Iowa Radio News

ALGONA, IA (IRN) – An investigation is underway into the death of a Kossuth County Jail inmate. The Sheriff’s Office says jailers found an unresponsive male prisoner in his private cell Saturday morning. Jail staff attempted life-saving measures and Algona EMS was called to the jail but the man was pronounced dead. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two sisters died and three others were injured Sunday when two vehicles collided in Des Moines. The crash happened around 5 a.m. Sunday after a northbound Toyota car crossed into the southbound lanes and collided with a Jeep SUV. About one inch of snow fell in the area overnight, and the weather appears to have contributed to the crash. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Three men were placed into police custody after a late-night fight at Noonan’s Tap in Dubuque ended with two people injured. One man bit off another man’s nose during the fight. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Multiple former University of Iowa athletes have requested $20 million from the university, athletic director Gary Barta, head football coach Kirk Ferentz and offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz. They also want the three fired for racial discrimination. The University declined to meet the demands. AMES, IA (IRN) – Iowa State has moved up in the latest AP Top 25 football rankings. The Cyclones moved up from No. 20 to No. 17 in the poll released on Sunday. Iowa State had a bye week this weekend but has beaten TCU, Oklahoma and Texas Tech for the team’s best start in Big 12 play in 18 years.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A new report shows that Iowa’s derecho in August was one of the most expensive disasters in U.S. history since 1980. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that the Aug. 10 storm that impacted areas between Iowa and Indiana cost about $7.5 billion in damage and resulted in four deaths. The report ranks the derecho as the second most expensive disaster this year with Hurricane Laura with $14 billion and 42 deaths. It’s ranked No. 47 most expensive within the 40 year time period. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Public health officials reported the second-largest number of cases of the illness caused by the novel coronavirus during a 24-hour reporting period since the start of the pandemic, along with additional deaths. 1,526 people have died of the disease. NEVADA, IA (IRN) – Nevada police are investigating after someone shot out a window of a truck with a President Donald Trump campaign sign on it. URBANDALE, IA (IRN) – After two years of construction, the flyover connecting Interstate 80-35 to Highway 141 is complete and open as of Friday morning. This flyover is the first for the Des Moines metro and will help with traffic that would often back up during rush hour at the old exit loop.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Public Health on Saturday reported 1,595 new coronavirus cases and five additional deaths. There have been 1,526 total deaths since the pandemic began. The state reports a 14-day positivity rate of 9.5%. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A Davenport man has been sentenced to serve 20 years in prison for the 2019 death of his wife. Casey Klemme was sentenced to serve 10 years for involuntary manslaughter, five years for domestic abuse assault impeding air/blood flow causing bodily injury, and five years for felon in possession of a firearm. IOWA (IRN) – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a new proclamation that extends all COVID-19 mitigation measures another 30 days. The state’s Public Health Disaster Emergency is now extended until 11:59 Sunday, Nov. 15. Included in the proclamation are requirements for bars and restaurants to maintain 6 feet of distancing between groups and ensuring that all customers are seated. WASHINGTON, DC (IRN) – A new poll shows Democrat Theresa Greenfield holding her slim lead over Republican incumbent Senator Joni Ernst. The latest CBS News/YouGov poll found Greenfield with a four-point advantage. PRAIRIEBURG, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Pork Producers Association has named a winner in its 18th annual contest for Iowa’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin. PrairieMoon on Main in Prairieburg took home the prize over the other 4,501 nominations from 390 different restaurants.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – Council Bluffs police have requested and were granted an arrest warrant in a 1999 cold case murder. On the morning of Jan. 12, 1999, Kimberly Ratliff’s deceased body was discovered inside her vehicle, which had been abandoned. Ratliff was 22 at the time of her death. KETV reports Kimberly’s stepbrother, Matt W. Kennedy, has been accused of first-degree murder. Kennedy is now a 52-year-old resident of Fairfield, Montana, but he was living in Council Bluffs at the time of the murder. Kennedy was taken into custody and is being held in the Teton County Jail, pending extradition to Iowa. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Gov. Kim Reynolds defended the gathering of thousands of supporters at President Donald Trump’s campaign rally Wednesday. Reynolds attended the rally with thousands of others despite her own ban on large gatherings that do not practice social distancing. The proclamation, issued by Reynolds, says “The gathering organizer must ensure at least six feet of physical distance between each group or individual attending alone.” While social distancing was not enforced during the rally, Reynolds said the large campaign event did not violate her proclamation. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man was arrested Wednesday after police say he pulled over a car and claimed to be a police officer. Fifty-four-year-old Dewey Moraine is charged with two counts of assault while displaying a dangerous weapon and one count of impersonating a public official. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – University of Iowa students who want to establish intercollegiate women’s wrestling and rugby programs have been added as plaintiffs to a lawsuit seeking more sports opportunities for female Hawkeyes. A lawsuit filed by members of the women’s swimming and diving team seeks to stop the university from eliminating their programs. MARION, IA (IRN) – A vehicle crashed into a Marion home Thursday after the driver had a medical emergency. The homeowner said it all happened in a flash, adding “I’m having coffee and all of sudden this loud explosion and…everything came flying out of the cupboard, at my face…I backed up so it didn’t hit me. And I’m like what the heck happened…”

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – President Donald Trump energized a crowd of supporters at the Des Moines International Airport Wednesday evening, eliciting cheers while calling his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, a “corrupt politician who shouldn’t even be allowed to run for the presidency.” Trump told the crowd that the Obama-Biden administration “flooded your communities with illegal immigration, deadly drugs (and) MS-13 savages that assault, rape and murder innocent Americans.” He warned that if Democrats take control of the White House or Congress, “they’ll empower violent mobs and shield deadly criminals and terrorists.” DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A record number of Iowans are hospitalized with coronavirus as 61 long-term care facilities report outbreaks and 18 counties report a high positivity rate. The Iowa Department of Public Health on Wednesday reported 1,180 new coronavirus cases and 11 additional deaths. As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, the state had 1,481 total deaths. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Authorities located a body in a wooded area in Linn County on Wednesday and have identified it as a woman missing since Sunday. Cedar Rapids Police said that the body of Sharon Hangartner, 54, was found in Hiawatha. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa’s highest court upheld a state directive Wednesday that was used to invalidate tens of thousands of absentee ballot requests mailed to voters pre-filled with their personal information. The court rejected a Democratic challenge that argued the directive issued by Republican Secretary of State Paul Pate was unconstitutional. Pate instructed county elections commissioners in July that all absentee ballot request forms they mailed to voters must be blank in order to ensure uniformity statewide. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The NCAA announced Wednesday that Des Moines is among the nearly 450 host sites chosen for future championships. Des Moines will host first- and second-round games in the 2023 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Championship. Games will be held at Wells Fargo Arena.