Author: Iowa Radio News

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Several people were injured after a shooting and crash in Des Moines last night, according to KCCI-TV. A teenage male was first shot in the leg by a drive by shooter. Officers responding to the shooting then saw two vehicles driving fast. Police pursued each vehicle. In one pursuit, two people were taken into custody. The second pursuit ended in a crash. The woman driving that car suffered minor injuries. A male passenger was thrown from the car and is now in the hospital. Police say the man was shot in the leg, in addition to his injuries from the crash. All of the incidents are related.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (IRN) – John Culver, a Democrat who represented Iowa in Congress for 16 years and whose son later served as governor, has died. He was 86. Culver’s tenure in Congress began with his 1964 election to the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1974 but lost re-election six years later to Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley.
Culver’s family said the former senator and congressman was most proud of his reputation for “integrity and courage.”

CLINTON, IA (IRN) – A Clinton woman was arrested after police found her in a house with guns and marijuana. WQAD-TV reports police were serving an arrest warrant and found 24 pounds of marijuana, four guns, and assorted pieces used for smoking marijuana. Chelsey Ann Hostetler faces multiple charges.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Dozens of Iowa State fans spent most of Thursday scrambling to make their way to San Antonio, Texas, where the Cyclones will take on Washington State in the Alamo Bowl. KCCI-TV reports airlines cancelled flights due to severe weather in Texas. Cyclone fan Julia Manning said, “This is not fun at all. I could just cry.”

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids police are looking for what they are calling the “Butt Crack Bandits.” KCRG-TV reports the thieves spent about two hours burglarizing the Westdale Car Wash early Christmas morning. They tried prying open coin safes and drilled open the change machine. Throughout the burglary, one of the thieves’ pants kept falling down. All of it was caught on security camera.

FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – A weeks-long search for a Fort Dodge man has come to an end. The Fort Dodge Messenger reports a landfill worker found Kris Markle dead in his car in a ravine near the landfill. Authorities believe Markle crashed. He was last seen earlier this month at a bar in Fort Dodge.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A man was arrested in Dubuque for dependent adult abuse after allegedly stealing nearly $37,000 from his mother. KCRG-TV reports police charged 35-year-old Michael Woods on December 20, saying the stolen money came from his mother’s social security checks.

URBANDALE, IA (IRN) – Two brothers who spearheaded the biggest lottery scam in U.S. history have repaid less than $1,400 in restitution — despite owning property worth nearly $2 million, according to the Des Moines Register. Between them, Eddie and Tommy Tipton admitted rigging winning drawings in at least five states, including Iowa, worth a combined $24 million.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A Mason City resident had an unexpected guest Christmas Eve when he came home to find an unknown male asleep on his couch. KIMT-TV reports James Dulude, 30, who has no permanent address, is facing a second-degree burglary charge. Dulude was also in possession of the victim’s credit card, and was wearing the his sweatshirt.

USA (IRN) – Today is National Fruitcake Day. People tend to love fruitcake, or hate it. Johnny Carson famously quipped, “The worst Christmas gift is fruitcake…there’s only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other, year after year.” Regardless, the sale of fruitcakes has been a great fundraiser for Camp Courageous near Monticello for over 30 years. Camp Courageous is a year-round respite care and recreational facility for individuals of all ages with disabilities.

SOLDIER, IA (IRN) – A crash killed one person in Monona County near the town of Soldier Monday night. KCAU-TV reports 42-year-old Clint Bothwell of Moorhead rolled his pick up several times. He wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

ANKENY, IA (IRN) – An Ankeny man has been arrested after a short standoff with deputies Monday, according to the Des Moines Register. Billy Ray Pfeifer faces charges of domestic assault with a weapon and false imprisonment. The victim said that she Pfeifer had an argument and he wouldn’t let her leave. In the course of the argument, Pfeifer fired a gun. The victim escaped and called 911.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An early morning two-vehicle accident involving an ambulance sent four people to the hospital in Des Moines on Christmas Day. WHO-TV reports the accident caused the ambulance to roll over on its side. The ambulance was carrying a patient, two medics and the driver. All four were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

BETTENDORF, IA (IRN) – A fire broke out at a Bettendorf home as a family was getting ready for Christmas dinner, according to WQAD-TV. Seven people and a cat were able to escape. No one was injured.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids woman who was homeless five years ago cooked and gave away free meals for the less fortunate on Christmas Day. KGAN-TV reports Aphea Imperial-Fletcher is a native of the Philippines who found a home in Cedar Rapids for herself and her five children. She says she understands that Christmas can be hard if you can’t afford food for yourself or your loved ones, and she felt the only way she could make a true difference was to help with what she does best, cooking.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN0 – Waterloo firefighters were called to New Star Liquor early this morning for a fire. KWWL-TV reports when emergency crews arrived on scene, they saw smoke coming from all sides of the building. Firefighters broke through the front doors and found the fire in the office area, and report the flames had extended into the attic. No injuries were reported.

TAMA COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Walford woman is dead after her vehicle struck a deer east of Tama. The Iowa State Patrol reports 24-year-old Amy Smith of West Des Moines was driving a Toyota RAV 4 on U.S. 30 when she hit the deer. The deer went through the windshield and struck and killed her passenger, 57-year-old Donna Smith.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man is dead after he stole a car and led officers on a chase early Sunday morning. WHO-TV reports the car went airborne, hit a telephone pole and then rolled through several yards.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The federal government is supporting a Christian group that’s suing the University of Iowa after losing campus recognition for denying a leadership position to a gay student. KGAN-TV reports the Justice Department filed a “statement of interest” backing a lawsuit filed by Business Leaders in Christ, arguing the university violated its rights to free speech and assembly. The group invalidated his election as vice president after he disclosed he’s gay.

CENTERVILLE, IA (IRN) – An Appanoose County sheriff’s deputy is being lauded as a hero for rescuing a stranded hunter. KTVO-TV reports Deputy Dennis Daniels likely saved the life of Stephen Walker, 70, of Ewing, Missouri, after Walker had fallen into a creek. Daniels was on a routine patrol when he saw a pickup truck sitting on land used for public hunting. He got out and heard a cry for help. Minutes later, he located Walker and his dog near a creek bank. The hunter was soaking wet and suffering from hypothermia. Both Walker and his dog will be OK.

SHENANDOAH, IA (IRN) – A southwestern Iowa man died Friday in a head-on collision. According to an Iowa State Patrol crash report, 22-year-old Christian Carter of Shenandoah tried to pass a vehicle in a no-passing zone, and collided with an oncoming vehicle. Carter wasn’t wearing a seat belt.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A man serving a life sentence in the murder of his infant daughter was pronounced dead due to apparent suicide Saturday. WHO-TV reports Ryan Trowbridge, 28, was convicted of first-degree murder and child endangerment resulting in death in 2012. His 4-month-old daughter Rylee died of abusive head trauma in February 2010, one-day after Trowbridge called 911 claiming his daughter’s head had become stuck facedown in between the mattress and the headboard.

CORALVILLE, IA (IRN) – A minivan punched through the wall of a department store at a Coralville mall last night, according to KCRG-TV. Officers responded around 7:00 p.m. to the Dillard’s at Coral Ridge Mall to find the vehicle had penetrated an exterior wall of the store.
The collision appeared to be accidental, as the driver suffered some kind of medical issue which led to the crash. Though the incident happened on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, no one was seriously hurt.

IOWA CITY – Freshman Joe Wieskamp scored a career high 24 points as Iowa the Iowa men’s basketball team destroyed Savannah State 110-64. The Hawkeyes hit 19 threes as a team, a new school record.