Category: State News

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Delta flight was delayed today after an unruly passenger had to be removed, according to a Des Moines International Airport representative. Delta Flight 2086 returned to the gate due to a disruptive passenger.

NORWALK, IA (IRN) – A father and daughter have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder after police found a dead newborn in a Warren County ditch. Norwalk Police arrested 25-year-old Megan Staude of Norwalk and her 64-year-old father, Rodney Staude. Police say Megan Staude gave birth to the newborn in the last week of February. The Staudes both face first-degree-murder charges.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Police on Monday made an arrest in connection to a fatal shooting near an Iowa City bar in October last year. Police say Antonio Scotton, 19, of Cedar Rapids, faces charges of voluntary manslaughter and intimidation with a dangerous weapon. The shooting happened outside the H-Bar at around 2 a.m. on October 23, 2022. Waymond Thomas, 36, of Iowa City, died in the shooting.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A former Durant officer and Iowa State Patrol trooper has been sentenced to two years probation for deprivation of rights under color of law. Robert James Smith, stopped a motorcyclist for speeding on Interstate 80 in 2017. The motorcyclist pulled over, got off the motorcycle, and raised his hands. Smith then walked over to the motorcyclist and slapped him, which caused him to fall back over the motorcycle. Smith admitted he used unreasonable force and disregarded the law during the incident.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Former President Donald Trump spoke at an event in Davenport on Monday, marking his first trip to Iowa since announcing he was running for election in 2024.
During his speech, Trump painted the picture of what he says he did while President, and that he will cancel President Joe Biden’s work on his first day in office if elected.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Former President Donald J. Trump will be making a stop in Davenport this evening. The 45th President will deliver remarks on his “America First Education Policy.”

SCOTT COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Three people are dead after a crash on Interstate-80 near Walcott in eastern Iowa on Friday. The Iowa State Patrol says two cars collided head-on in the eastbound lanes of I-80. One driver and two passengers were killed. Both passengers were not wearing seatbelts. One driver was taken to a Davenport hospital for treatment.

DALLAS COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office said one of their deputies was hit by a car while responding to a crash Saturday. Deputy Brandon Bjoin was helping a driver who was stuck in Interstate-80’s median. Bjoin was speaking with that driver when an accident happened behind him. An SUV from the accident entered the median, sideswiping Bjoin. He was hit in the arm, and will be OK.

IOWA (IRN) – The Iowa men’s basketball team drew a number 8-seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, the Iowa State women are a 5th seed, and the Iowa women’s basketball team landed a No. 2 seed.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Drake basketball is officially the top dog of the Missouri Valley Conference. Both the men and women are going to the NCAA tournament after winning their respective conference tournaments.

SUMNER, IA (IRN) – An incident near Sumner-Fredericksburg High School in Sumner on Friday is over, with one man dead and a woman injured. Responding to a shots fired call, when police arrived, a 58-year-old woman approached them from the side of the house with multiple gunshot wounds. She was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of her injuries. Officials say 65-year-old Bruce Kuhlmann barricaded himself in the home with a firearm and refused orders to put it down. The situation ended after Kuhlmann took his own life.

WARREN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Law enforcement have made an arrest in a standoff incident near Martensdale in Warren County that lasted for several hours Friday afternoon. The police presence blocked traffic on Highway 92 for several hours in both directions. The standoff was resolved without issue and no injuries occurred. Dustin Miller has been arrested and faces multiple domestic charges and a charge of intimidation with a dangerous weapon.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The National Weather Service has released the final of three spring snowmelt flood outlooks, showing a continued increased risk for flooding along the Mississippi River.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa Hawkeye junior guard Caitlin Clark has been named National Player of the Year by The Athletic. This latest accolade comes after Clark was also named Big Ten Player of the Year. Clark was the only player in the country with more than 860 points, 235 rebounds, 265 assists, and 45 steals. Clark accounts for 52 percent of Iowa’s offensive output in points and assists. And that’s for a team that leads the nation in AP Top 10 victories.

IOWA (IRN) – Former President Donald Trump is seeing his support erode as campaigning begins to heat up ahead of Iowa’s 2024 presidential caucuses, a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows. Trump, who launched a third White House bid late last year, has seen his favorability numbers in the first-in-the-nation caucus state steadily decline among Republicans since they peaked in September 2021. And the percentage of Iowa Republicans who say they would “definitely” vote for him if he were the nominee in 2024 has plummeted by more than 20 percentage points since June 2021.

PERRY, IA (IRN) – Two teenagers are dead and another is hurt after a crash near Perry Thursday. The three teenagers were from Jamaica, Iowa, and were in a car traveling east on Iowa Highway 141 when the vehicle crossed the center line and hit a truck traveling west. The sheriff’s office believes the crash was related to the snow-covered roads in the area. The crash victims have been identified as three siblings. Daisy and Walter Fuentes Gavidia died in the crash. Their sister, Edlyn is in the intensive care unit.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – State Auditor Rob Sand is calling out Iowa GOP lawmakers over a proposed bill he said would undermine his office’s ability to provide independent audits and allow entities to keep documents hidden that could reveal corruption and fraud. Sand says the bill would put Iowa at risk of losing hundreds of millions in federal funding because it conflicts with auditing standards. Sand says the bill is “pro-corruption.”

MARION, IA (IRN) – Two Linn-Mar school buses collided Thursday afternoon. There are reports of three students with minor injuries, as well as a bus driver injured in the incident.

NEVADA, IA (IRN) – Former UN ambassador and candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Nikki Haley, held a town hall event in Nevada, Iowa yesterday. Haley advocated for ‘school choice’ policies nationwide, praising Gov. Kim Reynolds for Iowa’s new school choice law. Haley said she wants to bring more unity to the country, focusing on patriotism.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police are investigating after a body was found in the Des Moines River near Wells Fargo Arena last night. Police say there are no obvious signs of foul play.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa House lawmakers have passed a bill banning instruction related to gender identity or sexual orientation from kindergarten through sixth grade. The bill would also ban any material, test, activity, announcement, or promotion of gender identity or sexual orientation.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – On Wednesday, Iowa House Republicans introduced a new bill to keep taxpayers from covering the cost of settling lawsuits against the University of Iowa’s (UI) Athletics Department. The State Board of Appeals approved a $4.2 million settlement earlier this week over a racial discrimination lawsuit against UI football. The bill would make the university reimburse the state for payouts on settlements regarding an athletic department employee. It will also be retroactive if it passes, meaning UI would have to pay for the $4.2 million settlement.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Governor Kim Reynolds has chosen a new leader for the Iowa Department of Education – a native Iowan who’s spent his career advocating for ‘school choice’ in other states. Chad Aldis, a Camanche native, was named as the next director of the Iowa Department of Education on Wednesday. Aldis will replace Dr. Ann Lebo, who announced her resignation last month.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The comedian Will Ferrell was seen wandering around Iowa City Wednesday. Iowa City Schools posted a picture of Ferrell at City High, along with Little Hawk alum Harper Steele. Steele and Ferrell have been working together since their Saturday Night Live days. There are rumors that the two are shooting a road trip documentary.