Category: State News

WOODWARD, IA (IRN) – Damage reports are still being compiled for the hail storm that struck the Des Moines Metro area over the weekend. The National Weather Service issued a warning for up to softball sized hail 4-inches long and causing multiple power outages. According to Daryl Herzmann with Iowa State University, this may be the first time the NWS Des Moines office has ever warned a storm for up to four-inch hail.

EVANSDALE, IA (KCRG) – Dozens of riders took place in a ride for missing children took place this weekend in Evansdale, Iowa for the eighth consecutive year, raising money and awareness for 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins and 10-year-old Lyric Cook-Morrissey who went missing nearly nine years ago then were found dead in a Bremer County Park. According to KCRG News, the ride raises money for the Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers as well as Memorial Isle in Meyers Park, and has raised over $30,000 over the last nine years and led to the tips and arrests of 700 people.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced plans last week to launch programs to increase competition in the meat processing industry and resiliency in the food supply chain. The USDA announced its intent to invest $500 million in American Rescue Plan funds to expand meat and poultry processing capacity so that farmers, ranchers, and consumers have more choices in the marketplace.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Public Health’s vaccine dashboard shows over 1.5 million Iowans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 while over 93k people have gotten the first dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. The percentage of Iowans now fully vaccinated against the virus now stands at 45.9%.

OMAHA, NE (IRN) – Nebraska and Iowa have seen a rise in hate crimes in recent years, most of which have been committed on the basis of race and ethnicity. The FBI region that includes Nebraska and Iowa has seen a 21% increase in the reporting of hate crimes in recent years.

MARSHALLTOWN, IA (IRN) – A Marshalltown middle school teacher facing charges of having inappropriate contact with a 13-year-old student has been found dead. The body of Adam Eugene Edgington, 42, of Nevada, Iowa, was found Thursday night in his car parked in a field. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

ALTOONA, IA (IRN) – The CEO of the Iowa amusement park where a water ride accident killed one boy and critically injured another has become increasingly influential in Iowa politics. Adventureland Park CEO Michael Krantz has donated $175,000 to county, state and federal Republican candidates and officeholders since 2014. That makes him one of the largest GOP donors in Iowa. Krantz lobbied for a recent law change allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to operate rides for the first time.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids firefighters were called to a report of a fire and arrived as two high school aged students exited the home. As some firefighters fought the fire, others rescued two remaining elementary aged children from the second floor of the home, along with four dogs.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowans on the brink of eviction are increasingly worried as renter protections end soon. A federal freeze on most evictions expires at the end of this month. Iowa has only given out 2% of rent aid received in January. That’s about $4 million out of nearly $200 million in federal money. The aid is supposed to help people cover late rent and utility bills. It’s unclear how much homelessness will increase in Iowa, but officials expect evictions to jump after July.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police are investigating after one person was shot during an early morning home invasion robbery in Des Moines. A resident of the home suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. The suspect fled the scene.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Des Moines Police Department is investigating a stabbing that occurred Thursday afternoon. A 20-year-old woman was found with multiple stab wounds. She is expected to survive.

NEWTON, IA (IRN) – Jasper County could become the first county in Iowa to designate itself a “Second Amendment sanctuary,” proclaiming it will not enforce gun laws it believes are unconstitutional, under a resolution under consideration by the county’s Board of Supervisors.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller has joined 37 other attorneys general in a lawsuit against Google alleging it closed the Android app distribution ecosystem to competitors. The states are accusing Google of using its dominance to unfairly restrict competition with the Google Play Store, harming consumers by limiting choice and driving up app prices.

AMES, IA (IRN) – An Iowa State University employee is accused of mishandling the school’s money. Investigators say 25-year-old Miranda Richmann put more than $115,000 on a credit card shared between certain employees. She is accused of using that card at several banks, Target, Venmo and Walmart. When police contacted her, she admitted to using the card to pay her attorney fees and other debt.

ALGONA, IA (IRN) – A father committed suicide after killing his two sons in Algona. 6-year-old Logan Phelon and 3-year-old Seth Phelon were murdered by their father, and 32-year-old Christopher Phelon then turned the gun on himself.

MARSHALLTOWN, IA (IRN) – A second Marshalltown teacher has been arrested for sexually exploiting a student in the past week.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Authorities found seven illegally possessed firearms and various types of narcotics after executing search warrants at three different locations in Cedar Falls and Waterloo. Two of the firearms were previously reported as stolen. Five offenders were taken into custody and charged with multiple felony offenses.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Johnson County-based brewery will be opening two new locations in Iowa in the next two years. Big Grove Brewery will open its third location in Des Moines in 2022, and follow that up with a fourth site in Cedar rapids in 2023. The company currently operates breweries in Solon and Iowa City.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Doctors in Waterloo are looking for people to take part in a clinical trial for a new Alzheimer’s drug. The MercyOne Northeast Family Medicine and Residency Program is taking part in the study. It’s one of more than 300 clinical sites around the world participating. The clinical trial will test whether a drug is safe and effective for those with early-stage Alzheimer’s.

ALTOONA, IA (IRN) – Scanner audio and 9-1-1 calls of the fatal accident at Adventureland reveal confusion and a long wait for ambulances to reach the victims. 11 year-old Michael Jaramillo died after the raft his family was on flipped on the Raging River ride at Adventureland in Altoona on Saturday. His brother, David, is still in critical condition. 9-1-1 and scanner audio shows the first ambulance arrived about 11 minutes after the first call came in but it took at least another five more minutes for that crew to reach the ride.

CHICAGO, IL (IRN) – An Iowa man was taken into custody after a .308 caliber rifle, high-powered scope, a semi-automatic pistol, and ammunition were found in his hotel room overlooking Chicago’s lakefront over the holiday weekend. Keegan Casteel, 32, of Ankeny, is facing two felony charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Johnson County is the first county in Iowa to reach the 70% benchmark for adults vaccinated for COVID-19. The Biden Administration fell just short of its goal of putting COVID shots in the arms of 70% of U.S. adults by July 4. Only 67% of American adults 18 and older got at least one shot. About 80% of adults in Johnson County haved received at least one shot.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The National Iowa Varsity Club and the Iowa athletics department announced the university’s 2021 Hall of Fame class Tuesday, most notably featuring former basketball star Roy Marble and current broadcaster Ed Podolak.