WEST LIBERTY, IA (IRN) – The city of West Liberty is running out of time to reach an agreement with its volunteer fire department, before every member resigns. Earlier this month, the department sent a letter to the city, threatening to resign if the city doesn’t change how they divide up financial resources. Members accused the city of demanding complete control of the department and finances without transparency, harassing volunteers, and stalling to hire more EMS personnel. The city responded to the letter, calling the accusations either wrong or unfounded. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for the 2018 shooting death of a Cambridge woman. 22-year-old Jaquarious Scoggins was sentenced last week after pleading guilty in January to second-degree murder for the death of 25-year-old Mercedes Wathen. Scoggins must serve a minimum of 35 years before he’s eligible for parole. He shot her in the head. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines Police have arrested a suspect for the city’s first homicide of 2022. Authorities announced Wednesday they arrested 25-year-old Sam Sando for the shooting death of 24-year-old Trishay Thompson. Sando faces charges of first-degree murder. Thompson was shot outside an apartment complex on January 9th. He died from his injuries more than two weeks later. CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – One person is in jail after two people were robbed overnight in Cedar Falls. 20-year-old Isaiah Malik Pratt was arrested and charged with Robbery 2nd, Burglary 2nd, and Possession of Marijuana, 2nd offense. Cedar Falls police were called around 10 pm to a parking lot for a report of two people being robbed. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Dotdash Meredith will end the print edition of Martha Stewart Living next month, making it the company’s seventh title to cease physical publication this year. Martha Stewart Living follows other Dotdash Meredith titles that have ended their print runs this year, including EatingWell, Entertainment Weekly, Health, InStyle, Parents and People en Español. Those cuts resulted in about 200 layoffs.

ANAMOSA, IA (IRN) – An inmate serving a 15-year prison sentence at the Anamosa State Penitentiary died Monday due to an apparent suicide. Anthony Spurgeon, 31, was pronounced dead at 9 a.m. Monday, April 18 at the prison. Spurgeon had been serving his sentence for the crime of habitual offender and other charges out of Wapello County. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Firefighters and police are on the scene of a fire this morning in downtown Cedar Rapids. Crews responded to a call of a fire just before 3:00 a.m. Multiple businesses and storefronts are located in the area. POWESHIEK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Firefighters in Poweshiek County battled a fire at Ponderosa Lumber near Montezuma yesterday. There’s no word on the cause, or if anyone was injured. AMES, IA (IRN) – The Ames Police Department is looking for a man who allegedly assaulted a nurse in the Mary Greeley Medical Center emergency room on Monday night. At about 9:45 p.m., a man entered the hospital and assaulted a nurse at the front counter. He then left. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Tuesday was supposed to be the last day of session for the Iowa legislature, but some issues are still under debate. A major sticking point is private school vouchers. Governor Reynolds and Senate Republicans want to take money from public schools to be used as tuition for private school students. So far, House Republicans and Democrats are opposed. Opponents say private schools will be able to choose which children they enroll, and won’t have the same accountability public schools do.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A bill that would allow older teens to work in child care facilities just grew closer to becoming law. It would also increase the ratio for how many kids these providers would watch. The Republican-sponsored measure passed through the Senate yesterday in a 30-18 vote. Safe and affordable child care activists are unhappy with the new bill. If it becomes law, it will lower the age to be eligible to work in child care centers unsupervised to 16. They say it’s unsafe. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A ruling from a federal judge in Florida declared mask mandates on airplanes and other transportation methods unlawful because the CDC exceeded its statutory authority and violated the Administrative Procedure Act. As a result, many airports across the country, including Iowa, have dropped the mask requirement. HUDSON, IA (IRN) – The Hudson Police Department is warning of gas thefts with the recent rise in gas prices. The Hudson Police Department is asking the community to be vigilant. ANKENY, IA (IRN) – A junior from Ankeny High School recently found out she got a perfect ACT score of 36. Sydney Madetzke said she found out her results while she was in class, and was very excited–nearly hyperventilating. Less than one-half of 1% of all test takers earn the top score.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A Clear Lake man has taken a plea deal to avoid a kidnapping trial. Thyago Silva Miranda, 31, was accused of abducting a woman on December 19, 2021. Police say he slammed the woman against the side of his car and then forced her inside. The woman was released somewhere north of Manly in Worth County in 20 degree weather after Miranda took her cell phone. He was initially charged with third-degree kidnapping but pleaded guilty to domestic abuse assault causing mental distress. Miranda has been sentenced to 74 days in the Cerro Gordo County Jail and fined $855. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids man argued with construction workers over road work Thursday before hitting one of the workers with his car. 66-year-old Bruce Schutte pulled up to a ‘road closed’ sign and tried to move it out of the way. Workers confronted Schutte, who told them to move, or he would run them over. Schutte got back in his car and accelerated toward a worker and then allegedly hit him, leaving him with injuries to his knee, hip, and elbow. Schutte took off but was later taken into custody by police. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Former refugees from Bosnia in Iowa are helping refugees who just arrived from Afghanistan. The Bosniak American Association of Iowa and Des Moines Refugee Support collected food and hygiene products for Afghan refugees at the Ezan Mosque Sunday. Volunteers immediately delivered the food to the refugees in need across Iowa. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Saturday was the first day of the last season for Iowa Greyhound Park in Dubuque. The track is one of only four in the country, but in just a few weeks, that number will be down to three. IOWA (IRN) – Easter snow stuck around Central Iowa most of the day Sunday, leading to a gray and dreary holiday. The snow, which at times mixed with rain, kept temperatures down in the low 30s most of the afternoon. Warmer ground temperatures were able to keep roads clear in all but the heaviest snow showers. In a few cases, some light accumulations were reported, generally around an inch, though New Virginia did report several 2 to 3.5 inch totals.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids man argued with construction workers over road work Thursday before hitting one of the workers with his car. 66-year-old Bruce Schutte pulled up to a ‘road closed’ sign and tried to move it out of the way. Workers confronted Schutte, who told the workers to move, or he would run them over. Schutte got back in his car and accelerated toward a worker and then allegedly hit him, leaving him with injuries to his knee, hip, and elbow. Schutte took off but was later taken into custody by police. IOWA (IRN) – The Iowa House has passed a moratorium on the Iowa Utilities Board scheduling of eminent domain hearings for carbon-capture pipelines. The bill would not change rules regarding the use of eminent domain but rather provide 11 months for negotiations between landowners and companies. WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Grand View men’s volleyball team defeated Benedictine Mesa 3-1 Saturday to win their second straight NAIA volleyball championship. JOHNSTON, IA (IRN) – There was a great show of support Saturday for Afghan refugees in central Iowa. A wide variety of household goods were dropped off at the Johnston Lions Club. The Johnston Area Democrats asked for items to help refugees who escaped Afghanistan with just the clothes in their suitcases. It added up to 15 pickup truck loads of goods.