Articles by Iowa Radio News

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Saturday, October 13, 2018

BLUE GRASS, IA (IRN) – The Scott County Sheriff’s Department says a house was fully engulfed in flames when Blue Grass and Buffalo Fire Departments responded to reports of a fire Thursday. WQAD-TV reports after the fire was put out, crews discovered an unidentifiable body. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A man has been charged after a fire on August 20 at Duchess Cleaners in Cedar Rapids. KCRG-TV reports Grant Ajango, 22, has been charged with 2nd-degree arson and 3rd-degree burglary after allegedly starting the fire. Ajango faces previous charges after taking a car and trying to start it on fire on August 11. He was also accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2016. COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – An Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation agent from western Iowa has resigned during an investigation into misconduct allegations that are being withheld from the public. KCCI-TV reports Ashley Jones-Goodsell resigned Friday, following a 10-year career. Jones-Goodsell said she did nothing wrong. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The moment we’ve all been waiting for is here. The winner of the Best Pork Tenderloin in Iowa has been announced. The Iowa Pork Producers Association has named Three C’s Diner in Corning as the winner of the Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin Contest for 2018. It’s the first time a restaurant in southwest Iowa has won the competition.


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Friday, October 12, 2018

DES MOINES, (IA) – Des Moines police are investigating a nighttime crash and shooting. KCCI-TV reports it started as a chase around 7 p.m. yesterday. The chase ended when the suspect crashed into a house, then suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect is now in critical condition. HUXLEY, IA (IRN) – A 17-year-old boy with autism has died of his injuries just days after a house fire in Huxley killed his father. KCCI-TV reports two daughters, ages 16 and 19, escaped unharmed. Brett Van Ersvelde, 47, died in the fire. His wife, Julie McLain, 44, and their 17-year-old son, Dan Van Ersvelde, were still trapped in the back bedroom. The parents were trying to save their son who was scared and wouldn’t leave the house. Huxley police officers broke through the window with an ax to rescue the three, but only McLain survived. ANKENY, IA (IRN) – An Ankeny beekeeper wants to press charges after one of his hives was vandalized not once, but twice. WHO-TV reports Jake Knutson counts on money from his beekeeping to keep his organic farm, Grateful Acres, running. At first, he didn’t want to press charges. Knutson says, “I thought they were just curious kids and you know, I’ve done a lot of stupid crap when I was growing up, but when they came back the second time it’s more than just being curious, it’s being destructive.” OLIN, IA (IRN) – While floodwaters have been a problem for many in Iowa this year, it has been worse for some citizens of Olin than most. KCRG-TV reports the nearby Wapsipinicon River has left its banks flooding homes four times in the past five weeks. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowans have been deployed to the Florida panhandle to help with cleanup after Hurricane Michael. The Iowa Red Cross has sent five volunteers to Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. They say they are ready to deploy more people to assist in providing shelter, food, health service and emotional support if necessary.


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Thursday, October 11, 2018

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – University of Iowa officials say they’ve temporarily suspended nine fraternities for incidents with alcohol. University vice president Melissa Shivers says “the blatant and systemic failure to curb holding dangerous open events with alcohol, including tailgates, will stop.” The suspensions mean the chapters cannot participate in some organization-sponsored meetings, programs, social events, intramural sports or homecoming activities. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two people have been charged with attempted murder after a shooting Tuesday in Des Moines. WHO-TV reports 34-year-old Laura Dickey told her neighbor, 41-year-old Eleazar Villanova, that she was upset at her ex-boyfriend. Dickey drove Villanova to the ex-boyfriend’s apartment, where they saw him walking across the yard. Villanova jumped out of the car and began chasing the man while firing a gun at him. No one was injured. BELLE PLAINE, IA (IRN) – A train collided with a semi in Belle Plaine Wednesday. KCRG-TV reports the semi tractor was destroyed. No injuries were reported. INDIANOLA, IA (IRN) – Simpson College will layoff 13 full-time employees, including 12 faculty members, and eliminate the school’s art department as it contends with lower enrollment and changing student interests. The Des Moines Register reports Simpson’s enrollment has dropped 9 percent in the past three years and is currently at 1,250 full-time students. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The National Weather Service says nearly a dozen tornadoes touched down in rural areas across Iowa as strong storms swept the state Tuesday. Ten tornadoes were confirmed in the central third of the state, with the strongest hitting near Creston. That EF-2 twister brought winds of up to 120 mph, destroying a garage and pulling off part of a mobile home roof. No injuries were reported.


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Wednesday, October 10, 2018

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Waterloo Police arrested a 15-year-old last night, following a social media threat that caused Waterloo High Schools to cancel classes today. KWWL-TV reports the teen is facing a threat of terrorism charge. The teen is a high school student in the district. COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – President Donald Trump touched down in Iowa on Tuesday for a campaign-style rally in Council Bluffs. KCCI-TV reports Trump praised new trade deals, the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, and jobs numbers. The president also confirmed his plans to allow year-round sales of E-15 ethanol — something that has been on the wish list of farmers in the Hawkeye State for years. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – An armed robber got away with cash from a Davenport gas station in the Village of East Davenport, according to WQAD-TV. Around 4:00 a.m. Tuesday a man wearing dark clothes went into a Kwik Shop, showed a handgun and demanded money from the clerk. He got away on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Public Health was awarded a $3.5 million federal grant this week. The money will go towards launching the “Zero Suicide” policy program across Iowa. The program will provide training and resources to behavioral health and treatment centers. More than 400 Iowans died by suicide last year. AMES, IA (IRN) – Rain is keeping farmers out of their fields to harvest, and now the continued rain is starting to actually damage crops. The Iowa State University Extension Office says flooded streams are overwhelming crops, and corn moisture varies across the state, with field mold starting to show up.


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Tuesday, October 9, 2018

WASHINGTON, IA (IRN) – Sen. Bernie Sanders is embarking on a nine-state tour on behalf of Democratic candidates competing in the November elections, returning to the campaign trail ahead of a decision on another White House bid. In Iowa, Sanders will assist Democratic candidate J.D. Scholten as he seeks to earn the Fourth District Seat currently held by Republican Steve King. CASTANA, IA (IRN) – A West Monona School District bus went up in flames near Castanda Monday morning, according to KCAU-TV. The driver was just starting morning pick-up’s, and the three people onboard all escaped without injury. Two children and the bus driver moved off the bus after they heard a loud bang, and were far away before the blaze started. By the time firefighters arrived, the bus was fully engulfed in flames. WASHINGTON, D.C. (IRN) – The Trump administration will allow year-round sales of gasoline with higher blends of ethanol, a boon for Iowa and other farm states. President Donald Trump announced he is lifting a federal ban on summer sales of high-ethanol blends during a trip to Iowa today. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The city of Des Moines is revising its panhandling ordinance, according to WHO-TV. The ordinance, which has been on the books for years, is now considered unconstitutional after recent supreme court rulings. The court has held that panhandling is a form of protected free speech. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Severe weather systems brought tornado warnings to multiple counties in central Iowa yesterday. Tornadoes were spotted north of Perry and north of Woodburn. Much of Iowa is under a flood watch until Wednesday morning. Total accumulations after multiple days of rain may reach as high as three to six inches.