Author: Iowa Radio News

APPANOOSE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – An early Saturday morning accident resulted in the death of a man in rural Appanoose County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 22-year-old Lucas Buban of Centerville lost control of his vehicle and failed to make a turn. The vehicle entered the ditch, flipped several times, and Buban was ejected. He wasn’t wearing a seatbelt

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Attorneys for a Dubuque man accused of fatally shooting his daughter say he was not fit to waive his Miranda rights when he was interviewed by authorities. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports 62-year-old Robert Stern is charged with first-degree murder after he repeatedly shot his 27-year-old daughter. Stern’s attorneys argue he wasn’t fit to waive his rights because of his physical, mental and emotional condition.
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DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police in Des Moines are investigating a Friday night shooting, according to WHO-TV. Officers were called to an auto body shop, but weren’t sure where the shooting took place exactly. The victim was shot in the abdomen but is expected to survive.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa City bookstore employee is getting a holiday surprise from best-selling author James Patterson. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that Paul Ingram is one of 87 independent booksellers to receive an honorary holiday bonus from the novelist. Ingram works at Prairie Lights, a popular independent bookstore in downtown Iowa City. Patterson is known for his Alex Cross book series. He’s sold more than 300 million books worldwide.

FORT MADISON, IA (IRN) – A southeastern Iowa woman is among 95 federal prisoners whose sentences for nonviolent crimes were shortened by President Obama on Friday. The Des Moines Register reports Gloria Louise James, formerly a Fort Madison resident, will finish her prison sentence in April, more than seven months ahead of schedule. James was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison on meth charges. The move is part of an effort to free prisoners who were sentenced under mandatory minimum guidelines that many now argue were too harsh for nonviolent drug offenses.

NORWAY, IA (IRN) – A car was hit by a train in Norway in Benton County Friday. KGAN-TV reports the driver tried to get around cars waiting for a train to pass. When he thought the coast was clear, he began driving around the warning gates, and was hit by another train that was travelling in the opposite direction. The suspect fled the scene with his 2-year-old but later came back. Officials have not released the suspect’s name but do say he will face charges. No one was hurt.

EDDYVILLE, IA (IRN) – Hazmat crews from the Ottumwa Fire Department were called to Eddyville Thursday night after a dangerous hydrochloric acid spill. KTVO-TV reports it happened at the Harris and Ford Chlor-Alkali plant at the Cargill site. The spill happened while transporting the acid, which is corrosive to the eyes and skin. The DNR and EPA are investigating. No one was injured, and cleanup is ongoing.

JOHNSTON, IA (IRN) – One week before Christmas, one of the biggest employers in the Des Moines metro is cutting jobs. KCCI-TV reports with farm income declining, DuPont Pioneer in Johnston is tightening its belt. The company announced a $700 million restructuring plan that will impact 10 percent of the global workforce. Pioneer employs about 3,400 Iowans, mostly in the Des Moines metro.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids man is being credited with potentially saving the life of a homeless man who caught fire Thursday night. KCRG-TV reports 38-year-old Corey Smock is facing life-threatening injuries after his sleeping bag and clothing caught fire. Authorities say that if it wasn’t for the intervention of 40-year-old Matthew Geraghty, Smock would already be dead. Geraghty was driving by, saw the flames, and stopped to help.

VERSAILLES, MI (IRN) – A Missouri State Trooper has been charged in the death of an Iowa man who drowned while in custody at Lake of the Ozarks. KCRG-TV reports Trooper Anthony Piercy faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of 20-year-old Brandon Ellingson. Ellingson drowned after being arrested for allegedly boating while intoxicated. Ellingson fell out of Piercy’s boat while he was handcuffed. A life jacket Piercy placed on Ellingson was put on wrong.

SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – A Sioux City high school band director who resigned last week has been arrested and charged with sexual exploitation by a school employee. The Sioux City Journal reports 34-year-old Lucas Sursely texted a 15-year-old female student in one of his classes about having sex with her and sent the girl a picture of himself in his underwear.

DES MOINES (IRN) – Two people who received speeding violations from automated traffic enforcement cameras on Interstate 235 have filed a lawsuit against the city of Des Moines according to KCCI-TV. The men allege their equal protection rights were violated because not every speeder receives a citation.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A company has agreed to pay $1.1 million to settle claims that it improperly billed Medicare for treating patients who were ineligible to receive hospice benefits. KCRG-TV reports the government alleged that Iowa Hospice knowingly billed Medicare for 34 patients between 2007 and 2013 who were ineligible for the benefit. Iowa Hospice doesn’t admit wrongdoing in the settlement.

GRANGER, IA (IRN) – A body found Thursday in a pond between Granger and Grimes is that of a missing Des Moines teenager. WHO-TV reports 17-year old Sam Kemp was last seen at a party that had between 150 and 200 people in attendance. When police busted the party, Kemp fled. The cause of death hasn’t been determined.

BLACK HAWK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A man was arrested after deputies responded to a burglary in progress at a home in Dunkerton Thursday morning, according to KWWL-TV. The suspect got into a vehicle and sped off as deputies arrived. 43-year-old Chad James Clark of Waterloo was apprehended and charged with Burglary in the Third Degree, Possession of Burglary Tools, Carrying Weapons and Possession of Methamphetamine. He’s in jail.

CHARLES CITY, IA (IRN) – A Charles City student has been expelled for striking an assistant wrestling coach. The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier reports the incident occurred in late November. The student hasn’t been identified, and charges won’t be filed.

DES MOINES COUNTY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa sheriff shot himself accidentally. WQAD-TV reports Des Moines County Sheriff Mike Johnstone sustained a gunshot wound to his left hand as he cleaned his handgun Wednesday. Johnstone was taken to a local emergency room and later transferred to another facility for treatment by a surgeon who specializes in hand injuries. The injury isn’t life-threatening.

DES MOINES (IRN) – A man stabbed his roommate after an argument about dirty dishes, according to the Des Moines Register. Police arrived at an apartment near downtown Des Moines and found a 48-year-old man with a stab wound in his back. 55-year-old William Nixon, the alleged stabber and the victim’s roommate, was sitting in a chair with a bloodied blade next to him. The roommate, who was cutting cheese in bed before the fight, said he used the cheese knife to defend himself.

DES MOINES (IRN) – A Des Moines teenager accused of killing his grandmother is scheduled to be back in court Thursday, according to WHO-TV. Seventeen-year-old Noah Laprei has pled not guilty to first degree murder. Police say he beat his grandmother to death in the home they shared in October. Laprei’s family says he was on drugs at the time. His trial will begin next month.

CLARKE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Creston man was killed Wednesday in a grain bin accident in Clarke County. KCCI-TV reports 39-year-old Eric Reasland was pulled out of the bin after being buried inside soybeans for more than three hours.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man was injured Tuesday after four masked men with a gun broke into his home near Drake University, according to the Des Moines Register. The 20-year-old victim told police one of the men pointed the handgun at him and told him to get on the floor. He resisted, and was struck in the back of the head with the gun. The men took electronics and ran.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Attorney General’s Office has found a Waterloo police officer’s actions in a shooting justified. In November, Waterloo police were conducting a meth investigation involving Brandon Seeley. After a chase, Seeley ignored the officer’s commands to stop and drove his vehicle directly at the officer, who fired four shots at Seeley. Seely was hit, but survived. He’s been charged with possession and intent to deliver, eluding, and assault on a peace officer.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – They call them “porch pirates;” thieves who steal packages delivered to homes when their owners aren’t there. WQAD-TV reports people like Mark Riedesel of Davenport are catching them in the act with cameras hidden at their front doors. After having delivered packages stolen, he set up a camera and placed an empty box out as bait. Within hours, the camera caught a woman taking the box. She has been identified, and police are investigating.

IOWA CITY, IA – Mumps is a growing problem at the University of Iowa. KCRG-TV reports school officials don’t see any sign the number of cases are slowing. On November 9th, Johnson County reported 116 cases of mumps, with the vast majority believed to be at the UI. As of Monday, that number grew to nearly 200 cases.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa health officials say only half of all potential contracts for Medicaid services have been signed ahead of the state’s switch to privatized care on Jan. 1. KWWL-TV reports Gov. Terry Branstad says the privatization move will offer better care and save money. Some lawmakers and health professionals have criticized the timeline for the switch.

BLOOMFIELD, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the death of a man in rural Davis County as a homicide. Investigators identified the victim as 39-year-old Michael Thomas Goodwin Sr., of Bloomfield. The DCI began assisting the Davis County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday after deputies found the dead man while doing a welfare check.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A vehicle fatally struck a man crossing Hubbell Avenue in east Des Moines Tuesday evening, according to KCCI-TV. Police say the man crossed the street in an erratic manner when the vehicle hit him. Authorities said the driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with police.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa has the top high school graduation rate in the country. Data released Tuesday by the National Center for Education Statistics show Iowa ranked first among all states with a graduation rate of 90.5 percent for the 2013-2014 school year. The national high school graduation rate is 82.3 percent. The worst state? New Mexico, with a 68.5% graduation rate.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The animal ethics group PETA (PEET-uh) is planning an unusual protest at a downtown Des Moines intersection Wednesday. KCCI-TV reports PETA wants families to rethink their holiday food choices with a banner reading, “Try to relate to who’s on your plate: Go vegan this Christmas.” The protest will feature a nearly naked woman on a giant plate complete with cutlery and a side of vegetables.