Iowa Radio News

GRUNDY CENTER, IA (IRN) – The Grundy Center Spartans are the 2022-23 recipient of the National Football Foundation’s Hatchell Cup and are recognized as the top academic-performing team in the U.S. The award is given for excellence in the classroom, on the field, and in the community. Grundy Center had a perfect record this past football season, including a Class A championship. Of the 43 players on the team, 40 made Honor Roll, and 14 had a perfect 4.0 GPA in the first trimester of the year. ROCK RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Rock Rapids man is in custody in South Dakota on Monday, accused of the murder of his mother at her home in Iowa last week. Nathaniel Kassel, 41, was arrested in Flandreau, South Dakota on Friday and charged with First Degree Murder for the death of his mother, Jody Duskin. OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – An Ottumwa man will avoid prison after shooting his wife with a crossbow. A judge suspended George Dennison’s 10-year prison sentence and gave him 5 years probation. Police say Dennison shot his wife while she slept following an argument last August. The bolt struck his wife in the hand, narrowly missing her head. She sustained minor injuries and was treated and released from the hospital. JOHNSON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources wants to know who’s responsible for illegally dumping 13 coyote carcasses in a Johnson County ditch. The carcasses were found Saturday. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The University of Iowa is hosting a free watch party on Friday for the women’s national semifinal basketball game. The Hawks will play number 1 seed South Carolina. This is the Hawk’s first Final Four trip since 1993.

NORWALK, IA (IRN) – A Norwalk woman accused of killing her newborn has pleaded not guilty. Police say 25-year-old Megan Staude gave birth to the baby boy inside a rundown house and left him in a box without care for days. Investigators believe her father, 64-year-old Rodney Staude, put the child in a trash bag alive and left him to die in a ditch. The suspects each face first-degree murder charges and are in jail on $1 million bond. PLEASANT HILL, IA (IRN) – A man was arrested Friday night for allegedly hitting a child with his car as the child was getting off a school bus that afternoon. The child was transported to a nearby hospital with injuries. The extent of the child’s injuries and their condition is unknown. The man had fled the scene and faces multiple charges. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A partisan agenda this legislative session doesn’t appear to be impacting the support enjoyed by Governor Kim Reynolds. The latest Des Moines Register Iowa Poll finds the Governor’s approval rating at 50%. That’s down only slightly from October. SEATTLE, WA (IRN) – For the first time in 30 years, the Hawkeyes are headed to the Final Four. Iowa led by as many as 22 points in the fourth quarter and blasted Louisville 97-83 in the Regional Final Sunday. All-American Caitlin Clark had a historic night, notching the first 40-point triple-double in NCAA Tournament history. Clark dazzled the nation with 41 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists. Iowa will face either South Carolina or Maryland Friday night in Dallas.

O’BRIEN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa man was arrested in South Dakota Friday on a first degree murder warrant in connection to the homicide of a Sheldon woman. Nathanial Byron Kessel, 41, was arrested in Flandreau, South Dakota. CORALVILLE, IA (IRN) – Northwest Junior High School in Coralville was evacuated for the second time in two days Friday after receiving a bomb threat. The threats come amid a Twitter barrage directed at the school on a right-wing account called Libs of TikTok, accusing it of having the title “This Book is Gay” that it said promotes “gay sex and encourages the use of sex apps.” ANKENY, IA (IRN) – It may take a few years, but the Iowa Department of Transportation will add a third traffic lane in both directions on I-35 between Ankeny and Ames. The construction will take five years and cost approximately $150 million. SEATTLE, WA (IRN) – The Colorado Buffaloes charged hard, but the Hawkeyes had the answer: Caitlin Clark. The All-American megastar lit up the scoreboard for 31 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds as Iowa advanced to the Elite Eight with an 87-77 win Friday night in Seattle. Colorado led 40-39 at the half, but the Hawkeyes charged in the third quarter. Iowa went on a 15-2 run to open up a double-digit lead. In the fourth, Clark hit a 3-pointer from the midcourt logo that had the crowd on its feet. She shot 11-for-22 overall and 4-of-9 from three.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Police have arrested two teenagers in the death of a 16-year-old in Cedar Rapids. The shooting happened February 18th, and when officers responded they found 16-year-old Michael McCune had been shot and killed. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Gov. Kim Reynolds signed SF 482 into law Wednesday afternoon, which requires anyone in an Iowa school, including students, staff, parents and visitors, to only use restrooms and other changing areas that correspond with the biological sex listed on their official birth certificate. The bill was written to take effect immediately, leaving Iowa schools with less than 24 hours to comply with the new law. ANAMOSA, IA (IRN) – Yesterday marks two years since a nurse and correction officer were killed after two inmates tried to escape from the Anamosa State Penitentiary. Now, two years after the killings of nurse Lorena Schulte and correctional officer Robert MacFarland, union leaders are still warning about the persistent crisis in Iowa’s prisons. Union leaders say the conditions continue to worsen under the administration of Governor Kim Reynolds IOWA (IRN) – The northern lights, officially known as aurora borealis, were visible throughout Central Iowa Thursday night and Friday morning. The National Weather Service says it was caused by a “severe geomagnetic storm” that affected the Earth’s magnetic field.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – One person was killed early Thursday morning in a house fire on the south side of Des Moines. A man died and a woman escaped the fire. The identity of the man has not been released. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The home didn’t have working smoke detectors. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – On Wednesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed several bills into law, including two major bills impacting transgender Iowans. One law will restrict which bathrooms transgender Iowans can use. The law will now require students only use bathrooms or locker rooms that correspond with the sex listed on their birth certificate. The other will ban gender transition procedures for anyone under the age of 18. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Police have arrested two people in connection to a burglary at a Cedar Rapids business earlier this month. They stole more than $200,000 worth of property from the business. Several vehicles and about 20 DJI-brand drones were stolen. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Hawkeye women’s basketball team left Wednesday afternoon for Seattle for the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. The Hawkeyes, a 2 seed in Seattle 4 Region, play Colorado, a 6 seed, on Friday night at 6:30. If Iowa wins, they will play the winner of Friday’s game between (8) Ole Miss and (5) Louisville on Sunday. LOS ANGLES, CA (IRN) – An Oskaloosa man and lifelong superfan of “Wheel of Fortune” spun and won. As a child, Cory Houser dressed up as the “wheel” with Christmas lights, and after Halloween, he put the “Wheel” on a lazy Susan and hosted “Wheel of Fortune” games around the kitchen table with his family. Houser’s parents created business cards that said, “Your Game Show Host, Cory Houser,” for his birthday. Houser won $86,000 in cash and prizes, including a Ford GT supercar and a trip to Barbados.