WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A West Des Moines woman accused of starving and neglecting her teenage daughter wants a separate trial from her former husband and wants her murder trial moved out of Polk County. Nicole Finn and Joseph Finn II are charged with the October starvation death of 16-year-old Natalie Finn and the suspected abuse of two of Natalie’s siblings. Both have pled not guilty. The Des Moines Register reports that lawyers for Nicole Finn cited pretrial publicity and other factors in her request last week for a change of venue. OELWEIN, IA (IRN) – A fire broke out overnight in Oelwein, according to KWWL-TV. The large building is near the railroad tracks and was filled with wood. Fire crews say they are concerned someone might have been staying in the building overnight to stay warm. MILFORD, IA (IRN) – A northwest Iowa man was killed after exchanging gunfire with police officers Monday. The Iowa Department of Public Safety reports Milford police officers were called Sunday night to a problem at a home. As officers approached the home, a man inside fired several shots, and a Milford officer returned fire while retreating to safety. Officers entered the home several hours later and found 52-year-old Robert Brunner dead. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City Police are looking for a suspicious vehicle and two men after two teens reported the men approached them Monday. KCRG-TV reports the 13-year-old girls reported a dark colored SUV or van stopped next to them as they were walking. The girls said a male passenger waved them over and said he had a question. The girls did not respond to the request, but instead ran to a safe location and called police. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Republicans are accusing Iowa’s Attorney General Tom Miller of playing politics in his assessment that Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds won’t be able to appoint her replacement once she takes over for Gov. Terry Branstad. Branstad is in Washington, D.C. this week for confirmation hearings to become the U.S. Ambassador to China. That’s a reversal from Miller’s assessment last December that Reynolds could appoint a new Lt. Governor. STORM LAKE, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and the Iowa Beef Industry Council announced the 2017 Iowa’s Best Burger Monday. Iowa’s Best Burger is at Smokin’ Hereford BBQ in Storm Lake. The Hereford Burger is 8 ounces of hand-pattied beef dressed with a house seasoning, grilled over a hot flame, and made to order. Possible toppings include: bacon, fried banana pepper, coleslaw, blue cheese or spicy mac & cheese.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – An inmate who was being taken from the Pottawattamie County Jail escaped this morning, killing one deputy and injuring two other people. Dep. Mark Burbridge, a 12-year veteran of the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Department, was taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, according to KETV. The suspect, believed to be Wesley Correa-Carmenaty, carjacked someone and drove to Omaha, before carjacking another person. Correa-Carmenaty then led police on a high-speed chase before crashing. He has been taken into custody. MARENGO, IA (IRN) – Jurors are scheduled to be chosen today for the trial of a federal inmate from Iowa charged with killing his fiancee, who vanished without a trace in 2000. KCCI-TV reports Tait Purk has pled not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder. He’s accused of killing Cora Okonski. Purk told police that she left their home to walk to the store to buy cigarettes and never returned. Her body has never been found. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines Police are investigating after a woman was injured during an early Monday morning incident. WHO-TV reports people in an apartment complex were up late drinking when they got into a dispute with neighbors over a cell phone. During the altercation a woman used a knife to cut another person on the head. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A University of Iowa student is accused of threatening to bring a gun to a graduation ceremony. KCRG-TV reports 25-year-old Soliman Altamimi is charged with threat of terrorism and third-degree harassment. Altamimi went to school officials on Friday and asked to give a speech at the graduation ceremony. When staff members said “no,” he then allegedly threatened to bring a gun to graduation, and repeated the threat to officers. Police say he made a similar threat in November. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City Police responded to a call early Sunday morning near the University of Iowa reporting that a strong-armed robbery had occurred. KGAN-TV reports the victims said they were walking when a vehicle pulled over and a group of men got out, assaulted them, and then stole their wallets. The suspects returned to their vehicle and left the scene. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Scaffolding will soon envelop the Iowa Capitol dome as workers continue a $10 million renovation project. KCCI-TV reports the work is needed to fix internal cracks and exterior weathering. Officials hope the external work will be completed by Thanksgiving, but the internal fixes are expected to take at least a year. WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A West Des Moines pet shelter is making a push to get more animals adopted into loving homes. WHO-TV reports now through May 5th at Furry Friends Refuge, all cats over the age of five months can be adopted for just $5. This is part of the organization’s “Cinco de Meow” special.

VAN BUREN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Van Buren County mother accused of starving her infant son to death is expected to be in court next week. KTVO-TV reports Angel Poole faces one count of Child Endangerment Causing Death. Poole’s two-month-old son weighed just five pounds when he died in July 2016. If she is convicted she faces up to 50 years in prison. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City police are investigating after someone partially blinded a girl with a BB gun Friday. KCRG-TV reports someone shot at the 14-year-old girl and the BB hit her in the eye. She told officers she had seen five to eight young boys with BB guns right before being hit. She said she didn’t recognize anyone in the group. The BB was lodged in her eye socket before removed, and she will suffer partial loss of vision. IOWA, (IRN) – The Iowa Republican Party is taking to social media to praise President Trump on his first 100 days in office. The account has posted several tweets starting with the hashtag “#100days,” naming various things the president has done while in office so far. Iowa Republican Chairman Jeff Kaufmann says “with President Trump at the helm, Republicans at all levels will continue to push an agenda that benefits the people of Iowa and Americans across the country.” PHILADELPHIA, PA (IRN) – For the 40th straight year the Iowa Hawkeyes had a player drafted in the NFL Draft. Quarterback CJ Beathard and tight end George Kittle went to the San Francisco 49ers, defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson to the Minnesota Vikings, and Desmond King to the San Diego Chargers. Drake All-American tight end Eric Saubert was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. Iowa State did not have any players drafted for the 3rd straight year.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Dubuque police arrested a man who escaped from a work facility nearly a year ago. KCRG-TV reports officers pulled over 23-year-old Tremaine Walton for a traffic violation Friday night. Walton then led police on a chase reaching more than 100 miles per hour. He then then abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. He was caught and arrested on an outstanding warrant. Walton was serving 15-year sentence for assault and burglary. RED OAK, IA (IRN) – Firefighters in southwestern Iowa rescued a man trapped under an overturned tractor Friday. KETV reports that the accident happened near Red Oak. Upon arriving, firefighters found a tractor on its top with a man underneath. Crews used special inflatable bags to lift the tractor and get the man out. He was hospitalized in Omaha. MARSHALLTOWN, IA (IRN) – A drug raid Thursday led to three arrests in Marshalltown, according to WHO-TV. The Mid-Iowa Drug Task Force found more than a half-pound of meth valued at $27,000. The drugs were hidden with food items and were found in a package showing they were shipped to Marshalltown from Mexico. The three suspects all face drug charges and police say more arrests are possible. MILAN, IL (IRN) – A Milan, Illinois company that makes weapons for soldiers and law enforcement officers is moving across the river, according to WQAD-TV. Lewis Machine and Tool Company plans to build a new, $6 million plant in Eldridge, Iowa. The company is currently finishing up a large contract with New Zealand, supplying all of the weapons for the country’s navy, army, and air force. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A graduate of Dowling Catholic High School is preparing to compete in the Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas. KCCI-TV reports twenty-six-year-old Kelsey Weier, of West Des Moines, won the Miss Iowa Pageant in October, earning the right to represent the Hawkeye State at the national competition. Weier works at a salon in Clive and didn’t get into the pageant scene until she was 23. Only the top 15 women make it to the national broadcast on May 14.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Another newborn has been turned over to state custody under Iowa’s safe haven law. The Iowa Human Services Department said the infant was born April 10 and released to state custody the next day. The department didn’t say where the birth took place. It’s the 27th time the law has been used to protect the welfare of an infant since the law was approved following a 2001 case, in which a teenage mother in eastern Iowa killed her home-delivered newborn. POWESHIEK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – One woman is dead following a fire in rural Chelsea in Poweshiek County Thursday morning. When firefighters arrived they found 56-year-old Catherine Foster inside the home. Firefighters were able to get Foster out of the home and she was transported to a local hospital but she did not survive. The cause of the fire is still being investigated. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police are investigating a string of gas station robberies that happened in the metro early Thursday morning. WHO-TV reports three of the four robberies may be related. Officials say an unknown amount of money was taken from each location and a revolver was displayed during the robberies. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Lawyers for former “The Bachelor” star Chris Soules say he “acted reasonably” after a rear-end crash by calling 911 and trying to resuscitate a farmer who later died, according to KCCI-TV. Soules is charged with leaving the scene of a deadly accident. Soules attorneys say they are “confident that once all the evidence is made public, it will show Soules acted reasonably and did everything in his power to aid Mr. Mosher.” BETTENDORF, IA (IRN) – An average of two vehicles a day are being stolen in the Quad Cities, according to WQAD-TV. The community of Bettendorf issued an alert this week to remind people to lock their cars. Captain Keith Kimball with the Bettendorf Police department says, “I don’t know if we’ve seen anything like this…an almost epidemic.” Most of the thieves are juveniles. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa City cycling shop has donated seven brand new bikes to kids who wouldn’t otherwise get them. KCRG-TV reports Geoff’s Bike and Ski donated them to the Youth Off Road Riders Program. The program aims to create an environment for young people to make friends, find role models, and learn new skills through mountain biking. The shop’s owner says this is his way of giving back to the community.