Author: Iowa Radio News

NORWALK, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is helping Norwalk police with a death investigation. The death happened just after midnight Thursday. Authorities have not released any other information. They said there is no danger to the public.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) Donations are pouring in to help a 17-year-old sex trafficking victim who was ordered by a court to pay $150,000 to the family of a man she stabbed to death after he raped her. A GoFundMe campaign set up for Pieper Lewis has already raised more than $200,000 just one day after the restitution order was handed down. Lewis pleaded guilty in the June 2020 killing of 37-year-old Zachary Brooks. Lewis was 15 when she stabbed Brooks more than 30 times in a Des Moines apartment. The GoFundMe page was set up by a former teacher of Lewis.

IOWA FALLS, IA (IRN) – A trio of retired Marines, called The Long Road, are walking to raise awareness of those missing and killed in action. They are walking from Boston to Newport, Oregon, along historic Highway 20. They are taking “the long road,” because their effort to bring the remains of those lost back to the United States will not be easy, and will take time. They were in Iowa Falls yesterday.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines auto accessories maker is preparing for a wave of hiring next year to fill increasing orders in connection with General Motors’ new electric vans. Dee Zee announced Tuesday it plans to hire about 160 new employees next year.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (IRN) – Kyle Young, a Redfield man who pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer during the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, faces up to eight years in prison. Federal prosecutors want Young to spend 86 months, or a little more than seven years. His defense team disagrees and says he should spend no more than two years for his guilty plea.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An Iowa teen who says she stabbed and killed a man who trafficked and raped her received a deferred judgment of five years probation.17-year-old Pieper Lewis pled guilty to killing Zachary Brooks two years ago in Des Moines.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A Rock Island man is being held without bond after police say he stabbed a man multiple times and forced a woman to get inside a pickup truck on Tuesday. Corey Aaron Strang, 31, faces multiple charges.

BOONE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Boone County sheriff’s deputy has resigned amid an investigation into the death of a K9 officer. Sgt. Dallas Wingate, the dog’s handler, resigned on September 8. The K-9’s name was Bear.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa’s attorney general is joining attorney generals in 18 other states, calling for more consumer protection during car sales. Tom Miller said the Federal Trade Commission needs to do more to prevent surprise fees, unneeded add-on products, and confusing disclosures during financing. Miller’s office said it received 516 auto-related complaints last year. That’s the highest number of complaints of any group their office received.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The city of Des Moines will buy the old Nationwide Insurance building and parking garage on Locust Street. The proposed $40 million deal was approved during last night’s city council meeting. It will allow the city to put most of its employees under one roof. The overall goal of the move is to attract more workers to the downtown area. The entire process could take a couple of years to complete.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids man has been arrested after allegedly breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s residence and trying to kill another man. Police say Phillip Horak unlawfully entered a residence and demanded to know where a male subject was. He then threw a large object at the victim who was asleep. Horak jumped on the victim and attempted to kill him with a knife and his fists. The victim sustained injuries and lacerations to the wrists, face, and back of the head.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police are investigating several weekend crimes on Court Avenue. In 48 hours, there were two stabbings, a shooting and a car chase, all stemming from fights in the Court Avenue district.

IOWA (IRN) – Farmers moved another week towards harvest in Iowa, but the crop conditions are moving in the wrong direction. According to the weekly USDA crop report, Iowa corn and soybean conditions were downgraded in the last week. Just 63% of each crop is currently rated good to excellent by the USDA.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The University of Iowa is tied with Yale as the No. 2 university in the country for writing, according to the latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report. Iowa is the only public university in the top 10, behind No. 1 Brown University.

NEVADA, IA (IRN) – Firefighters climbed 110 stories at the Verbio Biorefinery plant in Nevada on Sunday to honor the over 300 firefighters who lost their lives at the World Trade Center in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Verbio North America partnered with the Nevada Fire Department to host the 4th Annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. Approximately 75 participants from 20 different rescue organizations across the state climbed 110 stories in one of the plant towers.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police are investigating the stabbing of a 24-year-old man. Police say the man was stabbed multiple times near 2nd and Court Ave around bar closing time. Police took a 26-year-old man into custody and recovered a knife at the scene.

PARIS, FRANCE (IRN) – West Des Moines based violinist Genevieve Salamone is playing her violin at four different Fashion Week events in Paris. One of the compositions Salamone intends to perform is meant to tell the story of indigenous children who were forced into schooling in the U.S. and Canada.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Xavier Hutchinson caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Hunter Dekkers in the fourth quarter, completing a 99-yard drive to lead Iowa State past Iowa, 10-7, on Saturday. It was the first time ISU has won the Cy-Hawk game since 2014.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police are investigating a shooting and a stabbing downtown that left two people seriously hurt. Officers were called to Third Street and Court Avenue just before 2 a.m. Friday. A fight broke out and one person was stabbed while another person retrieved a gun from a nearby car and shot another person. Both victims are in critical condition.

MUSCATINE, IA (IRN) – Following an investigation into a break-in and vandalism of Madison Elementary School, Muscatine Police have arrested and charged six teenagers. On August 5th, emergency crews responded to a report of a fire alarm at the school. Upon arrival, officers observed thousands of dollars of damage due to vandalism.

POCAHONTAS, IA (IRN) – Hundreds of people in a small northwest Iowa town want to get rid of their school superintendent. More than 230 Pocahontas residents have signed a petition urging the Pocahontas Area Community School District to fire Superintendent Joe Kramer. Petition organizers say they are concerned about the staff turnover rate, alleged retaliation, and a hostile work environment. There have been nearly 80 resignations in the district since March of 2019.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Blank Park Zoo announced the arrival of a male giraffe calf Friday afternoon. The calf arrived on Tuesday to mother Zola, 6, and father Jakobi, 17. The calf is 5 foot 5 inches and weighs 107 lbs. Staff say they are cautiously optimistic the calf is healthy because he passed all the major milestones for a newborn, which include quickly learning to stand, walk, and nurse from mom.