WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A Waterloo woman has been sentenced to nearly 2 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. KWWL-TV reports 28-year-old Michelle Hanson admitted she sold the drugs out of her home, which was near a city park. LELAND, IA (IRN) – A Winnebago County man is back home after getting sucked into a grain bin Thursday, according to KIMT-TV. Anna Thorson says her husband, James, was getting beans out of a silo when he had to go inside, slipped and the auger sucked him down into the beans until he was chest high. It took emergency crews approximately 2 ½ hours to free him. He suffered a knee injury. NORTH LIBERTY, IA (IRN) – A North Liberty man faces three counts of attempt to commit murder after police say he tried to hire someone to kill three people. WHO-TV reports 36-year-old Justin DeWitt wanted three people dead–an Iowa Department of Public Safety special agent, an adult man, and an adult woman. The murder-for-hire scheme happened while DeWitt was in jail, facing four different attempt to commit murder charges. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A former Iowa resident has been given seven years in prison for stealing identities, filing false tax returns and lying to get housing aid. KCCI-TV reports 38-year-old Kaeisha Robinson of Phoenix and formerly of Maquoketa and Dubuque admitted she filed several fraudulent tax returns using other people’s identities and received more than $250,000 in refunds. IOWA (IRN) – Iowa is wrapping up 2016 as a deadly year for bicyclists. Eleven cyclists have died while riding this year, the highest in more than a decade. Iowa hasn’t seen this many cycling deaths since 2005. JESUP, IA (IRN) – Four-year-old Reed Havlik of Jesup and his parents are headed to the Outback Bowl to spread awareness about a rare disease. KCRG-TV reports Reed has what’s called “Vanishing White Matter.” It’s a genetic disorder that slowly causes white brain matter to disappear. Over time, Reed will lose the ability to walk, use his hands, hear, speak and see. Reed is a smiling, bright-eyed Hawkeye fan who will be the U of I’s Kid Captain at the bowl game.

BUTLER COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Waverly man was accidentally shot and killed by his wife while they were hunting on Christmas Eve. KWWL-TV reports 47-year-old Kirk Hummel was accidentally shot and killed when his wife Kathleen’s gun discharged while they were hunting rabbits on his parent’s farm. URBANDALE, IA (IRN) – Urbandale police are looking for an armed suspect after they say he assaulted a police officer early Thursday. KCCI-TV reports an officer pulled over a vehicle, and while speaking to the driver, the officer was pepper sprayed by the driver, who then fled the scene. Police believe the driver is 25-year-old Brandon Bordinat. They consider him armed and dangerous. ANKENY, IA (IRN) – A 22-year-old man died after a barbell slipped from his grasp and his neck at a gym in Ankeny, according to KGAN-TV. The accident occurred Monday morning at Elite Edge Transformation Center. A spokesman for the center says that Kyle Thomson was lifting 315 pounds on a bench press when the barbell slipped. There were spotters helping. FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – The DCI has ruled the death of a man found in a field near Fort Dodge a homicide. 51-year-old Donald Preston of Fort Dodge died from a gunshot wound. Preston was last seen by his family on Thursday, December 22. He was found in the field four days later. Investigators are looking into who shot Preston and dumped his body. BELLEVUE, IA (IRN) – A man from the Jackson County town of Bellevue died from multiple stab wounds, according to the State Medical Examiner’s Office, which performed an autopsy Tuesday. Authorities have ruled the death of James Remakel a homicide. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An arrest has been made in the robbery of a Des Moines bank. KCCI-TV reports 41-year-old Robert Hugen, of Indianola, is charged with second-degree robbery. Hugen allegedly handed a note to a Wells Fargo bank teller stating he was armed and demanding money, though no weapon was displayed. The teller complied and the suspect fled. The bank teller says the robber was wearing a thick layer of makeup to hide his identity. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – January in Iowa can be cold and dreary, but employees at a cabinet company in Waterloo are about to get a sunny reprieve from the winter doldrums, all thanks to the boss. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports the 800 employees of Bertch Cabinets will get a free trip to the Caribbean next month. Company President Gary Bertch says the trip is a reward for employees after the company met its goals for the year.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two juveniles have been arrested following a robbery of a Des Moines convenience store early Wednesday morning. WHO-TV reports the two suspects attempted to rob a Kum & Go around 3 a.m. before taking off in a stolen vehicle. The suspects abandoned the vehicle and tried to flee on foot, but were apprehended. CHARLES CITY, IA (IRN) – A child endangerment charge has been filed against an 18-year-old from Boone. KIMT-TV reports when Nathan Jacobson was taking care of a two-month old baby in October in Floyd County, the infant suffered multiple bruises on the face and head, subdural bleeding, retinal bleeding and an altered mental state. The baby had been dropped, shaken and slapped. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – After four traffic deaths over the holidays, the number of traffic deaths in Iowa this year is now 395, making 2016 the deadliest on Iowa roads since 2008, according to KCCI-TV. Sgt. Nathan Ludwig, with the Iowa State Patrol, says distracted driving is a big problem. He adds, “It’s just so hard to imagine what it would be like if people would put their phones down and pay attention to the road and look where they’re going.” CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Authorities investigated a potential bomb threat outside a Cedar Rapids day care yesterday, according to KCRG-TV. Someone called police after finding a suspicious package on a nearby bench. Police determined it wasn’t a threat, but won’t say what was inside. DEWITT, IA (IRN) – The DeWitt Police Department made sure one little girl got to have a merry Christmas after thieves stole all of her Christmas presents. KWQC-TV reports on December 23, Tiffany Lagrone discovered that someone had broken in and stolen Christmas gifts intended for her daughter, Molly. Several officers pitched in to buy Molly all new Christmas presents, and delivered them on Christmas Eve.

FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – Webster County authorities are looking into a death in Fort Dodge. WHO-TV reports man’s body was discovered in a field southwest of the city Monday. An autopsy is being performed to help confirm the identity and the manner of death. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Authorities in Cedar Rapids are working to determine how an ATM wound up in the middle of the Cedar River. KGAN-TV reports several ATM thefts were reported in the area recently. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A firefighter was injured Monday while battling a fire at a Des Moines tire shop. KCCI-TV reports the Des Moines Fire Department was called to a fire at Don’s Tire and Auto. The fire started as employees were working on a vehicle on a lift inside the building. All employees escaped the building safely, but one firefighter suffered non-life threatening injuries. GLADBROOK, IA (IRN) – A fire destroyed a rural Gladbrook home Monday, according to KCRG-TV. Firefighters battled wind gusts topping 30 miles per hour trying to get the fire under control. The home was a historic farm house. No one was hurt. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A 67-year-old Bettendorf woman has been accused of stealing more than $434,000 from her employer. KWWL-TV reports Joan Maureen Smith is accused of stealing from Chest and Vascular Surgery in Davenport while she worked there from 1989 to this year as officer manager. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The bowl game buzz is building for Iowa football fans as the Hawkeyes get ready for the Outback Bowl. WHO-TV reports the team left Monday, giving them exactly one week to gear up for their game against the Florida Gators, who are currently three point favorites. The Outback Bowl kickoff takes place on January 2nd at noon.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An Uber driver was arrested last week in Des Moines for driving under the influence. WOI-TV reports Jordan Lettow was seen driving the wrong-way on a one-way street. He had just picked up a passenger from downtown Des Moines. Police determined that his balance was impaired. Lettow admitted he had two glasses of scotch at dinner. Police found two unsealed bottles of scotch, meth and other drug accessories in the search. BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – Two people escaped a house fire in Burlington Christmas Day. KWQC-TV reports first responders were called to a report of flames coming from the basement. The chimney cleanout door apparently failed. Embers from an active fire in the living room fireplace were determined to have flowed out of the ash collection box in the basement onto combustibles. BLAIRSBURG, IA (IRN) – A Clarion woman was killed in a car crash two days after she graduated from the University of Northern Iowa. KCCI-TV reports 24-year-old Andrea Matul lost control on a slush-covered highway, crossed the centerline and hit another vehicle near Blairsburg, in Hamilton County. Matul was born in Guatemala but moved to the United States in 2000 and graduated from Clarion High School in 2011. VAN HORNE, IA (IRN) – A 24-year-old man is facing charges for a shooting in Van Horne that sent a Belle Plaine man to the hospital. KCRG-TV reports Steele Unkrich faces numerous charges in the Christmas Day shooting. Police say Unkrich and the victim know each other. ATLANTIC, IA (IRN) – A new ethanol plant is set to open in southwest Iowa under an agreement between Cass County officials and a private company. The Daily Nonpareil in Council Bluffs reports the plant northwest of Atlantic is expected to bring at least 49 jobs to the area. Construction is set to begin in early 2017, with the planT opening around June 2018. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – One Des Moines East Village organization helped out those in need this holiday season. Joppa Outreach, a faith-based organization in Des Moines that relies on volunteers to help the homeless, partnered with Gusto Pizza to deliver meals around the community Christmas Day. They also handed out winter supplies like clothing, heaters, and propane for those who may need a little help staying warm in the cold weather.