DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two children who police say were abducted by their biological mother have been found unharmed, according to KCCI-TV. The children’s mother, Mary Purcell, had had her parental rights terminated. Family said she told them she would hide the children forever, and if someone tried to get the boys from her, she would end it for all three of them.

TAMA COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Two people were killed in a car crash in Tama late Friday night, including a man who was running from police. WHO-TV reports Troy Marvin was trying to flee when his car broadsided a second vehicle at an intersection, causing both vehicles to roll and hit a utility pole. The driver of the second car has been identified as Ian Halverson.

CRESCENT, IA (IRN) – A Council Bluffs man is dead after crashing his car into a ditch along Interstate 680 near Crescent, Iowa. KETV reports 61-year-old Rodney Smith crossed all lanes of traffic and crashed into the ditch, rolling his car.

BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – A Burlington man accused of refusing to let his 16-year-old girlfriend leave and then using a machete and skateboard to attack her has been sentenced to life in prison without parole, according to the Hawk Eye. 21-year-old Dakota Poland was sentenced Friday. When allowed to speak Poland told prosecutors that what they’d done to him would be on their shoulders for the rest of their lives.

MARION, IA (IRN) – Marion Police are looking for a man they say robbed a convenience store. KCRG-TV reports a man wearing a backpack, camouflage mask, black pants, and a dark blue jacket with stripes robbed the Hawkeye Convenience Store Friday morning. He displayed a handgun and then fled on foot with cash. No one was hurt during the robbery.

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL (IRN) – An eyewitness to Friday’s mass shooting at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport in Florida says a Council Bluffs couple were among the victims. WCCO-TV reports an interview with a man at the scene who says he comforted a woman from Council Bluffs who was on vacation when she was shot in the neck. He says the woman’s husband was shot in the head and died. His account of events in the terminal have not been confirmed.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An Amber Alert was issued Friday night for two Des Moines children who were abducted by their biological mother. 11-year-old Morgan Griffin and 12-year-old Landon Griffin were last seen with Mary Purcell, whose parental rights have been terminated. One of the children has medical issues that need ongoing attention. Authorities believe Purcell is driving a gold or brown 2003 Chevrolet Suburban and heading to Oregon.

OSCEOLA, IA (IRN) – The Clarke County Development Corporation is eyeing a new strategy to spur residential development in Osceola by offering a deal developers may find almost too good to be true. WHO-TV reports the corporation has entered into an agreement with the city to give “shovel-ready” lots away for free to developers who are interested.

OUTER SPACE (IRN) – Iowa native and NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson made history Friday as she took her seventh spacewalk outside the International Space Station, which puts her in a tie for the most spacewalks ever made by a female astronaut. KCCI-TV reports that Whitson, who was born in Mount Ayr, is on her third long-duration mission to the International Space Station. She has spent more than a year of her life in zero gravity and almost 40 hours on spacewalks over the last 15 years.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa’s maximum-security prison for male offenders will have the first female warden in its 178-year history, according to KCCI-TV. The Board of Corrections approved the appointment of department veteran Patti Wachtendorf as warden of Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison. Wachtendorf has been warden at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville, the state’s prison for female offenders, since 2009.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – Flames spread from the kitchen of a Council Bluffs restaurant to the roof Friday morning, according to KETV. Smoke and flames caused considerable damage at the Salty Dog Bar and Grill shortly before 5 a.m. No injuries were reported.

OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – A microwave gets the blame for a Thursday morning apartment fire that sent two Ottumwa residents to the hospital. KTVO-TV reports two residents in the apartment complex were sleeping at the time and suffered smoke inhalation. They were treated at a local hospital and released.

OSCEOLA, IA (IRN) – A four-month-long investigation of an Osceola Ford dealer has led to charges of theft. WHO-TV reports 61-year-old Will Reisinger of Anchor Motors was arrested last week. State investigators say he was caught trying to steal more than $16,000 by making fraudulent claims of warranty work to the Ford Motor Company.

NORTH LIBERTY, IA (IRN) – Three Kmart stores in Iowa will be closing, according to KCRG-TV. They are in Waterloo, Sioux City, and Dubuque. Competition from online businesses has decreased profitability.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Legislature will consider voter ID this session. Republican Secretary of State Paul Pate announced the voter ID legislation yesterday. The bill calls for all registered Iowans to have a voter ID in order to cast a ballot at polling sites. A driver’s license, passport, or military ID would work. For voters without those, the state will issue a free voter ID card. Pate says voter fraud isn’t a problem in Iowa, but he doesn’t want it to be a problem in the future.

PRINCETON, IA (IRN) – A driver has been taken to a hospital after the front of his vehicle was struck by a train. WQAD-TV reports the accident happened in Princeton in Scott County. A person driving a Dodge Journey attempted to cross the railroad tracks from a private drive when the train struck the front of the vehicle.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines daycare provider faces child endangerment charges after two children in her care were attacked by dogs. KCCI-TV reports 33-year-old Melissa Anderson is charged with two counts of child endangerment with bodily injury. Court documents indicate twin children were attacked by a dog, or more than one dog, in her home while under her care.

CLARION, IA (IRN) – A Clarion man has been charged with sexual exploitation of a child, receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography related to incidents with a minor Mason City female. KIMT-TV reports the charges allege that between 2012 and 2016, 24-year-old Jonathan Sebert produced, received and possessed child pornography.

GLENWOOD, IA (IRN) – Six workers were fired and another six resigned from a state home for those with intellectual disabilities after an investigation. The investigation found seven residents at Glenwood were physically abused and another 13 were abused verbally or neglected. The DHS says the abuse included hitting residents, denying them personal care, allowing peers to be aggressive with them, teasing them and speaking to them abusively.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids based manufacturer announced it’s eliminating some employee positions as part of a restructuring. KCRG-TV reports Tom Pientok, the president and CEO of Apache, Inc. says the cuts are necessary because of a downturn in agriculture and industrial business. Apache makes hose, belting, cut and molded rubber, and industrial consumer products.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Democrat Rich Leopold, an ecologist and former director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says he plans to run for governor in 2018. The 52-year-old Leopold holds degrees in animal ecology, biology and natural resources technology. Declaring himself a political outsider tired of divisive partisan politics, he says Iowans deserve a governor who has backbone and character and who will be candid, transparent and fair.