Iowa Radio News

CHARITON, IA (IRN) – Two teenagers were killed in a crash in Lucas County. The wreck happened Sunday night on Highway 34 in Chariton. The Iowa State Patrol reports the driver of a Jeep turned in front of a pickup. Two passengers in the Jeep were killed. They were identified as 15-year-old Katilynn Spicer, of Des Moines, and 16-year-old Chase Lavely, of Chariton. The Jeep and the pickup drivers were rushed to a hospital in critical condition. CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – A cell phone sale went wrong in Cedar Falls Sunday. A 24-year-old man was attempting to meet a 21-year-old woman he had met on Facebook Marketplace to sell her an iPhone. She drove away with the phone without paying, and he fired on the vehicle with three people inside. Both are in jail. MARION, IA (IRN) – A 31-year-old Colorado woman is behind bars after leading police on a chase Sunday night in Marion. The car was stolen. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Another 13 people with COVID-19 have died in Iowa, the state reported Monday. The statewide death toll is now 2,205. Of Iowa’s 99 counties, 92 report 14-day positivity rates above 15%. Only one Iowa county, Lucas County, reports a 14-day positivity rate below 10%. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Hy-Vee announced it will be bringing back special hours for customers who are high-risk as COVID-19 cases rise in Iowa. Customers over 60 years old, pregnant mothers and those with underlying health conditions are welcome to shop from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Other customers are asked to shop after 8 a.m.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – COVID-19 outbreaks continue to spread in Iowa’s long-term care facilities. The state has reported four more facility outbreaks, bringing the statewide total to 120. MUSCATINE, IA (IRN) – A Muscatine man was killed early Saturday morning following a car-pedestrian accident. A 51-year-old woman called police to report that she believed she had hit someone. After officers arrived, they discovered the dead body of 33-year-old Cody Robert Terpenning along the side of the highway. AMES, IA (IRN) – The Ames Police Department said an incendiary device was discovered at a park Saturday morning. The device was a homemade ‘glitter bomb,’ which are often used to express personal messages of congratulations. Police say they are very dangerous. AMES, IA (IRN) – Jim Hallihan, a former Iowa State assistant men’s basketball coach who was a member of Johnny Orr’s staff for 12 years, died on Friday. He was 75. Hallihan was Orr’s top assistant from 1982-94. He helped the Cyclone men’s basketball program to six NCAA Tournament berths and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1986.

POLK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The Polk County Health Department is calling on school districts to stop high school sports until cases decrease. The letter sent by the director of the Polk County Health Department to athletic directors, superintendents and the high school sports union said they need to slow the trajectory of COVID-19. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Twenty-five people were arrested and illegal drugs, guns and cash were seized in a large law enforcement sweep of more than 40 locations in central Iowa. Search warrants were executed Wednesday at 45 locations in Des Moines, Windsor Heights, Clive, Waukee, West Des Moines and Adel. In addition to the arrests, state and federal officers seized 37 firearms, 3 pounds of cocaine and 18 pounds of marijuana, among other drugs. Agents also seized $50,000 in cash. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A driver hit two parked cars before causing a rollover accident on the south side of Des Moines on Friday afternoon. Witnesses say it ran a stop sign before hitting the two vehicles and flipping on its side. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A group of Iowa Pastors are calling for Governor Reynold to reverse her mask mandate. That’s even though churches are exempt. Pastor Sam Jones of Faith Baptist Church in Hudson is part of a group of pastors pushing against the mandate anywhere. He says, “It is something that is forcibly covering the image of God…And that’s often used throughout history to put people and nations into submission to a governing authority.”

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa’s coronavirus numbers have hit another milestone. The Iowa Department of Public Health reports the state has surpassed 200,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. It took Iowa more than seven months to reach 100,000 cases on October 12th. Just one month and a week later, the state reached 200,000 cases. There have been 2,127 deaths in Iowa since the pandemic began. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A lawsuit filed this week by a deceased Tyson employee’s son claims managers at the business had bet money on how many employees would test positive for COVID-19. The company responded to the accusations Thursday, saying the employees allegedly involved have been suspended without pay and the company has hired a legal team to conduct an investigation. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa Workforce Development reported a total of 6,312 initial unemployment claims were filed in Iowa between November 8 and November 14. That’s an increase of 1,095 from last week’s adjusted initial claims number. IOWA (IRN) – The ethanol industry has still not received any aid over the coronavirus pandemic, despite hundreds of plant closings. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Des Moines Buccaneers hockey team will soon have a new home. The team announced early Thursday that it will move into the former Younkers Department Store on the west side of Merle Hay Mall. It’s part of a new 3,500-seat multipurpose arena that will also feature a 150-room hotel.

IOWA (IRN) – Reported COVID-19 deaths in Iowa continue to be near-record levels as another 38 people died from the disease. At 10 a.m. Thursday, the state was reporting 2,102 COVID-19-related deaths, an increase of 38 deaths since the state’s tally at 10 a.m. Wednesday. On Wednesday, the state reported 40 deaths, the largest one-day increase since the pandemic arrived in Iowa. WASHINGTON, DC (IRN) – One day after testing positive for the coronavirus, Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said he’s “symptom-free” and continues to feel good. Grassley, who announced Tuesday evening that he had tested positive for the virus, is isolating himself at his Washington, D.C.-area house on his doctor’s orders. MADRID, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids man was found dead in Boone County after his body was discovered below the High Trestle Trail Bridge. The case is under investigation. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Multiple law enforcement agencies worked together early Wednesday morning on a large-scale operation around the Des Moines metro, serving 43 search warrants in connection with a nearly year-long criminal investigation. Drug task force members were involved. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A lawsuit filed this week by a deceased Tyson employee’s son claims managers at the Waterloo business had bet money on how many employees would test positive for COVID-19. Defendant Tom Hart, the Plant Manager of the Waterloo facility, allegedly organized a cash buy-in, winner-take-all betting pool for supervisors and managers to wager how many employees would test positive for COVID-19. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The Hawkeyes, in conjunction with the Big Ten, released the 2020-2021 men’s basketball schedule Wednesday. The schedule drops a mere seven days before the opener, which is next Wednesday at home against North Carolina Central. The Cy-Hawk Showdown will be in Iowa City sometime between Dec. 8 and Dec. 13.