Author: Iowa Radio News

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Public Health reported 258 new cases and 2 deaths from COVID-19 on Wednesday. That brings the statewide total to 26,601 positive cases and 690 deaths.

IOWA (IRN) – Within weeks of Gov. Kim Reynolds agreeing to allow bars and restaurants to open to customers, Iowa’s two major college towns, Ames and Iowa City, are seeing spikes in coronavirus cases among young adults, raising concerns among health officials and prompting some businesses to again close their doors.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Iowa’s workplace safety agency says an inspection didn’t uncover any violations at the Tyson Foods plant in Waterloo. The plant, which is the largest pork processing plant in the state, has seen several employees die after contracting COVID-19. T

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – The Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that 24 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19. So far no staff have tested positive. The 24 inmates have been placed in medical quarantine and will be tended to by jail nursing staff.

CLIVE, IA (IRN) – Black Lives Matter signs in a Clive family’s yard started a heated discussion on Sunday that ended in a woman’s arrest. KCCI-TV reports police charged Renee Corell-Newman with public intoxication and criminal trespass after she refused to leave the home where the signs were after berating the family for having the signs.

LINN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A North Linn Elementary School secretary improperly used bank accounts belonging to the school and the school districts’ Parent Teacher Organizations, according to the State Auditor’s office. Danielle Arnold, a former secretary at North Linn Elementary School, admits she used some of the funds for personal expenses, including paying off her house and car. The money was collected at book fairs and fundraisers to build a playground. Arnold then failed to deposit the funds, totaling over $26,000, to the correct school account.

NEVADA, IA (IRN) – A man who was reportedly knocking on doors and carrying a sword died in Nevada, Iowa, after being shocked with a stun gun. Nevada police said officers were called at 2:44 a.m. Monday and found a man sitting in a grassy area near a mobile home park with a sword. Officers ordered the man to drop the sword but police said he stated, “It stays in my hand.” Officers then used a Taser to shock the man, and they then retrieved the sword and handcuffed him. He stopped breathing, and died.

AMES, Iowa State University said Monday that nearly 4,900 people with university-affiliated email accounts received a racist email over the weekend. An email claiming to be sent from Equity Prime Mortgage “contained abhorrent, vile language, including references to violent white supremacy, lynching, and a racist slur.” The FBI is investigating.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The University of Iowa has paused ticket sales to 2020 Hawkeye football games until a clearer picture of Kinnick Stadium capacity and social distancing requirements are determined.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A storm rolled through the Des Moines metro in the early hours of Monday morning and left behind some damage and thousands without power. Some trees and light poles partially blocked roadways after estimated 60 mph winds knocked them down. Some vehicles were stranded in flash flooding.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A high-speed pursuit through metro Des Moines on Saturday ended with a driver facing multiple charges. A trooper clocked a vehicle on Interstate 235 at 94 mph in a 60 mph zone. The vehicle left the interstate, and at one point was clocked at 114 mph in a 35 mph zone. The driver was taken into custody and identified as 30-year-old Jesse Nicholas Joseph Lalli, of Des Moines. Lalli has been charged with driving while barred three times in the last month.

BEDFORD, IA (IRN) – A Bedford man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of his mother. Cristian Andrew May, 32, allegedly killed 62-year-old Penny Sue Godfirnon with a knife.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A 20-year-old man was arrested and charged with attempted murder following a shooting in Cedar Rapids Saturday night. KCRG-TV reports Dondre’ Davon Lee, 20, was arrested on Sunday morning and charged with five counts of attempted murder among other charges. He shot at five people, injuring one. Earlier in the day his mother allegedly stabbed him in the head.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A spike in new cases of COVID-19 was reported in Iowa on Sunday, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. As of 10:00am Sunday, 25,865 positive cases of the coronavirus have been identified in Iowa. That’s an increase of 441 cases over a 24-hour period. Four additional deaths were reported. 685 Iowans have died from COVID-19 in the last three months.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – The Dubuque County Fair will continue this year, according to officials, despite many summer cancellations due to COVID-19 concerns. Details are being finalized.

WAUKEE, IA (IRN) – A Waukee man has been arrested after police say he sexually abused a 14-year-old causing her to become pregnant. According to a police report filed on Friday, Khalid Jeremiah Crosbie, 26, sexually abused a 14-year-old between July 2019 and August 2019. The report says that due to the abuse, the victim gave birth to a baby on April 23.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Davenport police have charged a man with murder in the death of a woman who was shot on May 31 as she got into her car to leave a protest. Police charged Parker Belz, 21, of Davenport with first-degree murder in the death of Italia Marie Kelly, 22. She had joined in a protest over the death of George Floyd after getting off work at a restaurant but was getting in a vehicle to leave because the gathering outside a Walmart had turned unruly.
She died of a single shot in the back and was pronounced dead at a hospital.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – An adult female was arrested in Cedar Rapids Friday for domestic abuse assault with a weapon after she stabbed a 21-year-old male. Police are awaiting fingerprints to verify her identity.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Public Health confirmed 297 additional COVID-19 cases in Iowa. According to the IDPH’s website, 25,496 positive COVID-19 cases since Iowa’s outbreak began. The IDPH confirmed one additional death, bringing the total of deaths to 681 COVID-19 related deaths in the state.

IOWA (IRN) – Coronavirus cases have increased for a third straight day in Iowa, going from 122 on Tuesday to 211 on Wednesday to 358 on Thursday and 427 Friday. Friday’s total would be the highest in the state since May 26. New deaths also rose from 6 on Thursday to 13 on Friday.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Linn County deputies arrested a Shellsburg man Friday in connection to a fatal crash in April. Bryce Wagehoft, 30, was charged with vehicular homicide under the influence, vehicular homicide recklessness, operating while intoxicated, driving while barred, and possession of drug paraphernalia. 43-year-old Dawn Elaine Stout, of Cedar Rapids, was killed in the head-on crash.

JOHNSON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – After just 35 new COVID-19 cases through the first half of June, Johnson County has seen 67 new cases in the last five days alone. A majority of the new cases are people younger than 25.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Police have arrested two men for placing ATM skimmers at multiple locations in Dubuque. One is from Chicago, and the other has no permanent address.

ALTOONA, IA (IRN) – Altoona police are investigating a noose found at the Facebook Data Center on Friday morning. A supervisor with Turner Construction found a noose hanging from a lockbox holding construction plans. Altoona police said there was no note on the noose, there is no suspect and there does not appear to be an intended target.