Category: State News

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids man will stand trial for the charges against him from the Jan. 6 attack. Leo Kelly’s trial starts Jan. 17, 2023, in Washington, D.C., Kelly is pleading not guilty to all seven charges. The most serious charge is obstruction of an official proceeding. He was arrested in Iowa 12 days after the attack. Kelly said he followed a crowd into the U.S. Senate chamber, but he wasn’t armed and didn’t vandalize anything.

BOONE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – One person died Monday morning after a tractor rollover accident in Boone County. 73-year-old Kenneth Arnold had been using a tractor to try to pull a cut-down tree out of the timber. The tractor flipped upside down, trapping Arnold. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (IRN) – Democrats in the U.S. Senate approved sweeping legislation over the weekend targeting health care, climate and tax policy, but Republicans voted against a proposal that would have capped insulin prices for private insurers. Iowa Republican U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst joined every other Republican in opposing the final legislation Sunday. And although seven Republicans voted with Democrats to preserve the legislation’s $35 insulin cap, Grassley and Ernst opposed that as well.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa’s Democratic candidate for governor pressed Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday to commit to debates ahead of the November election. Democrat Deidre DeJear said she has asked Reynolds for three debates but has received no response to multiple invitations with about 90 days to go until the election.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Cubs have been sold for the second time in less than a year. Diamond Baseball Holdings, an organization that owns and operates the Cubs, announced Tuesday that Silver Lake will become its new ownership partner. Silver Lake is acquiring Diamond Baseball Holdings from Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company.
The Iowa Cubs had previously been sold in December.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines woman is recovering after she was injured by a hatchet early Tuesday morning. According to police, a man used the hatchet on the woman’s legs. She suffered lacerations. The man fled the scene and has yet to be located.

JOHNSON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A 42-year-old Iowa man drowned in the Iowa River while helping rescue an 8-year-old child. The Johnson County Sheriff’s office said Wegayewu Faris of Coralville and a kayaker were instrumental in saving the life of the child. But Faris disappeared under the water while he was trying to help. His body was recovered later.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man is facing arson charges after police say he admitted to setting his mother’s home on fire Sunday morning. Christian Franklin, 33, is charged with first-degree arson and reckless use of fire or explosives. When crews from the Des Moines Fire Department arrived, they saw flames engulfing the garage and spreading. Franklin, his mother, and three dogs were able to escape the home uninjured.

OSKALOOSA, IA (IRN) – Mahaska County Republicans voted to censure Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks at a meeting last Thursday after Miller-Meeks voted to protect same-sex and interracial marriages last month. Miller Meeks voted in support of the Respect for Marriage Act, which would ban states from denying recognition to out-of-state-marriages based on sex, race, ethnicity, or origin.

MARION, IA (IRN) – The City of Marion announced yesterday that utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) are now allowed on city streets starting today. UTVs are only allowed to be driven between the hours 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. and only on any city street that has a speed limit of 35 mph or less.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City Police went to the H. Bar shortly after closing time Sunday morning after receiving a report of shots fired. Police found a woman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She had serious injuries and was given medical aid and taken to a local hospital.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Polk County Sheriff’s office is investigating a homicide on Des Moines’ north side. Around 12:30 Saturday morning, deputies responded to multiple calls of gun shots. They say 51-year-old Scott Crane was pronounced dead on the scene after suffering an apparent gunshot wound.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Thousands of MidAmerican Energy customers in Des Moines were left without power after a storm rolled through on Sunday night. The storm hit the metro around 6 p.m. with reports of strong winds and downed power lines. Over 5,000 MidAmerican Energy customers experienced power outages across the city.

DYERSVILLE, IA (IRN) – The Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs will have the chance to emerge out of the corn stalks and play in the second annual MLB game at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville. Thursday’s game will be the second-ever MLB baseball game in the state, drawing inspiration from the 1989 classic film Field of Dreams.

IOWA (IRN) – Summit Carbon Solutions seeks to build a $4.5 billion carbon capture pipeline across Iowa. Starting Friday, the company plans to start filing for eminent domain against landowners on 60% of the carbon pipeline route with the Iowa Utilities Board. Currently the corporation has obtained voluntary easements from 40% of landowners.

KEOKUK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A man from Keswick made his first appearance in federal court in Des Moines on tax and bank fraud charges. 59-year-old Thomas Sieren, who was Vice President of TCS Fabricating, Inc., allegedly failed to pay over $440,000 to the IRS between 2016 and 2020. Sieren also allegedly submitted two Paycheck Protection Program loan applications in which he falsely represented that the company had employees for which it paid payroll taxes.

VAN BUREN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Mosquitoes collected on Monday near the northwest edge of Mount Sterling in Van Buren County have tested positive for the West Nile Virus.

NEWTON, IA (IRN) – The Valle Drive-In movie theater reopened Friday night with a full crowd that included 150 vehicles buying tickets. The drive-in was shut down in March following damage from the March 5 tornado outbreak.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – New data shows Iowa continues to lead the nation in puppy mills sanctioned by the federal government. Officials cited 23 puppy mills in the state from April 1 to June 30 this year.

CASS COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a case involving two dogs that were found dead in rural Cumberland on Tuesday. Bella, a not even 2-year-old Pitbull, and Pepper, a 3-year-old black lab, have been missing since July 27. They were found with their legs tied up, shot in the back of the head, and thrown over a bridge.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A shooting on Des Moines’ east side resulted in one person being injured Wednesday night. Medics transported a man to the hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to the stomach.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The book “Gender Queer” was challenged at Southwoods Freshman High School in West Des Moines. One parent deems the book inappropriate for school and wants it pulled from the shelves. After the West Des Moines School District denied the challenge, the appeal was brought before the Iowa State Board of Education where they chose to reject it as well.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa City firefighter is suing the City for gender and sexual orientation discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Sadie McDowell, who has been on unpaid leave since 2021, listed a multitude of allegations regarding sexist, sexual, and racist comments and actions from members of the Fire Department. She says her complaints about these incidents resulted in no change from the department leaders and led to her being passed over for promotion.