. Rent would range from $480 to $685 a month. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – In a bill passed by the Iowa Senate on Tuesday, the State of Iowa would spend $1,000,000 on nonprofit pregnancy support groups that oppose abortion. The bill is now eligible for consideration by the Iowa House. IOWA (IRN) – The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa has sent letters to four cities stating that their panhandling ordinances violate free speech and must be repealed. The four cities that received letters are Bettendorf, Davenport, Coralville, and Dubuque. Staff with the ACLU say cities are restricting free speech and criminalizing poverty.


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Tuesday, April 5, 2022

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Newly released court documents show the evidence police used to arrest a West Des Moines man in the death of his girlfriend. Nathen Cameron, 27, is charged with first-degree murder, domestic assault with strangulation and other charges in the death of 23-year-old Trisha Kunze. Police responded to a call that a woman fell from a third-story balcony on February 12. An autopsy shows she suffered from assault and strangulation wounds before the fall. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City Police responded to a report of an assault at approximately 1:46 am on April 3. Police say a female victim was reportedly entering a residence when she was approached from behind and attacked by an unknown male. The victim was taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for non-life-threatening injuries. Police say always be aware of your surroundings. WASHINGTON D.C. (IRN) – Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley announced ahead of a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting that he would not support Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination for Supreme Court justice. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt are pushing the Environmental Protection Agency to allow the sale of gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol to ease gas prices this summer. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Des Moines City Council cleared the way for the 127-year-old Fairground Hardware building to be demolished. The two-story building across from Iowa State Fairgrounds was declared a public nuisance because bricks from its deteriorating façade fell to the sidewalk last summer, some interior walls are unstable, and the plumbing and mechanical systems do not comply with city code. Fairground Hardware closed in 2018 and the building has been vacant ever since.


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Monday, April 4, 2022

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa agriculture officials announced Sunday that another 150,000 chickens and 37,000 turkeys will have to be killed after bird flu spread to two more commercial flocks. Since the outbreak began a month ago, millions of fowl have been killed, many of them in Iowa, which is the nation’s leading egg producer. The latest cases were at a commercial turkey flock in Sac County and in a flock of commercial breeding chickens in Humboldt County. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The Cedar Rapids Police arrested 62-year-old Arthur Flowers for murder Saturday. The Cedar Rapids Police responded to a call of a heroin overdose, and found an unresponsive female in the upstairs bathroom suffering from what appeared to be blunt force head trauma. Emily Elizabeth Leonard was covered with blood and Flowers had what appeared to be blood on his hands. FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – Four people were injured Saturday after an SUV exploded in the parking lot of a liquor store in Fort Dodge. A 21-year-old female and a 7-year-old male are considered critical. They were airlifted to the University of Iowa Hospitals burn unit. A 24-year-old male with serious injuries was transported by ground ambulance to the University of Iowa Hospitals burn unit. A 23-year-old female sustained minor injuries. The fire was caused by occupants of the vehicle using butane. One occupant lit a lighter creating the explosion and fire. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A teenager is in the hospital after being shot inside of a home on the north side of Des Moines around midnight Friday. Police found 20 shell casings around the area after investigating claims that shots were fired at the house while the boy was inside. He is expected to recover. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – The popular motorized scooters from last summer returned to Waterloo Friday, this time in the spring. The goal is to let people park once, and then go to multiple places on a scooter.


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Sunday, April 3, 2022

FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – Four people were injured Saturday after an SUV exploded in the parking lot of a liquor store in Fort Dodge. A 21-year-old female and a 7-year-old male are considered critical. They were airlifted to the University of Iowa Hospitals burn unit. A 24-year-old male with serious injuries was transported by ground ambulance to the University of Iowa Hospitals burn unit. A 23-year-old female sustained minor injuries. The fire was caused by occupants of the vehicle using butane. One occupant lit a lighter creating the explosion and fire. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A teenager is in the hospital after being shot inside of a home on the north side of Des Moines around midnight Friday. Police found 20 shell casings around the area after investigating claims that shots were fired at the house while the boy was inside. He is expected to recover. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two more cases of highly pathogenic avian flu have been detected in Iowa. The cases were found in a flock of commercial layer chickens in Osceola County and in a commercial turkey flock in Cherokee County. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – The popular motorized scooters from last summer returned to Waterloo Friday, this time in the spring. The goal is to let people park once, and then go to multiple places on a scooter.