DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa’s 7-day COVID-19 positivity rate is back up to 5% as rates have been slowly rising in the state over the last week. The Iowa Department of Public Health on Tuesday reported 654 new positive COVID-19 tests and four additional deaths. CRESTON, IA (IRN) – A Creston police officer is on paid administrative leave Monday after being charged with domestic assault. Eric Dennis Shawler, 48, allegedly assaulted a woman by kicking her and slamming her head against a table. Shawler denied the accusations, saying the woman slipped and hit her head on the table. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A garbage truck rear-ended a Toyota Corolla in Cedar Rapids Monday. The driver of the Toyota was hospitalized, and the driver of the garbage truck, Robert Truax, 61, of Marion, was charged with second offence OWI among other charges. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – There has been a positive COVID-19 test on the ‘Senate-side’ of the Iowa legislature. This is the first positive case in the Iowa Senate. There have been six cases in the Iowa House since the start of the legislative session. AMES, IA (IRN) – The Ames school board voted 6-1 to join five other non-suburban school districts in leaving the Central Iowa Metropolitan League. Des Moines, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, Mason City and Ottumwa will leave the conference in the fall of 2022. The non-suburban districts have been unsuccessful athletically, due to socioeconomic disparities and differences in enrollment numbers. The move will leave the CIML composed entirely of suburban teams from the Des Moines metro.

JESUP, IA (IRN) – The Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office says a bicyclist was involved in a hit-and-run in Jesup on Sunday evening. The 22-year old man was riding his bike when he was hit by a car, which fled the scene. He was hospitalized but is expected to recover. HAMILTON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Iowa State University has confirmed five students were involved in a boating accident Sunday morning. One was found dead Sunday and the body of one missing overnight was recovered Monday morning. Members of the Iowa State Crew Club were practicing on Little Wall Lake in Hamilton County when the boat capsized. NEWTON, IA (IRN) – NEWTON, IA (IRN) – The Newton Police Department has released the identity of the body of a man found in a creek Sunday morning. Police on Monday identified the body as 47-year-old Gregory Jayson Zwick, of Newton. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Dubuque police around 6 p.m. Sunday met with a man inside the Dubuque Law Enforcement Center Lobby. Police say the man had a knife and told officers he wanted law enforcement to “kill him.” The man is in custody and was transported to a hospital for evaluation. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa residents in the 515 and 319 area codes will soon have to dial all 10 digits of a phone number when making calls. The Federal Communications Commission is requiring Iowa callers to start dialing both the area code and phone number when making a call starting Oct. 24. Callers can begin using the new system on April 24.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – U.S. Marshals announced Saturday the captured of one of the state’s most wanted sex offenders. 29-year-old Deiago Davis was captured in Monona, Wisconsin Friday. Davis faces multiple charges in Iowa. He’s been on the run for over a year. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Last year on Easter, most Iowa churches were shut down. This year, many will hold Easter services in person. Churches are preparing for larger crowds for the holiday. Some churches are taking reservations to make sure crowds aren’t too large. SAN ANTONIO, TX (IRN) – Christyn Williams scored 27 points and Paige Bueckers added 18 to lead No. 1 UConn to a 92-72 win over fifth-seeded Iowa on Saturday in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament. DECORAH (IRN) – It’s hatching season at the famous Decorah eagles nests. Mr. North and Decorah North Female, eagles named for the location of their nest, welcomed the year’s first eaglet on Thursday.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A mother and son from Ankeny have entered not guilty pleas to federal charges related to the January insurrection and attack on the U.S. Capitol. Deborah Sandoval is facing five charges and Salvador Sandoval Jr. faces 13 charges including assault. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Gov. Kim Reynolds has ordered flags at half-staff in honor of the two Anamosa State Penitentiary staff members who died in an inmate attack on Tuesday. Officer Robert McFarland and nurse Lorena Schulte were killed by two inmates in an attempted escape. URBANDALE, IA (IRN) – Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in Urbandale Friday, testing the waters for a 2024 presidential run. He portrayed himself to Iowa GOP activists as a loyal champion of former President Donald Trump’s agenda but in his own brand of plainspoken, Midwestern conservatism. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Education announced Friday that a record number of Iowa high school students are earning dual high school and community college credit.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa House passed a bill that would ban combined fire and police departments, like the one in Cedar Falls. House File 683 allows cities, townships and counties to establish emergency response districts for fire protection. But it also says a city with an institution of higher education governed by the state board of regents, must maintain a professional fire department that is separate from the city’s police department. ANAMOSA, IA (IRN) – The Anamosa State Penitentiary was overcapacity Tuesday during a deadly attack. Two inmates killed nurse Lorena Schulte and Officer Robert McFarland during an attempted escape. The Iowa Department of Corrections reported that the Anamosa prison could hold 911 inmates, but had 945 as reported on Wednesday. Other prisons in the state that are overcapacity include Fort Madison, Clarinda, Mount Pleasant, Newton and Rockwell City. Staffing is down 40% since 2009. Experts predict more violence. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A teenager was shot near Hoover High School on Wednesday. He’s expected to survive. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Emergency crews rescued a University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics staff member that fell down a maintenance hatch and into a tunnel system on Thursday. Officials say the staff member fell approximately 20 feet from a ladder accessing the maintenance tunnels. LORIMOR, IA (IRN) – Natural gas bills in the Union County town of Lorimor are three to four times higher than normal for this time of year. Customers are used to their winter gas bills being about $250 a month. But last month those bills were between $800 and $2,000. Clayton Energy supplies gas to the community and says a cold snap in February is the reason.