Category: State News

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Appeals court judge Christopher McDonald was named today as the first Asian American who will serve on the Iowa Supreme Court. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced she was naming McDonald, 44, of Des Moines, to the seven-member court on Wednesday morning in her formal office in the Iowa Capitol. McDonald, who was born in Thailand during the Vietnam War and whose mother is Vietnamese, will be the first minority to sit on the Iowa Supreme Court. He has an undergraduate degree from Grand View University and a law degree from the University of Iowa.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A shooting was reported in Cedar Rapids yesterday, resulting in one injury. KCRG-TV reports police responded to a report of shots fired, and while on scene, another report of a shooting victim in a parked car at a middle school came in. When officers arrived, they found a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound. Police are investigating.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Gov. Kim Reynolds is dismissing criticism of her decision to schedule a special election for a state Senate district in the Cedar Falls area while UNI students are on spring break. KGAN-TV reports when asked if she knew students would be gone when she scheduled the election for March 19, the Republican governor responded, “It doesn’t really matter.” Reynolds says voters have plenty of time to request an absentee ballot. The special election will fill the seat vacated by Democratic Sen. Jeff Danielson, who resigned Thursday.

SWISHER, IA (IRN) – People who attended a Johnson County fundraiser became ill Saturday. The Swisher’s Mens Club’s sold out “Wild Game Feed” offered the following food options: deer Stir Fry, Turkey nuts, Hog nuts, Elk Meatloaf, Rabbit, Raccoon, Pheasant Alfredo, two kinds of Turtle, Goose, Smoked Turkey, Fish, and Cheesy Potatoes. Public health officials are investigating.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Drake men’s basketball team is alone atop the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bulldogs beat Bradley 68-77 Tuesday night to improve to 10-5 in conference play.

CONRAD, IA (IRN) – Two University of Northern Iowa students were killed when their car collided with a semi-trailer Sunday. KCCI-TV reports the collision occurred around shortly after noon on Sunday, a few miles north of Conrad on Iowa Highway 14. The car went out of control on the snow- and ice-covered roadway and crossed into the path of the southbound semi.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa’s fetal heartbeat law that was struck down in court last month will not be appealed by Gov. Kim Reynolds. Judge Michael Huppert ruled in favor of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and the Emma Goldman Clinic, stating that the law violates the Iowa Constitution.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Former Iowa candidate for governor Fred Hubbell has been injured in a bicycle accident in Arizona. KCAU-TV reports Hubbell was struck by a car at an intersection in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he has a home. Hubbell, who is 67, has undergone surgeries for a fractured pelvis but the injuries are not life-threatening.

DECORAH, IA (IRN) – Decorah city officials have started what they call “low level” talks about combining the Decorah Police Department and the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office. KCRG-TV reports city manager Chad Bird says the consolidation would allow for possible financial savings and involve combining positions.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Law enforcement officials are giving a friendly reminder to motorists in preparation for more snowfall this week, according to WHO-TV. It’s simple; wipe off all the snow on the car before driving off. The Iowa State Patrol says all windows should be clear of snow, as it could create hazards for not only the person behind the wheel but also for others on the road. If pulled over, drivers could be given a $50 fine for obstruction of vision.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Firefighters rescued two at an apartment fire in Davenport yesterday. WQAD-TV reports several fire departments responded to a fire at the Breckenridge Apartments. When emergency responders got there, smoke filled the structure and flames were found in a third-floor apartment. Forty-eight people lived in the building. Two people were trapped on the third floor, and crews used a ground ladder to bring them down to safety. Several pets were also rescued.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – A jury has convicted a Council Bluffs man on charges related to the death of a 16-month-old girl, but acquitted him of murder. The Daily Nonpareil reports the jury found Javon Jennings guilty of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment resulting in death. Jennings was charged in the death of 16-month-old Jazlynn Harshbarger, who died last April of blunt force trauma.

GRUNDY COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The snow is to blame for two deaths on Iowa roads Sunday. KWWL-TV reports a vehicle was traveling on Highway 14 near Conrad in Grundy County when the driver lost control on snow-covered roads Sunday. The vehicle crossed the center line and was hit by a semi-truck.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A missing Des Moines woman has been found. KGAN-TV reports 75-year-old Lynn Crenshaw, who suffers from medical conditions including dementia, was found in Louisa County.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines could break a 107-year-old snowfall record this week. The Des Moines Register reports in 1912, 43 inches of snow fell in 40 days. Since January 11 this year, 37 inches have fallen. And now, a mid-week storm could overturn the record that was set the same year the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines couple has been accused of sexually abusing a family member and her friend when the victims were teenagers, according to the Des Moines Register. Justin David Garfield, 39, and Rosa Fabiola Garfield, 36, face multiple felony charges.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids police are investigating after a body was found Saturday afternoon. According to KCRG-TV, a resident reported finding the body of an adult male, facedown, outside of his property. Police said it had likely been there for some time as it was frozen.

POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A western Iowa deputy was hospitalized after he was hit by a semi-truck around 4 a.m. Saturday. The deputy was making a traffic stop south of Council Bluffs when a FedEx semi-truck hit his squad car and then slammed into the deputy. The driver was cited with failure to maintain control and was taken out of service for being a fatigued driver. The deputy suffered a leg injury but is already out of the hospital. His squad car is totaled.

MANHATTAN, KS (IRN) – Lindell Wigginton hit five 3-pointers and scored 23 points, Talen Horton-Tucker buried six 3s and had 20, and No. 23 Iowa State pulled away late for a 78-64 victory over No. 18 Kansas State on Saturday to tighten up the Big 12 title race. The Cyclones have now pulled within a game of the Wildcats with six games to go in the conference schedule.

OSKALOOSA, IA (IRN) – A 7-year-old boy died and his mother suffered burn injuries after a fire engulfed their Oskaloosa home Friday night, according to the Oskaloosa News. Crews found 7-year-old David C. Fogle in the basement. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died as a result of his injuries. His mother, Angelia D. Wells, suffered second-degree burns as she tried to rescue her son before she was driven out by the heavy smoke and heat. Two other children, ages 6 and 9, escaped the fire and were not hurt.

CENTERVILLE, IA (IRN) – A jury has convicted a man in the killing of a hunter in south-central Iowa. The Daily Iowegian reports the Appanoose County jury found Ethan Davis guilty of first-degree murder in the death of 31-year-old Curtis Ross. Ross was shot 10 times with a high-powered rifle, stabbed more than 26 times and his neck, abdomen and legs gashed open. A deputy found Ross’ naked body in a creek on public hunting grounds.

CEDAR FALLS, IA – Cedar Falls firefighters pulled an unconscious woman from a home during a fire Thursday. KCRG-TV reports when firefighters arrived they found two cats in a locked idling car. Authorities forced their way into the home which was also locked. They found Melissa Jensen, 42, unconscious near the door, and transported her to a hospital where her condition is unknown. Police say they have responded to over a dozen calls for service to this home in recent years.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa DNR biologists say chronic wasting disease is spreading fast among deer in Iowa. The disease, also called zombie deer disease, infects the nervous systems of deer and elk, and is always fatal. The condition creates holes in an animal’s brain, making its outward appearance like that of a zombie, and it’s spread through deer-to-deer contact.

CUMMING, IA (IRN) -The south central Iowa town of Cumming may soon quadruple its 400 residents with a new residential and retail development called an “agrihood.” WHO-TV reports an Agrihood is a farm within a community. It’s a way for people to live walking distance away from businesses, neighbors and their own community gardens. It gives a piece of country life, while still being just minutes away from the urban center of Des Moines.