Tuesday, October 17, 2017

ST. LOUIS, MO (IRN) – Former UNI football player Jaz Granderson was shot and killed in St. Louis early Monday morning. KSDK reported that St. Louis police identified Granderson after he was found with a gunshot wound around 1:00 a.m. Granderson was later pronounced dead at a hospital. He was living in St. Louis where he was an assistant football coach at a high school. Granderson played for UNI from 2009 to 2011.

WARREN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – An Indianola man was injured while climbing into his tree stand on Sunday while deer hunting. The DNR reports 24-year-old Bobbie Joe Stephens fell approximately 23-feet into a ravine while hunting on private land in southern Warren County. He was able to call a hunting partner for help after falling and breaking his ankle. The tree stand straps were broken due to weather exposure over time. The tree stand had been left up since last season.

JONES COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The former Fire Chief from the Jones County town of Olin faces multiple charges after police say he assaulted a child with the intent to sexually abuse her. KCRG-TV reports Matthew Vonbehren faces five counts of lascivious acts with a child and two counts of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse. Police say he assaulted a 13-year-old girl numerous times.

LINCOLN, NE (IRN) – A woman from Missouri Valley, Iowa was arrested after attacking a Lancaster County, Nebraska Sheriff’s deputy with a knife Saturday. KETV reports the deputy responded to a motorist assist call, and found 49-year-old Faith Jensen under a pile of clothes in the back seat of her car. Deputies said Jensen was acting strange and when she got out off the car, she attacked the deputy with a knife. A taser and a canine unit were used to restrain Jensen. She’s in jail.

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An 18-year-old Des Moines resident is charged with sending a threatening text message to West Des Moines Community School District students earlier this month. KCCI-TV reports Kiren Jay Kelly is charged with one count of threat of terrorism — a Class D felony. Officials determined there was no imminent threat. Kelly is in jail.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Third graders at Jefferson Elementary School in Davenport are learning something new–how to use an-old fashioned dictionary. WQAD-TV reports many of the students hadn’t used a book dictionary before, and were accustomed to looking up words on smartphones and their tablets. Thanks to a Davenport Elks group, each student now has an old fashioned dictionary they can hold in their hands. Now that’s “old-school.”

Monday, October 16, 2017

NEWTON, IA (IRN) – Two armed men stole medications from a nursing home in Newton early Sunday morning. The incident happened at Nelson Manor Nursing Home. Police report two men carrying handguns entered and stole medications before running out of the building.

BLACK HAWK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office says it’s responded to a rash of burglaries over the last several weeks. Authorities are urging residents to take precaution and lock their homes, buildings and vehicles. The sheriff’s office says the burglaries have primarily happened in machine sheds, farm buildings and vehicles.

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A car going the wrong way on Interstate 35 in West Des Moines crashed into another car, killing both drivers early Sunday. KCCI-TV reports the crash happened just before 2 a.m. One car was southbound in the interstate’s northbound lanes when it collided with the other car.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (IRN) – The Justice Department is sending a federal hate crimes lawyer to Iowa to help prosecute a man charged with killing a transgender teenager last year. The New York Times reports the case involves 23-year-old Jorge Sanders-Galvez. He is charged with killing 16-year-old Kedarie Johnson in Burlington in March 2016. Johnson’s relatives believe the shooting was a hate crime.

FORT MADISON, IA (IRN) – A staff member at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison was assaulted Saturday. WQAD-TV reports the unit was locked down after the assault. The staff member was taken to the hospital for treatment, and they have since been released.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (IRN) – Former Hawkeye quarterback C.J. Beathard is now the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. Beathard nearly led the San Francisco 49ers to a comeback win on the road Sunday, and when the game was over head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that the rookie would be the team’s new starter. In his first NFL appearance, Beathard entered the game with the 49ers behind 17-0. The team outscored the Redskins, 24-9, with Beathard playing.

Sunday, October 15, 2017

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A pair of 13-year-old boys are in custody after police say they robbed and assaulted someone walking near a bike path in Davenport. WQAD-TV reports the victim was hospitalized with potentially life-threatening injuries.

MADISON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Madison County authorities have made a major drug bust in a rural part of the county. KCRG-TV reports deputies obtained a search warrant for a house just outside of Winterset. They found marijuana, $8,000 in cash, stolen guns and a stolen ATV.
Charles and Blake Merrifield are facing possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and marijuana, and possession of stolen properties charges.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Dozens of flights were canceled, delayed or redirected at the Des Moines International Airport on Saturday, making it a nightmare for flyers. KCCI-TV reports heavy rains resulted in a flooded runway being closed for several hours.

DES MOINES, IA — A well known, locally-owned and operated business is celebrating a major milestone this week. G&L Clothing in Des Moines is celebrating 100 years in business. WHO-TV reports over the course of this coming week, the store will be accepting donations to the Food Bank of Iowa and the Animal Rescue League. A coat drive will also be held to benefit Central Iowa Shelter and Services.

Saturday, October 14, 2017

AMES, IA (IRN) – More than a dozen members of the Ames High School marching band became the latest Iowa students to make a statement surrounding the playing of the national anthem. The Des Moines Register reports 13 band members linked arms and walked off the field during a performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” prior to their home football game. Sophomore Lara Murray says she walked off to highlight inequality in the United States. “How can we be unified if there’s racism, sexism and homophobia in our school?” Those who walked off faced some cursing from spectators.

ALBIA, IA (IRN) – A former southern Iowa teacher has pled guilty to charges related to the sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old girl. Zachary Thomas Simpson, a 29-year-old former teacher and coach in the Albia Community School District, pled guilty Friday to sexual exploitation by a school employee and violating two no-contact orders. He was sentenced to five years in prison, and must register as a sex offender and complete a sex offender treatment program.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Friday the 13 lived up to its legacy for a Cedar Rapids man. KCRG-TV reports on his way to work that morning, before sunrise, Casey Sheets made a frustrating discovery. His car, once a white sedan, was dripping crimson red, completely covered with paint. Police say the costs of cleaning off the red paint and a new paint job would likely make the act of vandalism a felony charge.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Davenport police located four stolen vehicles after a foot chase. KWQC-TV reports police spotted one stolen vehicle, and when officers approached the vehicle, two people inside took off running. Officers were able to apprehend two male juveniles, one 16 years of age, the other 14. Officers checked the area and located three other stolen vehicles.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An egg producer is giving away its product for free to help feed hungry Iowans. WHO-TV reports the company Versova donated over 100,000 eggs to the Food Bank of Iowa. Versova already donates a pallet of eggs each month, and this is one of two larger donations each year. The food bank says the eggs will likely be gone in a week. They serve 175,000 people, handing out one million pounds of food every month.