Category: State News

CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Falls Police arrested a man on Sunday after a domestic disturbance involving a gun. The victim told police her fiance and father of her child, Randal Lee Maifield assaulted her physically, strangled her, and threatened her and a witness with a gun. The victim said Maifeld fired his gun during the incident.

IOWA (IRN) – Six people were killed by a tornado that touched down in Madison county–four adults and two children under 5. One person was killed by a tornado in Chariton. The National Weather Service estimates an EF3 tornado with wind speeds between 136 miles per hour and 165 miles per hour tore through Madison county, damaging a minimum of 52 homes over a 13.7 mile stretch. In Lucas County a strong EF-3 tornado with winds up to 138mph traveled approximately 16 miles.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Nearly 90 passengers and crew members were safe after a 737 slid off the runway during severe weather. It happened Saturday night at the Waterloo Regional Airport when the plane landed and slid nearly 1,000 feet off the runway.

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police have released an update on a vehicle and a body found Friday in a creek bed in West Des Moines. The vehicle officers found was a gray 2016 Jeep Cherokee belonging to missing Des Moines man Matthew O’Dell. Identification found with the deceased person belonged to O’Dell. An autopsy is being performed.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The first poll between Democratic Governor candidate Deidre DeJear and incumbent Governor Reynolds was released on Saturday by the Des Moines Register. It showed the governor with an eight-point lead over DeJear. According to the poll, 51% of midterm election voters say they would vote for Governor Reynolds, while 43% said they would side with DeJear.

IOWA (IRN) – Six people were killed by a tornado that touched down in Madison county–four adults and two children under 5. One person was killed by a tornado in Chariton. Based on these preliminary reports, the long track supercell may have traveled up to 150 miles.

CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – An Iowa man will likely spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of killing a Cedar Falls man inside a downtown apartment in 2019. Jurors on Friday found 20-year-old Keyon Roby guilty of first-degree murder in the Dec. 4, 2019, shooting death of 24-year-old Grant Saul.

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police have released an update on a vehicle and a body found Friday in a creek bed in West Des Moines. The vehicle officers found was a gray 2016 Jeep Cherokee belonging to missing Des Moines man Matthew O’Dell. Identification found with the deceased person belonged to O’Dell. An autopsy is being performed.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The first poll between Democratic Governor candidate Deidre DeJear and incumbent Governor Reynolds was released on Saturday by the Des Moines Register. It showed the governor with an eight-point lead over DeJear. According to the poll, 51% of midterm election voters say they would vote for Governor Reynolds, while 43% said they would side with DeJear.

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The West Des Moines police are trying to figure out how a man died after his body was found in a creek. First responders say the victim was discovered Friday afternoon near a submerged car in a creek close to Raccoon River Drive. Police believe the man may be connected with a missing person’s case in Des Moines. The investigation is ongoing.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Dubuque police say an intoxicated man caused a crash early Thursday afternoon, punched a man in the face, stole keys from a woman, and spit on a nurse. Police found 26-year-old Dakota Vandermillin with a strong odor of marijuana on him, slurred speech, and bloodshot watery eyes. The officer on scene observed a baggie of marijuana in plain view in Vandermillen`s front sweatshirt pocket and seized it. He’s in jail.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A fire broke out in an apartment building in Des Moines early Friday morning. Crews were called out to the Rosemount Place Apartments just after 4:00 a.m. The fire started on the second or third floor of the building and then worked its way up to the attic.
No one was injured, but one pet didn’t make it out.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Gov. Kim Reynolds has declared this Sunday a Statewide Day of Prayer in solidarity with Ukraine.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The man who walked into a Des Moines NICU without being related to any of the infants there has been convicted. Adam Wedig bottle-fed one of the babies and changed its diaper. He was found guilty on trespassing charges Thursday. The judge sentenced him to $736 in fines. The baby’s family is suing both him and MercyOne Hospital over the incident.

DAVIS COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Montezuma man died when his pickup truck swerved into the path of a tractor-trailer in Davis County. 79-year-old Michael Talbert was towing a camper with his pickup when his truck swerved into the path of the tractor-trailer just before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Talbert died in the collision.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Fire marshals from nearly 50 of Iowa municipalities are fighting legislation now moving through the Statehouse. The bill introduced by Governor Kim Reynolds removes local control of fire codes and building codes. Fire marshals oppose the plan, saying that it compromises public safety and could lead to more catastrophic fires and more deaths.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Governor Kim Reynolds on Thursday signed a bill banning transgender women from competing in girls sports into law. The law goes into effect immediately. Only students who are female according to their birth certificate will be eligible to play girls sports.

CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – UNI’s men’s basketball coach Ben Jacobson has been named the Missouri Valley Conference’s Coach of the Year. This is his fifth time earning Coach of the Year, making him the first coach in MVC history to do so. Coach Jacobson is in his 16th season as the head coach of UNI men’s basketball and has totaled 319 wins with the program.

IOWA (IRN) – A strong, early spring storm will be moving into the Midwest this weekend. There will be the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms on Saturday. The Storm Prediction Center has outlined a slight risk for severe weather for much of Iowa. The primary threat will be strong winds, but an isolated tornado can’t be ruled out.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A bill banning transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports at the K-12 and college-level is headed to the governor’s desk for her signature. If signed, the law would require schools to designate all sponsored or sanctioned athletic events as men’s, women’s or co-educational sports. Athletes could only play on women’s sports teams if their sex is listed as female on their original birth certificate.

NEWTON, IA (IRN) – One of the world’s largest gas and energy companies is planning to bring an Iowa-based manufacturer of renewable fuels under its corporate umbrella. Chevron announced its intention to acquire Renewable Energy Group of Ames for $3.15 billion. REG, which is known for making sustainable biodiesel fuel out of byproducts such as animal fat and corn oil, will remain in Ames as a branch of Chevron after the merger.

POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Iowa agriculture officials announced the first case of highly pathogenic avian bird flu was confirmed in Iowa since 2015 when the state lost 33-million birds. Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig said the flock was identified in Pottawattamie County. It was a small number of ducks and chickens that were part of a backyard flock.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – The Brady Street railroad bridge in Davenport was hit by a truck Wednesday. The trailer top was damaged from the crash. The clearance of the bridge is 11 feet, eight inches, and locals call it the “truck eating bridge.”