Author: Iowa Radio News

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines couple has been accused of sexually abusing a family member and her friend when the victims were teenagers, according to the Des Moines Register. Justin David Garfield, 39, and Rosa Fabiola Garfield, 36, face multiple felony charges.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids police are investigating after a body was found Saturday afternoon. According to KCRG-TV, a resident reported finding the body of an adult male, facedown, outside of his property. Police said it had likely been there for some time as it was frozen.

POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A western Iowa deputy was hospitalized after he was hit by a semi-truck around 4 a.m. Saturday. The deputy was making a traffic stop south of Council Bluffs when a FedEx semi-truck hit his squad car and then slammed into the deputy. The driver was cited with failure to maintain control and was taken out of service for being a fatigued driver. The deputy suffered a leg injury but is already out of the hospital. His squad car is totaled.

MANHATTAN, KS (IRN) – Lindell Wigginton hit five 3-pointers and scored 23 points, Talen Horton-Tucker buried six 3s and had 20, and No. 23 Iowa State pulled away late for a 78-64 victory over No. 18 Kansas State on Saturday to tighten up the Big 12 title race. The Cyclones have now pulled within a game of the Wildcats with six games to go in the conference schedule.

OSKALOOSA, IA (IRN) – A 7-year-old boy died and his mother suffered burn injuries after a fire engulfed their Oskaloosa home Friday night, according to the Oskaloosa News. Crews found 7-year-old David C. Fogle in the basement. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died as a result of his injuries. His mother, Angelia D. Wells, suffered second-degree burns as she tried to rescue her son before she was driven out by the heavy smoke and heat. Two other children, ages 6 and 9, escaped the fire and were not hurt.

CENTERVILLE, IA (IRN) – A jury has convicted a man in the killing of a hunter in south-central Iowa. The Daily Iowegian reports the Appanoose County jury found Ethan Davis guilty of first-degree murder in the death of 31-year-old Curtis Ross. Ross was shot 10 times with a high-powered rifle, stabbed more than 26 times and his neck, abdomen and legs gashed open. A deputy found Ross’ naked body in a creek on public hunting grounds.

CEDAR FALLS, IA – Cedar Falls firefighters pulled an unconscious woman from a home during a fire Thursday. KCRG-TV reports when firefighters arrived they found two cats in a locked idling car. Authorities forced their way into the home which was also locked. They found Melissa Jensen, 42, unconscious near the door, and transported her to a hospital where her condition is unknown. Police say they have responded to over a dozen calls for service to this home in recent years.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa DNR biologists say chronic wasting disease is spreading fast among deer in Iowa. The disease, also called zombie deer disease, infects the nervous systems of deer and elk, and is always fatal. The condition creates holes in an animal’s brain, making its outward appearance like that of a zombie, and it’s spread through deer-to-deer contact.

CUMMING, IA (IRN) -The south central Iowa town of Cumming may soon quadruple its 400 residents with a new residential and retail development called an “agrihood.” WHO-TV reports an Agrihood is a farm within a community. It’s a way for people to live walking distance away from businesses, neighbors and their own community gardens. It gives a piece of country life, while still being just minutes away from the urban center of Des Moines.

BRITT, IA (IRN) – A northern Iowa teacher has again been accused of driving while intoxicated. 27-year-old Raylea Hepker is charged with operating while intoxicated, third offense. Britt police say Hepker was taken into custody after an officer stopped her on Jan. 28. Police had received a complaint about a vehicle with its license plate covered was being driven on the wrong side of a road. A breath test showed a blood alcohol level of more than three times the legal limit. The West Hancock Community School District website lists her as an English language teacher.

MUSCATINE, IA (IRN) – Authorities in eastern Iowa are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found by the side of a highway near Muscatine. The Muscatine Journal reports that the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office received a call around 1 a.m. Tuesday to report a woman lying on the side of Highway 38. Arriving deputies found the woman’s body. An investigation is underway.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A wanted fugitive was taken into custody after a traffic stop led to a pursuit in Mason City that involved a vehicle crashing into a snowbank and the suspect intentionally trying to hit a deputy’s vehicle. KIMT-TV reports Frederick Olson, 46, of Mason City, is facing charges of felony eluding and possession of methamphetamine, among other charges.

IOWA (IRN) – Women who work in state government in Iowa are paid less than men. The Des Moines Register reports the median salary for female state employees in fiscal year 2018 was nearly $51,000 — about $5,000 less than the median salary for male employees.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Students at a Des Moines elementary school wished Iowa veterans a happy Valentine’s Day yesterday. WHO-TV reports first grade students at Jackson Elementary in Des Moines spent Thursday morning putting together valentines for veterans at the Iowan Veterans Hospital. The students’ cards were handed out to veterans later Thursday night.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A house subcommittee advanced a bill to prohibit traffic enforcement cameras. KCRG-TV reports House Bill 125 states that, in July, “all local ordinances authorizing the use of automated or remote systems for traffic law enforcement shall discontinue”.

OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – The trial for an Ottumwa mother who confessed to strangling her five-year-old daughter with pajama pants has been scheduled for September. WHO-TV reports Kelsie Thomas will stand trial for her daughter Cloe Chandler’s murder on September 10th.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A man is now facing charges after a woman’s body was found in a Waterloo cemetery in January 2018. KWWL-TV reports police charged Fredrick Williams for First-Degree Murder and Abuse of a Corpse Wednesday. The charges date back to a grim discovery on January 26 of last year, when the body of his wife Lakisha Williams was discovered in the Garden of Memories Cemetery. She had been missing for five days.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A bill that targets slow-moving drivers in the left lane has advanced in the Iowa Statehouse, and it could cost offenders $100 if they refuse to move over. Iowa legislators call the offense “left-lane loitering.”

BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – An Iowa mail carrier is okay after a scary accident that left them in the Mississippi River in Burlington. KBUR radio reports that the driver of the truck lost control and slid off the road Wednesday morning. The driver managed to jump from the vehicle before it went into the river. The truck didn’t sink because ice kept it partially afloat until it could be pulled from the water.

POLK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Two people were killed in a house fire in Saylor Township north of Des Moines this morning. The fire is under investigation.

OSCEOLA, IA (IRN) – Clarke County authorities are investigating after dozens of cattle were found starved to death near Osceola. The Des Moines Register reports that the farmer could face charges.

IOWA COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The Iowa County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a semi that struck a patrol car and then drove away yesterday. The semi driver stopped briefly before fleeing the scene but didn’t check on the deputy. The deputy is OK.

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, IA (IRN) – A city surrounded by Iowa City has banned racial and other types of profiling by police officers. The University Heights City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to adopt the ordinance. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that the ordinance is the first of its kind in Iowa. It requires anti-bias training for officers, funds the purchase of data collection and creates a complaint review board.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines’ historic Riverview Park is making a comeback. City leaders voted Monday to begin work on a $4 million outdoor concert venue at the site. Riverview opened in 1915 and closed in 1978. Plans for the new Riverview Park include Rivera Stage — a 6,000-seat outdoor concert venue, a shelter house, playground and concession stand. Each will have touches from the old amusement park. Construction will begin this spring, and the park will open by the summer of 2020.