Iowa Radio News

CALMAR, IA (IRN) – A semi crash resulted in the death of 12 cattle late Wednesday night near Calmar in Winneshiek County. The semi-driver attempted to get a jug of water from the passenger side of the cab. The driver was also talking on the phone using a hands-free headset. The semi dropped off the pavement onto the shoulder, where the driver lost control and overturned the semi-tractor and trailer. There were about 33 cattle inside the trailer. Several were thrown from the trailer, and several others were trapped inside. The semi was totaled in the crash. FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – Fort Dodge police have made two arrests in the murder of a newborn baby. Taylor Blaha, 24, and Brandon Thoma, 31, are both facing first-degree murder charges. Blaha is the mother of the newborn, and Thoma is the father. Thoma also faces an abuse of a corpse charge. The baby’s body remains missing. DECATUR COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A deceased male was found near a burned vehicle in a field Saturday in Davis County. Responding deputies found Michael Moulds, from Corydon, 69, deceased in a field beside his burned vehicle. An investigation shows Moulds’ vehicle became stuck in the field and caught fire. DAVIS COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A suspected armed robber is in the hospital after being shot in Davis County on Wednesday. There was a large police presence in Blakesburg about 85 miles southeast of Des Moines. The Iowa DCI says the suspect was shot after a chase. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The No. 16 Iowa women’s basketball team rallied from a 5-point deficit to beat No. 10 ISU 70-57 Wednesday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa has now defeated its in-state rival six out of the last seven years.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa High School Athletic Association wants to consider socioeconomic factors when scheduling high school football games next year. The proposal would shuffle about 40 different schools, and it still needs to be voted on by athletic directors in the state. Schools with high free or reduced lunch numbers might go down a class. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A former Des Moines metro area youth pastor is charged with giving alcohol to minors and sexually assaulting them. Caleb Toney faces five charges, including assault with intent to commit sexual abuse and supplying alcohol to someone underage. The incidents were with boys and happened in Ankeny and Elkhart. CORALVILLE, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids area Jewish leader is sending a message of resilience after anti-Semitic flyers appeared on the lawns of some Coralville homes. Among the messages on the flyers was “Kanye West is Right,” referring to West’s recent pro-Hitler and anti-Jewish statements. MARION, IA (IRN) – Tuesday was not a normal school day for one Marion principal. He had to spend it in a temporary jail cell in the middle of the school. St. Joseph Principal Casey Kettmann was “locked up” for the entire school day as a reward to the students for raising money. It was part of their fall fundraiser called the Charger Challenge. The initial goal was to raise $15,000, but Kettmann soon found out how eager his students were to see him in this temporary jail cell. They ended up raising nearly $50,000.

OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – On Monday, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced the consequences of a civil rights complaint in the Ottumwa Community School District. The department said, in the last two school years, some white students subjected a Black middle school student to racist harassment, and school leaders didn’t do enough to protect the student, violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Education Department says that harassment included repeated use of numerous racist slurs, using the term “KKK” and mimicking George Floyd’s death. WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Creston man is charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing another man in the parking lot at the Hy-Vee grocery store at Jordan Creek Parkway in West Des Moines yesterday. A 37-year old man suffering from a stab wound to his leg was admitted to a nearby hospital. 30-year-old Dakota Nordstrom is being held in the Dallas County Jail. ADAMS COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The Iowa State Patrol, the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating a deadly plane crash in Adams County Monday. The plane took off from the Adams County Airport near Corning. The plane hit a powerline while taking off. The pilot was the only person on board. CLIVE, IA (IRN) – Clive Police are on the hunt for vandals who targeted a Christmas display that raises money for Toys for Tots. Officers believe two or three vandals used a BB gun or a sharp object to pop two large inflatables. Owners of the display heard the pops and saw a gray SUV speeding away. ​​MADISON, WI (IRN) – Caitlin Clark had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for her seventh career triple-double to break the Big Ten record in No. 10 Iowa’s 102-71 win over Wisconsin in Madison on Sunday. Iowa beat the Badgers for the 26th straight time. Clark, a preseason All-American who came into the game as the nation’s scoring leader at 29 points per game, reached double figures in the first quarter with 12 points.

FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – Fort Dodge police are now searching a nearby landfill in connection to the death of a newborn. Police believe the child was born last month at a Fort Dodge home and later died. The FBI is now involved. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – One person was hospitalized, and a garage destroyed after an early morning fire in Waterloo Sunday. When arriving on scene, crews found the disconnected garage engulfed in flames. One person was rescued and sent to the hospital. Their condition is unknown. HENRY COUNTY, IA (IRN) – An armed suspect was injured in an officer involved shooting in Mount Pleasant Saturday night. The Mount Pleasant Police Department and Henry County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a domestic disturbance where the male caller was being held at gunpoint. When law enforcement arrived, they encountered a man calling for help from a bathroom window. When officers attempted to make contact with the suspect, the suspect brandished a weapon and an officer fired their gun, hitting the suspect in the arm. MEMPHIS, TN (IRN) – The Iowa Hawkeyes will again face off against Kentucky in this year’s Music City Bowl, one year after Kentucky defeated Iowa 20-17 in the 2022 Citrus Bowl. Both teams come into the matchup 7-5.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Friday the first influenza-related deaths confirmed as occurring during the 2022-23 influenza season: both elderly people (81 years and over) from northern Iowa with underlying conditions. The most recent HHS flu report shows the virus at a moderately high level of activity in the state. Iowa hospitals are reporting high patient admission rates. OSCEOLA, IA (IRN) – The Iowa State Patrol is investigating what sent a car the wrong way down Interstate 35 near Osceola, causing a deadly crash. Crash reports show 82-year-old Larry Ross, of Osceola, was driving the wrong way when his car collided with a semitrailer Thursday evening. Ross was killed and the truck driver hospitalized. WASHINGTON, D.C. (IRN) – Abby Finkenauer has been named as the Department of State’s Special Envoy for Global Youth Issues. Special Envoy Finkenauer began her career in public service when she was elected – at age 25 – to the Iowa House of Representatives and later became one of the first women elected to represent Iowa in Congress. WEST DES MOINES, A (IRN) – Every donation counts when it comes to the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign, but some coins count for a little more. Among the assorted pennies, nickels and dimes dropped into the kettle at Scheel’s at Jordan Creek was a 1983 Canadian Queen Elizabeth II gold coin. The coin has a $50 face value – but its rarity make it worth up to $1,800 right now.