MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Court of Appeals Thursday upheld the 35-year prison sentence of a Minnesota man who confined a woman in a Clear Lake motel room and attacked her on Easter Sunday 2014. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports 63-year-old Albert Mesenbrink lured a woman to a Clear Lake motel room by pretending during phone conversations to be someone she knew and then beat her and choked her with a rope. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa City man was caught with a wide variety of drugs and paraphernalia on him Wednesday afternoon. An Iowa City police officer spotted 31-year-old Nicholas Rotter, and recognized that he was wanted on an arrest warrant. The officer tried to stop Rotter — who was on a bike — but he continued riding. Rotter was found hiding in a shed. Eight syringes, meth, psilocybin mushrooms, two spoons, a glass containing a white residue, and brass knuckles were found in his backpack. LINN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A woman died after being hit by a semi near Palisades-Kepler State Park in Linn County late Wednesday night, according to KCRG-TV. Deputies responded to the eastbound lanes of Highway 30, near the park’s entrance west of Mount Vernon. The woman was walking in the eastbound lanes when she was hit. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. CORALVILLE, IA (IRN) – A Coralville man has been charged with sexual abuse for inappropriately touching a 4-year-old child. KGAN-TV reports 71-year-old Raymond Wagehoft was caring for the girl when he made inappropriate sexual contact with her. The victim was crying when Wagehoft’s wife came home. The girl told her that Wagehoft hurt her. He faces up to 37 years in prison if convicted. JOHNSTON, IA (IRN) – Widespread damage was reported as severe weather hit much of southcentral Iowa Wednesday afternoon. The National Weather Service reports much of the area was battered by high winds with gusts up to 80 mph, and a dozen tornadoes were reported, including three in the Des Moines area. Corning and Knoxville were two other towns hit by tornadoes. Additional ones were reported in more rural areas, including two in Monroe county.   ALTOONA, IA (IRN) – Altoona Police and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are investigating the death of a female, whose body was found at an Altoona home. WHO-TV reports an autopsy is scheduled for Thursday. Her name has not been released. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City police are investigating an armed robbery at a home Wednesday, according to KWWL-TV. According to the victims, three men kicked in the door to the house. One was holding a gun. The men went through the house and demanded money. After the victims emptied their wallets, they ran away. DES MOINES (IRN) – This year is likely to be a record breaking year for agricultural production in Iowa. According to the Iowa Production Report the predicted statewide average for corn is 189 bushels per acre. This breaks the previous record of 181 bushels per acre, which was set in 2004 and tied in 2009. Soybeans are predicted at 56 bushels per acre, which would break the 2005 record of 52.5 bushels per acre.

FAIRBANK, IA (IRN) – A bridge made with a new ultra-high performance concrete from Korea has been christened in Buchanan County. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports the 52-foot-long Hawkeye UHPC Bridge near Fairbank was christened Tuesday. The new bridge may endure for 200 years, and is almost maintenance-free. FOREST CITY, IA (IRN) – Two people were injured in a two-vehicle crash near Forest City Tuesday afternoon. 52-year-old Michelle Kingland of Forest City, and 30-year-old Michael Piper of Lake Mills were both transported to the hospital where their conditions are unknown. The crash occurred when both entered an uncontrolled intersection. DES MOINES (IRN) – A 3-year-old Des Moines child survived a fall from a third-story window Wednesday morning, according to the Des Moines Register. Law enforcement responded to a report of an emergency and found the little boy. It’s unclear how or why the child fell, but he was alert when medics arrived on scene. He was taken to Blank Children’s Hospital for an examination. CHARLES CITY, IA (IRN) – Firefighters responded to an apartment complex in Charles City early Tuesday morning to a report of smoke alarms sounding with smoke in the hallways. According to KIMT-TV, one person has died. Residents knew he might have a hard time getting out, so rushed to his aid. They heard him coughing, but couldn’t break the door down before they needed to flee the fire. BOSTON, MA (IRN) – Two Iowa men have pled not guilty to making threats on social media against people attending the World Pokemon Championships in August. WHO-TV reports 27-year-old James Stumbo and 19-year-old Kevin Norton appeared in court in Boston Tuesday. The judge ordered they be held on $150,000 bond. Police say they found a shotgun, a rifle and 300 rounds of ammunition in their car when they tried to register for the event. POMEROY, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation is investigating the death of a man by gunshot wound in Pomeroy in Calhoun County. No arrest has been made, and the identity of the victim is being withheld pending family notification. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – After a man was killed by gunshot and three others were injured at a north Des Moines nightclub over the weekend, neighbors are saying something needs to be done about the club’s constant police activity. The shooting at the Evolution Nightclub claimed the life of 20-year-old Dashawn Smith. KCCI-TV reports since the nightclub’s opening in April, Polk County Sheriff’s deputies have responded 70 times to the business. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – It’s Veterans Day, and for the first time in 44 years, the two Vietnam veterans who flew the Cobra attack helicopter that overlooks Dubuque’s Veteran’s Memorial Plaza, are back with their chopper. KWWL-TV reports Ken DeHoff and Wayne Burk are in Dubuque to speak at the annual Veteran’s Day ceremony. Their helicopter was shot out of the air, crashed, and burned. To make the event even more special, the man who helped fly them to safety after they were shot down will also be in attendance.  

DES MOINES (IRN) – Des Moines community leaders made a big announcement Tuesday regarding the Walnut Street revitalization project downtown. WHO-TV reports Wells Fargo will bringing history to life with a Wells Fargo Museum on Walnut street. The plans to update the street came to a halt in 2014 when the Younkers Building caught fire. The revitalization will also include additional shopping, restaurants, and apartments to the corridor. DES MOINES (IRN) – Iowa hospital leaders want a judge to slam the brakes on Governor Branstad’s plan to have the state shift to private management of its Medicaid program. The Des Moines Register reports the hospitals say in a new lawsuit that the controversial move would illegally take money from a trust fund to which they contribute. They also say it would deprive them of rewards the state promised them for participating in recent programs. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa City man has admitted to selling meth out of his home, according to KCRG-TV. A drug task force searched the home of 48-year-old Scott Hoff, Sr. and discovered baggies containing meth, digital scales and other drug paraphernalia. Hoff allegedly told officers he would “get people high” at his home and also admitted to selling meth to someone at his residence the day before. He faces three years in prison. MCCLELLAN, IA (IRN) – A tow truck driver got more than the car he picked up Monday in the western Iowa town of McClellan. KETV reports that a woman parked her Buick at work, leaving her 8-year-old son inside asleep, figuring he would join her when he woke up. A tow-truck driver then repossessed her car, towing it away, without knowing the boy was inside. The Sheriff’s Office says it was a misunderstanding, and the child wasn’t hurt. DES MOINES (IRN) – The mother of 5-year-old who died of a drug overdose has agreed to a plea deal. WHO-TV reports Tionne Bloodshaw of Des Moines had illegal drugs in her apartment which her daughter ingested. Cocaine, seven morphine pills and 81 ecstasy tablets were found by police. She was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Bloodsaw’s boyfriend, Deshaun Trombone, is serving up to 65 years in prison in relation to the case. DES MOINES (IRN) – A Des Moines man is behind bars after police say he targeted a teenager leaving a library and sexually assaulted her. KCCI-TV reports the victim left the Des Moines North Side Library when 24-year-old Sundayboy Tarlue targeted the teen and walked with her to a nearby house, but she refused his invitation inside. Tarlue grabbed her and touched her inappropriately. The girl fled and reported the incident to authorities. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – University of Iowa police issued a Hawk Alert early this morning according to KWWL-TV. Police have received three reports of sexual assault. The suspect is described as a 5’10” man. He’s wearing a red flannel, torn jeans, and flipflops. According to police, the man was seen near the University of Iowa Hospital and near the main campus library. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Two weeks after a crash that killed his wife, a 90-year-old Davenport man has also succumbed to his injuries. WQAD-TV reports 80-year-old Erma Moobery was killed when the car she and her husband were in was struck by one of two cars that were street racing. Erma’s husband, 90-year-old Ronald Mooberry died Saturday.  Family friends said the Mooberrys had been married for 62 years, and that it was “truly a great marriage.” The drivers of the vehicles who were racing face multiple felony charges.

WAUKEE, IA (IRN) – Authorities have apprehended a man involved in a fatal Saturday night shooting in Waukee, according to KCCI-TV. 42-year-old Brendan McGuinness has been charged with first-degree murder. Police said McGuinness shot 41-year-old Gino Risola several times with a semi-automatic gun. The men knew each other, and McGuinness was waiting for Risola and his wife to return home. This is the first homicide in Waukee since 1977. DES MOINES – One person is dead following a shooting in Des Moines Friday. WHO-TV reports police responded to a home northeast of downtown and found the body of an adult male. The victim has been identified as 28-year-old Jose Lopez of Des Moines. A 17-year-old has been arrested in the case. Josue Socop, of Des Moines, has been charged with first-degree murder. Friday’s homicide is Des Moines’ 14th this year. OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – Four Ottumwa teens have been arrested in a robbery case. KTVO-TV reports the crime occurred late Wednesday. The victim, a male juvenile, reported that two juvenile females lured him to the area of a school in Ottumwa. Once the victim arrived at the school with the two females, the victim was assaulted and robbed by three males. A warrant has been issued for an additional teen. AMES, IA (IRN) – Iowa State design students will soon see one of their products in NFL games, according to WOI-TV. A design team worked to make gloves with Cutters, a premier designer of receiver gloves for football, including the NFL. The final design is a tribute to the military, and will be in catalogues this spring. In addition to the partnership with Cutters, the design school has ties to Boeing and Tupperware.