Iowa Radio News

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, and former Iowa governor, Tom Vilsack is expected to visit union workers picketing against John Deere in Iowa. Vilsack is expected to visit picket lines at John Deere Des Moines Works. Workers have been on strike since last Thursday. It comes after the United Auto Workers Union and the company failed to reach a contract agreement. NEW SHARON, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation confirmed Tuesday that a search warrant has been executed at a home in New Sharon related to the Xavior Harrelson case. On Friday, The Poweshiek County Sheriff Office confirmed that remains found north of Montezuma belong to Harrelson. On May 27, 10-year-old Xavior Harrelson was reported missing by a family friend. He was last seen in Montezuma, where he lived with his mother. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A woman shot in the neck earlier this month at an embattled bar south of downtown Des Moines has died of her injuries. The shooting happened early Oct. 10 at the High Dive bar on Indianola Road. Police say they’ve responded to the location more than 80 times so far this year. IOWA CITY, Iowa (KWWL) – A North Liberty man has been arrested after police say he raped a woman on an Iowa City rooftop in July. 33-year-old Fitsum Russell allegedly grabbed a woman outside a bar and guided her to a rooftop where he raped her. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – Dozens of Iowa National Guard members are being deployed to help resettle Afghan refugees. About 30 members of the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City are being deployed, and 35 others are from the 132nd Wing in Des Moines. The Iowa members will be assigned to an undisclosed location in the U.S. to assist with Operation Allies Welcome, an effort to bring U.S. citizens home from Afghanistan and to resettle vulnerable Afghan refugees.

AMES, IA (IRN) – Iowa Democratic Party Chair Ross Wilburn received multiple threats, including one of lynching, after he wrote an opinion piece critical of former President Donald Trump in the Des Moines Register. Wilburn, a state representative from Ames, is the first Black chair of the Iowa Democratic Party. HAZLETON, IA (IRN) – A crash involving three vehicles along Iowa Highway 150 near Hazleton in Buchanan County on Monday killed two people. A 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis, operated by Nicholas Johnson, 40, of Oelwein, was traveling southbound on the highway and crossed the centerline. It collided with a 2006 Toyota Sienna, driven by John Friend, 70, of Davenport, head-on. Both were killed. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City police say a man was found unconscious and suffering from a gunshot wound after a vehicle crash. He’s in critical condition. NEWTON, IA (IRN) – An anticipated round of layoffs in Newton is now official. TPI Composites will lay off 710 employees. The company was founded in 1963 and has been producing wind blades since 2001. The Newton plant employs about 800 people. WAVERLY, IA (IRN) – Wartburg College is adding a women’s wrestling program to start competing in the 2022-2023. It will be the only Division III school in Iowa to offer women’s wrestling and the first American Rivers Conference school to do so.This comes nearly a month after the University of Iowa announced plans to add women’s wrestling.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man is accused of taking his neighbors’ child without permission. Deng Kodok, 21, is charged with child stealing, intoxication and interference with official acts. Court documents show Kodok was likely drunk when he took the child to Jordan Creek Mall Saturday without the permission of the child’s parents. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Davenport police are investigating after a 35-year-old Davenport man was shot and killed Sunday morning at a strip club. Davenport officers responded just before 3 a.m. to Déjà Vu Showgirls for a disturbance and heard gunshots. Officers found a man who had been shot. He was transported to a local hospital where he died. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Bullets ripped through downtown Des Moines Sunday morning injuring three people. Police say the shooting happened around 2 a.m. in the Court Avenue District. Three people were shot and taken to the hospital. One person was shot in the abdomen, another in the shoulder, and the third in the elbow. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Two days after the United Auto Workers overwhelmingly rejected a new contract agreement with John Deere, CEO and Chairman John May reported selling $72,473 of company stock. About 10,000 John Deere workers are on strike. LINN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A family from Arizona is counting their blessings this weekend after escaping a car fire Saturday afternoon. First responders were called to Highway 30 near the Cedar River in Linn County shortly after noon. When they arrived the car was engulfed in flames. No one was injured.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Bullets ripped through downtown Des Moines Sunday morning injuring three people. Police say the shooting happened around 2 a.m. at 3rd Street and Court Avenue. Three people were shot and taken to the hospital. One person was shot in the abdomen, another in the shoulder, and the third in the elbow. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Two days after the United Auto Workers overwhelmingly rejected a new contract agreement with John Deere, CEO and Chairman John May reported selling $72,473 of company stock. About 10,000 John Deere workers are on strike. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Unranked Purdue continued its recent mastery over No. 2 Iowa with a 24-7 upset Saturday. The Boilermakers (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) have won four of their last five games against the Hawkeyes (6-1, 3-1). The loss ended Iowa’s 12-game winning streak. MANHATTAN, KS (IRN) – Iowa State downed Kansas State 33-20 Saturday night. The Wildcats had won 15 of the last 16 games in Manhattan. The last time the Cyclones defeated Kansas in Manhattan was 2004.

POWESHIEK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The Poweshiek County Sheriff Office confirmed the remains found north of Montezuma belong to Xavior Harrelson. On May 27, 10-year-old Xavior Harrelson was reported missing by a family friend. He was last seen riding a bike in Montezuma, where he lived with his mother. Authorities located his remains on Sept. 30, about 3 miles north of Montezuma. The cause of death has not been released at this time. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police in Des Moines have arrested a woman accused of randomly firing several shots from a gun that wasn’t hers out of a car window on Friday. The shooting happened around 2 a.m. Friday, after 23-year old Sophia Garcia left a downtown Des Moines bar with a man she met that night. The man told police he showed her a handgun he keeps in his car and that he was driving when Garcia unexpectedly grabbed the gun and began firing out her window. RIVERDALE, IA (IRN) – Iowa’s Teacher of the Year will be represented by a long-time Pleasant Valley High School social studies teacher. 19-year teacher Sara Russell was named Iowa Department of Education’s 2022 Teacher of the Year, as announced by Governor Kim Reynolds during a surprise ceremony at Pleasant Valley High School in Riverdale on Friday. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – It’s a huge weekend in Iowa City, as number 2 Iowa hosts Purdue on Homecoming. This game comes following the Hawkeyes huge win against Penn State, which vaulted Iowa to its highest ranking since 1985, back when they reached number 1 in the country.