Category: State News

MUSCATINE, IA (IRN) – A Muscatine County jury has found a man guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend. Jurors on Friday found David Hatfield guilty in the death of 18-year-old Kaitlyn Palmer. Prosecutors say Hatfield shot Palmer in the head with a .22-caliber handgun as she slept at Saulsbury Recreation Area in rural Muscatine County. Prosecutors argued Hatfield shot Palmer because of an unwanted pregnancy. Defense lawyers contended Palmer shot herself.

WASHINGTON, DC (IRN) – The Supreme Court dealt a blow to the ethanol industry Friday. In a 6-3 decision, the court decided small oil refineries can continue to receive exemptions from the renewable fuel standard requiring them to use ethanol in their products, even if it had stopped receiving an exemption.

ACKLEY, IA (IRN) – Almost 80 years after he was killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Leo Keninger will finally be laid to rest in his hometown of Ackley. The U.S. Navy Fireman 1st Class had been assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor when the ship was attacked Dec. 7, 1941. His remains were identified by DNA.

MARION, IA (IRN) – A thunderstorm developed and intensified over central Linn County late Friday evening and quickly dropped 3-6″ of rainfall in about an hour’s time. Roads turned into rivers as drainage systems were overwhelmed in Marion.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids Police officers were called to reports of a shooting in the parking lot behind an apartment complex this morning. Police say shortly after the reported shooting, a 46-year old male arrived at a local hospital with an apparent non-life threatening gunshot wound to the leg.

IOWA (IRN) – Roman Catholic priests and others who victimized Iowa children decades ago cannot be prosecuted despite a new law eliminating the statute of limitations for child sex abuse. The Iowa attorney general’s office says the law signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds last month does not apply to cases in which the statute of limitations has already expired. That means victims of childhood abuse who are currently 33 and older will not be able to have their abusers prosecuted because they missed the prior deadline to report.

AMES, IA (IRN) – An investigation is underway following a train derailment in Ames. Petroleum gas was leaking from some of the cars, and 15-20 properties in the area were evacuated. No one was injured.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Gov. Kim Reynolds will send members of the Iowa State Patrol to the United States’ southern border. The governor’s office announced Thursday that Iowa State Patrol officers will aid law enforcement efforts in response to a request from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey.

AMES, IA (IRN) – The Ames police officer accused of speeding and driving drunk going the wrong way has been fired. Court documents say Jason Eaton refused to pull over and led troopers on a chase. When he did pull over, he admitted to having one or two drinks.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Fire officials say a blaze that badly damaged a former City Hall building in Iowa and destroyed a makeshift Black children’s memorial is being investigated as “suspicious.” The fire early Wednesday in Des Moines destroyed a memorial created last summer by the Des Moines Black Liberation Movement. It honored Black Iowa youth who have died in recent years.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A three-year review by Iowa’s attorney general has found that Roman Catholic priests sexually abused minors across the state for decades while church leaders covered it up, but reforms implemented since 2002 have helped. A report issued Wednesday by Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said the number of complaints, victims and the duration of the abuse was overwhelming and the cover-up was extensive. But it found that only five Iowa priests have been accused of misconduct since 2002.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man was taken into custody Wednesday in connection with a stabbing at a Hy-Vee in Des Moines. Upon arrival, officers found a woman suffering stab wounds to the face. A man armed with a knife attempted to run from police. Police deployed a stun gun and took him into custody.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Two men were shot Wednesday afternoon in Iowa City. They were taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and are expected to survive. The victims are not cooperating with police, and no arrests have been made.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A semi accident on Interstate 380 backed up traffic for miles in Cedar Rapids and spilled an entire load of processed chicken on Wednesday. The semi driver was going northbound, swerved to miss an animal, lost control and tipped into the median. The trailer contained processed chicken and the load spilled out into the ditch and down into the railway below. The driver is OK.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An Iowa district court permanently blocked a 2020 law delaying abortion services. The law required those seeking an abortion to wait 24 hours, view an ultrasound of the fetus, and receive adoption information. Gov. Reynolds says the state will appeal.

IOWA (IRN) – The DNR has been surveying how many trees were destroyed by last summer’s August 10 derecho. Now complete, the estimate is 4.4 million trees were destroyed across the state. The DNR anticipates the lack of trees will increase energy costs $20 million a year.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa’s Board of Regents will consider tuition increases for the 2021-2022 academic year at all three of the state’s publicly funded colleges. The plan calls for tuition increases of 3.5% for students at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, along with an increase of 1.5% for the University of Northern Iowa.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A proposed new FedEx facility could bring 400 jobs to Cedar Rapids. The facility would be located near the Eastern Iowa Airport.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A new poll shows the majority of Iowans disapprove of the job Joe Biden is doing as President. According to the latest Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll, 52 percent of Iowans disapprove of the job he is doing, compared to 43 percent of Iowans who approve. Five percent were unsure.

COGGON, IA (IRN) – A Chicago man who allegedly shot and wounded a sheriff’s deputy at an Iowa gas station has been arrested. Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner said 36-year-old Stanley Donahue was taken into custody Monday near Coggon where the shooting took place during an armed robbery at a Casey’s General Store on Sunday night. The victim, Deputy William Halverson, a seven-year veteran with the sheriff’s office, remains at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in serious, but stable condition.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police have arrested a 17-year-old for her role in a fatal shooting on New Year’s Day 2020. Eliza Sackie of Des Moines has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting of 14-year-old Josiah Woods. Sackie and at least four other people were involved in an altercation with another group at a downtown hotel. After that fight, Sackie allegedly drove four people to a home where the other group was gathered. Police said that one of Sackie’s accomplices fired several shots into the front porch of that home, killing Woods.

WEST UNION, IA (IRN) – An Iowa woman who hit a teenager on a moped and left him to die was sentenced Monday to up to 10 years in prison. Kelli Jo Michael, 27, of West Union, was sentenced after pleading guilty to homicide by vehicle. She was also ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution.

EUGENE, OR (IRN) – A Dowling Catholic High School graduate will compete in the Tokyo Olympic Games. U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials continued Monday in Eugene, Oregon. Karissa Schweizer finished the women’s 5,000 meters in second place. The Tokyo Olympics will mark Schweizer’s first Olympic Games.