Articles by Iowa Radio News

No Picture

Monday, November 2, 2015

DES MOINES (IRN) – Des Moines police are investigating the death of a woman they say was hit by a vehicle Saturday night. WHO-TV reports the body of 22-year-old Haley Hols, of Des Moines, was found just before midnight on Halloween. Investigators say she was found outside of a vehicle she had been a passenger in. It appears Hols was struck by the vehicle and died from the injuries she received. MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A north Iowa woman has been arrested for allegedly passing counterfeit money. KIMT-TV reports 38-year-old Tiffany April Glaser of Mason City is charged with three counts of forgery.  She’s accused of using phony $20 bills to purchase items at two Casey’s General Stores in Mason City.  Glaser is accused of using the fake bills to buy candy, lottery tickets and a beverage. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – An April trial has been scheduled for an 18-year-old in the drug death of a Sioux City high school student. KCAU-TV reports Rose Mouw has pled not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter and delivery of a controlled substance. Mouw is accused of selling synthetic marijuana to a high school student. He died in April after smoking the drug. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A Waterloo man accused of robbing a Cadillac from an acquaintance was arrested Thursday after a bicycle chase with police. The Waterloo Cedar Falls Gazette reports police arrested 29-year-old Johnnie Carter for first-degree robbery, interference, possession of a prescription drug and possession of drug paraphernalia. The acquaintance says he was asleep on a couch when he woke to Carter standing over him with a bat and demanding his wallet and keys. DES  MOINES (IRN) – Des Moines police used a K-9 dog to nab a suspect after a long and dangerous chase overnight. KCCI-TV reports it started before 3:00 am south of downtown. For nearly half an hour, the suspect weaved in and out of lanes, ran stop signs and tried to avoid police stop sticks. The chase ended when the suspect ditched the vehicle and tried to run. Police released the K-9 and the dog caught the man across the river from Principal Park. He is being treated for a dog bite. COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – A 3-year-old boy may have fallen from a second-floor window in Council Bluffs, but managed to avoid major injury. KWWL-TV reports the boy was taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha for treatment after the fall. Initial tests and X-rays didn’t reveal any major injuries. MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – Over 30 people are facing charges after north Iowa law enforcement broke up an underage party Saturday night in Mason City. KIMT-TV reports 20-year-old Gabriel Earl Craighton is charged with hosting an underage party.  Others were arrested on drug charges and assault on a police officer. 29 juveniles were charged with consuming alcohol under the legal age. DES MOINES (IRN) – Police are reviewing video footage of an assault at a Burger King in Des Moines. KCCI-TV reports an angry customer threw chicken nuggets and fries at the store manager and struck her in the head. The customer also swore at the manager, complaining that the food was cold, and that they wanted their money back. The manager was not injured.  


No Picture

Sunday, November 1, 2015

PERU, IA (IRN) – A man was found dead Saturday morning after his jeep flipped near Peru, in rural Madison County. WOI-TV reports when deputies arrived, they found a Jeep Wrangler on its top. Its driver, 60-year-old Paul Shafer of Des Moines was pronounced dead at the scene. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Waterloo Firefighters were called to a house fire at 516 Iowa Street on Saturday, according to KWWL-TV. The Waterloo Battalion Chief says a 911 caller initially said the fire was at 516 Iowa Street in Cedar Falls. Fortunately, firefighters from both Waterloo and Cedar Falls responded to the respective 516 Iowa Street addresses in their towns. The Waterloo home was extensively damaged, but no one was injured. MONROE COUNTY, IA – A routine Monroe County traffic stop turned into a high speed chase and a school lockdown Friday, according to KTVO-TV. Monroe County Sheriff Daniel Johnson attempted to pull over Kyle Edward Popson near Albia. Popson was known to have a suspended driver’s license. A pursuit ensued into Albia and a school lockdown was put into place. Popson abandoned his vehicle near the High School, and was apprehended after a short foot chase. WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – West Des Moines police say they received calls that drivers were pulled over on Interstate 80 picking up loose money on Saturday.  KCCI-TV reports police responded to an exit near Jordan Creek Parkway, and found a few drivers picking up money. The officers say they didn’t see a large amount of cash whirling around, only a few dollar bills.


No Picture

Saturday, October 31, 2015

IOWA FALLS, IA (IRN) – A mother and her three young children were saved in the nick of time by a phone call. KCCI-TV reports Jennifer Smith called a free health care helpline around 3 a.m. Thursday after she and her three children became ill. Smith told Tammie Zeiser, a nurse who works at the hotline, their symptoms. Zeisner called back later to check on the family, received no answer, so sent paramedics. The family had passed out because of carbon monoxide poisoning. They are now doing fine. BLOOMFIELD, IA (IRN) – A man was killed Friday morning after he was struck by a semi while driving his horse and buggy. The Iowa State Patrol reports 77-year-old Norman Jessie Yutzy was driving a horse and buggy in Davis County when a semi attempted to pass the buggy in the left lane. The horse reportedly turned left while the semi was passing, causing the collision. Yutzy was pronounced dead at the scene. CLERMONT, IA (IRN) – A Jesup man was injured while deer hunting on Friday after falling from a tree stand. The DNR reports 67-year-old Timothy Lindquist fell approximately 20-feet from a homemade tree stand while bow hunting Friday morning outside of Clermont in Fayette County. Lindquist was not wearing a safety harness. He was discovered by two other men he was hunting with. FAIRFIELD, IA (IRN) – Schools in Fairfield are battling a variety of illnesses. KTVO-TV reports students and staff at Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment tested positive for pertussis, better known as whooping cough. At the same time, administrators at Washington Elementary are facing an outbreak of a flu-like illness. 90 students have been sent home from school. NEVADA, IA (IRN) – Dignitaries from all over the world gathered Friday to formally open the new DuPont Cellulosic Ethanol Facility in Nevada. WHO-TV reports the new plant will take corn stover, the stalks left in the field after the harvest, and turn that into ethanol. The $225 million refinery is the world’s largest cellulosic ethanol plant. The plant will have 85 full-time jobs, and employ 150 seasonal employees for stover collection.


No Picture

Friday, October 30, 2015

WORTH COUNTY, IA (IRN) – 41-year-old Tyrone Washington Jr., was denied a new trial today in Worth County court and sentenced to life in prison without parole. KIMT-TV reports Washington was convicted of first-degree murder of his former girlfriend in July. He then asked for another trial claiming self-defense. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) –  A Linn County Jail inmate didn’t return from work release for more than a day because claimed his wife was dying. KCRG-TV reports deputies called the hospital and learned his claim was false. 53-year-old Kenneth Kistner was serving a 180-day sentence for contempt of court on a revocation of probation in a drunken driving case. While still at-large Kistner called authorities to say he needed time to sober up before coming back to jail. POLK CITY, IA (IRN) – Investigators are working to find the thieves responsible for breaking into a Polk City maintenance facility and stealing about $150,000-worth of city property. WHO-TV reports two city trucks were stolen. They’re both white with the city logo on the doors, utility boxes, and official city license plates. Tools were also taken from the facility. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – MidAmerican Energy is warning its customers of a scam. More than 100 reports have come from customers saying they’ve received telephone calls from someone claiming to be with MidAmerican. The scammer claims the customer is past due on their utility bill, and it must be paid immediately via credit card or prepaid debit card. MidAmerican Energy says if anyone gets a suspicious call, hang up and report it to customer service. JOHNSTON, IA – Authorities are investigating an assault of a student on a Johnston school bus Thursday, according to KCCI-TV. The bus driver, 61-year-old Robert Scarbrough is charged with assault causing injury and child endangerment. Police say a special needs student directed an inflammatory comment toward the bus driver who grabbed the student’s coat, hit the boy in the face and pushed him to the floor. DES MOINES (IRN) – An Urbandale man has been sentenced to federal prison for bank robbery. Hassam Abusharkh (UH-bush-ark) was sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison for robbing the Farmers and Merchants State Bank in St. Charles in March of this year. MANCHESTER, IA (IRN) – Police say the driver who struck a school bus in Delaware County earlier this month was under the influence at the time of the crash. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports 41-year-old Monte Klink of Arlington is charged with serious injury by vehicle and second-offense operating while intoxicated. Klink failed to yield at an intersection and struck a West Delaware County Community School District bus carrying 32 students, causing it to rollover. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The cost of finding a new University of Iowa president has exceeded $300,000, including a $200,000 charge by the search firm involved. KCRG-TV reports Bruce Harreld, who starts his UI job on Monday, has signed a five-year contract calling for a beginning salary of $590,000 and a deferred compensation package of $1 million. Faculty and students have objected to the hire because of the way it was conducted, and because Harreld has no experience on a university faculty.  


No Picture

Thursday, October 29, 2015

FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – Police were called to a home in Fort Dodge Thursday when a resident reported a person knocking at the front door had a gun.  KCCI-TV reports when officers arrived, the resident told them that two people had just left after a home invasion. One of the three residents of the home fought with the robbers before they fled. CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – A woman is dead following a car crash in Cedar Falls, according to KGAN-TV. 59-year-old Terry Harp was hit at an intersection by a car driven by 48-year-old Walter Seals. The light at the intersection was green and police do not expect to file any charges against Seals. Harp was taken to Allen Hospital in Waterloo where she died. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A Dubuque man was shot in the leg Wednesday, but police said it’s unclear if he fired the gun, or if someone else did. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports police responded to an apartment complex where they found 20-year-old Phillip Wilson sitting on the steps of the building with a gunshot wound to his leg. Wilson was transported to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries. No gun was found, and Wilson isn’t cooperating with the investigation. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Authorities are investigating an attack on a recreation trail in Waterloo. The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier reports a Waterloo woman was on the running trail near Cedar Bend Park Wednesday, when a man pulled the hood on her sweatshirt over her eyes and pulled her off the trail. The man attempted to sexually assault her, but she was able to fight him off. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man has admitted that he lit his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle on fire Tuesday. KCCI-TV reports 33-year-old William Cook of Des Moines told police that he started his ex-girlfriend’s car on fire because they recently broke up and he heard that she was cheating on him. Cook poured rubbing alcohol on the driver’s seat of the vehicle and lit the interior on fire. He was arrested and charged with second-degree arson. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A man wanted for manslaughter in Indiana was arrested in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, according to KCRG-TV. 18-year-old Diamonty Newman was wanted in connection with a deadly assault that occurred in Indiana on Sept. 11. Authorities said a 44-year-old man was “severely assaulted” and died from his injuries. Newman is in custody in Linn County jail where he awaits extradition back to Indiana. ANKENY, IA (IRN) – If you paid with a credit card at the pump at certain Casey’s General Stores this month, watch your statement for suspicious activity. WHO-TV reports the company found credit card skimmers at a store in Davenport and at six locations in Nebraska. The devices read the data from the magnetic stripe on your credit or debit cards, and can’t be seen by customers. Authorities say to protect yourself, run transactions as credit. Never use your pin number at the pump. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An Iowa cat lost 14 years ago has been reunited with his family, according to KCCI-TV. The cat–named Ralph– was recently picked up as a stray by an animal control officer. The cat’s microchip was scanned and the original family who adopted him in 1998 was contacted. When the family walked in to pick him up, “Ralph looked at them, kind of turned his head sideways and his eyes perked up.” Ralph is now resting comfortably at home.