Iowa Radio News

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The man accused of shooting and killing Dexter Meeks in Cedar Rapids in 2011 has pleaded not guilty. Mykel Roberts entered a written plea on Thursday. Dexter Meeks was shot in the head. KANSAS CITY, MO (IRN) – A decision about Steve Prohm’s future with the Iowa State men’s basketball program may not come until next week. The Cyclones’ historically poor season came to an end Wednesday night with a 79-73 loss to No. 24 Oklahoma in the first round of the Big 12 tournament. The Cyclones have a 2-22 record, an 18-game losing streak, and finished the regular season 0-18 in the Big 12. With two other losing seasons since 2017, it’s uncertain if Prohm will return to the Cyclones for a seventh season. INDIANAPOLIS, IN (IRN) – Gabbie Marshall scored 22 of her career-high 27 points by halftime and the sixth-seeded Iowa women’s basketball team knocked third-seeded and No. 19-ranked Rutgers out of the Big Ten tournament 73-62 in Thursday night’s quarterfinals. Iowa will face seventh-seeded Michigan State, which had earlier upset No. 9-ranked Indiana, in a Friday semifinal. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – After cancelling for the first time ever last year because of the pandemic, the annual SaPaDaPaSo Parade will go on this year. The 46th annual Saint Patrick’s parade will take place this Saturday at the Hawkeye Downs racetrack, drive-thru style. People attending can drive around the race track in their vehicles and view all the stationary parade entries.

IOWA (IRN) – As Iowa crosses the one-year anniversary of its first positive cases of coronavirus, it is on track to hit another milestone, state officials said Wednesday; 1 million doses of vaccine will be administered by the end of the week. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Senate passed bills Wednesday that would heighten penalties for unlawful protests and ban cities from reducing police budgets. One bill heightens penalties for assaulting police, rioting or assembling unlawfully. It also makes blocking streets or highways a misdemeanor and requires those arrested for certain crimes to be held for at least 24 hours. Drivers who hit protesters unlawfully blocking streets or highways will be given civil immunity unless they engage in “reckless or willful misconduct.” IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A Georgia man was sentenced to two years in federal prison last week in connection with a scheme to obtain over $60,000 in fraudulent tax refunds from University of Iowa employees in 2015. POLK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The Polk County Health Department is warning citizens not to turn to Craigslist to make a vaccine appointment. It may be a scam. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A jury in Polk County has found Des Moines Register journalist Andrea Sahouri and an acquaintance not guilty on all charges after their arrest last year during protests over racial injustice in Des Moines. Sahouri was covering the protests as a reporter, and had been charged with failure to disperse and interference with official acts. The acquittal is seen nationally as a victory for the First Amendment and freedom of the press.

WASHINGTON D.C. (IRN) – The closest race for a federal seat in the last election will be talked about in a U.S. House committee Wednesday. In Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, Democrat Rita Hart lost to Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks by just six votes after several recounts. Hart filed a petition with the U.S. House instead of the Iowa court system, saying 22 ballots were not counted. Miller-Meeks was certified the winner by the state and seated provisionally in January. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A jury in Fayette County has convicted a man of murder in the 2018 death of an infant. Dean Alan Hettinger, 24, of Westgate, was a caretaker of four-week-old Holten Smith. Holten had brain bleeding when hospitalized and 36 traumatic rib fractures were identified during his autopsy. ANKENY, IA (IRN) – Ankeny police are investigating what they call a “suspicious” death at a mobile home park. Witness interviews are underway and investigators are attempting to contact the family of the deceased. WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A West Des Moines police officer returned to work Monday months after being struck by a car on Interstate 35 while on duty. The Nov. 8 crash left Officer Jon Kaufman in critical condition. Kaufman suffered multiple skull fractures, a brain bleed and blood clots during the crash. Kaufman returned to patrol following months of medical procedures, physical therapy and extensive screening. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Less than 24 hours after Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a new voting reform law into effect, an Iowa civil rights group has filed a lawsuit to stop the state from enforcing it. LULAC Iowa, a state branch of the nation’s oldest and largest Hispanic organization, filed the lawsuit. The law reduces Iowa’s early voting period from 29 to 20 days, among other provisions.

PLEASANT HILL, IA (IRN) – An Illinois man died and two others were injured in a crash early Tuesday morning in Polk County near Southeast Polk High School. A semi-truck was stopped at a stoplight when a Cadillac struck the semi. The driver and a passenger were hospitalized; another passenger was killed. The driver of the semi wasn’t injured. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law Monday that will make sweeping changes to elections in Iowa. The law shortens early voting in Iowa from 29 days down to 20 days. The law also closes polls earlier on election day and prohibits county auditors from sending absentee ballot applications unless one is requested by a voter. Democrats say it is voter suppression. WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The West Des Moines Community School District will cut $2.9 million from its budget for next year. Officials say the cuts aren’t due to the pandemic. Cuts follow lower enrollment and reduced state funding. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Democrats in Johnson County have passed a resolution in support of switching from presidential caucusing to a primary system. The county, which includes Iowa City, is the fifth largest in the state. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa’s freshman women’s basketball phenom Caitlin Clark has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Clark was also a unanimous pick to be on the All-Big Ten first team. Clark scored 27.4 points per game during her first season as a Hawkeye.

CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Falls family is safe after a Monday morning fire forced them out of their home. The homeowner says she woke up to the smell of smoke. Her family, including her baby, were immediately evacuated, and are safe. Officials believe an extension cord covered in leaves in the front yard caused the fire, and it spread to the home. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A 16-year-old who died from a gunshot wound Saturday in Des Moines was accidentally shot. 18-year-old Thomas Londewa Ivy has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and a weapons charge. Ivy was handing a gun to 16-year-old Elijah Edwardlee Brown-Townsend while the two teens were seated in a parked vehicle at the time when the gun went off. WEST LIBERTY, IA (IRN) – Classes at West Liberty schools are canceled today due to a lack of staff, including all virtual learning. District officials say the lack of staffing is due to many staff members experiencing side effects from their 2nd round of COVID vaccine administered on Saturday. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Hundreds of people stood in line for a career fair at the John Deere Tractor and Engine Museum in Waterloo on Saturday to apply for one of more than 300 jobs open at John Deere Waterloo Works. The factory is seeing an increase in demand for farm equipment. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Luka Garza’s #55 will never be worn again by an Iowa Hawkeye after the team announced plans to retire it after Sunday’s 77-73 win over Wisconsin. Garza leads the Big Ten in scoring, and is third in the nation.