DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Bloomfield man who admitted to the vicious sexual assault of a six-year-old girl plans to appeal his sentence. KTVO-TV reports last December, Steven Crook pleaded guilty to four federal charges of Sexual Exploitation of a Child. In June, he was sentenced to a total of 120 years. Crook is challenging the federal sentencing guidelines in the case, but not his guilt. Crook was arrested last spring after investigators uncovered video evidence of his repeated assault of the girl. Crooks girlfriend, Kendra Hoover, faces state charges for her part in the girl’s abuse.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A 23-year-old Des Moines woman has been arrested in connection with the hit-and-run collision that caused the death of a 19-year-old Des Moines man. The Des Moines Register reports Kevin Truong‘s Toyota Camry was hit on the driver’s side by a Nissan Pathfinder. Truong was transported to a hospital with serious injuries and later died. The driver of the Pathfinder fled the scene. After an investigation, Alexandria Mae Newton had been charged with homicide by reckless driving. Police said they suspect excessive speed to be a major factor in the crash.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A 59-year-old man’s leg was amputated after it was caught by a boat propeller in the Des Moines River Thursday afternoon. KCCI-TV reports the man was floating on the river when he fell off his water craft and was struggling. Nearby boaters noticed and came to rescue him. As they helped him onto a boat, his leg was caught in the propeller, amputating the leg.

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, MO (IRN) – An Iowa man was seriously injured in a boat crash on the Lake of the Ozarks Wednesday night. The Missouri State Patrol says 66-year-old Rick Hansen of Wilton was driving his 2003 Baja on the lake when he hit a dock and crashed through its roof.

BELLEVUE, IA (IRN) – Cities and towns across the nation celebrated Independence Day yesterday, but the Iowa town of Bellevue on the Mississippi River did it a bit differently. KWWL-TV reports the highlight is the Ski Bellevue show team, a group of water skiers who put on a daring and athletic performance that draws big crowds. The Ski Bellevue Show Team has been performing in the area for over thirty years.

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – One man is dead after an officer-involved shooting in West Des Moines Wednesday night. KCCI-TV reports police were called to a home for a domestic disturbance where officers were confronted by a man armed with a weapon. Moments later shots were fired. The suspect was injured in the shooting and transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No officers were injured.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The man accused of starting a fire at the Hawthorne Hills Apartment complex in Cedar Rapids says he wants to use insanity or diminished responsibility defenses. Dallas Tullis, 24, of Cedar Rapids faces arson among other charges. The fire killed 65-year-old Steven Balvin and injured four people, including Tullis and a firefighter.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A woman rescued from the Raccoon River in Des Moines on Wednesday put herself in danger before she even launched her kayak, fire officials say. WHO-TV reports the woman was found clinging to a log in the river Thursday. She and her husband were kayaking when she lost control and capsized. He called 911 and dispatchers were able to use his cell signal to get a rescue boat to the area. The woman wasn’t wearing a life jacket and admitted she wasn’t a strong swimmer.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – As more parents are choosing not to sign their kids up for youth football, one Eastern Iowa program just got a new tool in an effort to make the game safer. KCRG-TV reports the Metro Youth Football Association in Waterloo purchased 1,000 guardian caps. They are padded, soft shell helmet covers used to reduce the impact of collisions. Organizers say they’re trying to end the stigma associated with tackle football.

FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – A Fort Dodge woman has filed a lawsuit alleging that a physician assistant engaged in a sexual relationship with her while treating her for mental health problems. KCCI-TV reports the lawsuit alleges that 32-year-old physician assistant Mervin Casey IV sexually exploited the patient and mishandled prescription drugs.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A Mason City man is facing a first-degree harassment charge in connection to an incident at MercyOne-North Iowa Medical Center. KIMT-TV reports King James, 29, allegedly followed the victim from her place of work to the parking lot of the hospital and told the victim he was going to “shoot and kill her.”

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Activists across the country yesterday sent a message to all members of Congress to close down the child detention camps on the border. WHO-TV reports dozens of protesters gathered outside Congresswoman Cindy Axne’s office in Des Moines. The protesters demanded children be taken out of detention centers and be placed with family members until their asylum hearings.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The road to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, begins this weekend in Des Moines. More than 1,600 elite athletes will pack Hy-Vee Hall for the 2019 USA Gymnastics Championships. The weekend’s top performers will represent Team USA in Peru during the Pan-Am Games in July.

INDEPENDENCE, IA (IRN) – A wildlife rehabilitation center is receiving dozens of bra donations from across the country after a Facebook post went viral. KCRG-TV reports Wildthunder Wildlife & Animal Rehabilitation & Sanctuary in Independence is using the clasps on bras to heal broken turtle shells. Since the social media post exploded last week, they’re still getting boxes of bras every day from 17 states. They’ve even had people send bras from Canada and the United Kingdom.

MAHASKA COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Two people were killed in a head-on collision in Mahaska County Monday. According to the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office, at 10:15 a.m. two vehicles collided on Highway 92. A Chevrolet S10 pickup crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a Mack semi tractor/trailer. The driver of the pickup was 32-year-old Chase Matthew VonLienen of North Liberty and the passenger was 40-year-old Bobbie Jean Milford of Wellman. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the semi was uninjured.

HAMILTON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A man died over the weekend in a lawn mower accident in Hamilton County. The Sheriff’s Office says a man was mowing a steep ditch when the mower tipped over and pinned him underneath. First responders arrived, but the man died a short time later.

BRIGHTON, IA (IRN) – A kayaker who went missing Saturday has been found deceased. KCII-radio reports after flipping his kayak on the Skunk River, 52-year-old David Alan Woodson of Brighton went missing. A search ensued. The body of Woodson was located late afternoon Monday.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man convicted of shooting his girlfriend in the head is eligible for parole after serving four years of his 45-year sentence. KCCI-TV reports Brian Case will go before the Iowa Parole Board July 17. Case shot his then-girlfriend Ellie Van Dam in the head. Van Dam survived the shooting but lost hearing in one ear and is paralyzed on one side of her face. Police were called to Case’s home 33 times before he shot Van Dam and he has a lengthy and violent past.

JOHNSTON, IA (IRN) – A Johnston woman is facing charges she left two young children alone. WHO-TV reports Winnie Wleh is charged with two counts of child endangerment. A 2-year-old and a 4-year-old were found near an apartment complex pool asking strangers for food and water. Officers later found the children standing outside a locked apartment with no parents or guardians present.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Opioid-related deaths in Iowa plunged to their lowest level in five years. The Iowa Department of Public Health reports there were 137 deaths related to opioids in 2018. That’s down from 206 in 2017 and reverses a fairly steady upward trend of fatalities.

IOWA (IRN) – A new specialty license plate design is available to vehicle owners in Iowa starting this month, according to the DOT. The new option is the “blackout” plate. It features an all-black design with white lettering. It will be available in the standard six-character alphanumeric plate for $35 or a personalized seven-character plate for $60. Funds from the plate will go toward the Road Use Tax Fund, which funds various road and bridge projects throughout the state.