DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Legislation being considered in the Iowa Legislature will reduce the number of counties from 99 to 40. Rep. Jake Highfill, a Republican from Johnston, has proposed the reduction as a way to save taxpayer dollars and modernize local government. Highfille says “I’m just trying to be a good steward of the taxpayers’ money, and we need less brick-and-mortar than we did in the past. ” MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A motorist paid the price Thursday morning for not obeying railroad signals near Rockwell in Cerro Gordo County. KIMT-TV reports 48-year-old Tracy Ingham of Swaledale failed to stop at a railroad crossing. The Sheriff’s Office says both the warning lights and cross arm were activated. The front of an oncoming train hit the rear of Ingham’s vehicle and sent it into the ditch. The vehicle was a total loss but Ingham was not injured. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – Two women accused of staging a bank robbery in Sioux City have each been sentenced to five years in prison. The Sioux City Journal reports that 19-year-old Heaven Zevenbergen and 18-year-old Angelica Perez were sentenced Wednesday. Perez entered a bank branch at a Hy-Vee supermarket last August in a disguise, and warned Zevenbergen via a note that she was armed. Zevenbergen, then a teller at the bank, knew Perez and gave her $10,000. ORANGE CITY, IA (IRN) – A northwest Iowa woman has been given probation and an order to repay more than $19,000 she stole from her former employer. KCCI-TV reports 38-year-old Heather Bloemendaal, of Rock Valley, was sentenced Tuesday to four years of probation, given a suspended 10-year prison sentence, and was told to make restitution to Stone Soup Cafe in Rock Valley. Bloemendaal stole the money from the restaurant’s bank deposits. NEWTON, IA (IRN) – A Newton jury has convicted a man of helping his mother stab his wife to death in 2013. WQAD-TV reports jurors found 40-year-old Dustin Jefferson guilty of aiding and abetting first-degree murder. His mother, Ginger Jefferson, is serving life in prison for the murder. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – An overheated circuit caused a fire that destroyed a duplex in Waterloo on Tuesday. KCRG-TV reports firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke coming from the home, which had been turned into apartments. Everyone inside the duplex was able to make it out OK, but the building is a total loss. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man is facing an additional charge after he bolted from his court appearance Wednesday. The Des Moines Register reports 35-year-old Nicky Beery made a mad dash out of the Polk County Courthouse fearing he would face jail time for a driving while barred charge. Deputies chased Beery down the street, and found him hiding in the basement of a bank. Beery was right. He’s in jail. Only now he faces additional charges. SHEFFIELD, IA (IRN) – A Sheffield teen overcame major challenges to hit the hardwood with his basketball team for the first time Tuesday, according to KCCI-TV. Born with cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder, doctors told Dakota Reason’s parents he wouldn’t live past the age of five. Now 18 years old, Dakota has been the manager of the boys basketball team in Sheffield for four years. To show Dakota just how much a part of the team he is, coaches surprised him Tuesday by telling him to take the court on senior night. And he did.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A fatal fire was reported in Des Moines Tuesday evening, according to WHO-TV. A neighbor stopped by the home, saw it was on fire, and called 911. Upon arrival, fire crews noticed smoke and flames showing from the back of the house. Crews were able to extinguish the fire quickly, however, a man was found deceased in the home. MONTROSE, IA (IRN) – A southeast Iowa man is accused of dumping nine newborn puppies in a dumpster. KTVO-TV reports 38-year-old Michael Cain of Montrose is charged with nine counts of animal neglect in the case. Investigators say Cain dumped a litter of day-old puppies in a dumpster last week. Two puppies did not make it. A Fort Madison shelter has been providing care for the surviving seven. Cain could face up to two years in a correctional facility for the aggravated misdemeanor. He’s in jail. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines police officer fired at a suspect during a pursuit overnight, according to KCCI-TV. Officers attempted to stop a vehicle, but 25-year-old Austin Allen fled. Allen then lost control of his vehicle and stopped. An officer got out to make the arrest, when Allen began to drive towards him. The officer fired, but missed. Allen fled, but was later arrested. He’s in jail. CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – Two children and their mother are in the hospital following a fire in Cedar Falls Sunday night. KWWL-TV reports firefighters rescued a 5-year-old girl, 3-year-old boy, and their mother from their trailer home. According to firefighters, the mom has serious smoke inhalation. The children were doing well but are being held for observation. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa lawmakers have advanced bills that would raise the speed limit on rural roads despite warnings that the change could lead to more fatal crashes. The Des Moines Register reports the bill would raise the speed limit on rural, two-lane roads. One bill would increase the speed limit from 55 mph to 60, and another would bump it up to 65 mph. AMES, IA (IRN) – Iowa State University Police report a driver lost control and landed their vehicle on top of multiple parked cars Tuesday morning in Ames. KCRG-TV reports the driver apparently got the brake and gas pedal confused and drove off a nearby road, over the sidewalk, into the parking lot and then on top of the other cars. Four vehicles had significant damage. There were no injuries.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The Emerald Ash Borer has been discovered in another eastern Iowa county. Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources announced Tuesday the invasive and destructive beetle has been found on the University of Iowa Campus in Iowa City. The discovery brings the list of counties in Iowa where the pest has been discovered to 30. WEST CHESTER, IA (IRN) – A West Chester man was arrested for involuntary manslaughter Monday afternoon. KCII radio reports Washington County Sheriff’s personnel arrested 30-year-old Justin Wayne Milam for involuntary manslaughter and operating while under the influence – third offense. Last summer a pedestrian was struck in Wellman by a car driven by Milam. The pedestrian later died of injuries sustained in the collision. GLENWOOD, IA (IRN) – A former Pacific Junction city clerk accused by state auditors of giving herself unauthorized Christmas bonuses and vacation and sick pay has been given probation and must pay a civil penalty of $625. KCCI-TV reports forty-three-year-old Kari Williams, of Glenwood, pled guilty to tampering with records and was sentenced Monday to a year of probation.The investigation found Williams took nearly $32,000 in improper payments. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – One person has been found dead in a house fire in Des Moines overnight, according to KCCI-TV. Police were called to the scene just before 1:00 am because of a dispute between neighbors. While still on scene, they saw the house on fire. They called the Des Moines Fire Department, but firefighters had to stay back from the scene until it was secure. Once inside the house, firefighters found the body of one person. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – More than 80 Iowans have been convicted of violating a state law that bans domestic abusers from owning guns in the five years since it went into effect. KWWL-TV reports those convicted include people who used weapons to kill others, to threaten their spouses and to shoot at police officers. Attorney General Tom Miller and other supporters predicted the law would save lives by keeping guns away from dangerous individuals. Critics, including some Republican lawmakers, warned that it could unfairly take away gun rights. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A car traveled off the roadway and through the garage of a home in Davenport on Monday. WQAD-TV reports tire tracks from the vehicle show where it went off the road, through a side yard, and then through the garage. The homeowner was inside at the time of the crash, but was not hurt. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – William, the missing University of Iowa research goat, has been found. KWWL-TV reports the goat escaped at the end of January. He was found between Coralville and North Liberty. A veterinarian checked him out, and says William is doing just fine.

ELDRIDGE, IA (IRN) – A fiery single-vehicle accident in eastern Iowa left one teen dead and two others injured The Iowa State Patrol says 19-year-old Bret Schaebauer was driving a car near Eldridge early Sunday when the vehicle left the road and entered a ditch. The car then struck a culvert and came to a stop in a driveway. At some point, the car burst into flames. A passenger, 18-year-old Mitchell Hayes, died in the crash. Hayes was not wearing a seatbelt. The driver and another passenger were hospitalized. CHARLES CITY, IA (IRN) – Charges are pending against several people in Charles City after a search warrant was executed Friday. KIMT-TV reports there were four people present at the time, and police found several narcotics-related items and a stolen kids’ motocross motorcycle. The motorcycle had been reported stolen in 2014 and was returned to the owner. DES MOINES (IRN) – Hillary Clinton’s remarkably narrow win over Bernie Sanders in the Iowa caucuses is now even narrower, according to the Des Moines Register. Nearly a week after the contest, the Iowa Democratic Party on Sunday announced revised results after finding “reporting errors” in several precincts. Clinton’s share of the delegates awarded was revised slightly downward, to 49.84 percent, while Sanders’s total was bumped up to 49.59 percent. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A Waterloo 15-year-old accused of fatally shooting his older sister has pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports the teen also pled guilty Friday to trafficking in stolen weapons. Prosecutors say the boy was 14 when he accidentally shot his 15-year-old sister at their home May 15. The handgun had been stolen during a burglary earlier that day. COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – Authorities are working to identify a body found inside a Council Bluffs home after firefighters extinguished a fire Saturday. KCCI-TV reports the body was found in the bedroom where the fire started. The victim hasn’t been identified, and the investigation into the cause of the fire and the cause of death continues. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A man has been arrested for setting off a Waterloo hospital sprinkler system causing multi-level flooding. KWWL-TV reports firefighters responded to Covenant Medical Center Sunday morning. When they arrived, there was no fire and they say the sprinkler system was set off by a patient. Police arrested 42-year-old Douglas Hala for first-degree criminal mischief. MUSCATINE, IA (IRN) – A fire destroyed a Muscatine home on Sunday. When firefighters arrived, smoke and flames were coming out of the house. Everyone got out safely, but the home was a total loss and several pets inside perished. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A nonprofit is trying to make dreams come true for Dubuque-area children struggling with medical issues. KCRG-TV reports the group is doing it one bedroom at a time. Special Spaces Dubuque leaders meet with children to find out what they like and to create a special bedroom makeover plan. Volunteers get it all done in one day. The latest effort? 9-year-old Camdyn Reisner has some developmental delays, but she smiled from ear to ear and giggled when she saw her small room transformed into a magical princess getaway.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – Firefighters found a person dead inside a Council Bluffs home damaged by fire Saturday evening, according to KETV. Crews got the fire under control quickly, but found a body. The victim has not been identified. Neighbors say two young men lived there, but they haven’t seen anyone leave the house in days. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – No one was injured in a house fire in Cedar Rapids on Saturday night. KCRG-TV reports the fire started inside a bathroom. Firefighters were able to contain the flames to the bathroom, but the house did sustain smoke and water damage throughout the second floor. Five family members were able to escape, and firefighters rescued three cats. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A Davenport Subway restaurant was the target of an armed robbery on Friday evening. WQAD-TV reports the suspect displayed a handgun and demanded money from the clerk, and got away with an undisclosed amount of cash. No injuries were reported. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Thousands of bowlers from across the state are helping the Des Moines economy. KCCI-TV reports bowlers are in the metro for the next several weekends competing in a tournament with a prize worth nearly $200,000. It’s the 99th annual Iowa State Bowling Tournament. Over the next 14 weekends, some 200 teams with the highest scores will split the prize. The winner of the tournament will be announced in May.