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.

PANORA, IA (IRN) – A Nebraska infant drowned in a rented condo at Lake Panorama last week. Raccoon Valley Radio reports the infant drowned at the Clover Ridge Resort. When Panora Rescue arrived on scene they found 21-month-old Sawyer Madsen floating in the bathtub. The child and her four year-old sibling were reported to have been left in the bathtub with the water running. The family was at the resort to celebrate Thanksgiving.

GALT, IA (IRN) – The mother of a two-year-old girl who was found outside in the rain in the northern Iowa town of Galt last week has been arrested. 24-year-old Ysable Ceplecha of Eagle Grove is charged with neglect or abandonment of a dependent person. KCCI-TV reports at the time she was found, the child was wearing only pajamas and no shoes. Officers also took Ceplecha’s one-year-old child into protective custody.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man rescued from a burning home Tuesday morning by a newspaper delivery man has been flown to Iowa City for treatment of his burns. WHO-TV reports Doug Ribeiro was delivering papers when he noticed the smoke and flames. He started pounding on the home’s door and was able to help the man outside. The home is a total loss.

CLINTON, IA (IRN) – Police have identified two Clinton men as the missing boaters they have been searching for on the Mississippi River. WQAD-TV reports the boaters, Tyler Steeg and Keegan Rasmussen – both age 22, were reported missing on Saturday when their boat was found empty. The search continues.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Transportation is asking the state for more money for snow plows this year because it wants to replace them more frequently. KCRG-TV reports the DOT normally replaces 60 trucks each year, but it’s asking for funding to replace 75 this year. They want to shift to replacing trucks every 12 years rather than every 15 to lower maintenance costs. There are more than 900 trucks in the fleet.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A series of small tornadoes appeared suddenly Monday afternoon in northern Iowa, reportedly touching down near the towns of Radcliffe, Zearing, Grundy Center and Parkersburg. Tornadoes were also seen near New Sharon, and further south in Davis County. The National Weather Service reports most of the damage occurred near Radcliffe in Hardin County. No one was injured.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The University of Iowa says a $45 million donation will fund a center to research diseases that affect the brain and nervous system. The center will bring together researchers from across campus, including biologists, computer scientists and engineers. The gift comes from the university’s largest donor, the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust.