MARION, IA (IRN) – At least three 5-year-old kindergarten students were repeatedly sexual abused at Starry Elementary School in Marion by a Marion High School student volunteer, according to KCRG-TV. The 15-year-old student was charged with 3 counts of sexual abuse. CHARLES CITY, IA (IRN) – The man arrested after allegedly shooting someone in the chest with a crossbow pistol has pled guilty to a lesser charge. KIMT-TV reports 19-year-old Devin Lee Hundley of Charles City was accused of willful injury causing bodily injury after an incident where he got into an argument with his then-roommate. On Wednesday, Hundley pled guilty to a simple misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and was sentenced to six months of unsupervised self-probation and a $65 civil penalty. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Republican lawmakers are fast-tracking a bill that labor unions say would reduce compensation benefits for workers injured on the job in Iowa. KCRG-TV reports the proposed measure includes provisions to end worker benefits at age 67, reduce benefits for injuries tied to pre-existing conditions and minimize late fees for employers. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The University of Iowa is reversing course on a plan to cut scholarships already awarded to students in the face of public backlash and a lawsuit. WHO-TV reports the school announced it was cutting the scholarships in order to meet a budget cut demand from the Governor’s office. The scholarships won’t be offered in the future. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An Iowa lawmaker who is pushing a controversial bill that caps the number of Democrats that universities can hire as professors has claimed that he got a business degree from the Forbco Management School on the Iowa State Republicans website. NBC-TV reports Republican State Sen. Mark Chelgren’s alleged alma mater is actually a company that operated a Sizzler steak house franchise in California and he doesn’t have a degree as claimed JOHNSTON, IA (IRN) – Johnston fourth-grader Cayson Irlbeck has been color blind since birth. KCCI-TV reports Cayson was unable to tell the difference between blues and purples and reds and greens until a few weeks ago. Home video from the Irlbeck family shows the moment when a special pair of glasses changed his worldview forever. Cayson says seeing the colors is “amazing,” and his family says the $300 glasses were well worth the investment.

NEWTON, IA (IRN) – A man wanted in connection to a fatal crash has turned himself in, according to WHO-TV. Alex Spangenburg is accused of driving drunk and killing his motorcycle passenger last October. Police had responded to a motorcycle accident and found two men lying in a ditch when they arrived. Bret Rice, the passenger, was pronounced dead at the scene. Spangenburg turned himself in on Monday and now faces up to 25 years in prison. SWISHER, IA (IRN) – One person was killed in a crash Tuesday in Swisher. The Iowa State Patrol reports 49-year-old Jeff Schneidermann, of Cedar Rapids crossed the center line and hit an oncoming semi truck. Schneidermann was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the semi was not injured in the crash. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man was discovered wearing a woman’s underwear and bra during a burglary just days before he allegedly killed a woman. The Des Moines Register reports 22-year-old Kyle Alexander Jepson, who is accused of murdering a 49-year-old Des Moines woman and then fleeing to Utah, also faces burglary charges. The homeowner interrupted the burglary and discovered Jepson wearing her underwear, bra and a woman’s wig. MAQUOKETA, IA (IRN) – Authorities continue to search for two inmates who escaped from the Jackson County jail Tuesday, causing Maquoketa schools to go on lockdown. KCRG-TV reports 20-year-old Brian Willey and 19-year-old Andrew Combs pried open an entry gate and then stole a silver Ford F250 after the owner left keys in it. Both were in the jail for felony burglary charges. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – An internal review is underway at the Davenport Police Department after officers tasered someone during a traffic stop, according to WQAD-TV. Police pulled a vehicle over for a traffic violation and someone inside the vehicle became confrontational with officers and then fled. The person was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa is one of the best states to live in, according to a new ranking from U.S. News and World Report. Iowa comes in at No. 6. The magazine highlights Iowa’s highest in the nation high school graduation rate and the low cost of health care. The report said problems with infrastructure and large racial income gap kept Iowa from breaking the top five.

MEDIAPOLIS, IA (IRN) – A contractor died after falling from a moving truck, according to KBUR-radio. The worker fell from the truck while he was picking up road signs outside of Mediapolis yesterday. The worker, who was identified as a private contractor from Stockport, was not named, pending notification of family. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The University of Iowa recently announced it’s cutting $3.4 million in scholarships to keep up with state budget cuts. Now, the first class action lawsuit has been filed against the university for taking away those scholarships. A Des Moines law firm filed the lawsuit in Polk County representing one of the 2,500 Iowa students who had their scholarship taken away without warning. Other students are invited to join the lawsuit. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man who allowed his teenager to invite friends to his house for a party, provided them alcohol and then had sex with a 13-year-old girl after she was drunk, has been ordered to pay $127 million to the victim and her family. KCRG-TV reports 47-year-old James Lee Hohenshell of Bondurant will also serve just over two years in prison. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A “personhood” bill that would effectively ban abortion in Iowa has passed out of a legislative subcommittee. The measure would recognize that life is protected from the moment of conception, effectively making abortions illegal. The bill would also prohibit the use of certain contraceptives. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Early voting in Iowa would be reduced under a bill approved by a House subcommittee that also requires voters to show identification at the polls. KCCI-TV reports the bill shortens early voting from 40 days to 29 days. The bill would also eliminate the option of voting straight party with a single mark on a ballot. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A bill to consolidate counties is under consideration in the legislature, according to WHO-TV. The lawmaker who introduced it says having so many physical county courthouses is simply unnecessary in the age of the internet. The resolution calls for a constitutional amendment to allow the legislature to reorganize counties and relocate county seats. It would need to pass two general assemblies and get voted on by the people of Iowa before becoming a reality.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – State lawmakers are considering a possible change to Iowa’s recycling laws, according to WHO-TV. A bill introduced in the Iowa House would repeal Iowa’s bottle bill. Since it passed almost 40 years ago, Iowa has maintained an 86-percent redemption rate. That’s one of the best in the nation and more than three times the recycling rate of states without bottle and can deposits. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – LifeServe Blood Center in Des Moines says a heavy flu season and a holiday slowdown are two of the reasons it is seeing a critically low supply of blood. KCCI-TV reports for the second time in some 50 years, Lifeserve opened its door on a Sunday. The center is in need of all blood types, especially type o-positive and o-negative. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A statue that honors Waterloo’s Sullivan brothers has been moved to an outdoor chapel at Columbus High School. The memorial honors five siblings who were killed while serving in the Navy. They were on the USS Juneau when it was sunk by the Japanese during World War II. The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier reports the 60-year-old memorial with a base that weighs 2.5 tons was moved from the Waterloo Knights of Columbus Building, which is for sale. The statue has the brothers’ names engraved and is topped by an Italian marble statue of the Virgin Mary. DUBUQUE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A pedestrian was hit and killed in Dubuque County Saturday night, according to the Iowa State Patrol. A 24-year-old woman from Wisconsin was driving on Highway 20 near the exit for Peosta when she struck a pedestrian. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – One person was hospitalized after being wounded in a shootout with Woodbury County Sheriff’s deputies in northwest Iowa. KCRG-TV reports deputies were pursuing two suspects south of Sioux City around 3:30 a.m. Sunday before the shooting happened. The suspects started firing at deputies after the chase ended, and the deputies returned fire. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – West Des Moines police arrested a man who stole three shotguns and ammunition from a Walmart Saturday night. KCCI-TV reports 27-year-old Cody Gebauer broke into the gun case with a bat he took from the sports section of the store and ran off with three shotguns. Police blocked off several apartment complexes nearby for several hours before Gebauer was arrested. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A new bill from Gov. Terry Branstad in the Statehouse aims to cut the number of professions requiring a license in the state. Professions include respiratory therapists, massage therapists, barbers, funeral directors, mental health counselors and social workers. There is much opposition from these professions to the bill saying the health and safety of Iowans will be compromised.

CORALVILLE, IA (IRN) – A man was injured during a fire at a Coralville apartment complex, early this morning. KCRG-TV reports the man caught fire and leapt from a second-floor balcony in an attempt to escape flames. Authorities were uncertain of his condition. Two others on an adjoining balcony were able to avoid injury by dangling over the railing and climbing down. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two suspects were arrested Friday after an attempted break-in at a Des Moines home. According to the Des Moines Register, Yvez Quinn of Des Moines and Justin Hill of Cedar Rapids were arrested. Both are 19 years old. Police say they were scared away by the homeowner, and several neighbors then called the police to report the suspects running through their yards. These tips eventually led to the suspects’ arrests. MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A Wyoming couple were arrested after an shoplifting attempt in Mason City Thursday escalated into a confrontation. KIMT-TV reports officers were sent to a store on a report of staff trying to stop the two for shoplifting. While Mason City police were on the way, there was another report that the male had pulled out a gun. Officers arrived to find the man waving a can of pepper spray. He had a machete and a BB pistol in the waistband of his pants and a hypodermic needle in his pocket. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa COPS Black and Blue Ball honored Iowa’s fallen officers Saturday night at the Marriott in downtown Des Moines. KCCI-TV reports Iowa lost five officers in 2016: Susan Farrell, Carlos Puente-Morales, Shawn Miller, Tony Beminio and Justin Martin. A special table up front left empty seats for the five officers.