Author: Iowa Radio News

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – One man is dead after an incident involving a train in Des Moines Friday night. KCCI-TV reports the 26-year-old male had serious traumatic injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses claim he had walked around the traffic signal arms that were lowered.

NORTH LIBERTY, IA (IRN) – An eastern Iowa man has been charged after he threatened to shoot people in his home, including children, as well as police officers. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that 54-year-old Alan Dale Rieken was arrested Thursday evening at his home. Police say he told others there, “I’m going to shoot some cops and then you.”

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A house explosion in Mason City was caused by a leaking gas pipe in the basement that was ignited by the pilot light of the furnace. KIMT-TV reports he explosion caused items stored in the basement to start on fire. No injuries were reported.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – After severe thunderstorms rolled through central Iowa, many trees and electrical wires were down. At least one home was destroyed in Des Moines. Damage is still being assessed.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – Thousands of power outages were reported as storms ripped through north Iowa and southern Minnesota on Saturday morning. KIMT-TV reports the extent of damage is unknown.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An ISU graduate student accused of sex crimes has been indicted on federal child pornography charges. Federal prosecutors say 33-year-old Jona Shitaleni Paulus, of Ames, was charged Thursday by a grand jury with one count of receiving and one count of possessing child pornography. Officials say the federal charges stem from sexually explicit conversations and nude photos Paulus exchanged with a 16-year-old girl.

LINN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The man who was struck and killed by a semi along Highway 13 in Linn County Thursday intentionally stepped in front of the vehicle. KCRG-TV reports investigators say the man committed suicide.

EDGEWOOD, IA (IRN) – A man was killed by a logging accident in northeast Iowa, according to KGAN-TV. First responders were sent to the worksite about two miles from the Mississippi River in Clayton County. 38-year-old Jason Steger, of Greeley, was struck by a falling tree that had been knocked over by a log that was being moved. Steger was pronounced dead at the scene.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Waterloo was named the first community in Iowa to be named “dementia-friendly” on Friday. KWWL-TV reports the announcement was made by the Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging CEO, Donna Harvey, at a Gerontology Conference at UNI. Harvey says, “it’s where you involve community members, particularly people with dementia and their family to design a community that makes it friendly for them to live there.”

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – The mayor of Council Bluffs says the city’s streets are exploding. KETV reports extreme heat and floodwater-soaked soil are causing roads to crumble.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines triple murder suspect Marvin Escobar-Orellana claims that he defended himself from 29-year-old Rossibeth Flores-Rodriguez after she had killed her children. WHO-TV reports ballistics and witness testimony show he killed all three. Immigration documents show this would be the third time Escobar-Orellana has been in the country illegally. Iowa Congressman Steve King blamed the deaths on U.S. immigration policy.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Dubuque Police were dispatched to a report of shots fired earlier this week and found only shell casings, according to KWWL-TV. Traffic camera footage showed a man running to a vehicle while being chased by a suspect who was firing at him. The suspect was later identified as 17-year-old Isaiah D. Bogovich. He was charged as an adult with Attempted Murder.

LINN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A pedestrian was killed after being struck by a semi-truck in Linn County Thursday evening, according to KCRG-TV. Police are investigating.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Changes coming to the Des Moines planning and zoning code will possibly increase property values, according to the city. The new rules would require a single-story home to have at least 1,400 square feet of finished space along with a finished basement and a single-car garage. Critics say the county is already short thousands of affordable housing units and says these requirements could mean building a new home in Des Moines would cost more than what a majority of residents could afford to build.

AUGUSTA, IA (IRN) – A stolen pickup truck was fished out of the Skunk River Tuesday near Augusta in Des Moines County. KTVO-TV reports deputies recovered the truck after witnesses reported seeing it submerged. The vehicle was stolen in May from New London.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A suspect in a triple homicide in Des Moines used an alias when returning to the United States after being deported. ICE says Marvin Escobar-Orellana was deported twice and convicted on the federal offense of illegal entry under another name.

SIBLEY, IA (IRN) – A man died after a tractor rolled over and trapped him underneath it in northwest Iowa. KCRG-TV reports 49-year-old Ned DeBoer of rural Sibley had been raking hay in a ditch. The tractor’s left front wheel went into a culvert, causing it to roll.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa is declining to directly answer whether he thinks President Donald Trump’s comments toward four minority women in the U.S. House were racist. Asked by reporters Wednesday about Trump’s comments, Grassley called for civility among elected officials. Trump tweeted Sunday that four Democratic freshmen women of color should “go back” to their home countries. All are citizens and three are U.S. born.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A historic bomber that was used in the Pacific theater of World War II spent the night at the Mason City Municipal Airport. KIMT-TV reports around 11 on Wednesday morning, the massive, four-engined bomber made a picture-perfect landing at the airport. Aviation buffs stood by the fence to snap photos of the gleaming, majestic bomber. Owners of the aircraft say keeping the B-29 airworthy is a perfect way to pay tribute to the heroes of World War II.

POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A pilot was injured when his crop-dusting helicopter crashed in western Iowa. KETV reports the crash occurred around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, a couple of miles south of the Council Bluffs Municipal Airport. The pilot was taken to a Council Bluffs hospital for treatment. Their name hasn’t been released.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police are investigating after two children and one adult were found dead in an apartment Tuesday night. KCCI-TV reports police are investigating.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (IRN) – Iowa Congressman Steve King attacked fellow Republican Senator Joni Ernst on Twitter amid the national debate over President Donald Trump’s controversial tweets over the weekend. Trump tweeted that a group of four Democratic congresswomen should “go back” to the “totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.” All are U.S. minority citizens. Ernst on Monday called the president’s words racist and non-constructive to promoting Republican plans. King responded to Ernst on Twitter accusing her of advancing a “fake news” narrative against the president.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The director of Iowa’s Department of Human Services was forced out of his job last month after routinely sending employees emails praising rapper Tupac Shakur, according to the WJLA-TV. Over his two-year tenure, 66-year-old Jerry Foxhoven sent and received at least 350 pages of emails that referenced the rapper. He was reportedly told to step down from the job by Gov. Kim Reynolds almost immediately after blasting out a mass email—to all 4,300 agency employees—that called on everyone to mark Tupac’s birthday by listening to one of his songs. A spokesman for Gov. Reynolds says many factors led to his firing.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Attendees to the Iowa State Fair will have an opportunity to try 50 new foods this year. Among the mix are deep fried deviled eggs, bacon wrapped pig wings, and Dilly Dogs.