Wednesday, November 20, 2019

EMMETSBURG, IA (IRN) – A South Dakota company said Tuesday it will stop production in northwest Iowa of ethanol that’s made from corn cobs, stalks and other crop residue. The Des Moines Register reports Poet, the nation’s largest ethanol producer, will continue research and development at the Emmetsburg plant it opened in 2014, but 30 jobs will be lost. Poet received about $120 million in state and federal incentives to build the plant. Poet says it will stop the production of ethanol because of insufficient support from the federal government for the industry.

FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – Two apartments in a Fort Dodge apartment complex were destroyed Tuesday after a child playing with a lighter started a fire. KCCI-TV reports the fire started in a second-floor apartment and spread to the third floor. No one was injured.

URBANDALE, IA (IRN) – Urbandale firefighters will soon be prepared for the worst. The Urbandale City Council gave the department approval Tuesday to purchase 18 sets of body armor.

DENISON, IA (IRN) – Students at Denison High School staged a walkout Tuesday morning after they said a teacher used homophobic and racial slurs in class. WHO-TV reports some students said they want to see the teacher fired. Others just want her to admit she was wrong. An investigation is underway.

BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – Burlington is set to become a stop for a major river cruise line in the next few years. KGAN-TV reports city officials signed a two-year agreement Monday with Viking Cruises, which is based in Switzerland. The agreement says the city will lease docking facilities to Viking for two years, and Viking will pay $1 per passenger that comes onto the docks. Viking has ordered the ships that will cruise the Mississippi River, but they won’t be ready until 2022.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

WINNEBAGO COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Forest City man is facing multiple charges after he allegedly broke a deputy’s body camera and later threatened to kill two deputies. KIMT-TV reports Michael Schenker, 24, had a warrant for his arrest out of Cerro Gordo County and allegedly lied about his identity when approached by deputies. When attempting to put Schenker under arrest, he resisted and was Tased. Schenker allegedly broke the deputy’s body camera and injured his knee. Once at the Winnebago County Jail, Schenker allegedly threatened to kill two deputies.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A woman was arrested in Iowa City Saturday in connection to a 4-year-old found alone outside of a residence, according to KCRG-TV. The boy was found on a front porch not wearing shoes, and his backpack was in the middle of the street. An 8- and a 9-year-old girl were found inside the home sleeping. Mom was allegedly found drunk at a nearby Casey’s with a 1-year-old.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Police in Iowa City are searching for a student who went missing after allegedly jumping into the Iowa river. A backpack that belongs to David Le contained a note suggesting that he wanted to end his life.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man accused of attempting to shoot and kill two Des Moines police officers in a weekend standoff claimed to be Jesus Monday during his court appearance. KCCI-TV reports 25-year-old Troy Ruggles spent exactly one minute in court, where he was arraigned. A Polk County judge asked, “You’re Mr. Ruggles, is that correct?” Ruggles replied, “I am not, I am Jesus.” His unusual answer did not faze the judge, who quickly sent him back to jail.

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The unexpected passing of Iowa Chief Justice Mark Cady means the process to fill his vacancy will soon begin. There are 17 people on the State Judicial Nominating Commission. Eight of them are lawyers appointed to their position by their peers. The other nine are appointed by the governor. That number used to be eight, but was recently changed by Reynolds earlier this year. It’s a change that has some worried about a political imbalance on the commission.

Monday, November 18, 2019

A new Iowa Poll shows President Donald Trump enjoys widespread popularity among registered Republicans in Iowa. The president’s popularity has never been higher among registered Republicans. His overall job approval is up 4 percentage points from March to 85%. Among Democratic contenders, South Bend Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg has risen 16 percentage points among Iowa’s likely Democratic caucus goers, with 25% now saying he is their first choice for president. For the first time in the Register’s Iowa Poll, he bests rivals Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who are now clustered in competition for second place about 10 percentage points behind.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A suspect has been charged following an early morning active shooter situation in Des Moines Sunday morning. WHO-TV reports 25-year-old Des Moines resident Troy Donald Ramero Ruggles is charged with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer and two counts of intimidation with a dangerous weapon.

MAHASKA COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after finding the body of an elderly woman early Sunday morning. The woman’s body was found on the shoulder of Highway 163 in eastern Mahaska County. The woman’s name has not been released, and it isn’t known how she died.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two people in Iowa have died from complications of the flu in recent weeks. The Iowa Department of Public Health says the deaths occurred in a woman between the ages of 61 and 80 in central Iowa and in a woman older than 81 in northwest Iowa. Both women had underlying conditions or other contributing factors in their deaths.

BOONE, IA (IRN) – Vietnam Air Force veteran Bob Allen thought he would never fly in a helicopter again. His family and friends made his dream a reality. KCCI-TV reports at 84 years old, Allen is dying of colon cancer. On Thursday, Allen had a sky high ride from Ames to Boone, where he took a tour of the Iowa National Guard base. Iowa National Guard members lined up to welcome Allen to the base.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A wrong-way-crash Friday night near the Mason City Municipal Airport was fatal, according to the Iowa State Patrol. An 80-year-old man and a 50-year-old man collided. Neither man was wearing a seatbelt.

OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – An armed suspect is in custody following an hour-long standoff with Ottumwa police. KTVO-TV reports on Friday afternoon, authorities received multiple reports of a man acting erratically near Christ’s Church, just south of Ottumwa. Officers approached the man and learned that he was armed with a knife. When police ordered the man to put the knife down, he would not comply with their orders. A standoff ensued for about an hour.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Several women in the Quad Cities area say they are out thousands of dollars after a Davenport laser clinic stopped providing service mid-treatment. WQAD-TV reports at least six women purchased laser hair removal packages from Advanced Laser Clinics in Davenport, ranging from $600 to $2700. The treatment involves a series of sessions, often spanning more than a year. The clinic is no longer giving the treatments.

IOWA (IRN) – It was a good weekend for college football in Iowa. The Cyclones beat Number 14 Texas 20-14. Iowa State is 5-4 on the year. Their losses are to No. 22 Iowa, No. 13 Baylor, Oklahoma State, and No. 10 Oklahoma. They have lost by a combined eight points. The number 22 Hawkeyes beat Minnesota 23-19.