WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A Waterloo teacher has been placed on leave following a comment he made on social media about Greta Thunberg. KCRG reports the school district has placed high school science teacher Matt Baish on administrative leave. Thunberg, 16, of Sweden began protesting climate change solo last year and has since spurred millions globally to seek reforms and to protect the environment. In a Facebook post about Thunberg visiting Iowa City today for a climate march, Baish commented, “Don’t have my sniper rifle.” LE MARS, IA (IRN) – A man was burned while working at a hog confinement near Le Mars in northwest Iowa yesterday. The Des Moines Register reports two people were inside a building, using a power washer. One left the building to refuel the power washer engine, and spilled gas on himself and the machine. The vapors ignited. He was flown to a burn center. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man suspected in 30 burglaries in Des Moines was taken into custody Thursday by police. WHO-TV reports Justus Flactiff was found in a homeless camp where he had been staying. IOWA (IRN) – As the movie, “Joker,” is released, movie theaters across the state are increasing security. The movie stars Joaquin Phoenix as a man dealing with mental illness who turns to violence. The FBI is concerned the movie could inspire a mass shooting, or a copycat of the Aurora, Colorado, shooting. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The 2020 Iowa legislative session begins a little more than three months from now, and when it does, state legislators will have big decisions to make on what to do with $289 million, the money remaining from a budget surplus from the last session. Governor Kim Reynolds says the surplus is a reflection of a vibrant economy.

SALEM, IA (IRN) – A woman from southeast Iowa singing “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac turned three judges’ chairs on NBC’s The Voice this week. Cali Wilson a native of Salem, now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She choice Blake Shelton as her coach for show and will compete again in the singing competition after the blind auditions conclude. The 2009 Mt. Pleasant High School alumna says her inspiration is her mother, Carla. FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – A murder and robbery occurred at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fort Dodge yesterday. A confrontation occurred outside of the church, and Allen Henderson, 64, senior pastor, was killed. Joshua Pendleton, 36, of Fort Dodge, has been charged with first-degree murder and first-degree robbery. Henderson was a long time chaplain of Webster County public safety agencies and first responders. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – Micronesians recruited to move to Iowa and work at a pork processing plant have reported abuse by the company, including human trafficking, labor and verbal abuse. Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday in a news conference that the state will withhold incentives for the company, Seaboard Triumph Foods in Sioux City, while the allegations about its treatment of the Pacific islanders are investigated. IOWA (IRN) – Iowa’s richest man has gotten a lot richer, according to the latest edition of Forbes magazine’s list of the 400 wealthiest Americans. The annual Forbes 400 list has seed giant Harry Stine’s net worth at $5 billion, an increase of $1.8 billion since the 2018 list. The new figure places Stine, the only Iowan on the list, at number 131, up from 179 last year. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager credited with starting the international climate strike movement, is coming to Iowa this week. Thunberg tweeted on Wednesday that she will be in Iowa City on Friday to take part in a climate strike. Thunberg staged her first climate strike in August 2018, sitting alone outside the Swedish parliament to protest inaction on addressing climate change. Last month millions of students walked out of class around the globe and here in Iowa, following in her footsteps.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man wanted in a home invasion and assault in Des Moines has been captured. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said early Wednesday that 44-year-old Ronald Shelburg had been captured and booked into the Polk County Jail. They believe Shellburg broke into a home and assaulted a 47-year-old woman. QUAD CITIES (IRN) – Deere & Company will layoff about 160 workers at production facilities in the Quad Cities, according to the Des Moines Register. The company blames trade uncertainties and a slumping ag economy that have decreased customer demand. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police located and shot a cow that had gotten loose in the city near downtown. KCCI-TV reports police say responding officers had no way to corral the cow and ultimately had to shoot and kill it. GRINNELL, IA (IRN) – Grinnell College called off its entire football season Tuesday. Grinnell started the season 0-3 and scored just three points in those games, but it wasn’t the poor performance that led to the cancelation of its remaining schedule. The Pioneers kicked off the 2019 season with only 39 players on their roster, and after the first three games, 11 of them were hurt, leaving just 28 healthy players able to compete. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Carson King’s viral fundraiser raised over $2.95 million for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. He received over $924,000 in donations to his Venmo. With matching contributions from Busch and Venmo, that pushed the total just shy of $3 million.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An Iowa judge has struck down large portions of a 2017 voting reform law, declaring much of it unconstitutional. Judge Joseph Seidlin said in a ruling Monday the state may require a voter ID but election officials must issue a voter ID card to any voter who requests one. The law prohibited election officials from issuing cards to voters with a driver’s license or state identification card. He also struck the signature match provisions, saying they violate the Iowa Constitution. FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – A 14-year-old boy has been charged with a Class D felony after making a job post for a “school shooter” on a job search engine. KCCI-TV reports information from Indeed.com led police to the 14-year-old, who is charged with making a threat of terrorism. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A panel of top state elected officials approved on Monday nearly half a million dollars more to cover attorney fees for former Gov. Terry Branstad’s continued fight against a jury verdict that found he discriminated against a gay former state executive. That brings the cost to taxpayers to more than $2.4 million. HIAWATHA, IA (IRN) – The Hiawatha police department is the first in Iowa to have their officers use weapon-mounted cameras. The camera is attached to the bottom of the gun and as soon as the handgun is pulled from the holster, the camera starts recording. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Speaker of the Iowa House Linda Upmeyer announced Monday she will not seek re-election in 2020 and will resign as speaker in late 2019. Upmeyer, a Republican from Clear Lake, was first elected to the Iowa House in 2002. She was chosen to serve as speaker of the House in 2015, becoming the first woman in Iowa history to hold the position. Upmeyer says she wants to spend more time with her children and grandchildren.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa City man is accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports 31-year-old Ishmael S. Carter met the alleged victim through the Tinder dating app and the two began a relationship. Police said Carter eventually uploaded a video of them being intimate. He says he thought the victim was 20. She says one encounter was consensual, but two others were not. PLEASANT HILL, IA (IRN) – A mother was pulled over in Pleasant Hill with three kids in the back seat and arrested for possession of a controlled substance, driving while intoxicated, child endangerment and more after testing positive for multiple drugs on Saturday. The Des Moines Register reports Bridget Ann Jackson, 33 of Colfax, was driving with her three kids, ages 9, 10 and 11, when police pulled her over for improper use of lanes, having a right tail light out and no plates. RINGGOLD COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Tipton man is dead after a single-vehicle crash in Ringgold County Sunday. The Iowa State Patrol reports Randy Byerly, 38, lost control on Interstate 80 and struck cable barriers in the median. Byerly had an unknown medical condition and was taken to the hospital where he died. POLK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A good Samaritan saved a man from a car that was on fire. KCCI-TV reports Marcus Dennis of Des Moines was driving home from a barbecue Saturday when they saw a car lose control. The vehicle caught fire after crashing. Dennis helped a passenger from the car, but when he returned for the driver, the car exploded. The driver was killed. DYERSVILLE, IA (IRN) – The Field of Dreams Movie Site will be home to another special game, according to KCRG-TV. The site will have a game between the Chicago Police Department and the New York Police Department. The game will raise money for the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation and the New York Police Widows and Children’s Foundation. The game is on October 5th.