Category: State News

JOHNSON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Marion woman died in a crash early this morning on I-80 in Johnson County. Troopers say a 2004 Chevy Impala was partially stopped in the roadway when it was hit by a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The force sent the Impala into the median and rolled on its side. The Jeep came to rest in a ditch. Jennifer Ferguson, 48, of Marion. She wasn’t wearing her seatbelt. The driver of the Jeep went to the hospital.

IOWA (IRN) – There are now 17 presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in Iowa. This is one more than Thursday. The person, from Harrison County, tested positive while in Nebraska. This person was not a part of the Egyptian cruise that impacted 15 of the Iowans infected, but the person did travel recently. They are now recovering in isolation. The counties impacted are now Harrison, Johnson, Carroll and Pottawattamie.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines Public Schools, Iowa’s largest school district, will cancel all classes and activities for at least 17 days starting this evening.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa High School Athletic Association will be restricting fans for the 2020 State Basketball Tournament due to the coronavirus. Only team members, game officials, credentialed media members, essential tournament workers, and select school spectators will be allowed inside the arena. Each school will be allowed 100 total entrees, free of charge.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A group of LGBTQ+ students were removed from the Iowa Capitol building yesterday after using the restrooms that matched their gender identity, according to LGBTQ+ advocacy group One Iowa. All members of the group were escorted out of the building by troopers.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – There are now 14 cases of the coronavirus in Iowa. The Iowa Department of Public Health says the case is an adult between 61 and 80 years old from Johnson County. The new individual was on the same Egyptian cruise as most of the other positive cases. Johnson County now has 13 confirmed cases, and Pottawattamie County has one.

DES MOINES, IOWA (IRN) – Supplies like toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and wipes have been flying off the shelves in stores across the state. The Polk County Health Department says this type of hoarding is unnecessary, and there is no need to panic.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The state health infrastructure will have more monetary resources after an infusion of cash from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Iowa will be receiving over $6 million dollars from the CDC to help state and local agencies’ response to the spread of the coronavirus.

USA (IRN) – The Big Ten Conference and Big 12 Conference announced Wednesday they will not be allowing fans to attend games starting today. Only student-athletes, coaches, event staff, essential team and conference staff, TV network partners, credentialed media and immediate family members of the participating teams will be allowed to view competitions. Pep bands, cheerleaders and dance teams are not allowed to go to the games.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police hope to find the people who robbed a man and held him at gunpoint. KCCI-TV reports the man used the “Letgo” app to buy a cell phone. The victim and suspects met up Tuesday night on a street, and the robbers took the cash and ran away. No one was hurt. Police believe the robbers are juveniles.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Gov. Kim Reynolds confirmed Tuesday that there are 13 presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in Iowa. The five new cases are older adults from Johnson County who traveled on the same Egyptian cruise as seven other presumptive positive cases.

DES MOINES, IOWA (IRN) – The Iowa Board of Regents announced Tuesday that it is asking the state’s three regent institutions to move toward delivering instruction online because of COVID-19 concerns. The board also announced that it will extend its international travel ban by seven days each Monday until conditions improve.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – The Archdiocese of Dubuque and Diocese of Davenport have put response plans in place to help prevent transmission of coronavirus. KCRG-TV reports for now, it is up to each individual parish to decide how it wants to react. The Diocese in Davenport has emptied all fonts of holy water, stopped offering wine during mass, and is also limiting all hand touching during services.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – William Burt of Waterloo can now legally operate his barbershop on wheels, after Governor Kim Reynolds signed it into law Tuesday. WHO-TV reports Burt got the idea while serving time in prison, where he worked as a barber. The bill received unanimous support in both the House and Senate. Burt’s idea was to bring his mobile barber shop to under-served people in the city of Waterloo, children of low-income households, veterans with disabilities and others without access to a barber. State code had required barbershops to be stationary, but now Burt’s business can hit the road. He said he was in “tears of joy” Tuesday.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Testing at Iowa’s State Hygienic Laboratory has indicated five additional positive cases of 2019 novel coronavirus in Iowa residents, for a total of 13 presumptive positive cases. All five new cases are in self isolation and recovering at home. The five new cases are all older adults (61 to 80 years) from Johnson County and were on the same Egyptian cruise as seven other presumptive positive cases.

GRINNELL, IA (IRN) – Grinnell College is shifting to online instruction in response to coronavirus concerns. Starting with spring break activities, all students are expected to leave campus by Monday, March 23, then complete the spring semester off campus.

FLOYD COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Charles City father is facing charges connected to the death of a 3-month-old child. KCRG-TV reports the Charles City and New Hampton police departments arrested Shane Michael Morris, 26, in New Hampton on Monday. He’s charged first-degree murder and child endangerment resulting in death.

MAQUOKETA, IA (IRN) – Federal authorities are taking over the monitoring of contamination from a carcinogenic chemical that’s spread from a factory site in the eastern Iowa city of Maquoketa. The Telegraph Herald reported that the contamination stems from the operations of Clinton Machine Co., which built small engines from 1950 into the 1990s. The factory used trichloroethene, commonly known as TCE, as a degreasing agent. It has since been determined that TCE is carcinogenic.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A man accused of slamming a car door on the hands of a police officer is pleading guilty. KIMT-TV reports Jamie McFarland, 28 of Mason City, entered guilty pleas Monday to charges of eluding and interference with official acts causing bodily injury. When Mason City police tried to arrest McFarland, he closed his car door on an officer’s hands and sped away. McFarland collided with another vehicle and a tree before getting out of his car and fleeing on foot.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa center Luka Garza has been voted the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. Garza is the first Hawkeye to win the award since it was introduced by the Big Ten in 1985.

WAUKEE, IA (IRN) – An Ankeny man is charged with threat of terrorism after a threat was sent to Waukee schools. Waukee grad Issac Quinton Holtz,19, allegedly sent an email to all staff and students of Waukee High School. In the email, Holtz threatened to “come to school with a gun and shoot all the students.” He also said he would “go into the locker room for the girls and rape and murder all of the them.”

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Three cases of the coronavirus COVID-19 have been confirmed in Iowa. All three cases are in Johnson County. The three had just returned from a cruise in Egypt. One person infected is between 41 and 60 years old, and two are between 61 and 80 years old. Two have underlying health conditions. All are recovering at home in isolation.

CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – Two people were hurt in a rollover crash Saturday night in Cedar Falls, according to KCRG-TV. The vehicle rolled more than once and landed on its roof. They were taken to area hospitals by ambulance.

URBANDALE, IA (IRN) – An Urbandale apartment is a total loss after a fire Sunday morning, according to KCCI-TV. The fire at Ashford Ridge Apartments was contained to a single building of a large apartment complex. The building had 37 apartments, 31 of which were occupied. No one was injured.

IOWA (IRN) – A new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows Iowa Senator Joni Ernst losing support among Iowans. Ernst’s approval ratings has dipped to 47 percent, down ten percent from this time last year. Senator Chuck Grassley has the support of 55% of Iowans polled, down three percent.