Iowa Radio News

WAYNE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa man died in a head-on crash in Wayne County on Friday. Brian Irving, 44, of Chariton, was driving a car northbound on Highway 14 when his vehicle swerved in front of an oncoming tractor-trailer. The two vehicles collided head on. Irving died at the scene. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A BP gas station in Cedar Rapids was robbed at gunpoint Saturday night. The suspect is still at large and no arrests have been made. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Firefighters responded to a garage fire in Cedar Falls Saturday. When Public Safety officers arrived at the scene, they woke the house’s resident and brought the person safely outside. Once fire crews arrived, both the garage and breezeway were on fire. No one was injured. LOS ANGELES, CA (IRN) – Eight University of Iowa students are in Los Angeles working at the Super Bowl. All of the students are in the university’s Sports and Recreation Management program.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – The Dubuque county auditor accepted Dubuque County Treasurer Randy Wedewer’s resignation on Friday after a prostitution scandal involving Wedewer occurred on Wednesday. Wedewer was arrested along with 10 others as part of a large police sting operation in which authorities say was so successful they plan on doing more in the future. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa families near the poverty level have received extra help to buy groceries during the pandemic, but that increase will end soon. The United States Department of Agriculture granted Iowa additional funding for its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program every month of the COVID-19 pandemic, including $28 million for February. However, that funding is contingent on Iowa keeping its COVID-19 disaster declaration, which Governor Reynolds says will expire this month. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines middle school employee is now on administrative leave. According to The Des Moines Public School District, a Goodrell Middle School worker is under investigation for using a racial slur. MORAVIA, IA (IRN) – The State of Iowa wants to sell Honey Creek Resort on the shore of Rathbun Lake. The resort is owned by the State of Iowa, with oversight provided by the DNR. Delaware North, the hospitality company that has operated Honey Creek Resort since 2016, says it will end its operations contract with the state in April 2023. The DNR says they are now considering all options for the property but would prefer to sell it.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A West Des Moines man is in jail after being accused of crimes in a hospital. Tyler Summers faces several charges for what happened at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City on Sunday. Summers allegedly kicked and spit at a hospital worker, tried to stab several security officers, threatened to shoot another person and threatened to blow up the hospital. Summers is also accused of destroying a hospital bed worth thousands of dollars. WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An 18-year-old student at Valley High School in West Des Moines has been charged with a felony for allegedly stalking one of his classmates. Evan Litt was booked into the Polk County Jail Wednesday. Litt is accused of multiple instances of waiting for the victim to exit school and following her to her car, driving up and down her street, parking down a few houses to observe her home, and showing up at her workplace. Police had previously asked him to stop, and he refused. FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – Two construction workers suffered injuries when strong winds knocked down part of the wooden framework of a Fort Dodge strip mall under construction on Wednesday. At the time of the collapse, winds were gusting to more than 30 mph. Both injured workers were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Under a new bill, transgender girls would not be allowed to play on a girls sports team at any school in Iowa. Two Iowa Republicans, Rep. Henry Stone from Forest City and Rep. Skyler Wheeler from Orange City introduced the bill Wednesday. If passed, the bill would require schools to use a students biological sex when deciding if they can play for a girls team. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa Auditor of State Rob Sand recently opened an investigation of the Southern Iowa Council of Governments. On Wednesday, Creston Police arrested the organization’s executive director Timothy J. Ostroski. He’s charged with four counts of forgery and one count of first-degree theft.

AMES, IA (IRN) – An Ames man is charged with Attempted Murder for allegedly shooting at his son during an argument over music volume. Police say 69-year-old Major Robinson was arguing with his son about loud music when he fired two or three shots at him. No one was injured. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – As part of a two-day sting operation targeting human trafficking through prostitution, officials have arrested 11 men including the Dubuque County Treasurer. 60-year-old Randy Wedewer, Dubuque’s County Treasurer, was arrested during the Dubuque Police, Dubuque County Sheriff, and Iowa State Patrol joint operation. IOWA (IRN) – A bill introduced in the Iowa House that would have required live camera feeds in Iowa public school classrooms won’t advance at the Capitol this year. The bill would have required a camera with a live feed in every classroom except for special education and physical education classes. CARROLL, IA (IRN) – The Carroll Community School District is denying rumors that they are providing litter boxes in their school bathrooms. Carroll School Superintendent Casey Burlau sent a letter to students and parents Monday. He wrote, “The rumor is that our schools have litter boxes in the restrooms to accommodate individuals who are self-identifying as animals. This is simply and emphatically not true.”

MARSHALLTOWN, IA (IRN) – Marshalltown schools are having trouble filling positions. The board just approved pay increases and sign-on bonuses. The new high school French, Math and Industrial Arts teachers will get an extra $5,000 if they commit to staying for three years. The district offers $175 per day for licensed teachers and $135 per day for substitutes. BOZEMAN, MT (IRN) – An Iowa snowmobiler was killed in an avalanche west of Yellowstone National Park over the weekend in Montana. Bradie Harold Becker, 30, of Algona, died of asphyxiation after being buried in avalanche debris. WAUKEE, IA (IRN) – Apple is currently finalizing plans to build a billion-dollar data center in Waukee. The project was announced in 2017, but had lost traction until recently. If the project is approved by Waukee City Council, construction on the data center will begin as soon as this spring. DALLAS COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The Iowa DNR has confirmed a mountain lion sighting Monday night in rural Dallas County. The big cat was captured by a trail camera, owned by a man who uses it to look for deer on his property. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A woman from west Africa had her dream of owning a restaurant come true in Cedar Rapids. Tee’s Liberian Dish opened across from Coe College in July. Teepeu Pewu says she went from cooking for baby showers and birthday parties, to owning the only African restaurant in the city. Everything is made from scratch.