WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two sisters from West Des Moines are being recognized as heroes for their quick thinking after saving two kids who fell through the ice in a pond behind an apartment building. Fifteen-year-old Jasmine Morris and 17-year-old Jacora Morris were scrolling through TikTok when they happened to look out their third-story window at the right time. They ran to the pond and rescued the kids, one of whom who was completely submerged. FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – The murder trial of a Fort Dodge mother accused of drowning her newborn baby in the bathtub has been scheduled for September. Taylor Blaha is charged with first-degree murder in the baby’s death. Court documents say Blaha admitted to investigators that she and the father of the child, Brandon Thoma, drowned the baby girl shortly after she was born. They were worried the two-year-old son they shared would be taken away if authorities learned there was methamphetamine in their daughter’s system when she was born. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Some Republican lawmakers want to change the state constitution to ban gay marriage. House Joint Resolution 8 was introduced in the Iowa House on Tuesday. The bill has eight sponsors. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Students at 14 Iowa Public Schools are planning a walkout today in order to protest a series of bills in the Iowa Legislature relating to LGBTQ+ students. NEWTON, IA (IRN) – The historic, red brick Maytag headquarters buildings in Newton are a huge source of civic pride. And now, a $30 million plan could transform them into something new. The buildings haven’t been used much since the major appliance manufacturer closed in 2007. Soon, they could become Newton’s newest hotel and apartment complex.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids teenager accused of stabbing his parents at their home in October 2021 has pled guilty to two counts of first-degree murder. Court documents say Ethan Alexander Orton killed Misty Scott-Slade and Casey Orton at their home. When police arrived, they found Orton sitting outside the home, covered in blood. Orton admitted to stabbing and killing them in order to “take charge of his life.” They also say he used an axe to kill his mother when she appeared to have survived the initial stabbing. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines woman was sentenced Friday to a total of 45 years in prison for conspiring to produce child pornography and child exploitation. Ashley Marie Butler, 33, produced child pornography on at least three occasions in 2021 when she video recorded her co-defendant and husband, Shane William Butler, sexually abusing a minor victim. WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Firefighters and paramedics responded to a police chase that ended with a crash in West Des Moines Monday. The chase began after a reported theft at Walmart. A car with Washington state plates led officers on a chase that ended when it hit an SUV. Multiple cars were involved in the crash and several people were taken to the hospital with what appeared to be minor injuries. 43-year-old Wesley Mihalovic Jr. is charged with felony eluding and theft. WAUKEE, IA (IRN) – Dozens of Lincoln High School students were ejected from the basketball game at Waukee Friday night. An official whistled to the Lincoln student section with about seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter, then seconds later whistled again and ejected every visiting student. The students were using foul language against the officials and Waukee players. They lost the game too.

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A West Des Moines man was sentenced Friday to 60 years in prison for exploiting minors from across the country via social media sites like Snapchat and TikTok. Jonathan Francis Speidel, 31, persuaded them to take explicit photos and videos for him. He told them that he was looking for models, and paid some of them. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Dubuque Police have charged a man they say attacked someone with a baseball bat while being high on crystal meth. Police say 36-year-old Michael Blackburn of Dubuque got into an argument with another man and he pulled a 17-inch bat from his waistband and hit the victim in the head and arms. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The Hawkeye men’s basketball team defeated Michigan State 112-106 on Saturday, after a remarkable rally. Iowa trailed 91-78 with 1:34 remaining before catching fire from 3-point distance. The Hawkeyes made 6-of-9 3-pointers in the final minute and a half, including the last four in a row in the final 32 seconds to tie the game before winning in overtime. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Caitlin Clark had 34 points, including a game-winning three at the buzzer to lift No. 6 Iowa past No. 2 Indiana 86-85 on Sunday. With the win, Iowa finishes the regular season with a 23-6 overall record and 15-3 in the Big Ten conference. The Hawkeyes will be the number two seed in the conference tournament which will begin on March 1.

POLK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa man will spend the rest of his life in prison for kidnapping and sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl. A Polk County jury convicted 65-year-old Michael D. Dunbar, of Saylor Township, of first-degree kidnapping and second-degree sexual abuse. He was sentenced to life in prison Friday. Dunbar offered the girl a ride while she was in a store and then waiting for a bus in Des Moines. He then drove her to a different location than her destination and assaulted her in the vehicle before she escaped. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Dallas Center woman was sentenced to prison last week for stealing over $270,000 from the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance program. The woman used the money for large purchases and posted videos about the purchases on TikTok. Jordyn Darion Culp, 28, stole over $273,000 from the program. She purchased a motorcycle, a motorhome, and a cargo trailer with the stolen funds. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids Police say there are increasing reports of vehicles being broken into and items being stolen. They say lock your vehicles, don’t leave valuables in them, and pay attention to your surroundings. Thieves often target locations like gyms, store parking lots and places where cars sit for extended periods of time, but it’s also a problem at convenience stores. AMES, IA (IRN) – ISU has some fuzzy new animals at the university’s insect zoo. It just received a donation of 170 baby tarantulas. The spiders were confiscated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Officials suspect they were being trafficked by illegal pet traders.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The man convicted of shooting a Linn County Sheriff’s Deputy while robbing a gas station could receive a harsher prison sentence for his comments in court. A jury convicted Stanley Donahue on 10 charges including attempted murder for shooting Deputy Will Halverson. While Donahue was leaving the court, he swore at the Deputy and the Deputy’s family. Donahue shot Deputy Halverson seven times while responding to an armed robbery at the Casey’s in Coggon in June of 2021. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Des Moines Police Department is investigating the death of a four-month-old boy. The child’s name has not been released by police. INDEPENDENCE, IA (IRN) – A Vinton man has been charged with kidnapping and domestic assault. On Wednesday, Independence Police responded to a report of a domestic disturbance at a Comfort Inn and Suites. Hotel staff reported that a female occupant approached the counter, appearing injured and in distress. Staff then say a male occupant, later identified as 42-year-old Matthew David Milligan, took the female back to their hotel room against her will. Law enforcement arrived and could hear the female inside the room in distress. Police breached the door and detained Milligan. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A record number of Des Moines Public School students don’t necessarily know where they are going after school. More than 1,070 are homeless, but the district says that number may only be scratching the surface of the real number of students who struggle to find a place to stay. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The second of three spring snowmelt flood outlooks from the National Weather Service has been released, and it includes some significant changes. The outlook showed that the probability of flooding occurring on the Mississippi River has notably increased, pushing it into a much above-normal category. Some tributary rivers to the Mississippi showed a very slight increase in risk for flooding but maintained near-normal spring flood risk.