OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – After two skirmishes with police, an Ottumwa man is behind bars on drug and firearms charges. KTVO-TV reports an officer observed a man walking in the middle of the road in Ottumwa Friday. The police made contact with 30-year-old Marcos Navarro, who began making suspicious movements by reaching into his coat. Navarro fled after a scuffle, fell, and then a second scuffle ensued when a handgun was wrestled from his possession. He’s in jail. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A judge has found a former Cedar Rapids substitute teacher guilty of sexual exploitation by a counselor, therapist or school employee, according to KGAN-TV. 24-year-old Mary Beth Haglin faces up to two years in jail and she will have to register as a sex offender for 10 years. She says she made a mistake, but that the relationship with the 17-year-old boy was consensual. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Alcohol is likely to blame for a hit-and-run crash that injured one man in Des Moines last night, according to KCCI-TV. Police say a man struck another vehicle, then fled the scene. He made it about a block when he slid under a semi which tore back his car’s roof. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – The city of Waterloo is seizing a dilapidated 125-year-old former church after the structure’s owner said the building was beyond repair. The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier reports the Rev. Helen Seenster says she wanted to convert what was once the Apostolic Pentecostal Church into a community center, but it has fallen into disrepair and is a frequent target for vandals and thieves. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Residents of Dubuque can report snow and ice removal issues on city sidewalks using an app. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports that the MyDBQ app allows residents to request non-emergency city services using their smartphones or tablets. Each request is assigned to an employee in the appropriate department. Nearly 1,300 people have downloaded the app and submitted about 500 requests since it was launched in last year.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Two men have been arrested in connection to a shooting in Waterloo that injured a nine-year-old boy Thursday night. KWWL-TV reports the boy was inside his home when the shot was fired at his house. The bullet struck him in the hip, and he will survive. AMES, IA (IRN) – Police in Ames are investigating two convenience store armed robberies that happened just minutes apart early this morning. KCCI-TV reports the first was at a Kum and Go at 5:32 a.m., followed by one at the Swift Stop at 5:50 a.m. In both cases, the robber entered the store and demanded money from the clerk while displaying a handgun. The suspect left each store with an undisclosed amount of money. MARSHALLTOWN, IA (IRN) – The father of a Marshalltown infant is behind bars, accused of causing serious injuries to his son. WHO-TV reports police were called to a local emergency room on a suspected case of child abuse Wednesday night. Following an investigation, the father of the baby, 18-year-old Ryan Nichols, was arrested. He faces multiple charges. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Eight people were sentenced yesterday to multiple years in prison for being part of a massive drug ring. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says they were part of an organization that distributed at least 250 pounds of ice methamphetamine throughout North Iowa. The drug was transported by vehicle from Mexico and California to Marshalltown, where it was repacked for further distribution. OELWEIN, IA (IRN) – An Arlington woman has been arrested after she crashed her vehicle during a police chase in Oelwein around 1:15 Thursday morning, according to KCRG-TV. 23-year-old Kashell Allison refused to stop for a deputy in Oelwein when he initiated a traffic stop. That started a chase that included her speeding through city streets before crashing her car. Charges include possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver. WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A West Des Moines church has taken an unusual approach to attracting the public to its Christmas services. Members of the Lutheran Church of Hope created a music video called “Christmas is Coming!” and posted it to their Facebook page Tuesday. The song, set to the tune of Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” shares the story of Christmas and details service times. As of this morning, nearly 90,000 people have viewed the video.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An Iowa man has pled not guilty to murder charges in ambush-style attacks that killed two Des Moines metro police officers last month. KCCI-TV reports 46-year-old Scott Michael Greene submitted his written plea in a court filing Wednesday in which he also asked for a speedy trial. The shootings took place about two miles apart within minutes of each other as both officers were sitting in their patrol cars. MONONA, IA (IRN) – One person is dead after being hit by a car in northeast Iowa. KIMT-TV reports that a pedestrian crossing the road at an intersection on the southern edge of Monona was hit Tuesday evening by a vehicle. The name of the deceased has not been released. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Five teenagers have been charged in connection with a robbery at Tradesmen Community Credit Union in Des Moines yesterday, according to KCCI-TV. Several suspects entered the credit union, one armed with a handgun. They left with an undisclosed amount of cash, but were pulled over quickly and arrested. Some are students in the Des Moines School District. All will be tried as adults. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Firefighters battled frigid temperatures while trying to put out a fire in Cedar Rapids last night. KCRG-TV reports it started around 7 p.m. at Document Destruction and Recycling Services. Firefighters say the building’s sprinkler system activated, which helped control the fire, which was located in recycled paper bundles. Temperatures were in the single digits with sub-zero wind chills. No one was hurt. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A nonpartisan agency estimates Iowa faces a shortfall of about $132 million in its current budget. The Legislative Services Agency estimated Iowa’s revenue intake at roughly $7.2 billion and decreased its budget projections by $96 million. The agency tacked on an extra $22 million in additional Medicaid costs under Governor Branstad’s new privatized Medicaid system. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Transportation is trying to get more farmers to join the Standing Corn Program. It’s been around for over 25 years. With the program, farmers build temporary fences made out of corn to help block the wind and snow off the highways, which helps keep drivers safe. Farmers are paid for the corn, and it saves the DOT money on snow fences.

AMES, IA (IRN) – Iowa’s average farmland value declined for the third year in a row, down 5.9 percent to $7,183 an acre over the past year. It’s the first time since the 1980s farm crisis that land values have fallen three straight years, according to an Iowa State University report released Tuesday. Average Iowa farmland values are now 17.5 percent lower than the historic high set in 2013 at $8,716 an acre. KEOKUK, IA (IRN) – A Keokuk man saved two after a fire erupted in a downtown building Monday night. WGEM-TV reports the building next to Ben Mill’s residence on Main Street in Keokuk caught fire and he acted quickly to rescue men who had been trapped on an awning. Mills grabbed his ladder and helped assist his neighbors to safety. Mills had previously fought fires in the Air Force. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Two cats are recovering after being found in an ice-covered pet carrier in the trash outside a Davenport church. The Quad-City Times reports the cats were brought to a rescue organization on Tuesday. The temperature was approximately 9 degrees when the cats were found. They were put up for adoption after they warmed up. HIAWATHA, IA (IRN) – A Hiawatha man has been charged with the murder of his mother and arson. KWWL-TV reports on December 2nd, Joseph Hubbard broke into a church where he stripped naked and poured gasoline inside. He then punched a man in the face before running away. When apprehended, he told police he had killed his 56-year-old mother by shoving a rotten apple down her throat. The apple was found during the autopsy. OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – An Ottumwa woman accused of murdering a toddler wants to avoid a Wapello County jury, according to KTVO-TV. Lawyers for Kashenna Tucker have filed a motion to waive her right to a jury trial, leaving her fate in the hands of a judge. She was the guardian of three-year-old Wysdom Evans when the death occurred in 2014. CLIVE, IA (IRN) – The Clive Fire Department is issuing bullet-proof vests to firefighters, according to WHO-TV. The action is a result of firefighters determining they needed the protection when responding to September’s double homicide outside the 7 Flags Event Center. Fire Chief Rick Roe says it’s a new era in the profession, it’s “a sad reality that we live in.” DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Davenport police are urging residents not to leave their cars running with the keys in the ignition during cold weather. WQAD-TV reports it takes approximately 12 seconds for a thief to get into a car that’s running, put it into drive, and speed away. 382 cars have been stolen in the city so this year. Police say don’t leave your gun in the car either. So far, 32 guns have been stolen from vehicles this year.

KEOKUK, IA (IRN) – Investigators are trying to determine what caused a major downtown fire in Keokuk Monday. KHQA-TV reports people were trapped on the roof of the building, but a neighbor helped them escape before firefighters arrived. One person suffered minor injuries. BOONE, IA (IRN) – An Ames man died Saturday after falling through the ice on the lake at Don Williams Recreation Area near Boone. KCCI-TV reports a witness driving by first saw a dog swimming in the water, then saw the man and called 911. Deputies believe 56-year-old Michael Carr was attempting to rescue his dog after it fell through the ice. They believe Carr then broke through and was unable to get out. WAPELLO COUNTY, IA (IRN) – An accidental shooting in Wapello County sent a girl to the hospital Sunday. KTVO-TV reports a friend of the victim had returned from deer hunting and while taking the gun out of the case to hang it up, it discharged. Her injuries are considered non life-threatening. OSSIAN, IA (IRN) – Multiple crews responded to a fire last night that destroyed a building in the Winneshiek county town of Ossian. KCRG-TV reports the building housed a second-hand shop on the ground floor, and a residence for two people on the second floor. No one was injured. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Blank Park Zoo welcomed a new addition last week, according to WHO-TV. Uzuri the giraffe gave birth to a female calf on Tuesday, December 6th. The “little” girl came into the world weighing 136 pounds and standing six feet tall. The zoo has named her “Lizzie” after longtime zoo supporter Elizabeth Kruidenier. The pregnancy was “high risk” but Lizzie was born without complication and without human intervention.