Author: Iowa Radio News

LIVERMORE, IA (IRN) – An Iowa teenager died in a single-vehicle crash on a gravel road Monday, according to the Iowa State Patrol. The crash was reported at about 7 p.m. Troopers say 19-year-old Desiman Stone Jr., of Livermore, was driving a Pontiac Grand Prix in Humboldt County.

OSAGE, IA (IRN) – Authorities in Osage say they’ve found the man responsible for the grisly murder of a woman whose decapitated head was found on a stick in a public park last year. Nathan Gilmore, a 23-year-old Osage resident, was arrested Friday and charged with First Degree Murder for the death of Angela Bradbury. Police say Facebook data helped lead them to a suspect, and the final pieces of evidence were found on an apparent blood-splattered Satanic shrine at Gilmore’s home.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines Police say motorcycle and pedestrian crashes are increasing. Early Sunday morning, a 57-year-old motorcyclist was killed in a crash on Hickman Road. The motorcyclist was heading West on Hickman around 2:30 a.m. Police believe he was speeding when he hit the curve and was thrown from his bike. There are already more motorcyclist deaths in Des Moines than in all of last year. There are also more than twice as many pedestrians hit by vehicles in the city than in all of last year.

NORTH LIBERTY, IA (IRN) – A North Liberty trucking business is planning to buy out another company for $525 million. The move will make Heartland Express, Inc. the eighth largest truckload fleet and the third largest irregular route, asset-based truckload carrier in the U.S.

SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – A longtime Green Bay Packers fan in Sioux City was in for a big shock Monday afternoon, when she was surprised with a Green Bay Packers Party and care package. Ruthie Jager is a hospice patient with Care Initiative Hospice. The hospice reached out to the Packers, who sent a care package that included a signed football, a signed Aaron Rodgers photo, and other Packers swag. Ruthie says, “Go Pack Go!”

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Sunday morning at approximately 1:00 a.m., Davenport Police, Fire, and EMS responded to reports of a single-vehicle crash with the vehicle on fire on Interstate 280. A Saturn Vue was traveling in the wrong direction and struck a barrier in a construction zone. The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was pronounced dead on scene.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A grill at the Turkey Federation’s Turkey Grill stand went up in flames Sunday evening. The Iowa State Patrol said it was a grease fire and no injuries occurred. The fire was put out by the Des Moines Fire Department.

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Water and three-inch hail pummeled the Valley High School building during storms on Friday, but that won’t stop back-to-school events from starting today. School officials say the district’s operations team worked quickly alongside Service Master and several roofing contractors to get everything repaired and ready.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two records were broken at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday. The fair broke its highest one-day attendance record with 128,298 attendees. The previous record was 127,277 on Saturday, August 17, 1991. The fair also broke the world record for the largest cornhole tournament with 730 participants on Saturday. The previous record was set in 2019 with 444 participants in San Diego, California.

FAIRFIELD, IA (IRN) – Attorneys for one of the teens charged in the death of a Fairfield Spanish teacher have filed a request for a new trial date. Willard Miller is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 66-year-old Nohema Graber. Graber’s body was found hidden in Chautauqua park, in Fairfield, on Nov. 2, 2021. Investigators say she had extensive head trauma and believed she was beaten with a baseball bat.

ORLANDO, FL (IRN) – A woman from northwest Iowa has been missing for nearly two weeks after she was last seen at a Florida airport at the beginning of August. Mariam “Star” Lint was last seen at the Orlando International Airport as she was set to get on a flight to the Louisville, Kentucky, airport. She reportedly never arrived there.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man who was hit by a truck on Des Moines’ east side earlier this week has died from his injuries. Early Monday morning, 47-year-old Adan Babic was crossing a street when he was hit by a pickup truck. Des Moines has seen a 150% increase in accidents involving serious injury or death of a pedestrian compared to similar crashes in 2021.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Large hail busted up property throughout the Des Moines metro Friday as storms rolled through the area. Hail reportedly damaged the roof at Valley High School in West Des Moines, flooding the school’s gymnasium. Hail as large as 2 to 3 inches in diameter was reported. Windshields to cars were smashed, among other damage.

JASPER COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A construction worker is in the hospital after having been run over by a machine along Interstate 80 in Jasper County on Thursday. Other workers at the scene were able to remove the machine from the victim and provided care. The location of the accident was near the new road/bridge construction and not in the traveled portion of Interstate 80. The victim was treated at the scene and then airlifted to a Des Moines area hospital by Mercy Air.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids police responded to a shots fired call Thursday afternoon. Upon arrival, officers found a female victim who had been struck by an errant bullet while inside her home. They are investigating.

DECORAH, IA (IRN) – A 17-year-old driver was found pinned under a tractor and wagon down a steep embankment near Decorah on Wednesday. The driver was removed from the tractor and airlifted from the scene with apparent non-life-threatening injuries.

NEWTON, IA (IRN) – An event organized by two of former President Donald Trump’s closest allies featured an Iowa congresswoman and many strong opinions about the state of America. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks headlined the America First town hall Thursday, which was held in Newton. The event was put together by the America First Policy Institute, whose leaders include former acting United States Attorney General Matt Whitaker and former WWE CEO Linda McMahon. Most of the discussion focused on what they saw as failures of the Biden Administration.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The Big Ten announced Thursday a new $7 billion media rights deal that will string the conference’s top football games across three major networks each week, creating an NFL-style television schedule on Saturdays. The deals go into effect in 2023, expire in 2030 and eventually will allow the conference’s soon-to-be 16 member universities to share more than $1 billion per year.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – New details have been released regarding a Des Moines homicide. Polk County deputies say witnesses were key in identifying a suspect. Courtney Smith is charged in the shooting death of Scott Crane. He turned himself in to authorities earlier this week. According to court documents, Smith shot Crane in the chest as he was sitting on the couch. Smith faces a first-degree murder charge, but says he is innocent. The two men lived together, but friends say things were growing hostile between the two before the shooting.

CLAY COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A woman was killed by her own five Great Dane dogs on Monday afternoon in rural Clay County. 43-year-old Mindy Kiepe of rural Rossie was found dead in a ditch, next to the Great Danes. An autopsy revealed that Kiepe’s death was due to multiple dog bite injuries. The dogs were humanely euthanized.

OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – An Ottumwa man is in jail after police say he shot his wife with a crossbow. Court documents say that George Dennison shot his wife Lillian Dennison in her hand while she was sleeping — narrowly missing her head.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Transamerica and parent company Aegon confirmed job cuts are coming to their Cedar Rapids facility. On Wednesday Aegon notified 55 workers that their positions are being eliminated by December 31st. Meanwhile, Transamerica notified four other employees that their positions were being eliminated.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – New guidelines released by the Iowa High School Athletic Association on Wednesday will now allow high school athletes to earn compensation based on the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). Iowa is the 15th state to allow high schoolers to make NIL deals.