State News

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Tuesday, February 14, 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Republican Congressman Steve King has reintroduced a bill in Washington that would make English the official language of the United States. The English Language Unity Act would declare English as our official language and require all people seeking naturalization to pass an English test. OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – An Ottumwa man shot himself in the head while police were pursuing him. KTVO-TV reports police received a report that 22-year-old Zachary Lee Davidson had been seen walking along a city street. Davidson was wanted on outstanding arrest warrants. Police located him and he ran from officers to a residential yard where he got out a firearm and shot himself. He’s in critical condition. BENTON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – An elderly man and his son died in a fire in Benton County early this morning while a daughter was able to jump out a window. KCRG-TV reports the woman suffered injuries and was taken to a hospital. Firefighters are searching for a cause. RUNNELLS, IA (IRN) – One person died in a rollover crash that happened early Monday morning near Runnells in Polk County. When deputies arrived, they found a white Ford pickup with a trailer attached in the ditch upside down. Rescue crews began life-saving efforts, but the driver of the pickup died at the scene. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – More than 1,000 people packed a public hearing room at the Iowa Statehouse to protest Republican sponsored changes in the state’s collective bargaining law that would impact an estimated 184,000 state workers. WHO-TV reports critics dominated the two-hour public hearing. The bill takes away most of the issues unions can negotiate on behalf of their workers, except for wages. Republicans say they were elected to save taxpayer dollars. AMES, IA (IRN) – Iowa State University has lost an appeal in a federal free speech lawsuit. KCCI-TV reports the court ruled Monday that ISU administrators violated the First Amendment rights of two students who were officers of the ISU chapter of the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws. The students planned to print T-shirts depicting the school mascot and a marijuana leaf, but school officials claimed it violated the school’s trademark policy. The court ruled in favor of the students.


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Monday, February 13, 2017

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A woman was found dead at a Des Moines home after police were called to a stabbing early Monday morning. WHO-TV reports police were able to come up with a suspect vehicle description and a short time later the vehicle was spotted by Altoona police. The suspect fled and crashed on I-80 near Mitchellville. A man was found dead at the crash site. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – One person died and another was injured after a shooting at Hotel Davenport early Sunday morning. WQAD-TV reports both gunshot victims were taken to a local hospital. One was treated and released. The second victim was a 29-year-old man from Peoria, Illinois who was pronounced dead at the hospital. R&B artist Jacquees had been scheduled to perform at the hotel at 9 p.m., but concertgoers say he never showed up. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – What started as a report of a traffic accident in Des Moines Saturday quickly turned into a homicide investigation. WHO-TV reports police found 33-year-old Adriel Ward unconscious in his car, and suffering from a gunshot wound. He later died. Police say Ward’s injuries caused him to crash, and investigators found several bullet holes in his car. Police say evidence suggests Ward was an intentional target. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – The DCI is investigating an officer-involved shooting at a convenience store in Waterloo Sunday. KCRG-TV reports a gunman entered the convenience store and ordered everyone out of the store. Officers arrived and surrounded the store with the gunman still inside. A short time later, the gunman came out of the store firing his weapon. Police returned fire and at least one shot hit the gunman. CLINTON, IA (IRN) – A Clinton woman is in custody after attacking an antique store owner with a pickaxe. WQAD-TV reports 25-year-old Cassandra Doran faces multiple charges. Doran entered the store and began began breaking items with a pickaxe before striking the store owner several times. She then moved on to another store, where a person tackled and held her until police arrived. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – More than 1,000 people marched at the state Capitol Sunday for the March for Iowa’s Teachers rally, according to KCCI-TV. Republican legislators have proposed changes to the state’s collective bargaining law that would not allow teachers to negotiate collectively anything other than wages. State Senator Nate Boulton, a Democrat from Des Moines, says “we can’t silence teacher’s voices…”


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Sunday, February 12, 2017

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police are investigating a homicide that happened Saturday evening, according to KCCI-TV. Police initially responded to a report that a vehicle had run into a utility pole. They later discovered there was a shooting. One person was in the car when it crashed. The victim later died. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – On Saturday, pro-life Iowans joined protesters across the country as they took to the streets and sidewalks, rallying against Planned Parenthood and other abortion-providing clinics. WHO-TV reports a couple of dozen protesters in Des Moines offered quiet prayers in support of Republican legislators seeking to defund Planned Parenthood. Their opposition says taking money away from Planned Parenthood will only lead to more unplanned pregnancies. IOWA (IRN) – A slim majority of Iowans disagree with President Donald Trump’s executive order pausing refugee resettlement and barring travel to the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority countries. Fifty-one percent of respondents to the new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll disagree with the policy, which sparked massive demonstrations amid a chaotic rollout late last month and has since been put on hold by the federal courts. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The University of Iowa School of Music dedicated it’s new organ Friday with a marathon performance. KGAN-TV reports Kevin Bowyer, who many believe to be the greatest organist in the world, played Sorabji’s Second Symphony For Organ. It takes 8.5 hours to play in its entirety. Bowyer says he loves the piece, but is glad the performance is over. It’s the third time he has performed it, start to finish, and he doubts it will ever be played again in its entirety.


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Saturday, February 11, 2017

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Supreme Court has made it more difficult for police to ask questions or even ask for a driver’s license during routine traffic stops if there is no suspicion a crime has been committed. In a ruling Friday, the court overturned a 30-year-old Iowa legal precedent that said officers could ask drivers to produce their license even during routine stops where no violation has been committed. DENVER, IA (IRN) – A 27-year-old Iowa man was shot to death east of Denver. The Denver Post reports that Zackery Henderson, of Mason City, was pronounced dead about 3 a.m. Monday on the street. A homicide investigation has been launched, and no arrests have been made. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – A Sioux City police officer who fatally shot a South Dakota man during a traffic stop has been cleared. KCCI-TV reports officer Dylan Grimsley was justified in shooting 36-year-old Daniel Riedmann, of Dakota Dunes, South Dakota. Grimsley and his partner stopped Riedmann, who was considered armed and dangerous. Riedmann ignored the officer’s commands to show his hands. Grimsley shot him when Riedmann reached for something. A loaded handgun was found in the vehicle later. AMES, IA (IRN) – Iowa State University is leaving dozens of positions vacant because of state budget cuts. WHO-TV reports earlier this month, the Republican-led legislature signed off on more than $100 million in state budget cuts. Iowa State’s share is $8 million. The Ames Tribune reports the university will postpone on-campus improvements, and leave 45-50 currently unfilled positions vacant. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A dog that fishermen rescued from the Cedar River in Waterloo has a new home, according to KCRG-TV. The Cedar Bend Humane Society named the dog River and put her up for adoption when nobody claimed her after three days. Then one of the dog’s rescuers decided to take her home. Abby Cresap, with the Cedar Bend Humane Society says, “I think they kind of just fell in love with River right away.


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Friday, February 10, 2017

IOWA (IRN) – The sky will have a spectacular show tonight into Saturday morning with the full snow moon, an eclipse, and a comet. NASA reports the eclipse will be visible for most of North America. Also, Comet 45P will be its closest to Earth at 7.4 million miles away. The bright blue-green head with a tail will be visible around 3 a.m. Saturday in the constellation Hercules. Binoculars or a telescope will be helpful. IOWA (IRN) – Iowa no longer services or tracks the more than 700 self-help computer kiosk locations it installed to replace dozens of unemployment offices Gov. Terry Branstad closed in 2011, according to the Des Moines Register. The Iowa Workforce Development so far has been unable to say when the department discontinued the program. No public announcement was made, and board minutes do not reflect the issue was publicly discussed in the past two years. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – A Sioux City man has been sentenced to life in prison for the stabbing death of a 43-year-old woman. KCRG-TV reports Isack Abdinur stabbed Cornelia Stead 23 times in her Sioux City apartment, killing her. The two were romantically involved. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A former eastern Iowa police chief has pled guilty to charges of stealing a police weapon and lying to a federal agent. Multiple other charges were dropped. 47-year-old Jeffrey Filloon stole at least three firearms and four vehicles from the Tama Police Department while chief. He sold the guns to a pawn shop and the vehicles to a salvage yard. He faces up to 15 years in federal prison. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – One of the companies involved in Iowa’s new privately managed Medicaid system intends to reduce payments to agencies that serve people with disabilities. The Des Moines Register reports AmeriHealth Caritas plans to cut rates to the minimum. The cuts could drive some of the organizations that help tens of thousands of Iowans with disabilities out of business. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A bill advancing through the Iowa House would take away a county’s ability to set its own minimum wage. KCCI-TV reports the Republican bill would undo a year of study and debate by the Polk County Board of Supervisors after they decided to raise the county minimum wage, along with other counties. The bill would also reset the state minimum wage to $7.25 an hour.