VAN METER, IA (IRN) – A group of parents in the central Iowa town of Van Meter have started a petition asking the district to get rid of curriculum that introduces LGBTQ topics in classrooms. The petition arose after a book detailing a transgender student’s journey was on a list that was presented to the class. Officials from the organization ‘Iowa Safe Schools’ said parents can request their child be exempt from certain content, but it doesn’t have to be taken away from everyone. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City Public Safety says the city’s decorative sleigh that usually sits downtown has been stolen. The sleigh, which is displayed annually in the Pedestrian Mall, was taken sometime between 11:56 p.m. Friday and 1:15 a.m. Saturday. City officials and police are asking for the sleigh to be returned and that residents keep an eye out for it. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Millions of Americans are taking flight for turkey day. The Wednesday before and Sunday after Thanksgiving are historically the busiest travel days of the year. The Des Moines Airport is encouraging travelers to arrive 90 minutes before their flight. They expect the total number of passengers over the Thanksgiving holiday season to rival 2019’s pre-pandemic numbers. 24,000 passengers will make their way through the Des Moines Airport. CORALVILLE, IA (IRN) – For the first time ever, men and women will wrestle side by side on an international stage at the 2022 Men’s and Women’s Freestyle World Cup, December 9-11 at the Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. The event will take place a little over a year after the University of Iowa became the first NCAA Division I, Power Five conference institution to add women’s wrestling to its athletic program.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Opioid makers Teva Pharmaceuticals and Allergan reached a settlement with Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller that they would provide $42.6 million to the state of Iowa and local governments. As part of the settlement Teva agreed to pay a maximum of $4.25 billion over 13 years across the nation, as well as provide $1.2 billion in generic naloxone (which counteracts overdoses) over a 10-year period. Allergan agreed to pay up to $2.37 billion nationally over a seven-year period. OXFORD, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Farm Sanctuary and the Animal Rescue league were called out to a farm near the Johnson County town of Oxford for an emergency rescue on Monday. According to the Iowa Farm Sanctuary, conditions were “deplorable” with starving sheep, goats, and pigs found living among other dead animals with no access to adequate food or water. The organization says that over 100 animals were deceased. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An Iowa jury has returned a $27 million verdict against a Des Moines medical clinic after a man with bacterial meningitis was misdiagnosed with the flu, suffered strokes, and said he has been permanently injured. The Polk County jury returned the verdict Monday in the lawsuit filed in 2017 against UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine in Des Moines. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An Iowa charity says it served a record number of Iowa families in 2022. The Freestore, located in Des Moines, supplies families with furniture and household items. The Freestore says it served 277 families in the first eight months of this year. Last year, the charity served 245 families in total. Everything in the warehouse is donated and volunteers sort, haul and deliver the items to struggling Iowans. Many are domestic violence survivors or families referred by social services. LINN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Two Linn County deputies are getting commendations for saving an inmate’s life. The Linn County Sheriff’s Office says Sam Olson and Ben Helms found the inmate unresponsive in a jail cell. Deputy Olson used a bag-valve mask to get him rescue breath, and deputy Helms used two doses of Narcan to revive them.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Plans for a $133 million, 33-story apartment tower are back on track for downtown Des Moines. The eastern half of the Kaleidoscope at the Hub at 5th and Walnut may soon be transformed. Developer Joe Teeling is dusting off plans for a tower that would change downtown in a big way. Blackbird development came up with the original skyscraper plan back in 2016. But Blackbird was never able to raise the money to build it. The new developer wants to use the same plans and try again. It would include 336 apartments — nearly half would be affordable for downtown workers. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The first of ten teens charged in connection to a deadly shooting outside of East High School on March 7 was sentenced on Monday at the Polk County Courthouse. Fifteen-year-old Jose Lopez was killed and two East High students were seriously hurt. Sixteen-year-old Kevin Martinez, of Des Moines, was the driver of one of the vehicles involved in the drive-by shooting. The defense sought a probation charge. The judge gave him 20 years in prison. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Hospitals across the country are seeing an uptick in respiratory illnesses, including here in Iowa. Doctors are worried it’s only going to get worse as we head into the holidays.The latest data from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services shows 938 Iowans tested positive for RSV in the first week of November, up 128 from the week before. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Police were called to a Dubuque elementary school after staff found a gummy inside a student’s lunch pail. The student told school staff that his mother gives the gummy to him once in the morning and that he is to take a second one after lunch. The gummy tested positive for THC. The child’s mother, 51-year-old Donna Lavoie, told police that she gives the gummy to her child to help with her child’s “behavioral issues.” Lavoie was charged with Child Endangerment. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball team has climbed back into the Associated Press’ Top 25 in the newest rankings released on Monday. The Hawkeyes season debut on the poll comes in the 25th position. They are off to a 3-0 start to the season, including a win on the road against Seton Hall last week.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A Waterloo man was arrested and faces multiple charges including assault, harassment, child endangerment and multiple firearm-related charges after an incident on Saturday. Police said the victim had been in an argument with Detrone Redd, 38, over the well being of his children. While the two were outside arguing, police said Redd headbutted the victim and pulled a handgun from his waistband, and fired the weapon into the ground on two occasions. Police said the child endangerment charge was related to leaving unsecured weapons where children could get to them. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids man who posed as a police officer, beat an older Coggon couple, and stole $50,000 from their safe, has been sentenced to 60 years in prison. In July, a jury convicted Brandon Lee, 33, of two counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of willful injury, first-degree theft, and impersonating a public official. MARSHALLTOWN, IA (IRN) – Over four years after a destructive EF-3 tornado caused significant damage, the Marshall County Courthouse opened its doors for a public rededication ceremony on Saturday. The courthouse suffered severe damage to its iconic clocktower dome in the storm, as well as sustaining other damage. The building sustained additional damage in the August 2020 derecho which cut across the center of the state. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Park Avenue Presbyterian Church in Des Moines will be closing its doors due to a dwindling amount of members. The church has been around for the last 119 years. PASADENA, CA (IRN) – Two Iowa women will be honored in California early next year for helping to save the lives of many through organ donations. Amanda Wilken of West Des Moines and Emily Bohnsack of Wilton were both organ donors after their deaths. On Sunday their families made floragraphs of them, which will be attached to the Donate Life float in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.

IOWA (IRN) – Eight people, including six children, have lost their lives to house fires in the last week in Iowa. The first happened Monday in Walcott at a mobile home, killing a 2-year-old. Then Wednesday, flames in Mason City killed four children. And Thursday, two adults in their 70′s died when their Cedar Rapids home caught fire. The latest tragedy struck Friday morning in Onslow, killing a child. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids woman accused in connection with a deadly shooting in Cedar Rapids this year has been extradited back to Iowa from Illinois. Pierra Baugh, 33, is awaiting trial in the Linn County jail, facing multiple charges, including 1st degree murder. She’s being charged in connection with the death of Cordal Lewis. IOWA (IRN) – Iowa Democrats have reelected their legislative leaders as they prepare for the 2023 legislative session, where they will hold fewer seats than they have in decades. Republicans are expected to hold a majority of either 63 or 64 seats in the 100-member Iowa House and a 34-16 majority in the 50-member Iowa Senate. Legislative Democrats voted to keep Rep. Jennifer Konfrst and Sen. Zach Wahls as their party’s leaders in the Iowa House and Senate, respectively, for the 2023 Iowa legislative session, which begins on Jan. 9. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Rob Sand has earned another term as the state auditor. Sand’s opponent, Republican Todd Halbur, conceded Friday. With 99 counties reporting, Sand collected 50.08% of the vote total. Halbur said the Iowa Republican Party didn’t give him enough support. The Iowa Republican Party says Halbur didn’t work hard enough.