Author: Iowa Radio News

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – At least 16 people in eastern Iowa have been charged with gun crimes after a two-day sweep by federal authorities. Grand juries met Wednesday through Friday in the U.S. District Court for Northern Iowa and issued the indictments. Most of the indictments were for felons in possession of a firearm or for having a firearm and using drugs.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Keith Barnette Jr., of Des Moines has been arrested for child endangerment causing serious injuries. Barnette was the sole caretaker of a 5-month-old baby when he pulled the baby across the bed by the legs and fractured both the baby’s legs. Barnette said that he was frustrated with the baby and pulled him harder than intended, almost causing the baby to fall off the bed.

LINN COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – Two people are dead after a vehicle vs. train accident in Linn County near Fairfax. The vehicle was traveling across a private railroad crossing and was hit by a Union Pacific train. A man and woman died at the scene.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two people were shot on Des Moines’ north side Sunday night. Both are expected to survive.

WINTERSET, IA (IRN) – Two friends in their 90s traveled to the Winterset Municipal Airport to go skydiving on Sunday. Art Hessburg, 93, and Gene Cutler, 95, are both military veterans and currently live in a retirement community. Both say they’re not too old to do most things.

SLOAN, IA (IRN) – A child has died after being injured during a homecoming parade in Sloan. The middle school student fell off a float.

LINN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Two people suffered minor injuries when the motorcycle they were riding hit a deer in Linn County.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Hundreds of Republicans came together on Saturday for Gov. Kim Reynolds’ fourth Harvest Festival at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. In addition to Reynolds, Sen. Charles Grassley, Sen. Joni Ernst, and Congresswoman Ashley Hinson were other top Iowa Republicans who spoke. A main focus of Reynold’s speech was calling on Iowans to focus on the local elections coming up this year.

IOWA (IRN) – The No. 14 Iowa State football team fell short against Baylor 31-29 and No. 5 Iowa beat Colorado State 24-14.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A judge sentenced a Waterloo man to up to 60 years in prison for the beating death of a 72-year-old maintenance man. The judge sentenced 30-year-old Martavis Tayshon Wise, who had pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter with a dangerous weapon and other charges in the 2018 death of Johannes Rodenburgh, of Waterloo. Wise must serve at least 14 years in prison before he is eligible for parole.

ANKENY, IA (IRN) – The city of Ankeny has agreed to a $500,000 settlement with a man who was shot by a police officer during a burglary in 2019. At the time, police said he did not comply with officers’ commands and advanced toward them before he was shot in the arm. Video shows otherwise. He was complying with the officers when shot, and was unarmed.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – People in the Linn-Mar Community School District might have admitted to breaking a state law, which if convicted could mean jail time. The Linn County Auditor is asking the county sheriff to investigate a nomination petition for the school board after people say they signed somebody else’s name at the request of the candidate. The candidate is running because they are against mask mandates.

EXIRA, IA (IRN) – Gov. Kim Reynolds has ordered that all flags be lowered to half-staff today from sunrise to sunset in honor of an Iowan killed at Pearl Harbor who will be laid to rest in Exira. Eli Olsen, 23, was a Navy petty officer serving on board the USS Oklahoma when it was sunk by Japanese pilots during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Des Moines Police Department launched an investigation Thursday evening after a vehicle struck a pedestrian and left the scene of the crash. Police said the 41-year-old man had been crossing Southeast 14th Street when the vehicle hit him and fled the scene. The pedestrian remains hospitalized with “serious injuries.”

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Children in central Iowa are getting sick more often – even with illnesses other than COVID-19. The level of concern is high as children’s hospitals are filling up.

BUTLER COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Iowa’s longest serving U.S. senator, Chuck Grassley, announced on Friday he is running for re-election. Grassley will likely run against former U.S. representative Democrat Abby Finkenauer. Finkenauer previously served Iowa’s first congressional district.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A non-partisan watchdog group says Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne and 6 other members of Congress broke the law by not reporting stock trades. The members accused include four democrats and three republicans, including five members of the House Financial Services committee.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – When the University of Iowa announced its addition of women’s wrestling as a scholarship sport on Thursday, some wrestling advocates started pressing the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union to give its approval next. Supporters think Iowa’s going to start seeing an exponential growth in girls wrestling at the high school level.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The University of Iowa Athletics Department announced this morning that it will be adding a women’s wrestling program. According to American Women’s wrestling, there are more than 40 NCAA programs. Four schools currently offer women’s wrestling at the Division I level.

WAUKEE, IA (IRN) – Authorities have made an arrest in the death of a six-month-old baby this spring. On March 2, authorities were called to a location in Iowa Falls. First responders found an unresponsive baby boy. Life-saving measures were performed, but the baby was pronounced dead at the hospital. On Tuesday, police arrested Nicholas Edward Cox, 22, of Waukee, for first-degree murder, and child endangerment causing death.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Titan Tire employee was seriously injured after becoming trapped in a machine early Wednesday in Des Moines. A male employee had to be extricated from the machine.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An Iowa man is one of the first in the U.S. to receive what some hope could be a life-changing treatment for Alzheimer’s patients. The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug Aduhelm in June. It’s not a cure, but believed to be a way to extend quality of life for those in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.

WRIGHT COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Half a world away from home, Kosovo’s top agriculture official came to Central Iowa Wednesday to bring lessons from Iowa’s ag industry back home. Minister of Agriculture, Forestry & Rural Development Faton Peci joined local officials in Wright County Wednesday, touring a crop sprayer manufacturer in Clarion and a farm outside of Galt.