DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An Uber driver was arrested last week in Des Moines for driving under the influence. WOI-TV reports Jordan Lettow was seen driving the wrong-way on a one-way street. He had just picked up a passenger from downtown Des Moines. Police determined that his balance was impaired. Lettow admitted he had two glasses of scotch at dinner. Police found two unsealed bottles of scotch, meth and other drug accessories in the search. BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – Two people escaped a house fire in Burlington Christmas Day. KWQC-TV reports first responders were called to a report of flames coming from the basement. The chimney cleanout door apparently failed. Embers from an active fire in the living room fireplace were determined to have flowed out of the ash collection box in the basement onto combustibles. BLAIRSBURG, IA (IRN) – A Clarion woman was killed in a car crash two days after she graduated from the University of Northern Iowa. KCCI-TV reports 24-year-old Andrea Matul lost control on a slush-covered highway, crossed the centerline and hit another vehicle near Blairsburg, in Hamilton County. Matul was born in Guatemala but moved to the United States in 2000 and graduated from Clarion High School in 2011. VAN HORNE, IA (IRN) – A 24-year-old man is facing charges for a shooting in Van Horne that sent a Belle Plaine man to the hospital. KCRG-TV reports Steele Unkrich faces numerous charges in the Christmas Day shooting. Police say Unkrich and the victim know each other. ATLANTIC, IA (IRN) – A new ethanol plant is set to open in southwest Iowa under an agreement between Cass County officials and a private company. The Daily Nonpareil in Council Bluffs reports the plant northwest of Atlantic is expected to bring at least 49 jobs to the area. Construction is set to begin in early 2017, with the planT opening around June 2018. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – One Des Moines East Village organization helped out those in need this holiday season. Joppa Outreach, a faith-based organization in Des Moines that relies on volunteers to help the homeless, partnered with Gusto Pizza to deliver meals around the community Christmas Day. They also handed out winter supplies like clothing, heaters, and propane for those who may need a little help staying warm in the cold weather.

SAC COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A four-vehicle accident claimed the life of a woman in Sac County Saturday. A semi attempted to pass a car that was in front of it. During the pass, the semi collided head-on with a pickup. A passenger car that had been following the pickup rear-ended it. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa officials say this year’s deer harvest is down slightly this year. Between both shotgun seasons, hunters reported 5 percent fewer deer than last year’s seasons. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says hunters purchased 2,118 fewer licenses, or tags, for shotgun seasons this year compared to last year. AMES, IA (IRN) – A vaccine that an Iowa company helped develop is expected to stop one of the world’s deadliest viruses. The Des Moines Register reports that a study published Thursday shows the vaccine is 100 percent effective in protecting people against Ebola, an infectious virus that has killed thousands and traumatized millions. Ames-based NewLink Genetics helped test and refine the Ebola vaccine that was invented by Canadian scientists. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines family’s best Christmas gift came early when a brave 3-year-old girl helped save her mother’s life. KCCI-TV reports 25-year-old Staci Myers suffered a stroke when she was running errands with her daughter, Zyla. Her husband, Robert Dalton, received a call from her, and when he heard moaning, he started yelling her name into the phone. Zyla picked it up, and told her dad where they were and what was happening, and he was able to find them.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The company building an oil pipeline across four Midwestern states says it is halting land restoration work in Iowa until spring. KGAN-TV reports Dakota Access says it had hoped to be finished with land restoration over the completed pipeline in Iowa by Dec. 31 but a regulatory delay this spring and “several incidents of trespassers interfering with construction work” prevented it from finishing land restoration. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A longtime treasurer for the Unity Lutheran Church in Des Moines has been charged with seven felony counts of theft, according to KCCI-TV. 69-year-old Carol Jean Padgett is accused of stealing up to $70,000 from the church over seven years. She allegedly hid bank statements and told board members the church had to close due to insufficient funds. Church officials grew suspicious and checked, and found many small ATM withdrawals. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Firefighters responded to a duplex fire in Dubuque yesterday, according to KWWL-TV. One man was inside the apartment at the time. He hurt his foot going down the stairs evacuating. Authorities say it started in the kitchen, and no one else was injured. OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – Ottumwa firefighters worked quickly Thursday afternoon to rescue a stranded dog from the Des Moines River. KBIZ-radio reports the dog ran off the edge of a levee, falling an estimated 30 feet to the icy river below. His owner hung over the side of the river wall trying to calm the scared pooch while police and firefighters planned and executed the rescue. The dog is OK. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports the number of hogs and pigs on Iowa farms has reached a new record high. As of Dec. 1 Iowa had 22.4 million hogs and pigs, the largest inventory ever reported. Iowa is the nation’s leading hog producer by far. North Carolina is in second place, with less than half our numbers. We have more than seven times the number of hogs as we do people.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids man has admitted using a child to produce pornography. 23-year-old Michael Bordman pled guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography. Prosecutors say he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 50 years. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Authorities say a man’s fatal fall from a downtown Waterloo parking ramp in October was an accident. KWWL-TV reports fifty-two-year-old Michael Peterson, of Cedar Falls, was found injured in an alley next to the ramp. Authorities say he died later at a hospital. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – A Sioux City family is safe after a fire trapped them inside their home Wednesday, according to WHO-TV. The fire started in the front entryway, leaving a mother and her three kids without an escape route. They went to the rooftop, where firefighters were able to rescue them. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police say they pursued the driver of a stolen car in a chase that ended with officers finding the suspect hiding in a trash can Thursday. KCCI-TV reports the chase started on foot, then became a vehicle pursuit when the suspect stole a car, and then became a foot chase once again when the driver ditched the stolen vehicle. The man had been snooping around some homes. OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – Fifty-nine of Ottumwa’s abandoned houses have received makeovers in just six years. KTVO-TV reports the city has been successful in finding owners who are dedicated to fixing up the homes. The city is investing in their remodeling so they can be occupied. Officials say the program has saved the city the expense of tearing them down, and it has brought in almost $300,000 to the city. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A 20-year-old Dubuque woman who was born with a rare genetic disorder has flown to Texas to watch her beloved Dallas Cowboys for the first and likely last time before she loses her vision. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports Bailey Schaul was born with Wolfram syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes loss of vision. When the founder of Express Employment Professionals in Dubuque heard her story, he paid for Bailey’s trip to watch her favorite football team.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A Minnesota woman has been arrested on charges of second-degree sexual abuse, child endangerment and assault after an investigation in Mason City, according to KIMT-TV. 30-year-old Tawny Symonds of Wells, Minnesota, was arrested by police Wednesday. The allegations relate to a Mason City home Symonds operated an in-home daycare out of. MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – Fake American money marked with Chinese symbols has been showing up in Mason City and Sioux City, according to KWWL-TV. Officials say the bills are not valid currency and are typically used to train bank tellers in China. WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two people were killed and a third was seriously injured following a single-vehicle crash on I-235 in West Des Moines yesterday. KCCI-TV reports that a male driver and a child were killed and a toddler was rushed to the hospital in serious condition after their truck crashed into a bridge pillar. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids police officer is recovering after being injured during a traffic stop. KCRG-TV reports it happened when the officer was trying to arrest a man for a suspended license Wednesday. Phillip Rogers refused to get out his vehicle, and when the officer tried to get Rogers out, he began to accelerate. The car dragged the officer, who had minor injuries. Rogers faces charges of assaulting an officer. ALTOONA, IA (IRN) – It’s an early Christmas gift for Prairie Meadows and the local communities and charities that depend on its annual donations. WHO-TV reports the IRS has reversed course and will not revoke the casino’s tax exempt status. Earlier this year the IRS informed the casino it was revoking that status effective back to January 1st of 2012. That would make the casino responsible for repaying $60 million dollars in back taxes. Not anymore. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City has hosted the Grapple on the Gridiron, the Big 10 Wrestling Championships, the Olympic Team Trials, and now coming in 2018 is the Freestyle World Cup. KGAN-TV reports the international dual meet features the top 8 men’s freestyle wrestling teams in the world. The event will be held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena April 21-22, 2018.