IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa Department of Public Safety employee who helped draft a proposal to buy handguns for officers tipped off Smith & Wesson about the timing of the bidding process and was exploring a job with the gun company at the same time, according to the Des Moines Register. The employee, Ken Paradise, went to work for Smith & Wesson after retiring. An investigation is ongoing to see if state law has been violated. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Racing at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids came to an early end Friday night after a last-lap accident sent one racer to the hospital with critical injuries. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports cars were coming to the checkered flag when a car driven by Sammy Smith spun and stalled. Fellow racer Joan Feller hit him head-on. Feller was found unresponsive. Her condition is unknown. ALTOONA, IA (IRN) – A 12-mile chase at speeds over 100mph on Interstate 80 near Altoona has resulted in an arrest. KCCI-TV reports Altoona police arrested Hank Lee Benson, 27, Friday morning.  Officers first responded to a car accident where Benson had crashed into a ditch, when he took off.  He faces multiple charges, including driving while barred. The state has taken away his driver’s license nine times. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Money is missing from the Scott County Sheriff’s Office.  WQAD-TV reports that “irregularities” were found in some accounts that were tended to by a former employee. The Davenport Police Department and an auditing firm are investigating. DES MOINES (IRN) – The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is warning of a scam targeting Iowans by misrepresenting the Department. Iowans have been receiving threatening phone calls from scammers posing to be employees of the Department.  The scammers claim there are active arrest warrants issued and demand money to avoid being arrested.  The DCI says if you receive such a call, contact law enforcement, and do not send money.

CORALVILLE, IA (IRN) – A Coralville man has been arrested for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a pizza restaurant he managed. The Iowa City Press Citizen reports Samuel Rainey, 32, has been charged with first-degree theft for pocketing deposit money from the restaurant. Rainey was a night manager at Domino’s Pizza, and is accused of stealing over $20,000 in cash. DECORAH, IA (IRN) – Two Minnesota motorcyclists were injured Thursday in a northeast Iowa accident. KIMT-TV reports 55-year-old Dale Christopherson and 60-year-old James Nelson, both of Ostrander, MN, were northbound on Highway 150, north of Festina, when a sedan in front of them started to make a turn. Both slowed to avoid a crash, but lost control. Their motorcycles collided and the drivers were thrown. Both were hospitalized. HARRISON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – More information has been released about a fatal hit and run that happened July 4th in the western Iowa town of Logan. Austin Arndt, 25, is charged with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of an accident. Dead is 50-year-old Charlotte Anderson, of Logan, who was discovered on the side of the road. WHO-TV reports Arndt has admitted to drinking 14 to 16 beers while at a bar prior to the accident. He says he “wasn’t 100% sure what he hit but his gut told him he hit a person.” JASPER COUNTY, IA (IRN) – One person has been killed and two others injured after a crash in Jasper County east of Colfax Thursday afternoon. The Iowa State Patrol reports 32-year-old Mandy Matlock of Prairie City was driving eastbound when she crossed the center line and struck an oncoming car. The other driver, 83-year-old Joanne Hunter of Newton, died at the scene. WORTH COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The parents of a man who died in 2013 shortly after Worth County deputies tased him 15 times has filed a lawsuit for “punitively and sadistically” using excessive force. The Des Moines Register reports deputies were attempting to subdue Michael Zubrod, 39, of Northwood. Deputies say the force was necessary. Zubrod suffered from mental illness, was on meth, and was striking his girlfriend in the head with a hammer when they arrived on scene. NEVADA, IA (IRN) – A missing 12-year-old boy from Nevada has been found safe, and returned to his parents. KCCI-TV reports Sebastian Akers was traveling with 18-year-old Zachary Hollenbeck, and the two were headed to Colorado. No additional information has been released. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Three people were shot overnight in Cedar Rapids in two separate incidents about an hour apart, according to KWWL-TV. No one was injured seriously. Police don’t know if the incidents are related, or if the persons shot were the intended targets. No arrests have been made. CEDAR RAPIDS — For the fourth year in a row, Iowa lottery sales totaled nearly $325 million, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette.  Over $74 million of those proceeds went to state causes such as the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund and Vision Iowa.  Des Moines topped sales with $49 million, followed by Cedar Rapids with $26 Million.  The biggest selling outlet? A Hy-Vee in Cedar Rapids.  

MITCHELL COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A bicyclist has died after being hit by a car in Mitchell County in northeast Iowa. The Iowa State Patrol says Grace Harken of Riceville was pedaling eastbound on Highway 218 Wednesday when the car struck her from behind. The driver, Courtney Johnson of Osage, pulled over to assist. Harken was taken to the hospital where she died of her injuries. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A worker with a Davenport tree company died Wednesday after being pulled into a wood-chipping machine. The Quad City Times reports no foul play is suspected. The victim’s name is not being released until family is notified. BOULDER, CO (IRN) – A Boulder, Colorado police officer shot and killed a stabbing suspect and 2010 Iowa City High graduate late Monday night. KWWL-TV reports a 911 caller said a man was high on LSD, and had attacked someone with a knife. When police arrived they found the suspect, later identified as 22-year-old Samuel Forgy, naked on a stairway railing, preparing to jump down on them. When a stun gun didn’t stop Forgy, an officer shot and killed him. LOGAN, IA (IRN) – A man has been charged in the Independence Day hit-and run death of a woman in the western Iowa town of Logan. KETV reports Austin Arndt, 25, turned himself in. A Logan Police officer located the body of Charlotte Anderson, 50, the evening of July 4 along the highway near Logan Magnolia High School. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Prosecutors have decided to drop a nearly 2-year-old case in Iowa City, according to KWWL. The case involved 53-year-old Ronald Williams, who allegedly followed a woman into a porta-potty at Kinnick Stadium in 2013 and tried to make her have sex with him. The case was dropped because of a speedy trial error. The victim says the dismissal is unjust, that she has gone through “hell,” and fears Williams will attack again. MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – The FBI says a robbery at the Iowa Heartland Credit Union in Mason City on Tuesday may have been the latest crime by the serial robber known as the “AK-47 Bandit.” KIMT-TV reports a customer reported that there was trouble at the bank, and when police arrived employees were all in the vault. He’s robbed banks in California, Idaho, Washington, Nebraska, and now Iowa. The man was armed with an AK-47 with a high capacity drum magazine. GUTTENBERG, IA (IRN) – The Iowa DNR and two federal agencies are investigating the source of a sheen reported Tuesday afternoon on the Mississippi River near Guttenberg. The DNR, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Coast Guard are looking for the pollution source. The DNR has notified downstream drinking water utilities in Davenport, Burlington and Keokuk. DES MOINES (IRN) – The Iowa Events Center has had its most successful year to date, with profits up more than 50 percent from last year, according to KCCI-TV. The complex is owned by Polk County, and County Supervisors accepted a $1.9 million check Wednesday. Big acts like the Dave Matthews Band and Comic Con contributed to the record-breaking year.

DES MOINES (IRN) – Bird flu restrictions are forcing a young magician to come up with new animals in his act, as the Iowa State Fair says he can’t use his pet doves because of the avian flu outbreak. That means 19-year-old Michael Osman – or Mike Oz on stage – can’t use his doves when he competes Aug. 13 in the Iowa State Fair Bill Riley Talent Search. Osman says he’s started experimenting with fish instead. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A man who fought extradition from Canada has pled guilty to charges he helped smuggle thousands of pounds of high-grade marijuana into the United States. The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier reports Jason Leonard Boyachek, 42, of Edmonton, Alberta, pled to a single count of conspiracy to distribute over 800 pounds of marijuana during a Monday appearance in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. He faces 10 years to life in prison. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) An Iowa man who pled guilty to torturing his roommate’s cat will not be going to prison, according to KCCI-TV. Instead, 21-year-old Leo Nopoulos was sentenced to probation after authorities say he tortured the animal for hours. Tom Colvin, the executive director of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, says probation is not enough. He wants Nopoulos to go to prison. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Strong storms moving through the state Tuesday evening produced heavy rain and caused over 7,000 homes and businesses in central Iowa to lose power. More than six inches of rain fell in Warren County. Flash flooding happened throughout the area, and flooding along Volunteer Creek in Carlisle caused the evacuation of several homes. Des Moines rainfall totalling 2.44 inches broke the record for that date set in 1892. DES MOINES (IRN) – A man in handcuffs ran away from a Polk County Deputy, but was later captured. The Deputy noticed a vehicle speeding in rural Polk County Tuesday, and pursued it until it struck a utility pole. After the driver, Maurice Daye, 27, of West Des Moines was placed into handcuffs, he broke free from the deputy’s grip and took off running on foot. He was apprehended shortly later without incident. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – A child riding a bike was injured Tuesday after being struck by a vehicle in Sioux City. The Sioux City Journal reports the driver failed to yield at a stop sign and struck the child. The child was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – University of Iowa officials are planning multi-million dollar projects for Kinnick Stadium, according to KCCI-TV. New stadium plazas and patios will be added, among other amenities. Plans call for a $35 to $45 million dollar upgrade. According to officials, the north stands are functionally obsolete. The request comes at a time when the school predicts a $3 million drop in football revenue for next season due to slow ticket sales.  

STONINGTON, CT (IRN) – A Council Bluffs man and his son have been killed in a tractor-trailer crash on Interstate 95 in Stonington, Connecticut. Police say 31-year-old Sergio Castellon, of Council Bluffs, and his 7-year-old son, Sergio, were pronounced dead at the scene Monday night. The truck struck a guardrail and bridge abutment. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A former field hockey coach who was fired at the University of Iowa last year has filed a state civil rights complaint. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that Tracey Griesbaum’s action is a step toward filing a lawsuit. Griesbaum said gender bias under athletics director Gary Barta led to her firing. The university denies the allegations CYLINDER, IA (IRN) – A 58-year-old Iowa man tried to rescue his son who was overcome by fumes in a hog manure pit, but both men later died. The Des Moines Register reports the accident occurred Saturday afternoon in the northwest Iowa town of Cylinder. Gene Opheim and his 32-year-old son, Austin, were making repairs when Austin was overcome by gases. His father then entered the pit to save his son but was also overcome. COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – Authorities have arrested two people for an illegal fireworks manufacturing operation at their home in Council Bluffs.  According to KETV, 55-year-old Craig Woodward and 22-year-old Katelyn Reynolds were arrested Monday afternoon, and were charged with manufacturing fireworks without a license. A large quantity of fuses and powder was found. DES MOINES (IRN) – Police are investigating the burglary of a church in Ankeny. WHO-TV reports the burglar caused several thousand dollars worth of damage Monday, and escaped with an unknown amount of money. Father Steve Orr of Our Lady`s Immaculate Heart Catholic Church has a message for him. Orr says if the burglar is that desperate, he needs help, and that’s what the church is for. You don’t need to burglarize the Church for it to help you. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) –  Close to 100 people rallied outside Iowa City Hall Monday evening demanding change after a video surfaced online of a black teen being forced to the ground during an arrest. The teen was playing at the recreation center when he didn’t comply with a police order. Iowa City Police are changing department policy as a result to use “verbal de-escalation techniques” when possible rather than force. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – The U.S. Marshals Service is looking for a fugitive from a work-release program. The Sioux City Journal reports Michael Euchner II, 25, is wanted for violation of his parole for sex abuse stemming from a 2009 conviction in Ida County. Euchner removed his GPS monitoring bracelet while at work and fled his place of employment in Sioux City. WASHINGTON, DC (IRN) – Iowa’s college graduation rates and loan default rates are better than most states, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The national average for students graduating within six years is just over half, at 55 percent, while Iowa is at 63 percent. The percentage of those who defaulted on student loans within three years is 5 percent, less than half the U.S. rate of 11 percent. For-profit colleges have the worst rates.