Category: State News

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa is preparing to notify families in early February that federal money could run out for a health insurance program that covers roughly 60,000 low-income children in the state. The Iowa Department of Human Services is also exploring options in case funding ends for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, known in the state as Hawk-I.

MILWAUKEE, IA (IRN) – SkyWest Airlines says a flight from Iowa to Detroit made an emergency landing in Milwaukee after a sudden loss of cabin pressure. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the plane carrying 38 passengers and three crew members left Cedar Rapids at about 7 a.m. and landed safely in Milwaukee at about 8 a.m. Thursday. Passengers continued on to Detroit on different plane while crews investigated what caused the loss in cabin pressure.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man’s obituary is casting light on the opioid epidemic, according to KCCI-TV. 28-year-old Michael Emberlin died Saturday of a heroin overdose, and his family members wrote that he is “preceded in death by 13 of his friends who also lost their lives to the opioid epidemic.” Sandy Emberlin, Michael’s mother, says “we lost him a long time ago because it took the life out of him.”

SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – A Sioux City honey business was vandalized and its hives were destroyed. KCAU-TV reports Justin Engelhardt, owner of “Wild Hill Honey,” was doing a routine check on the 50 hives Thursday morning and discovered the vandalism. More than half a million bees are dead from freezing temperatures, and the business may close. Englehardt says you can’t insure bees.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A Mason City man is facing a felony charge for allegedly using fake “For Motion Pictures Use Only” money at a pair of businesses. KIMT-TV reports 40-year-old Charles Reich used fake cash at McDonald’s and a convenience store. Police pulled him over and found him to be in possession of methamphetamine. He’s in jail.

PLEASANT HILL, IA (IRN) – Students at Four Mile Elementary in Pleasant Hill come from eight different cultures, according to WOI-TV. ESL teacher Jill Brady is hosting a day long Diversity Celebration, which will offer lessons about different traditions, languages, food and clothing. Ms. Brady says many of her students are reluctant to share their cultures, for the fear of feeling considered an outsider. She hopes the celebration will help every student embrace the traditions and differences that make them unique.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Two more children have died as a result of the Dec. 21 fire at a Davenport mobile home park. KWWL-TV reports 9-month-old Isabella Smead and 4-year-old Skylar Smead succumbed to injuries sustained in the fire at the Five Seasons park. Authorities already had reported the fire deaths of the children’s mother, 23-year-old Kelsey Clain, and two other children, Jayden Smead, who was 5, and 2-year-old Carson Smead. There were no working smoke detectors in the home.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A man has been found guilty of murder for a shooting in a Cedar Rapids Walmart parking lot this summer. KGAN-TV reports 25-year-old Quarzone Martin was found guilty of second-degree murder. On July 2, police found 26-year-old Andrew Meeks and 30-year-old Johnny Moore Jr. with gunshot wounds in a vehicle in the parking lot. Police say their vehicle was moving when they were hit with gunfire and crashed into a guardrail. Meeks died as a result of his injuries.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Federal authorities have apprehended a suspect in an Omaha, Nebraska, triple homicide, according to KETV. 46-year-old John Dalton Jr. is accused of murdering his parents and his niece, 18-year-old Leonna Dalton-Phillip of Des Moines.
Dalton-Phillip’s father says she was going to her grandparents’ house to pick up her little sister when the slayings occurred. Her little sister escaped and called for help.

ONAWA, IA (IRN) – One person died in a house fire in the western Iowa town of Onawa Tuesday. The home was full of smoke when first responders arrived on scene, and the body of 37-year-old Garrett Brown was found inside. He lived alone.

BETTENDORF, IA (IRN) – A Planned Parenthood clinic in Bettendorf that is providing abortions will close Friday, according to WQAD-TV. Planned Parenthood said in May that four of its 12 clinics in Iowa, including the Bettendorf location, would close. The announcement was made shortly after the Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature removed state funding for organizations that provide abortions. At the time, no federal or state dollars were being spent on abortions in Iowa.

NEW YORK CITY, NY (IRN) – The drought is over. Iowa defeated Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl 27-20 for its first bowl win since 2010. KCRG-TV reports Akrum Wadley was named the game’s MVP after finishing with a career-high 283 all-purpose yards. Head coach Kirk Ferentz collected his 143rd career win tying him with Hayden Fry for most wins at Iowa.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – A former softball coach has been found guilty of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl. WHO-TV reports fifty-year-old John Osborn of Council Bluffs was convicted of four counts of sexual abuse. Osborn and the girl engaged in sex acts when she stayed the night at his house for a sleepover with his daughter.

CLEAR LAKE, IA (IRN) – Clear Lake Police are investigating after an attempted armed robbery at a home. KIMT-TV reports police are searching for a suspect who the victim says knocked on their door and displayed a gun. The person never entered the home and no one was injured.

WARREN COUNTY, IL (IRN) – A woman from Wapello, Iowa was killed and her three-year-old child seriously injured following a Christmas Eve crash in rural Warren County, Illinois. WQAD-TV reports 22-year-old Alma Perez crossed the center line and struck a vehicle head-on driven by Yvonne Villarreal, of Knoxville, Illinois. Perez and her three-year-old child were transported to a hospital where Perez died. Villarreal was also hospitalized. Her condition, and the condition of the three-year-old, are unknown.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man is in jail after an alleged kidnapping attempt.
KCCI-TV reports 47-year-old Michael Pendleton kidnapped a man at knifepoint. Pendleton is a registered sex offender who was wanted on a warrant for indecent exposure.

GILMAN, IA (IRN) – A man from rural Marshall County near Gilman died on Christmas morning after falling into a well. WHO-TV reports a Gilman Fire and Rescue crew spent 30 minutes trying to rescue the man, but paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids man is attempting to run 100 miles within 48 hours, according to KCRG-TV. Chris Cantrell is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and an avid runner. Tuesday, he put his skills to the test in an attempt at the “CR Dreadmill Challenge.” But he’s not just testing his stamina. Cantrell is doing this to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. It’s personal to him. His father-in-law is fighting a battle against Dementia.

BLUE GRASS, IA (IRN) – Four people died Christmas morning in a fire in the eastern Iowa town of Blue Grass. The Quad Cities Times reports that one of the occupants was able to exit the residence and was transported to the hospital but died later. The victims haven’t been identified, but outside the home were children’s toys, including a little yellow car and a wheeled vehicle for a small child.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines police officer has been accused of drunken driving.
KCCI-TV reports Brett Vanderpool is a probationary officer who is scheduled to join the regular force January 3. Vanderpool’s blood tested out at nearly twice the legal limit.

FORT MADISON, IA (IRN) – An Iowa man who spent 48 years in prison for killing a 10-year-old girl has died in custody. The Iowa Department of Corrections says Robert Anthony Williams died Wednesday of natural causes at the State Penitentiary in Fort Madison. Williams was convicted of killing Pamela Kay Powers, of Urbandale, on Dec. 24, 1968. The girl was abducted from the downtown Des Moines YMCA while attending her older brother’s wrestling tournament.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A Dubuque firefighter was injured while responding to a fire on Christmas Day. KGAN-TV reports the fire was extinguished quickly, and the injured firefighter was treated at the hospital.

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A parking lot altercation almost ended with someone in jail Saturday. WHO-TV reports a man was backing out of a parking spot and almost hit a woman with his car. When confronted by the woman and her husband, the man flashed a pistol at the couple. Police say if the new stand your ground law wasn’t in effect, charges likely would have been filed.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – There were special deliveries made at Mercy Children’s Hospital in Des Moines Sunday. KCCI-TV reports the Huebsch family from Ankeny made and delivered hundreds of fleece-tie blankets for children spending the holiday season at Mercy. In 2013 the family was at the hospital during Christmas because one of their daughters became sick and then died, and a nurse brought her two sisters blankets to comfort them. The sisters keep the program running through grant money and donations.

POLK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The Polk County Sheriff Department responded to a serious two vehicle crash near Bondurant Sunday. The passenger in one of the vehicles died at the scene and the driver was taken to a local hospital. The four passengers, including a baby, in the other vehicle were also taken to the hospital. Snow and icy conditions may have been a contributing factor.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A member of the Des Moines Police Department died following a surgery. KCCI-TV reports on Sunday afternoon, the department confirmed Senior Police Officer Tori Aletheia died on Saturday after a procedure in Iowa City. Aletheia was a member of the DMPD since 2013 and was also a military veteran.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Hawkeye football team left for New York City Sunday afternoon, awaiting Wednesday’s match-up with Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl. You can watch the game at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday on ESPN.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – For more than 15 years Davenport fire crews have been keeping up with a special Christmas tradition. Each year on Christmas Eve they bring presents to children spending time in the hospital. This year Santa Claus pulled into Genesis Hospital on a red fire truck. With the help of Santa, Mrs. Claus and some elves, the firefighters gave out onsies to newborn babies and presents to every boy and girl.