Category: State News

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Des Moines Police Department said an 18-year-old involved in a foot pursuit turned a gun on himself and took his own life Tuesday. Police had responded to a call of a woman being threatened by a group of men. When police arrived, an 18-year-old man began to run, and then shot himself.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – For the second time in four years, a nationwide pork dealer has been sanctioned by federal regulators for illegal buying practices that cheated hog sellers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Lynch Livestock, based in Waucoma, Iowa, has been ordered to stop recording false weights for hogs delivered to its buying stations, to stop altering classifications of hogs delivered, and to stop creating false scale tickets. They will pay a $445,000 fine.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – With coronavirus cases rising, health experts are becoming increasingly worried about next month’s Iowa State Fair, which will bring more than 1 million people to Des Moines from around the state, including many from counties with low vaccination rates and increasing prevalence of the disease.

IOWA (IRN) – Students at state universities will be paying more this year. The Iowa Board of Regents announced Wednesday that tuition at Iowa and Iowa State will increase by nearly $300. The UNI Panthers will see a hike of $115.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the entire state of Iowa today. The heat advisory is in effect until 9 p.m. Expect heat index values of 103-107 degrees. The heat advisory continues into Thursday evening for southern Iowa.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Gov. Kim Reynolds reacted Tuesday to new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending that vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging. She says the guidance “is not only counterproductive to our vaccination efforts, but also not grounded in reality or common sense.”

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The Iowa City city council is considering discontinuing the use of a military vehicle used by the police department. On Tuesday the council considered alternatives to the MRAP, which stands for mine resistant ambush protected vehicle.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – One month after construction started on the Cargill rail yard in Cedar Rapids, neighbors are fed up with noise, dust and traffic. City Council approved Cargill’s plan to build a rail yard on a 28-acre parcel, and had to change the city’s Future Land Use Map and zoning code. The land was previously an open space wildlife corridor.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Joey Jordison, a founder of the heavy metal band Slipknot, has died at age 46. Jordison served as a drummer for the band, which he helped create in Des Moines in 1995. They enjoyed much success, including the selling of millions of records worldwide and the formation of the Knotfest music festival.

IOWA (IRN) – Iowa State Senator Liz Mathis announced she’s running for Congress.
She posted on Twitter this morning that she’s running for Iowa’s 1st District. That seat is currently held by Republican Representative Ashley Hinson.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City police had a busy weekend following several reports of gunfire over the course of two days that injured three people. That makes eight shootings in ten days.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) -The Iowa State Board of Health can’t meet because it doesn’t have enough members. The board has 11 seats, and seven are vacant because Governor Reynolds hasn’t made appointments. Democrats say Reynolds hasn’t done her job during the pandemic, and Reynold’s staff says she is reviewing potential members.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Republican state lawmakers are talking about adding possible legislation to an already planned special session to stop private businesses requiring employees to get COVID-19 vaccines. State lawmakers are already going back to Des Moines later this year for redistricting because of a delay in census data from the United States Census Bureau. Lawmakers could add other bills to the session, including giving protections to employees who are choosing to not get vaccinated.

AMES (IRN) – The University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas are leaving the Big 12 Conference in 2025. Athletic Director Jamie Pollard says it’s not “time to panic,” and that it’s important for every school to evaluate where they are because the college sports landscape is changing.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – For the first time ever, a current female student athlete from Drake University is running in the Olympic Games. Yinka Mary Ajayi will represent Nigeria in the 4-by-400-meter mixed relay in Tokyo. The 23-year-old attained several achievements during her time at Drake University, including winning many 200-meter and 400-meter dashes.

WINDSOR HEIGHTS, IA (IRN) – A Windsor Heights man opened fire during a standoff with law enforcement Saturday night. Brandon Davis, 37, faces more than a dozen charges including child endangerment, domestic abuse, and three counts of attempted murder of a police officer. Police were responding to a domestic dispute.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Shots were fired in the Iowa City Pedestrian Mall early on Sunday morning. It’s unclear if anyone was hurt. No arrests have been made.

MARSHALL COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Marshalltown woman is dead after her motorcycle was rear-ended by a 17-year-old girl Saturday night. Police are investigating.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – More than 100 people gathered outside the Iowa state Capitol Saturday to rally against mandates requiring people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, such as the ones some Iowa hospitals have issued. One of the speakers at the rally, Republican state Rep. Jeff Shipley, called vaccine mandates “a crime against humanity.”

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – A Council Bluffs restaurateur was found guilty Friday of years of sex trafficking underaged girls. Hershal James Ratliff, 71, owner of Jimmy’s All American Malt Shop and Grill, was convicted on four counts of sex trafficking minors and an additional two counts of sex trafficking adults.

MARSHALLTOWN, IA (IRN) – The Marshalltown and Ames police departments are investigating a sexual exploitation allegation and death believed to be related. Marshalltown police received allegations on July 6 of inappropriate sexual contact between a former employee with the Marshalltown Community School District and a former student. Police attempted to conduct a search warrant at a home in Ames Thursday in connection with that investigation when a gunshot was fired from inside the home. Authorities located a deceased man in the basement. A preliminary investigation indicates he died by suicide.

IOWA (IRN) – ​​Iowa might have to throw out tens of thousands of doses of coronavirus vaccine over the next six weeks unless public demand for the shots increases. The Iowa Department of Public Health says that 39,000 of the state’s doses are set to expire by the end of July, and another 179,000 could expire by the end of August.

FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – Fort Dodge has won its first high school girls softball championship in their own city. Fort Dodge won over Ankeny Centennial 2-0 on Friday night for Class 5A. Also on Friday night, Western Dubuque won over Boone 3-1 for Class 4A. Boone has never won a championship game for any school sports.