Category: State News

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Dubuque County has less than two months left in its mask mandate, but that’s still too long for the mayor of Sageville, Wayne Kenniker. Kenniker says, “I think it is very important that, at this point in time, that the mandate be rescinded…at the very least, people need to know when it is going to be rescinded.” Kenniker said he is also worried that as the temperatures warm masks will make kids miserable at school.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – One of two women injured in a shooting on Court Avenue in Des Moines credits a stranger with saving her life. Grace Reeves suffered a collapsed lung and two broken vertebrae after a bullet entered her arm and exited her back. Reeves says,”I heard a big bang…I didn’t really feel anything.” When Reeves hit the floor, a woman, who asked to remain anonymous, dragged her into the bar to avoid the group of people stampeding out of the building. The woman used a sweatshirt to stop the bleeding until medics arrived.

IOWA (IRN) – Iowa will continue to send four representatives to the U.S. House, though our population growth lags behind most of the country. The state’s population stood at nearly 3,200,000 in 2020. That represents a 4.8% growth, compared to 2010 — a figure driven largely by population growth in Iowa metro areas. Estimates say Des Moines grew 15.3%, and Iowa City 13.4%.

IOWA (IRN) – Monday’s latest crop report from the USDA showed cooperative weather allowing farmers to catch up on planting across the state of Iowa. 20 percent of Iowa’s corn has been planted, just one day behind the five-year average. Warming temperatures allowed farmers to catch up following a cool mid-April period.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids man is memorializing Iowans lost to COVID-19 with a visual remembrance of the human toll the pandemic has taken. Dennis Turner, a painter, started planting small, white flags in his front lawn nearly a year ago, with each flag symbolizing one Iowan who died from COVID-19. As of Monday, more than 5,900 flags had been placed.

ANAMOSA, IA (IRN) – An initial trial has been scheduled for the two inmates who have been charged in the killing of two Anamosa State Penitentiary staff during an attempted escape. Thomas Woodard Jr. and Michael Dutcher are facing two counts of First Degree Murder and one count each of Second Degree Kidnapping and Attempted Murder. The trial will be June 22.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa has asked the federal government to withhold more than one-quarter of its allotment of coronavirus vaccines this week because demand for the shots has waned across the state.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police are investigating a shooting on Third Street and Court Avenue in Des Moines at the location of several bars. At about 1 a.m. Sunday, officers on foot patrol heard gunshots. Police found two women inside with gunshot wounds. Police say someone shot from the sidewalk into the building and neither victims were the intended target. They are expected to survive.

ROBINS, IA (IRN) – A 13-year-old was airlifted to the University of Iowa Hospital after being injured Saturday night during a skateboard stunt near Robins in rural Linn County. The 13 year-old skater was being pulled by a relative on a skateboard while holding onto a vehicle. Police say the 13 year-old was injured after the trunk lid fell down, struck the teen, and caused him to fall.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Work on another flood control project in the Czech Village in Cedar Rapids starts today. It’s part of the city’s major flood control plan that’s been in the works since the 2008 flood, including several in the Czech Village.

ANAMOSA, IA (IRN) – A correctional officer was assaulted at Anamosa State Penitentiary on Saturday morning. The officer was handing out medications to inmates on a cellblock when an inmate unexpectedly put her in a chokehold. The officer fought back until additional staff were able to respond and assist in taking control of the inmate. Another inmate stepped in to aid the officer until other correctional officers could arrive on the scene.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Four people were injured during a brawl outside a Waterloo strip club. Waterloo Police were called to Flirt’s Gentlemen’s Club just after 1:20 A.M. on Saturday morning, where a crowd of 15-20 people had gathered around a group that was fighting. Two victims were transported from the scene to a local hospital and two other victims were later taken by private vehicles to a local hospital.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Des Moines Police Department is investigating a shooting near Glendale Cemetery. On Saturday afternoon someone accidentally shot their neighbor. Both the shooter and the victim are adults. Police said the injuries appear to be non-life-threatening.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Public Health has requested about 27% fewer COVID-19 vaccine doses from the federal government for the upcoming week. Fewer people are getting vaccinated.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A 12-year-old boy riding his bike Thursday was shot and killed in Davenport. He and a second juvenile were both taken to the hospital. The boy, Devell Johnson, was pronounced dead while the second victim was injured but has since been released. The two victims, a third juvenile and an 18-year-old male were riding bikes in the alley when a vehicle stopped and fired several shots towards the group.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A permanent perimeter security fence will be added around Terrace Hill, the Iowa Department of Public Safety announced Friday. The DPS says recent threats against Governor Reynolds and other Iowa officials – as well as a kidnapping plot against Michigan’s governor by a right wing militia group – “reinforced” their decision to upgrade security.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has hired her health policy adviser as the state’s Medicaid director. Reynolds praised Elizabeth Matney as a health policy expert and “dynamic member of my team” in announcing Friday that she would lead the program, which oversees care for more than 700,000 poor and disabled Iowans.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The pause on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has been lifted after 10 days. The Iowa Department of Public Health announced that they were recommending any vaccine provider throughout the state who has the J&J vaccine to resume giving shots.

CORALVILLE, IA (IRN) – Country music star Toby Keith will bring his “Country Comes to Town” Tour to the Xtream Arena in Coralville on October 14. Matt Stell will be joining Toby Keith as a guest. It’ll be the first concert since the arena opened in September 2020. It has a concert capacity of 6,600.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A jury failed to reach a verdict in the case of a man accused of killing a woman and her two young children inside his Des Moines home, leading the judge to declare a mistrial on Thursday. After four days of deliberations, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on two of three first-degree murder counts against 33-year-old Marvin Esquivel Lopez.

KOSSUTH COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Authorities have released more details on the death of a 17-year-old in Kossuth County. On April 19, Victoria Marie Parra Lerdo, of Rockwell City, was found unconscious in a hog confinement building. Victoria was pronounced dead later that evening. The Iowa Medical Examiners Office ruled the manner of death was carbon monoxide poisoning.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police have arrested a Des Moines man after they say he admitted to starting a fire at an apartment complex Thursday. Twenty-year-old Orlando Bright is charged with first-degree arson. He started it after a domestic dispute.

DUBUQUE (IRN) – The Julien Dubuque International Film Festival is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. After going virtual last year because of the pandemic, organizers decided to bring it back to in-person. Susan Gorrell, executive director of the festival, said, getting people inside the theater felt like “Mission Impossible…it means a lot of work, but beyond that, it’s wonderful.”