Category: State News

ALTOONA, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man died Sunday night when he was hit by a truck on I-80 in Altoona. A crash report from the Iowa State Patrol said a pickup truck was westbound in the center lane of I-80 when it struck 36-year-old Perry Dodds. Dodds was wearing all dark clothing and standing in the center lane. He was killed on impact.

ANAMOSA, IA (IRN) – An incident involving an unknown substance led to multiple people becoming ill at the Anamosa State Penitentiary on Saturday. Iowa Department of Corrections staff responded to a cell where an inmate was experiencing a medical emergency and was unresponsive. Medical staff administered Narcan to the inmate and he was taken to a nearby hospital. Three staff members who responded to the incident also showed signs of exposure. As a precaution, te medical staff administered Narcan to two of the three staff members, who were all taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. All of the people involved have since been released from the hospital.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A woman was shot Saturday night while walking in Des Moines. She was driven to the hospital by a friend. There are no suspects, and the victim is expected to survive.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The second-seeded Iowa women’s basketball team is headed to Seattle, advancing past the NCAA Tournament’s first weekend with a hard-fought win over 10-seed Georgia in the second round, 74-66. The Hawkeyes will face the winner of today’s Duke vs. Colorado game in the Sweet 16 round on Friday.

URBANDALE, IA (IRN) – An Urbandale man was arrested Wednesday night for allegedly threatening to kill his neighbors. Police responded to a report of a noise complaint at the home of William Ryerson. When officers arrived they could hear an air/fog horn blaring throughout the neighborhood. Officers found Ryerson in the street yelling racial slurs and making threats at another man. While officers were speaking with the neighbors who called in the noise complaint, Ryerson made several threats to kill them. He allegedly threatened to “put a barrel down their throats,” that he had a “tech nine” and would “take care of them,” and that “they’d be on the 10 o’clock news.”

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Spencer Lee’s quest to become the first Iowa wrestler to win 4 NCAA titles is over. Lee was pinned last night by 4th-seeded Matt Ramos of Purdue with 2 seconds left in the semi-finals of his 125-pound match. Lee was leading the match late in the third period 7-4 when Ramos turned Lee and put him on his back.

IOWA (IRN) – The University of Iowa’s men’s basketball team lost to Auburn 83-75 in the NCAA tournament Friday. The Iowa State men’s basketball team lost to Pitt 59-41, while the Drake men lost to Miami, 63-56.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Caitlin Clark had 26 points and 12 assists and Monika Czinano added 22 points as Iowa defeated Southeastern Louisiana 95-43 in a women’s NCAA Tournament first-round game on Friday. Iowa (27-6) will play Georgia in the second round on Sunday. The Iowa State women’s team plays its opening round this afternoon against Toledo.

OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – Ottumwa Police have arrested a man and charged him with kidnapping. Police say that on Tuesday they took a missing person report for a woman. She came to Ottumwa on March 9 to clean out her apartment but didn’t return home. On Wednesday, police located her. She told police that she had been held captive for several days and wasn’t allowed to leave. During that time, she says she was physically assaulted multiple times and was sexually assaulted. Police have arrested 43-year-old Michael Eastwood of Ottumwa.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Vice President Kamala Harris made her first trip to Iowa since she was a candidate on the 2020 campaign trail. Harris visited Des Moines, discussing reproductive freedom with Iowa’s local leaders and criticizing moves at the state capitol to restrict abortion rights. She’s been making similar visits across the country after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. She said the government shouldn’t tell women what to do with their bodies.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – In a 57-39 vote, Iowa House Republicans passed a bill Thursday that would require students only use bathrooms or locker rooms that correspond with the sex listed on their birth certificate. It now heads to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

BIRMINGHAM, AL (IRN) – Johni Broome had 19 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots, and No. 9 seed Auburn beat Iowa 83-75 on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Former Vice President Mike Pence will join Iowa Senator Joni Ernst for an event in Des Moines on Saturday. Pence is expected to speak on foreign policy at the Bastion Institute Panel. Many expect Pence to announce a 2024 presidential run at some point. He has not formally made that announcement.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A former pastor at a church in Des Moines has been arrested for allegedly trying to force a woman in his congregation into an intimate relationship. Jose Artero, 47, is charged with assault with intent to commit sexual abuse and sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist. Artero showed up drunk at the residence of a 20-year-old female congregation member in November and exposed himself. The woman was able to push him out the door and call police.

ALTOONA, IA (IRN) – Altoona police have charged a woman with first-degree murder for the shooting death of John Killen. Forty-three-year-old Marique Ruth, of Altoona, is charged with the crime. Forty-one-year-old Killen was shot in his home in August. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – In a 58-39 vote, the Iowa House passed Gov. Kim Reynolds’ nearly 1,600-page government restructuring plan on Wednesday. The bill passed the Iowa Senate last week. The bill now goes to the governor’s desk where she is expected to sign it into law.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Ahead of the University of Iowa and Auburn NCAA tournament game, a Cedar Rapids brewery is getting national attention as the beer for the Hawkeyes. For the last 3-years, “The Athletic” sports website reached out to breweries near all of the NCAA tournament teams and asked the brewer to pick the one beer they’d drink through the whole tournament as part of its NCAA Beer Guide. Ely Nano brewery’s House Divided was chosen in this year’s bracket of beers to represent the Iowa Hawkeyes.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – An Iowa convenience store manager was fired after he allegedly purchased a Powerball ticket that he knew in advance was worth $100,000. Aaron D. McVicker of Dubuque was employed as a manager at a Casey’s General Store in eastern Iowa last fall when the retailer fired him.

NEWTON, IA (IRN) – An attempted murder warrant has now been filed for a man Newton Police say stabbed a woman last week. Police are seeking 38-year-old Tyrece Lewis. He’s accused of stabbing a 34-year-old woman. Lewis and the woman had previously been in a relationship, but a non-contact order was in effect at the time of the stabbing.

POLK COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – The mother of Xavior Harrelson, the ten-year-old boy who disappeared from his home in Poweshiek County in 2021 and was later found dead, was sentenced in Polk County court Tuesday on a felony drug charge. Sarah Harrelson, 43, had earlier been given a 10-year suspended sentence and two years probation on another drug charge. Her lawyers say she’s been homeless since bailing out of jail and is living in Des Moines-area shelters. They also said that Harrelson was also diagnosed with a nervous system disease and had her left leg amputated.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Des Moines on Thursday. According to the White House, Harris will visit with local leaders to discuss reproductive rights. Harris has been holding meetings across the country as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision last year, which overturned Roe v. Wade, ending constitutional protections for abortion.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (IRN) – NFL free agent Allen Lazard has reportedly signed a four-year, $44 million contract with the New York Jets. According to ESPN, the Jets reached an agreement with the former Iowa State Cyclone and Urbandale J-Hawk, including $22 million guaranteed.