PARKERSBURG, IA (IRN) – Two Parkersburg people are dead following a crash involving a semi. KCRG-TV reports the crash happened around 6:30 p.m. Friday on Highway 14 in Parkersburg. 75-year-old Dennis Bartels was stopped on the shoulder of the road checking the mail when he pulled out into oncoming traffic. A semi broadsided his vehicle. Both Bartels and 73-year-old Sharon Bartels were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the semi was not hurt.

BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – A man who police arrested on drug and weapons charges after a hit and run accident Thursday in Burlington has escaped from police custody. KBUR-radio reports 21-year-old Antoine Lamont Tellis ran away from court security after the Judge increased his bond. Law enforcement was unable to locate him after his escape. He is considered armed and dangerous.

MADISON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A large structure fire burned down a horse barn Friday evening in Madison County. KCCI-TV reports when firefighters arrived at the location near Cumming, they found a barn at the Maffitt Lake Equestrian Center engulfed in flames with smoke billowing into the sky. 29 horses were inside the barn at the time of the fire, and 28 escaped and have been found; one horse remains at large.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Another Iowan has been identified as having the Zika virus. The Iowa Department of Public Health identified the patient only as an adult female. She had recently traveled to Mexico, one of the areas where the mosquito borne illness is prevalent. All 19 Iowans diagnosed this year have traveled to known Zika-affected areas. None of the 13 women who’ve tested positive for the disease were pregnant. The virus causes birth defects.

LU VERNE, IA (IRN) – A north Iowa family suspects their dog, Sammy, of starting a fire that destroyed their kitchen. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports Mike Nilles, of Lu Verne, says he found 3-foot flames climbing up his kitchen cabinets. Nilles turned off the stove and alerted his wife. The couple then helped their 2-year-old daughter and four dogs escape. Nilles suspects their dog Sammy jumped onto the gas stove, and pushed the stove’s nob into the ignite position. Sammy’s a Weimaraner.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A child injured in a car accident two weeks ago in Des Moines has died. KCCI-TV reports 46-year old Soe Reh was speeding when he collided with two cars.
Reh’s three year old son, David, was in the backseat at the time of the crash. Soe Reh died at the hospital later that day. David had been hospitalized in critical condition since the crash, but died yesterday.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – An Iowa man who was found with roughly 500,000 images of child pornography has been sentenced to prison. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that 60-year-old Forrest Lynn Rindels of Waterloo was given a five-year prison sentence Thursday.

PELLA, IA (IRN) – A pickup truck crashed through the front doors of the Pella Walmart yesterday morning. KNIA/KRLS Radio reports there are three fatalities and an unknown number of injuries. Witnesses say the truck was traveling at a high rate of speed, and Walmart employees were among those killed. Names have not been released.

BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – One man is in custody following a vehicle accident caused by an erratic driver in Burlington. WQAD-TV reports an officer had spotted and was trying to catch up with the vehicle, which was several blocks ahead. The driver then ran a stop sign and collided with a truck and a light pole. 21-year-old Antoine Tellis tried to climb out of the vehicle’s window while armed with a handgun. Tellis was taken into custody by the officer with the help of two bystanders.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Transamerica, a holding company for life insurance companies and investment firms, will be laying off 120 people in Cedar Rapids. KGAN-TV reports 800 jobs are being cut nationwide. The cuts come as part of a cost-reduction plan. Those affected by the cuts will be offered separation packages and job placement services.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A committee has decided to keep a book some say is too racy for use in a Dubuque high school class. KCRG-TV reports “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is required reading for an Advanced Placement literature class at Hempstead High School. Some parents have complained about the book’s sex scenes and depictions of drugs and alcohol use. The teacher will provide an alternative book if students or their parents request it.

DES MOINES, IA – Hollywood star and native-Iowan Ashton Kutcher has been named the recipient of 2017’s Robert D. Ray Pillar of Character Award. The award honors someone who demonstrates good character as a role model and reflects former Gov. Robert D. Ray’s lifelong commitment to civility and character development. Past recipients include Norman Borlaug, Hayden Fry, and Dan Gable.

PELLA, IA (IRN) – A pickup truck crashed through the front doors of the Pella Walmart this morning. KNIA/KRLS Radio reports there are three fatalities and an unknown number of injuries.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police were called to a report of a bank robbery at the Bank of America at East Army Post Road this morning. KCCI-TV reports the teller told police the suspect showed a gun and demanded money. The robber was in and out of the bank in less than a minute, and left with an undisclosed amount of cash.

OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – An 18-year-old Ottumwa man has been charged in connection with the shooting of a 16-year-old. WHO-TV reports the victim suffered a gunshot wound to the head, and is in critical condition. Venhure Tsegay has been charged with attempted murder.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A car crashed into a Casey’s General Store Wednesday in Des Moines, according to KCCI-TV. The driver lost control of the car, it went through a brick wall, left skid marks on the floor, then crashed into the cooler at the back of the store where it finally stopped. The driver of the vehicle and two Casey’s customers were injured.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa City man is facing felony burglary charges for breaking into an apartment for a Wi-Fi password. KGAN-TV reports a woman found 27-year-old Christopher Cummings inside her apartment. Cummings is her upstairs neighbor who had asked for the password before, and she told him he couldn’t have it. He told police he had broken into the apartment so he could get the password. If convicted, he could serve five years in prison.

MUSCATINE, IA (IRN) – A Muscatine man has donated more than five tons of food to a local food drive. WQAD-TV reports Troy ‘Stinky’ Philpott dropped off 11,400 pounds of food Wednesday. Philpott collects all the food during his annual haunted house, which he creates in his own home. ‘Stinky’s House of Horrors’ takes over his garage, basement, living room and kitchen, and the only cost to enter is a non-perishable food item. Philpott says the line to get in often stretches down the block.

MUSCATINE, IA (IRN) – A Muscatine elementary school was vandalized over the weekend. The name “Trump,” the letters “KKK” and racial slurs were spray-painted on the building. WQAD-TV reports police are looking for the person or persons responsible.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids man was arrested after child pornography was found on his cell phone while the phone was being repaired. KWWL-TV reports employees of the repair shop were fixing 33-year-old Jeremy Rodriguez’s cell phone when they inadvertently found child pornographic images. Rodriguez was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor.

ONAWA, IA (IRN) – An Ankeny man accused of trying to lure a 6-year-old girl into his car faces several charges. The Des Moines Register reports 56-year-old Jeff Lee Altmayer approached the girl Wednesday on an Onawa street and offered her $100 to get in his car. Another child screamed, and neighbors confronted Altmayer. Altmayer told them he was a police officer and was armed, then drove off. Troopers stopped Altmayer south of Onawa, and he was arrested.

ANKENY, IA (IRN) – An Ankeny man has been charged with first-degree murder and felony child endangerment, according to KCCI-TV. 29-year-old Michael Anthony Lourens was charged after a 9-month-old girl suffered traumatic brain injuries at a Polk County home. Lourens told deputies he accidentally rolled over the child, causing her head to hit the floor. Police don’t believe it was an accident. Lourens was also charged with failure to register as a sex offender.

CHARLES CITY, IA (IRN) – An SUV and a train collided in North Iowa Tuesday in Charles City, according to KIMT-TV. The single brush-cutting train car was derailed in the crash and the SUV suffered significant front end damage. One person was injured. The Charles City Police Department says the lights and arms at the crossing did not activate, which is normal when only one train car is passing through.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids Police say the usual holiday warnings about locking your cars and burglar-proofing your home comes with a twist this year. KCRG-TV reports the number of forgery cases doubled this year. Thieves are snatching checks from checkbooks. They won’t take the top few checks, and people might not know the checks are missing for weeks, which gives thieves time to forge and pass the checks.