MUSCATINE, IA (IRN) – An arrest has been made in the death of a woman whose body was found earlier this week on the side of an eastern Iowa highway. The Muscatine Journal reports that police arrested 35-year-old Douglas Foster, of Marion, in the death of 20-year-old Lea Renae Ponce, of Fairfield. Ponce was last seen alive early Tuesday getting into a pickup truck Foster was believed to have been driving. Her body was found along Highway 38 less than an hour later. FORT MADISON, IA (IRN) – A correctional officer was assaulted by an inmate at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison on Friday. KTVO-TV reports an inmate set fire to his mattress, and he assaulted an officer when he was trying to put out the fire. Staff report minor injuries, and the inmate was transported to the hospital for his self-inflicted injuries. WASHINGTON, D.C. (IRN) – The list of Republicans speaking out against Rep. Steve King’s most recent controversial comments now includes both of Iowa’s U.S. senators. The backlash follows an interview with the New York Times earlier this week in which King, who represents Iowa’s 4th District, lamented why terms like “white nationalist” and “white supremacist” are offensive. King attempted to backtrack, but both Senator Joni Ernst and Senator Chuck Grassley condemned his remarks. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – As the first major snowfall this season to hit Des Moines, police were busy responding to weather-related crashes. Officers responded to 33 crashes from 10 p.m. Friday to 7:30 a.m. Saturday. Nine of those crashes were hit-and-run, and there was one minor injury. One crash involved an OWI, and the others caused property damage.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two Des Moines men admitted in court Friday they are responsible for the death of Mike Wasike, according to KCCI-TV. Terrance Cheeks and LeShaun Murray pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the 2013 robbery and assault in which Wasike was injured. Wasike died only recently, and their charges were updated. They will spend 50 years in prison. MONTOUR, IA (IRN) – A 22-year-old man who was in a chase with police has died in a crash in Tama County. The Iowa State Patrol says the crash happened in Montour shortly after midnight Friday. Royce Grayson Timberwolf of Montour was driving his Kia Optima trying to get away from Meskwaki Nation Police. He left the road, struck a driveway, rolled his vehicle and was ejected. He died at the scene. WAUKEE, IA (IRN) – Waukee Schools Superintendent Cindi McDonald plans to step down at the end of the current school year, according to WHO-TV. The decision comes after a rocky December when a state audit found the district misspent $130,000 and former COO Eric Rose was charged with three felonies. LE MARS, IA (IRN) – It’s known as the “Ice Cream Capital of the World,” but now Le Mars has a new nickname to celebrate. According to 24/7 Wall Street it’s the best city in Iowa to live in. Not only is it the home of Blue Bunny Ice Cream but it has also been deemed one of the most affordable cities in the U.S. For a smaller community, there’s a lot to do including museums, a golf course, and parks. About 10,000 people live in Le Mars.

FAIRFIELD, IA (IRN) – Authorities are investigating the death of a 20-year-old woman who was found dead on the side of the road in Muscatine County. KCII radio reports the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office received a call Tuesday stating there was a woman laying on the side of the road. She was found to be deceased. Authorities identified the woman as 20-year-old Lea Renae Ponce of Fairfield. An autopsy was conducted Wednesday, the results have not been made available yet. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man believed to be the victim of a hit-and-run crash was found dead Thursday after his body was found at a homeless camp on Des Moines’ north side. KCCI-TV reports the body of the man, identified as 69-year-old Charles Childs, was found in a tent. The hit-and-run apparently happened nearby. EAGLE GROVE, IA (IRN) – A man accused of shooting into an occupied bus is pleading not guilty. KIMT-TV reports Jason Jacob Bouska, 38 of Eagle Grove, was arrested in December 2018 after he allegedly fired several shots into an occupied bus. Bouska is charged with going armed with intent and intimidation with a dangerous weapon. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A Davenport woman is accused of stealing $8,300 of lingerie over a two-month span from Victoria’s Secret. KWQC-TV reports Willshanique Evans, 18, is charged with five counts of theft. Video of five separate incidents shows Evans and two others picking up armfuls of Pink brand clothing and leaving without paying. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The excitement around Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ upcoming inaugural ball has led her staff to organize a second one on the same evening. Staff are organizing the second ball on January 18 due “to overwhelming demand.” Reynolds and Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg plan to appear at both. Reynolds says, “It’s a good problem to have.”

FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – The Iowa State Patrol is investigating a deadly crash near the Fort Dodge Country Club that apparently began much earlier in Des Moines. KCCI-TV reports a victim was robbed of his white Ford van at gunpoint in Des Moines. At approximately 4:30 a.m., an officer with the Story City Police Department located the stolen vehicle on Interstate 35. A chase began that then ended in a crash in Fort Dodge. The driver was ejected from the vehicle and killed. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines fire officials are investigating what caused a fire at a home late Wednesday in the Drake neighborhood. KCCI-TV reports one victim was seen being taken from the house on a stretcher. BLACK HAWK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Two women and a child were taken to the hospital after a crash Wednesday night in rural Black Hawk County. KCRG-TV reports a 28-year-old man driving a Cadillac CTS rear-ended a Chevy Yukon, which then crashed into a Chevy Cruze. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – A school bus drove into a laundromat in Sioux City yesterday, according to KCAU-TV. The bus was on its way to pick up children. No one was injured. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Steve King, the controversial 4th District Congressman from Kiron, will face a Republican challenger in the primary. Three-term State Senator Randy Feenstra, a Hull Republican, has announced that he will run for King’s seat in 2020. Governor Kim Reynolds says she will stay on the sidelines, and not endorse either candidate. King has faced criticism in the past for endorsing a white supremacist mayoral candidate in Toronto last year and for his comments about immigrants.

WAPELLO COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A 73-year-old woman Ottumwa woman suffered a gunshot wound to the back of her head while in her kitchen cleaning her stovetop. She heard a loud noise and felt pain to the back of her head and then discovered she was bleeding. She drove herself to the hospital where doctors removed a bullet. Authorities arrested Lee Joseph Ryals, 34, of Chillicothe. A felon in possession of a firearm, Ryals was drunk when he reportedly fired a shot from a 30-30 rifle at a deer from the front deck of a nearby trailer where he was staying. The round missed the deer, traveled across a field and a street before striking the woman in the head. She’ll be OK. He’s in jail. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Harding Middle School in Des Moines was put on lockdown yesterday after a shooting near the school, according to WHO-TV. Witnesses reported that a man on foot fired several shots at a car. The suspect and the car both fled the scene. EVANSDALE, IA (IRN) – A woman faces charges related to two incidents just hours before a suspicious fire. According to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Jennifer Dicken faces charges of trespassing and harassment. On Jan. 1, Dickens went to a home in Evansdale where her estranged husband lives. She threatened to take their children and pulled a knife. She then called and threatened him and their children’s lives. Later that evening, his house burned down. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced Tuesday that the benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will be funded through February. Other USDA programs funded through February include school lunches and WIC — which provides nutritional assistance to pregnant women, mothers and children. KCCI-TV reports there are 335,000 Iowans on SNAP. Polk County food pantries could see 60,000 additional Iowans if the shutdown doesn’t end soon. IOWA (IRN) – A new phone app will make it easier for truckers who need to pull over to get some sleep. KGAN-TV reports Iowa is one of eight states adopting a smart parking system using sensor technology to detect when overnight parking spots become available at rest stops. The hands-free app called “Trucks Park Here” will be available by the end of January.