DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man was charged with two counts of murder Friday after he killed two of his relatives, according to the Des Moines Register. Joshua Lee Adams, 30, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the slayings of his mother, 49-year-old Tracy Linn Adams, and his uncle, 54-year-old Gaylord George Jolly, Jr.

DUBUQUE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids teenager was killed in two-vehicle accident in Dubuque County Friday. The 17-year-old boy lost control of his vehicle due to icy conditions, crossed the centerline, and struck another vehicle. The second driver has serious injuries.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A special investigation by the state auditor into the Mason City School District found more than $2.2 million in improper spending. It includes $1.3 million in unapproved payments to 66 district employees. In addition to cash benefits, the employees also received vehicle and cell phone allowances that were not approved by the school board. The investigation also found significant retirement account contributions and vacation payouts for administrators.

SAN ANTONIO, TX (IRN) – Iowa State rallied late, but failed to tie the game on a 2-point conversion in a 28-26 loss to Washington State University in the Alamo Bowl on Friday.
Freshman quarterback Brock Purdy scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 4:02 remaining in the game to bring the Cyclones within two, but David Montgomery was tackled short of the end zone on the conversion attempt. The Cyclones end the season with an 8-5 record.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Several people were injured after a shooting and crash in Des Moines last night, according to KCCI-TV. A teenage male was first shot in the leg by a drive by shooter. Officers responding to the shooting then saw two vehicles driving fast. Police pursued each vehicle. In one pursuit, two people were taken into custody. The second pursuit ended in a crash. The woman driving that car suffered minor injuries. A male passenger was thrown from the car and is now in the hospital. Police say the man was shot in the leg, in addition to his injuries from the crash. All of the incidents are related.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (IRN) – John Culver, a Democrat who represented Iowa in Congress for 16 years and whose son later served as governor, has died. He was 86. Culver’s tenure in Congress began with his 1964 election to the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1974 but lost re-election six years later to Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley.
Culver’s family said the former senator and congressman was most proud of his reputation for “integrity and courage.”

CLINTON, IA (IRN) – A Clinton woman was arrested after police found her in a house with guns and marijuana. WQAD-TV reports police were serving an arrest warrant and found 24 pounds of marijuana, four guns, and assorted pieces used for smoking marijuana. Chelsey Ann Hostetler faces multiple charges.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Dozens of Iowa State fans spent most of Thursday scrambling to make their way to San Antonio, Texas, where the Cyclones will take on Washington State in the Alamo Bowl. KCCI-TV reports airlines cancelled flights due to severe weather in Texas. Cyclone fan Julia Manning said, “This is not fun at all. I could just cry.”

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids police are looking for what they are calling the “Butt Crack Bandits.” KCRG-TV reports the thieves spent about two hours burglarizing the Westdale Car Wash early Christmas morning. They tried prying open coin safes and drilled open the change machine. Throughout the burglary, one of the thieves’ pants kept falling down. All of it was caught on security camera.

FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – A weeks-long search for a Fort Dodge man has come to an end. The Fort Dodge Messenger reports a landfill worker found Kris Markle dead in his car in a ravine near the landfill. Authorities believe Markle crashed. He was last seen earlier this month at a bar in Fort Dodge.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A man was arrested in Dubuque for dependent adult abuse after allegedly stealing nearly $37,000 from his mother. KCRG-TV reports police charged 35-year-old Michael Woods on December 20, saying the stolen money came from his mother’s social security checks.

URBANDALE, IA (IRN) – Two brothers who spearheaded the biggest lottery scam in U.S. history have repaid less than $1,400 in restitution — despite owning property worth nearly $2 million, according to the Des Moines Register. Between them, Eddie and Tommy Tipton admitted rigging winning drawings in at least five states, including Iowa, worth a combined $24 million.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A Mason City resident had an unexpected guest Christmas Eve when he came home to find an unknown male asleep on his couch. KIMT-TV reports James Dulude, 30, who has no permanent address, is facing a second-degree burglary charge. Dulude was also in possession of the victim’s credit card, and was wearing the his sweatshirt.

USA (IRN) – Today is National Fruitcake Day. People tend to love fruitcake, or hate it. Johnny Carson famously quipped, “The worst Christmas gift is fruitcake…there’s only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other, year after year.” Regardless, the sale of fruitcakes has been a great fundraiser for Camp Courageous near Monticello for over 30 years. Camp Courageous is a year-round respite care and recreational facility for individuals of all ages with disabilities.

SOLDIER, IA (IRN) – A crash killed one person in Monona County near the town of Soldier Monday night. KCAU-TV reports 42-year-old Clint Bothwell of Moorhead rolled his pick up several times. He wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

ANKENY, IA (IRN) – An Ankeny man has been arrested after a short standoff with deputies Monday, according to the Des Moines Register. Billy Ray Pfeifer faces charges of domestic assault with a weapon and false imprisonment. The victim said that she Pfeifer had an argument and he wouldn’t let her leave. In the course of the argument, Pfeifer fired a gun. The victim escaped and called 911.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An early morning two-vehicle accident involving an ambulance sent four people to the hospital in Des Moines on Christmas Day. WHO-TV reports the accident caused the ambulance to roll over on its side. The ambulance was carrying a patient, two medics and the driver. All four were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

BETTENDORF, IA (IRN) – A fire broke out at a Bettendorf home as a family was getting ready for Christmas dinner, according to WQAD-TV. Seven people and a cat were able to escape. No one was injured.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids woman who was homeless five years ago cooked and gave away free meals for the less fortunate on Christmas Day. KGAN-TV reports Aphea Imperial-Fletcher is a native of the Philippines who found a home in Cedar Rapids for herself and her five children. She says she understands that Christmas can be hard if you can’t afford food for yourself or your loved ones, and she felt the only way she could make a true difference was to help with what she does best, cooking.