Author: Iowa Radio News

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Three people were injured after three motorcycles crashed in West Des Moines Saturday. Two people had serious injuries and the third had life-threatening injuries.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids Police recovered a vehicle that was stolen Saturday afternoon. KCRG-TV reports when police located the vehicle, the driver refused to stop and led police on a pursuit. The vehicle struck a curb and three juveniles, two 15-year-olds and one 14-year-old were taken into custody. No one was injured.

AMES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa State men’s track and field team won the Big 12 title at the indoor conference championship this weekend. The Cyclones scored 137 points to capture the team’s first title in the Big 12 era.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Luka Garza scored 25 points and had 17 rebounds as No. 18 Iowa pulled away in the second half for a 77-68 win over No. 16 Penn State on Saturday. Garza extended his streak of 20 or more points against Big Ten teams to 14 games, a new school record. It was Garza’s 14th double-double of the season.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines Police officers have arrested a man for robbing the Iowa State Bank Friday evening. KCCI-TV reports officers were in the area and spotted the suspect, Abraham Fagory, 25, before he fled on foot. Fagory ran into an apartment building and entered an apartment where he was apprehended.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police in Des Moines say a suspect has been arrested in the death of a 71-year-old woman who was the victim of a hit-and-run as she crossed a Des Moines street last month. 41-year-old Isaias Flores-Morales was arrested Thursday in Illinois. Markert died a week after being hit near the Drake University campus. She was the house mother for Delta Gamma sorority at Drake.

DIKE, IA (IRN) – A wooden box containing the cremated remains of a Dike man that was stolen in a home burglary has been recovered. The remains of 65-year-old Daniel Evanson were stolen during a break-in at his rural home. Evanson’s family members went to social media to plead for the public’s help in finding the remains and the ornate wooden box holding them. A jogger found the box on a trail in Cedar Falls on Friday

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Students from across the state will put their speed and accuracy to the test in Des Moines today. About a dozen kids, ages seven to 17, are competing in the Braille Challenge hosted by the Iowa Department for the Blind. They are competing to be the fastest Braille reader in the state.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst signed a Senate resolution asking Major League Baseball to reconsider shutting down 42 minor league teams. Eastern Iowa is home to three of the teams on the chopping block; the Clinton Lumberjacks, the Burlington Bees and the Quad City River Bandits.

CHARITON, IA (IRN) – A Chariton man is facing a long list of criminal charges after a standoff Wednesday that left students on lockdown at local schools hours after dismissal time. WHO-TV reports it started when Jeffry Alan Hildreth intentionally damaged the gas line to his home, causing a leak in the neighborhood. When officers approached Hildreth’s home, he came outside armed with a rifle.

FLOYD COUNTY, IA (IRN) – An Ames man has been charged after police found 60 pounds of marijuana in a car. KIMT-TV reports Floyd County authorities say Elias Joseph Gonzales, 25, was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped for speeding near Floyd. A search found 47 vacuum sealed packages of marijuana weighing a total of 60 pounds. A bag at Gonzales’ feet held two loaded handguns, methamphetamine, and a large amount of cash.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Authorities are seeing an increase in thieves stealing catalytic converters in the Des Moines metro. KCCI-TV reports Skeffington’s Formal Wear surveillance video shows a man stealing three catalytic converters in ten minutes. A total of 15 catalytic converters have been stolen from that lot, and it’s happening across the metro. Thieves crawl under higher vehicles, make a quick cut with a saw, and then melt down the metal for palladium, which is now going for nearly $3,000.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – More than three weeks after the Iowa caucuses, the Iowa Democratic Party has released the results from the recounted precincts. Recounting resulted in no change to the number of National Delegates allocated to each candidate. In the lead, Pete Buttigieg will have 14 delegates, while Bernie Sanders will have 12.

CHARITON, IA (IRN) – Chariton schools went on lockdown yesterday while police investigated a nearby resident’s welfare. A man was seen with a gun in the area, and police and firefighters were also investigating a gas leak. One man is in custody.

IOWA (IRN) – Twelve people in Iowa are being monitored for the coronavirus, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. None are showing symptoms. That’s up from the seven being monitored Monday. The CDC says the overall risk of contracting the virus is low.

SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – A man who ran a tax return preparation business in north-central Iowa has pleaded guilty to helping file false returns. David Miller, 52, of Gilmore City, also pleaded guilty to receiving stolen government money or property. Miller admitted preparing fraudulent returns for clients and himself over several years. He’s agreed to pay restitution of nearly $157,000 to the Internal Revenue Service. He’ll be sentenced at a later date.

CORALVILLE, IA (IRN) – A Coralville man says he’s lost his independence after a recent theft of his mobility scooter. KCRG-TV reports 61-year-old Air Force veteran Randy Moyer wants to be self-sufficient, but arthritis in his hips prevents him from walking. So, he relied on the mobility scooter for his main method of transportation before it was stolen. Moyer says, “bad luck seems to follow me.”

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A proposed bill in the Iowa legislature would add adult-sized changing tables to restrooms for people with disabilities. The bill would require all state rest stops to install changing tables with the weight capacity for larger children, teens and adults. After passing through the House transportation committee with bi-partisan support, the bill now heads to the House for a full debate.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man accused of killing two people in a crash in Des Moines has entered a not guilty plea, according to KCCI-TV. Police say Alejandro Contreras crashed into a vehicle, killing Windsor Heights residents Mauricio Ruiz Quintana, 26, and Brayan Martinez Ruiz, 22.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A man whose DNA linked him to sexual assaults years ago in Dubuque has pleaded guilty. Martel Fountain Sr., 30, entered the pleas Monday to four counts of sexual assault, according to the Telegraph Herald. Four burglary counts will be dropped in return as part of a plea deal. The deal calls for 10-year sentences for each count, to be served consecutively. Fountain assaulted four women after forcing his way into their homes and garages.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two Gordmans stores in Des Moines are closing. The Gordmans locations on SE Army Post Road and Hubbell Avenue will close in the near future. Stage Stores, which now owns Gordmans, says it’s part of the company’s review of stores to remain competitive. The store in West Des Moines near Valley West Mall will stay open.

IOWA (IRN) – Taxpayers in Iowa who are eligible for a state tax refund should be patient on seeing those checks. The Iowa Department of Revenue said that tax filers can expect a 30- to 45-day time frame for any tax refunds to be issued after filing a return. Iowa income tax returns are due on April 30th.