IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa City business owner is accused of assaulting and sexually abusing an employee last month.  KCRG-TV reports 49-year-old Donald E. Born, of Solon, owner of Iowa Business Supply, allegedly grabbed the woman by the back of her head and smashed her face into her desk multiple times and then punched her in the face at least four times, before sexually assaulting her. Born faces multiple felony charges.

STORY COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The National Association of Counties has recognized Story County with one of its annual Achievement Awards for the county’s strategic planning program. The county is being recognized for their plan that set the groundwork for programs and initiatives including a bridge maintenance plan, equipment replacement plan, and the consolidation of county assessments, among other accomplishments.

DES MOINES (IRN) – A second longtime patient has died shortly after being transferred out of the state mental hospital at Clarinda, according to the Des Moines Register. The Clarinda facility was closed last month as part of a controversial move by Gov. Terry Branstad. Critics have accused Branstad of moving too quickly to shift care of the patients, including fragile, elderly Iowans who were in the geriatric psychiatry program at Clarinda.

DES MOINES (IRN) – A Pleasant Hill man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison on federal child pornography charges. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa sentenced Corey Lee Steffen, 37, Monday. Steffen was caught in 2012 at the Pleasant Hill Public Library using its internet connection to collect and distribute child pornography on his laptop computer.

HIAWATHA, IA (IRN) – Lawmakers are calling for a special legislative session after Governor Terry Branstad vetoed $55 million in funds for Iowa schools.  KWWL-TV reports Democratic lawmakers from Linn County and supporters gathered Monday night at Hiawatha Elementary School. They want Republicans to join them in overriding the veto. Support from 2/3 of the legislature is necessary.

OSKALOOSA, IA (IRN) – An Oskaloosa company is lighting up the Statue of Liberty, according to KCCI-TV. Musco Lighting has lit up Mount Rushmore, Ground Zero, the White House and many sports venues. New LED lights worth hundreds of thousands of dollars donated by the company will debut at dusk tonight on Liberty Island.

JOHNSTON, IA (IRN) – The National Weather Service reports that smoke from Canadian wildfires descended to ground level over much of northwest Iowa Monday evening. They advise that anyone with breathing difficulties as well as the very young and elderly avoid going outside until the smoke clears.

CEDAR RAPIDS (IRN) – The trial is scheduled to begin today for the Midamar Corp. founder accused of orchestrating a halal beef export scheme in which products bound for Malaysia and Indonesia were mislabeled and documents falsified to deceive USDA inspectors.  The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports William Aossey, 73, of Cedar Rapids faces multiple charges of conspiracy, fraud, and money laundering. Halal beef is beef butchered according to Islamic law.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police made an arrest in a bank robbery Monday about 30 minutes after it happened. KCCI-TV reports the robbery was at the Bankers Trust location near Southridge Mall. Witnesses report the man walked inside the bank and demanded money. Police found 47-year-old Joe Mitchell Pendergrass in a nearby Walmart store with the stolen money and a GPS tracker that was in with the money.

WAYLAND, IA (IRN) – One person was transported by Air Care after a motorcycle accident near Wayland just after midnight on Sunday. KCII-radio reports the driver of the motorcycle, Donald Joe Harris of Crawfordsville, hit a deer.

WAUPETON, IA (IRN) – A 2-year-old girl from Waterloo died after being pulled from the Mississippi River on Saturday among some islands near Waupeton, Iowa. The Dubuque Tribune Herald reports the family of Bryle Morgan had removed her life jacket in preparation for a group photo when they noticed she was missing.

LOGAN, IA (IRN) – Police and witnesses told KETV in Omaha that a woman was killed in a hit-and-run crash near Logan-Magnolia High School in western Iowa on Saturday night. Witnesses said someone pulled out of the high school parking lot, erratically spinning the car’s tires at about the time the woman was struck and killed. Authorities have identified a suspect and impounded the vehicle.

DAVENPORT IA (IRN) – One person is dead after an RV from Tennessee hit a pedestrian, a gas pump, and two vehicles at the Flying J Truck Stop in Davenport on Saturday. KQAD-TV reports Mary LeMay, 74, of Centerville, Tennessee was standing outside of the RV guiding the driver – her husband – into a parking space at the time of the accident. Her husband was taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation.

MADISON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A man was seriously injured Saturday night when he was hit with a firework. KCCI-TV reports that 28-year-old James Saenogaroun suffered from injuries on his face, neck and arm after being struck by a mortar-type firework at a residence north of Winterset. Charges are pending.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Two people were killed after an accident on Interstate 80 in Davenport early this morning, according to KQAD-TV. Three people were ejected from the vehicle, and a third person is in critical condition. I-80 eastbound was closed for hours for the investigation.

DES MOINES (IRN) – Elevated fine particle pollution levels were recorded following fireworks displays in Davenport on July 4, according to the Department of Natural Resources.  Weather conditions created a situation in which smoke from the fireworks was able to remain suspended in an area for an extended period of time.

TAMA COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A rollover crash in Tama County put seven people, including five children, in the hospital Saturday. The Iowa State Patrol reports a car was northbound on Highway 63 south of Traer, when it went off the highway, over-corrected, went back onto the highway, and then into a ditch where it rolled several times. The victims are from Ottumwa.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) –  Authorities with the Iowa Department of Corrections said Jared Evan Brooks, 20, escaped from a Waterloo work release facility Saturday.  KCCI-TV reports Brooks’ is serving time for three counts of willful injury causing serious injury and intimidation with a dangerous weapon.

CORALVILLE, IA (IRN) – A Coralville man was arrested after a probation violation according to the Iowa City Press-Citizen. A probation officer was conducting a residence check Wednesday at the home of Ryan Leigh Ransom, 29. Ransom told the officer that no one else was inside his home. The officer then found a woman hidden in a suitcase, with drug paraphernalia inside of her bra. A no contact order was in place between Ransom and the woman.

FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – Fort Dodge Police are investigating a Saturday stabbing in Fort Dodge, according to the Des Moines Register. Police were dispatched to Village Green Trailer Court to a report of a stabbing. The victim, Andy Trusty, 34, was found inside his trailer home with a stab wound to the torso. Police have identified a suspect and are continuing to investigate. Trusty’s injuries are non-life threatening.

ALLAMAKEE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – An 18-year-old girl was killed after being thrown from her vehicle in a rollover crash Saturday morning. KWWL-TV reports the crash happened in rural Allamakee County, just north of Waukon. Police say she lost control of her vehicle, went into a ditch, and rolled over multiple times before being ejected.  Her name has not been released.

BETTENDORF, IA (IRN) – An 18-year-old man was shocked with electricity while setting up for Bettendorf’s 4th of July concert, according to WHBF-TV. On Friday afternoon the employee of a food vendor was on top of a trailer attempting to hang a flag from a metal pole. The pole came in contact with a power line. The man was shocked and fell approximately 15 feet to the ground. His name and condition has not been released.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids police officers responded to two calls Friday night that left a person in both incidents injured. KCRG-TV reports one person was stabbed outside of a restaurant, and another person was shot shortly afterward in another part of town. The injuries were non-life threatening, and police are investigating.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A Palo man has been arrested on warrants related to a burglary and stalking case on the University of Iowa campus, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette. Mark C. Spicer, 20, was charged Friday after he was found pretending to sleep in a car parked across the street from a residence that he has been barred from being near due to a protective order.

CLEAR LAKE, IA (IRN) – A Newton teen was taken to the hospital after hitting a wave while riding an inner tube on Clear Lake Friday. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports Madison Dlouhy, 18, was riding in a tube being pulled by a boat, and fell off after hitting a wave. Her condition has not been released.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The University of Iowa is moving forward with the Grant Wood Art Colony at Wood’s former home in Iowa City, according to the Iowa City Press Citizen. Grant Wood is one of Iowa’s most well-known artists, perhaps best known for his painting, American Gothic. Officials say the colony provides residences for visiting artists, and serves to promote the arts and culture of the Midwest.