Category: State News

ACKLEY, IA (IRN) – A trial has been rescheduled for a central Iowa man accused of locking his 8-year-old son in a basement. KCCI-TV reports a judge granted the delay for 30-year-old Alex Shadlow. He and 39-year-old Traci Tyler have pleaded not guilty to kidnapping charges. Authorities say the boy was locked up for at least 9 hours a day last summer in a space under the basement stairs. The couple withheld food from him and made him endure dog bites. He slept on concrete and had no access to a bathroom.

INWOOD, IA (IRN) – A man was killed in a farm accident near Inwood in Lyon County Friday. KCAU-TV reports a tractor rolled over and pinned Paul DeBoar, 59, underneath. DeBoer was pronounced dead at the scene.

CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – A man was arrested in Cedar Falls after an incident with a sword that led to another man’s thumb being severed. According to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Zachary Aaron Kremer, 22, said he was wielding the sword to break a stick that the victim had in his hands, but missed. Witnesses say Kremer swung the sword at the victim and his girlfriend intentionally, with the blade hitting the victim’s thumb while he tried to protect his girlfriend.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Trump administration is doing its part to help Iowa congressman David Young hold onto his U.S. House seat. Last week President Donald Trump mocked Young’s 3rd district Democratic challenger Cindy Axne at a rally in Council Bluffs, and praised the two-term Republican. Vice President Mike Pence will join the congressman for a rally Friday at a hotel near the Des Moines airport.

U.S.A. (IRN) – The college wrestling season is underway, and Trackwrestling released their first rankings for the year. The Hawkeyes are the highest-ranked Iowa-based program, checking in at No. 3. They trail only Penn State and Ohio State. Oklahoma State and Nebraska round out the top five. The Panthers are No. 14 overall, while the Cyclones are 23rd.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – After nearly three months without a winner, the Mega Millions lottery game has climbed to an estimated $654 million jackpot. The odds of matching all six numbers and winning the game is one in 302 million.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An employee suffered burns in an explosion at Katecho in Des Moines Sunday afternoon, according to WHO-TV. The company, located near the airport, provides medical and cosmetics manufacturing.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Hundreds of Republicans gathered Saturday for Gov. Kim Reynolds’ second annual Harvest Festival at the state fairgrounds, where she was joined by special guest White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley, as well as Rep. David Young, also made an appearance. Grassley was greeted with a hero’s welcome for his role in support of the nomination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (IRN) – Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris of California is making her first campaign trip to Iowa before Election Day, adding to speculation about a potential presidential run in 2020. Harris plans to visit the state on Oct. 22-23. It’ll be her first visit to Iowa since she was elected to the Senate in 2016. Harris has gotten increased attention in recent weeks for her visible role on the Senate Judiciary Committee in opposition to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

USA (IRN) – After four of the nation’s top eight teams football teams lost, the Associated Press college football poll had a new look behind No. 1 Alabama, with Ohio State reaching No. 2, LSU jumping back to No. 5 and Michigan moving into the top 10. Number 13 West Virginia lost at Iowa State and fell seven spots, and the University of Iowa Hawkeyes surged into the rankings for the first time this season at No. 19.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A Mason City man has been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter in the stabbing death of another man. The Globe Gazette reports that 21-year-old Braedon Bowers was sentenced Friday. Bowers stabbed 23-year-old Wraymond Todd in Mason City. Todd died five days later. Bowers has maintained that he did not intend to kill Todd, saying he was acting in self-defense

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man being sought on multiple arrest warrants fled a police stop before shooting and critically injuring himself, according to KCCI-TV. Officers tried to stop a car, driven by 29-year-old Jakeb Lee Hall on Friday. He refused to stop and then sped off, setting off a high-speed chase that ended when he crashed into a house. As officers approached the crashed vehicle, Hall shot himself in the head with a handgun. Two passengers in the car were unharmed.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A mobile home was destroyed following a fire Saturday afternoon in Cedar Rapids. Three people and a cat escaped the home, and no injuries were reported.

IOWA (IRN) – The Hawkeyes made a decent Indiana football team look helpless, winning 42-16 in Indiana. For the second season in a row, the Cyclones upset an opponent that featured a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate — this time 30-14 against a West Virginia team that came to town as the Big 12’s lone unbeaten school. They beat Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma a year ago, and Will Grier and sixth-ranked West Virginia on Saturday night at home.

BLUE GRASS, IA (IRN) – The Scott County Sheriff’s Department says a house was fully engulfed in flames when Blue Grass and Buffalo Fire Departments responded to reports of a fire Thursday. WQAD-TV reports after the fire was put out, crews discovered an unidentifiable body.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A man has been charged after a fire on August 20 at Duchess Cleaners in Cedar Rapids. KCRG-TV reports Grant Ajango, 22, has been charged with 2nd-degree arson and 3rd-degree burglary after allegedly starting the fire. Ajango faces previous charges after taking a car and trying to start it on fire on August 11. He was also accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2016.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – An Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation agent from western Iowa has resigned during an investigation into misconduct allegations that are being withheld from the public. KCCI-TV reports Ashley Jones-Goodsell resigned Friday, following a 10-year career. Jones-Goodsell said she did nothing wrong.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The moment we’ve all been waiting for is here. The winner of the Best Pork Tenderloin in Iowa has been announced. The Iowa Pork Producers Association has named Three C’s Diner in Corning as the winner of the Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin Contest for 2018. It’s the first time a restaurant in southwest Iowa has won the competition.

DES MOINES, (IA) – Des Moines police are investigating a nighttime crash and shooting. KCCI-TV reports it started as a chase around 7 p.m. yesterday. The chase ended when the suspect crashed into a house, then suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect is now in critical condition.

HUXLEY, IA (IRN) – A 17-year-old boy with autism has died of his injuries just days after a house fire in Huxley killed his father. KCCI-TV reports two daughters, ages 16 and 19, escaped unharmed. Brett Van Ersvelde, 47, died in the fire. His wife, Julie McLain, 44, and their 17-year-old son, Dan Van Ersvelde, were still trapped in the back bedroom. The parents were trying to save their son who was scared and wouldn’t leave the house. Huxley police officers broke through the window with an ax to rescue the three, but only McLain survived.

ANKENY, IA (IRN) – An Ankeny beekeeper wants to press charges after one of his hives was vandalized not once, but twice. WHO-TV reports Jake Knutson counts on money from his beekeeping to keep his organic farm, Grateful Acres, running. At first, he didn’t want to press charges. Knutson says, “I thought they were just curious kids and you know, I’ve done a lot of stupid crap when I was growing up, but when they came back the second time it’s more than just being curious, it’s being destructive.”

OLIN, IA (IRN) – While floodwaters have been a problem for many in Iowa this year, it has been worse for some citizens of Olin than most. KCRG-TV reports the nearby Wapsipinicon River has left its banks flooding homes four times in the past five weeks.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowans have been deployed to the Florida panhandle to help with cleanup after Hurricane Michael. The Iowa Red Cross has sent five volunteers to Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. They say they are ready to deploy more people to assist in providing shelter, food, health service and emotional support if necessary.