Category: State News

OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – An Ottumwa woman is facing serious charges and police said she was unable to care for her kids. Marissa Frederick, 34, is accused of drinking and driving with children in the car. Officers who went to her home Monday to investigate said Frederick appeared drunk and refused a breath test.She is now charged with child neglect or abandonment of dependent persons. The children were left in the care of a relative.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – According to the Polk County Health Department, sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise. Cases of chlamydia, syphilis and HIV are up. The Syphilis cases are particularly concerning because babies are being born with that STD, and it can lead to stillbirth, miscarriage and birth defects.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A federal judge has struck down an Iowa law that seeks to stop animal welfare groups from secretly filming livestock abuse, the latest in a decade of legislative measures and judicial rejections.

BUFFALO, N.Y (IRN) – The Iowa Hawkeye men’s basketball team’s offense sputtered against the Richmond Spiders Thursday, losing in the first round of the NCAA tournament, 67-63. Cold shooting was the problem for the Hawkeyes, but many fans blamed the refs.

DETROIT, MI (IRN) – Entering Friday, the usual suspects sit atop the leaderboard of the NCAA Wrestling Tournament. Penn State is in first, with 27.5 team points. Arizona State is second with 22, followed by North Carolina State (21.5), Michigan (21), then Iowa (20.5). The Hawkeyes, despite some tough losses, still have all 10 wrestlers alive in the tournament, including 6 who reached the quarterfinals.

CLINTON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A two-vehicle crash in eastern Iowa near the town of Sixmile Wednesday left four people dead and one person seriously injured. A car was traveling eastbound on Highway 136 and a minivan was traveling westbound on the same road when they collided head-on. The driver of the car died at the scene along with the driver and two passengers in the minivan. A fourth passenger in the minivan was transported to the hospital in serious condition.

PLEASANT HILL, IA (IRN) – A 16-year-old is facing burglary charges after a string of car break-ins in Pleasant Hill. Ring camera footage captured the teen rummaging through unlocked cars on March 15. Pleasant Hill police say this crime is part of a bigger trend among teens that originated on social media called “car hopping.” Teens attempt to get into as many unlocked cars as possible to steal money, electronics and weapons.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Governor Kim Reynolds on Wednesday blamed the state’s educational system for playing a partial role in the fatal shooting of one teenager and serious injury of two others last week at East High School in Des Moines. Authorities say most of those involved were not enrolled in school, and the drive-by shooting happened outside of the building.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – In a committee meeting on Wednesday, Iowa lawmakers introduced an amendment that would block carbon pipeline companies from using eminent domain until March 1st, 2023. Wednesday’s amendment to Senate File 2022 would block carbon pipelines from using eminent domain as a threat when negotiating with landowners. Senate File 2022 was originally about cosmetology.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds on Wednesday announced that $100 million worth of funding would be invested in Iowa’s commercial airports. The funding comes from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, which gave federal dollars to states to use how they see fit.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines Police say a shooting over the weekend started with an argument over a pair of shoes. Two people were seriously injured because of it. Investigators say the two victims and another person showed up to a home to confront John Alcorn over a stolen pair of Air Jordan sneakers. Alcorn, along with Robert and Rebecca Lyons, is accused of shooting through an open window at the group with several firearms, including an AR-15 rifle. All three suspects are facing three counts of attempted murder. They claim self-defense.

WASHINGTON, DC (IRN) – Capitol insurrection suspect Doug Jensen of Des Moines is asking the court to move his trial to Iowa, suppress statements he made to police before his arrest and dismiss a charge that he obstructed law enforcement. Jensen became one of the most prominent defendants accused of taking part in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack after video of him threatening police inside the U.S. Capitol was widely circulated. His trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 19 in Washington, D.C.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police are looking for the gunman who shot a woman in the face while she was stopped at a traffic light. The shot was fired from another vehicle. She drove herself to the hospital with a minor injury to the face.

IOWA (IRN) – Extremely dry conditions across the state have led to many grass fires in rural areas. A minimum of ten burn bans are in place, mostly in western counties.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – For the past decade, there’s been a Republican governor of Iowa. First, Terry Branstad, then Kim Reynolds. One woman is hoping to change that next fall. Democrat Deidre DeJear filed her nominating petitions Tuesday at the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office, making her an official candidate. If elected, she would be the first Black Iowan to serve as governor. It’s the first time two women have faced off for the job.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The head of Des Moines Public Schools will receive a $400,000 payout after announcing his resignation. Superintendent Tom Ahart’s contract goes through June 2023, but he’ll only work until the end of this school year. Ahart is ending a 15-year career with the Des Moines school system. He says he is stepping down because of stress these past two years.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man is dead after he crashed a pickup truck into a parking lot near the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines Monday. The 24-year-old driver, who was the only one in the truck, hit several utility poles and multiple unoccupied vehicles before coming to a stop.

ORIENT, IA (IRN) – The storm which left an EF-4 tornado near Winterset on March 5 also caused major disruptions in the town of Orient. A hailstorm dropped baseball sized hail on homes, cars and the Orient-Macksburg School. The school suffered roof and water damage, as well as hail damage to school vehicles. The school remains closed ten days after the storm.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Over the past weekend, Davenport police officers responded to calls involving kids shooting water-based gel beads at unsuspecting motorists. It’s a TikTok trend that may distract a driver and cause a crash.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa lawmakers want to make Daylight Saving Time in Iowa permanent. Federal law says states can exempt themselves from Daylight Saving Time and use standard time year-round, but it’s illegal to do it the other way. If this bill passes and Congress allows it to take effect the sun will rise after 8 am in January, 8:45 am at its latest point. Critics say there’s a reason Congress only allows states to opt out of daylight saving time by sticking with standard time year round.

LAKE VIEW, IA (IRN) – An Iowa high school teacher has been arrested for allegedly sexually abusing one of her students. According to the Sac County Sheriff’s Office, 34-year-old Stefanie Kelsey of Sac City, was arrested Friday. She is charged with three counts of third-degree sexual abuse. The investigation found Kelsey had been having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old male student at East Sac County High School.

WICHITA, KA (IRN) – Three children from Johnston were killed in a car crash on Saturday in Kansas. The car veered onto the opposite side of the highway and crashed into a tractor-trailer. The children were ages 7, 10 and 12. The driver of the car was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

BONDURANT, IA (IRN) – An Ankeny woman has been charged in the January death of 77-year-old Lynne Harriet Stewart. A 30-year-old employee of Courtyard Estates was charged in the case. Catherine Forkpa is charged with dependent adult abuse and intentional reckless abuse. Stewart was staying at the facility in Bondurant, which is an assisted living facility for people with dementia.

IOWA (IRN) – The Iowa State Cyclones are heading back to the NCAA tournament, one season after losing 20 games. The Cyclones are the 11th seed in the Midwest region, taking on the 6th-seeded LSU Tigers on Friday in Milwaukee.

IOWA (IRN) – The newly crowned Big Ten Tournament champion Iowa Hawkeyes are heading to Buffalo for the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The 5th-seeded Hawkeyes will take on the 12th-seeded Richmond Spiders on Thursday.

IOWA (IRN) – The Iowa and Iowa State women’s basketball team learned their NCAA Tournament opening round opponents yesterday. Iowa was announced as the 2-seed in the Greensboro region and will host Illinois State in Iowa City on Friday. Iowa State was announced as the 3-seed in the Greensboro region and will host UT-Arlington on Friday in Ames. The stage is now set for a potential Cy-Hawk sweet 16 matchup if both teams win their first two games.