IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Board of Regents has denied a request from Hawkeye alumni to appear at the board’s Sept. 23 meeting to appeal for the reinstatement of four sports slated to be cut at the university. Iowa athletic director Gary Barta announced last month that he was going to eliminate men’s gymnastics, men’s tennis, and men’s and women’s swimming and diving after this academic year. Barta cited a potential loss of $100 million in revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic as the reason, saying he anticipates saving $5 million annually by not carrying those four sports. He said he will not revisit his decision. DES MOINES, IOWA (IRN) – The Des Moines Police Department said a robbery victim acted in justifiable self-defense when he shot two people early Monday morning. The robbery victim called police and told them he had been approached by two armed men who attempted to rob him, but, in self-defense, he shot them. One of the men died. Both men were armed. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – The Waterloo Police Department is investigating more than 20 tire slashings that occurred over the weekend. They are gathering security video as part of their investigation. IOWA (IRN) – The University of Iowa, ISU, and UNI are making changes to the spring semester calendar in response to COVID-19. Among the changes, spring break is cancelled. AMES and IOWA CITY (IRN) – There is a planned sick-out today for Iowa State University and University of Iowa. Pledges are circulating asking students, faculty and staff to sign up and call in sick to demand 100% online instruction. The organizers said in part, “As students and teachers, we know that in-person classes are not safe during this pandemic. But instead of protecting us from illness, the administrators of our schools have restored to finger-pointing, blaming students and local businesses for their own failures of leadership.”

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Public Health on Monday reported 406 new coronavirus cases and three additional deaths. As of 10 a.m. Monday there have been 1,221 deaths since the pandemic began. WASHINGTON, D.C. (IRN) – Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is stepping down from his post as U.S. Ambassador to China. Branstad leaves his post days after he upset the Chinese Government with an op-ed he wrote. In the op-ed Branstad said China must offer more freedoms and dialogue with citizens. People’s Daily, the state-run newspaper that rejected the op-ed, accused him of a Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police say a Des Moines man attempted to dispose of his wife’s body after killing her. Datron Simmons, 32, allegedly killed his wife, Connie Simmons, 50, on Sept. 6 at their residence in Des Moines. Authorities said he then attempted to conceal the murder by disposing of her body in a wooded area. GRINNELL, IA (IRN) – A petition has been started by Grinnell College alumni to change the pioneer mascot due to its controversial background. The petition had 749 signatures from students, faculty and alumni as of Sept. 1. According to a report, the purpose behind the petition was to change the mascot due to its association with colonialism as well as the history of genocide in America toward indigenous people. IOWA (IRN) – Big Ten university presidents met Sunday to hear a presentation about playing a fall football season after all — maybe as soon as late October — amid pressure to kick off from parents, players, coaches and the president. There is no timetable for an announcement.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police have made an arrest in the city’s latest homicide. Datron Simmons Sr., 32, is accused of killing his wife, 50-year-old Connie Simmons. Her body was found Friday afternoon in a wooded area. TREYNOR, IA (IRN) – The Trump Campaign announced Saturday that Donald Trump Jr. will Host ‘Make America Great Again!’ events in Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. The Iowa event will be held on Monday, September 14th at the Treynor Community Center in Treynor, Iowa, just east of Council Bluffs. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Seventy-seven Iowa hospitals collected $928.3 million in accelerated and advance Medicare payments that were available as a government stimulus to cover expenses in the COVID-19 pandemic’s early days last spring. AMES, IA (IRN) – Louisiana-Lafayette got kick and punt returns for touchdowns to help secure one of its biggest wins in program history, 31-14 win over No. 23 Iowa State on Saturday.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police have made an arrest in the city’s latest homicide. Datron Simmons Sr., 32, is accused of killing his wife, 50-year-old Connie Simmons. Her body was found Friday afternoon in a wooded area. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Des Moines Police Department has opened an investigation on Des Moines’ north side Friday afternoon. The department is investigating a “suspicious death.” Authorities said the female was the subject of the missing person investigation. HANCOCK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Deputies in Hancock County are looking for a man who they say escaped from custody and took off in a squad car while handcuffed. 18-year-old Ethan Walte was arrested on a felony warrant for violation of probation for burglary. Police said he was placed in handcuffs and was seated in the patrol car. While the deputy was securing Walte’s vehicle, Walte was able to get his handcuffed hands in front of his body and climb through the security portion in the patrol vehicle. The deputy wound up being thrown to the ground while trying to get Walte out of the driver’s seat as he sped away. The deputy suffered minor injuries. WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Crossroads Park Elementary School will move to online-only learning next week as one-third of their staff is now in quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A North Liberty woman was sentenced to 27 months in prison on Friday for wire fraud. Sheri Lynn Jelinek, 48, of North Liberty, was sentenced to 27 months in prison for wire fraud. Jelinek was an employee at the Iowa City Area Development Group (ICAD) from 2003 until January of 2017. After leaving her employment, ICAD employees discovered Jelinek had made more than $460,000 in improper or personal charges on ICAD credit cards over a period of several years.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Public Health on Friday reported 798 new coronavirus cases and three additional deaths. As of 10 a.m. Friday, IDPH reported there have been 1,208 deaths since the pandemic began. WASHINGTON, D.C. (IRN) – President Donald Trump announced Thursday night the Sac and Fox Tribe in Iowa are eligible for federal relief due to derecho damage. The declaration comes exactly one month after the derecho swept through Iowa. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Student athletes at Des Moines Public Schools are sitting on the sidelines this year as the district holds all online classes and suspends in-person activities and sports. Some families are concerned this could affect their student’s chances of getting recruited to play college sports. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The entire Linn-Mar varsity football team will be in quarantine for two weeks. The district announced players will quarantine through September 23rd. They’ll miss games today and next week. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Governor Kim Reynolds has ordered all flags in Iowa to be lowered to half-staff from sunrise on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, until sunrise on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, in honor of Patriot Day and in memory of those who lost their lives in the September 11th terrorist attacks.