DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – New information has been released about the crash that killed an Iowa State Patrol trooper last month. Trooper Ted Benda died on Oct. 20, six days after a serious accident north of Postville while responding to a call in Clayton County. Officials say Benda swerved to avoid a deer, lost control and flipped his patrol car into the ditch. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Students at Iowa City West High School say they called off a protest Friday because of the potential threat of violence. The protest was in response to two racist social media posts made by students over the weekend. One of the posts included a student appearing in blackface. The other was making a threat of racially motivated violence using an racial slur. POLK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A combination of COVID-19 cases, day care problems and unfilled positions forced Saydel High School to cancel classes Friday. The district said other Saydel schools held classes as scheduled. There is no word yet if these problems will affect high school classes on Monday. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The United Auto Workers and John Deere & Co. have reached an agreement that includes “modest modifications” over the most recent rejected contract offer. As a result, the UAW will present the offer from Deere for ratification and for a vote next week.

OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – Ottumwa police have made an arrest in a stabbing death that happened Thursday. Officers were called to a home and found a man with multiple stab wounds in an alley behind the home. He was later identified as 55-year-old Gerald William Sapp. Sapp was a guest at the home and was working on a vehicle in the alley when the stabbing occurred. Witnesses identified the assailant, 42-year-old Douglas Raymond Spurgeon, and police found him hiding in a closet. GRUNDY CENTER, IA (IRN) – The man arrested and charged with shooting and killing Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Jim Smith is asking for his trial to be moved away from Grundy County. Michael Lang is charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder stemming from an April 9 standoff that lasted several hours in Grundy Center. Lang allegedly shot and killed Sgt. Smith after Smith and a tactical team entered his home. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man wanted in connection with a brutal assault was taken into custody Thursday. Police say 40-year-old Antonio Hardaway and two other suspects offered a woman a ride home from a bar in Des Moines in May. The woman told police she was assaulted and left unconscious in a wooded area. She suffered multiple injuries, including facial fractures. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police say a 15-year-old boy who was killed in Des Moines was attempting to rob the 21-year-old man who shot him. Another 15-year-old boy who also was involved in the attempted robbery has been charged with one count of first-degree robbery. The teenager who died was armed with a handgun and the other teenager was armed with a knife. COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – Steve Swisher celebrated Veterans Day on Thursday as a civilian for the first time since the Ford administration. On Wednesday Swisher celebrated the end of his military career, stepping down as the longest serving member of the Iowa National Guard. Swisher enlisted in Council Bluffs in 1976. 44 years, seven months and 18 days later his career came to an end — retiring with the rank of Warrant Officer.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man serving a 25-year prison sentence for conspiracy to commit theft by rigging computers to win jackpots for himself, friends and family is suing the state of Iowa, claiming he was pressured four years ago to plead guilty to crimes he did not commit. Eddie Tipton filed documents starting the lawsuit from prison in Clarinda. He wants the court to halt all restitution he’s been ordered to pay until a trial is held, during which he said he will present documents and other evidence to persuade the court to reverse his sentence. QUASQUETON, IA (IRN) – The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office have identified the man whose body was found in the Wapsipinicon River on Tuesday. 80-year old Michael Wheeler’s body was pulled from the Wapsi near the town of Quasqueton after being spotted by a fisherman. The cause of death has not been determined. IOWA (IRN) – Mariannette Miller-Meeks, the current Republican Congresswoman for Iowa’s 2nd District, announced Wednesday that based on redistricting, she would move to the newly-drawn District 1 for the 2022 election. She won her 2020 race by just six votes against Democrat Rita Hart. The move will likely avoid a faceoff against current District 3 rep Cindy Axne. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Economists say the earlier the better if you want to check everything off your list this holiday, which goes from anything to electronics to apparel. Even before the turkey hits your table, economists say now is the time to start checking items off your Christmas list. Shopping centers and businesses have already started to see an influx of customers getting a head start. CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – Wednesday night, SpaceX carried out the launch of the Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station, and an Iowa native was one of the four astronauts heading to space. Astronaut Raja Chari grew up in Cedar Falls. Chari graduated from Waterloo Columbus High School in 1995 before he earned a bachelor’s degree in Astronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Food banks, already facing higher demand, are now facing the new challenge of higher food prices. This is due in part to the supply chain issues. Higher costs mean families are now getting smaller portions, or substitutions for staples like peanut butter. Some food banks worry they won’t have enough food to help the less fortunate celebrate the upcoming holidays. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A 15-year-old boy who was shot in the head in Des Moines over the weekend has died. The Des Moines Police Department has not yet made an arrest in the case. WINTHROP, IA (IRN) – A 12-year-old girl was killed when the utility vehicle she was driving overturned and pinned her near Winthrop in Buchanan County. Investigators say the girl was driving a Polaris Ranger UTV and carrying a passenger when she lost control on a county road and rolled over into a ditch. Deputies say the girl was pinned under the UTV. The passenger — also a juvenile — was not injured. ORANGE CITY, IA (IRN) – A northwest Iowa man has been sentenced after being convicted for the murder of an Ireton man. Gregg Winterfeld, 71, of Spirit Lake was sentenced to 50 years in prison. He was found guilty in October of second-degree murder of Grant Wilson, 58. The murder charge stems from an incident in 2020, where officials said Winterfeld was at a home in rural Ireton. After spending some time at the home, Winterfeld shot Wilson. LINN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The race for a Marion City Council seat has taken another turn Tuesday. Linn County Auditor Joel Miller confirmed that unofficial results show the race is now tied. The race will be decided by drawing a name out of a hat.

FAIRFIELD, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation continues to investigate the death of Fairfield Spanish teacher Nohema Graber. Two students are charged in her death. The DCI says they don’t believe the murder was racially motivated. The 16-year-old suspects, Willard Miller and Jeremy Goodale, are both still in jail on $1 million bonds. COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – A shooting involving a married couple in Council Bluffs that stemmed from a domestic disturbance left a woman dead and her husband wounded. Deputies were called Sunday to a home for reports of a disturbance and arrived to find 86-year-old Harvey Rankin suffering from a gunshot wound and his 83-year-old wife, Bonnie Rankin, dead inside the home. Police don’t know what happened. OMAHA, NE (IRN) – Five teenagers have been arrested after shots were fired from their car at police during a chase from Omaha, east into Iowa, and back into Omaha. Among the five people arrested early Monday morning were a woman who turned 19 on Monday, an 18-year-old man, two 17-year-old boys, and a 15-year-old boy. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The city of Des Moines will be able to move more homeless people indoors this winter. Central Iowa Shelter & Services held a ribbon cutting Monday on a new facility on Mulberry Street. The new addition has 24 new apartments to help move more people in out of the cold this winter. It cost 5.6 million dollars. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police said they may know how an apartment fire started early Monday morning. According to police, the fire started inside an apartment at Gray’s Lake Apartments on Fleur Drive when an occupant “attempted to light a bug on fire on a futon.” It “lit up like a tinderbox,” according to police. Smoke and ash filled all of the units in the building.