DES MOINES, IOWA (IRN) – Severe weather struck central Iowa Wednesday evening, causing widespread damage with wind and rain. The National Weather Service confirmed multiple tornadoes touched down across the state, with severe weather and flash flood warnings and as much as nearly 6 inches of rain falling in some places. First responding agencies across Iowa are checking their areas for damage. CARROLL, IOWA (KCCI) – The cause of a small plance crash in a field south of Carroll has been released by the Federal Aviation Administration. According to KCCI Des Moines, the plane lost crashed due to the loss of the engine, with the pilot alive without serious injury, however the plane is likely a total loss. IOWA CITY, IOWA (IRN) – The sentencing of Cristhian Bahena Rivera, the man convicted in the killing of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts, has been delayed. Judge Joel Yates delayed the sentencing after defense lawyers stated they needed more time to investigate new information pointing to other potential suspects. Rivera is facing a sentence of life in prison without parole. QUAD CITIES, IOWA (KWQC) – The Quad Cities area has been listed as one of the least expensive places to live in the country according to US News and World Report. According to KWQC News in Davenport, the Quad Cities area ranks as the third cheapest location in the country, while Des Moines was only two spots behind in 5th place. The Quad Cities landed at 86th in the “best places to live” rankings and 129th in “best places to retire”.

CARROLL, IOWA (KCCI) – A small plane crashed in a field south of Carroll near Swan Lake Tuesday evening. According to KCCI News in Des Moines, the plane appears to be a crop duster and mostly intact from the crash, and a landowner said the pilot was not injured but that his not yet been confirmed. DES MOINES, IOWA (WHO) – A Des Moines resident who was in jail for his videotaped confrontation with a police officer in the January 6th Capitol Riot has been released from jail. According to WHO13 Des Moines, a federal judge released 41-year-old Douglas Jensen from jail after being inside for more than six month. Jensen will be under house arrest with electronic location monitoring, is barred from accessing the internet on any electronic devices, and is currently awaiting trial. DES MOINES, IOWA (IRN) – State Senator Zach Nunn became the third Republican to announce their intention to run for Congress in Iowa’s 3rd District, a seat currently held by Democrat Cindy Axne. Nunn was previously in the Iowa House, and joined the Senate in 2018. Nunn joins Mary Ann Hanusa and Nicole Hasso in the Republican Primary, while Axne has not indicated whether she will run for office in 2022. CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA (KCRG) – A former employee of the Cedar Rapids School District has plead guilty to federal charges of enticement of a minor. According to KCRG News, 46-year-old Miranda Breeden faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison after having sex with a 14-year-old student for whom she was his therapist. The sentencing could reach a maximum of a life sentence.

NEWTON, IOWA (KCCI) – Newton High School Football defensive backs coach Ryan Arguello has been indicted on charges of federal wire fraud. According to KCCI Des Moines, the indictment is a result of Arguello’s business obtaining loans from private lenders using properties he did not own as collateral and is accused of putting fake county filing stamps on the mortgages. Arguello was charged with seven counts of federal wire fraud, which can each come with a penalty of up to 20 years behind bars and up to a $250,000 fine. DES MOINES, IOWA (AP) – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds decision to send Iowa State Troopers will cost Texas no funds at this time, and will come at the expense of Iowa, but a spokesman for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said there still is a chance Texas could later reimburse some costs. According to AP News, the total cost of the mission is unknown and final payment details won’t be available until it is over. Approximately 5% of the Iowa State Patrol is traveling to the Texas border. CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA (AP) – A murder trial in the stabbing death of a man found buried in a Cedar Rapids home in 2019 is beginning this week. According to AP News, Drew Blahnik is charged with first-degree murder, obstructing prosecution, and the abuse of a corpse in the December 2018 death of Christopher Bagley. The murder is alleged to be in retaliation for his robbery of a large-scale marijuana trafficker. DES MOINES, IOWA (IRN) – Test Iowa will begin offering free, self-administered COVID-19 test kits. The kits will be available from sites in their community or have a kit sent to their home at no cost from the Iowa Department of Public Health. The tests will have step-by-step instructions and results through email. Current drive-through sites in Des Moines and Davenport will remain open through Friday.

WOODWARD, IA (IRN) – Damage reports are still being compiled for the hail storm that struck the Des Moines Metro area over the weekend. The National Weather Service issued a warning for up to softball sized hail 4-inches long and causing multiple power outages. According to Daryl Herzmann with Iowa State University, this may be the first time the NWS Des Moines office has ever warned a storm for up to four-inch hail. EVANSDALE, IA (KCRG) – Dozens of riders took place in a ride for missing children took place this weekend in Evansdale, Iowa for the eighth consecutive year, raising money and awareness for 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins and 10-year-old Lyric Cook-Morrissey who went missing nearly nine years ago then were found dead in a Bremer County Park. According to KCRG News, the ride raises money for the Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers as well as Memorial Isle in Meyers Park, and has raised over $30,000 over the last nine years and led to the tips and arrests of 700 people. COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced plans last week to launch programs to increase competition in the meat processing industry and resiliency in the food supply chain. The USDA announced its intent to invest $500 million in American Rescue Plan funds to expand meat and poultry processing capacity so that farmers, ranchers, and consumers have more choices in the marketplace. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Public Health’s vaccine dashboard shows over 1.5 million Iowans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 while over 93k people have gotten the first dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. The percentage of Iowans now fully vaccinated against the virus now stands at 45.9%.

OMAHA, NE (IRN) – Nebraska and Iowa have seen a rise in hate crimes in recent years, most of which have been committed on the basis of race and ethnicity. The FBI region that includes Nebraska and Iowa has seen a 21% increase in the reporting of hate crimes in recent years. MARSHALLTOWN, IA (IRN) – A Marshalltown middle school teacher facing charges of having inappropriate contact with a 13-year-old student has been found dead. The body of Adam Eugene Edgington, 42, of Nevada, Iowa, was found Thursday night in his car parked in a field. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. ALTOONA, IA (IRN) – The CEO of the Iowa amusement park where a water ride accident killed one boy and critically injured another has become increasingly influential in Iowa politics. Adventureland Park CEO Michael Krantz has donated $175,000 to county, state and federal Republican candidates and officeholders since 2014. That makes him one of the largest GOP donors in Iowa. Krantz lobbied for a recent law change allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to operate rides for the first time. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids firefighters were called to a report of a fire and arrived as two high school aged students exited the home. As some firefighters fought the fire, others rescued two remaining elementary aged children from the second floor of the home, along with four dogs.