Articles by Iowa Radio News

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August 15th, 2024

HAMPTON – Police are investigating several racist signs taped to Hispanic-owned businesses in Hampton. The Des Moines Register reports multiple fliers were spread throughout the community on August 12th that read, “Illegal immigrant hunting permit. No bag limit. Tagging not required. Trump 2024.” The Franklin County Attorney’s Office has declined to comment about the ongoing investigation. MT. VERNON – A historic lighthouse in Linn County has been destroyed by a fire. KCRG-TV reports the Lighthouse Inn Supper Club in Mt. Vernon has been severely damaged by a fire reported Wednesday morning. Responding officers found the fire rapidly spreading upon arrival, according to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office. There were no people inside, but damage was extensive to the restaurant area of the structure. DES MOINES – The Iowa State Fair remains on pace for a record-breaking year, despite rain slowing Monday’s events. KCCI-TV reports record crowds have been reported on five of the six days leading into Wednesday morning’s festivities. the all time record is 1.17 million attendees; the current pace is exceeding that number by about 800 people per day. Favorable weather is in the forecast through the remainder of the Iowa State Fair, which wraps up on Sunday, August 18th.  


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August 14th, 2024

SAINT OLAF – A Saint Olaf woman admitted to police to running over her boyfriend with a truck in July. KCRG-TV reports Brittany Ziegler faces charges of willful injury, serious injury by vehicle, domestic abuse, and other crimes. Ziegler is accused of pinning her boyfriend against another vehicle following an argument. POLK COUNTY – A former Polk County Sheriff’s Office employee is accused of bringing contraband to the jail. The Des Moines Register reports 26-year-old Mario Antonio Rocha was arrested Tuesday. Rocha resigned on August 5th following an investigation, which allegedly turned out K2 sheets and another substance that the-then detention officer brought into the facility. Phone records indicated that Rocha was using an internet search to determine if bringing contraband into the jail was illegal. DES MOINES – A Carlisle woman was killed in a fiery crash in Polk County on Sunday. KCCI-TV reports several crews found a vehicle fully engulfed in flames and flipped on its side. Police say 35 year old Emily Woolsey was the lone occupant.


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August 13th, 2024

WINNESHIEK COUNTY – A former Iowa resident has been charged in connection with the death of a teenager in 2017. KCCI-TV reports 65-year-old James David Bachmurski, who now lives in Georgia, has been charged with second degree murder in relation to the disappearance of 15-year-old Jade Marie Colvin. Her mother brought the teen to live on Bachmurski’s farm in Winneshiek County in 2017, but she went missing shortly after. Local police say they weren’t informed about the missing girl until five years after her disappearance. CEDAR RAPIDS – School districts in Iowa are adjusting to a new law as it relates to chronically absent students. KCRG-TV reports Senate File 2435 defines the issue when a child misses 10% or more of the academic year. Schools are required to have an intervention meeting after the first 12 days gone unexcused, and a child is truant after 15 absences DES MOINES – Another day, another record at the Iowa State Fair. The Des Moines Register reports Sunday was the biggest ever for the Sunday with just over 115,000 people in attendance, making it back-to-back days with record crowds. The current pace would have the 2024 event exceed the biggest ever, with 1.17 million set in 2019.


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August 12th, 2024

PACIFIC JUNCTION – Two Omaha residents were found dead from gunshot wounds in Pacific Junction. The Iowa Department of Public Safety reports the Mills County Sheriff’s Office responded to an incident at I-29 Speedway. An outdoor concert was about to begin before a shooting occurred in the parking lot. Marcus L. Johnson, 28, and Charles A. Williams Jr., 27, died from their injuries. Several agencies are investigating what is being considered a homicide. MARSHALLTOWN – The main suspect for a murder case in Marshalltown was killed by police in California. The Des Moines Register reports 18-year-old Victor Delgadillo was the subject of a search conducted a U.S. Marshal’s Task Force and several police agencies. Officers opened fire, killing the man wanted on murder charges for an alleged killing in Iowa. DES MOINES – A near-perfect weather forecast was the likely fuel for a record-breaking day at the Iowa State Fair. KCCI-TV reports in the 170 years of the event, the attendance has never been higher than the 128,732 patrons who visited the fairgrounds on Saturday. With favorable conditions expected over the remainder of the fair, there’s a chance the 2024 event could be the biggest ever, chasing the all-time attendance mark of 1.17 million in 2019.


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August 10th, 2024

MARSHALLTOWN – The main suspect in a murder investigation in Marshalltown was shot in California Friday. Victor Delgadillo, 18, of Marshalltown is wanted on the charge of Murder in the First Degree in connection with a shooting that occurred in Marshalltown on June 1st. Law enforcement in Anaheim, California were involved in an investigation involving Delgadillo. An officer involved shooting occurred and Delgadillo was reportedly shot during this incident and has been taken to a hospital. His status is not known. No law enforcement officers were injured. IOWA – The state can enforce a book ban passed by the Iowa Legislature following a ruling by a federal appeals court on Friday. WHO-13 reports the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court overturned a district judge decision that halted several parks of Senate File 496, passed in 2023, that limits books in school libraries. Teenagers, teachers, and major publishers sued to permanently overturn the law that resulted in the removal of hundreds of books last year. The matter still remains in district court to determine the law’s constitutional standing. DECATUR COUNTY – A single vehicle crash resulted in a fatality in Decatur County Friday evening. The Iowa State Patrol reports 61-year-old Edward Hiebing of Leon had a medical issue on Highway 2 and left the roadway. Police say his GMC Sierra then crashed into a nearby building.