Iowa Radio News

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A former campaign treasurer for a Des Moines legislator has been charged with stealing more than $7,000 in campaign donations. KCCI-TV reports 47-year-old Falecia Mtayari, of Des Moines, is charged with theft, fraudulent practice and unlawful transfer of campaign funds. Mtayari admitted writing checks and withdrawing cash from the account of Rep. Ruth Ann Gaines, a Democrat who represents north-central Des Moines’ District 32 in the Iowa House of Representatives. WAUKON, IA (IRN) – A northeast Iowa man has been convicted of shooting to death his stepfather at the home they shared. KCRG-TV reports 32-year-old John Quanrude shot 60-year-old Dean Russell after a confrontation in their mobile home in Waukon. Quanrude says he fired a warning shot with a shotgun, and then shot Russell in the chest. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Three teenage boys from Davenport were charged in connection to a shots fired incident on Tuesday, according to WQAD-TV. The three teens, ages 14, 15 and 16, were arrested and held in a juvenile detention center. There were no injuries reported in the incident, and the teens face multiple charges. IOWA (IRN) – The average cost of insuring an Iowan on Medicaid has climbed nearly three times as fast since the state hired private companies to manage the program. The Des Moines Register reports the new cost figures come amid continuing controversy over whether Iowa should have hired private companies to run the $5 billion program. Privatization was ordered by then Governor Terry Branstad in 2015, and is supported by current Governor Kim Reynolds. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Mercy Medical Center unveiled their new psychiatric clinic in Des Moines yesterday. KCCI-TV reports it’s a residency outpatient clinic at Mercy Central Campus. Mercy’s psychiatry residency is in its first year, with four residents chosen out of more than 1,000 applicants.

MONTEZUMA, IA (IRN)- The man accused of killing Mollie Tibbetts has entered a plea of not guilty in the case. Twenty-four-year-old Cristhian Rivera also waived his right to a speedy trial during his arraignment Wednesday morning in Montezuma. The trial date has been scheduled for April 16th, 2019. Rivera is accused of kidnapping and killing 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts while she was out for a jog on July 18th in Brooklyn. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids Police found one person with a gunshot wound early Wednesday morning and are now investigating a potential shooting. KGAN-TV reports the victim’s name and their condition has yet to be released. LINN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A semi-trailer driver left a trail of destruction Monday north of Marion. KCRG-TV reports the truck left the road, took out a large propane tank, sparked a huge fireball and crashed into a farm house. While the house was destroyed, all are OK. The truck driver says he blacked out. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Police in Davenport responding to a shots fired call ended up in a high speed chase. WQAD-TV reports police arrested 18-year-old Kendrick Lee after he failed to pull over. Lee drove at least 75 miles an hour through residential school zones, ran red lights, and stop signs before he was stopped. AMES, IA (IRN) – Iowa State quarterback Kyle Kempt tweeted out a request for fans attending the Cyclones’ football game Saturday to wear yellow in honor of late Iowa State golfer Celia Barquin Arozamena. Barquin Arozamena, the 2018 Big 12 champion and Iowa State Female Athlete of the Year, was found dead Monday at a golf course in Ames. The man accused of killing her— Collin Daniel Richards — remains in Story County jail on a $5 million cash bond. Saturday’s game against Akron starts at 11 a.m. at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames. Yellow was Barquin Arozamena’s favorite color.

AMES, IA (IRN) – Ames police have provided new information in the killing of ISU student Celia Barquin Arozamena. KCCI-TV reports Collin Daniel Richards, 22, who has been charged with her murder, had no prevous relation with Barquin Arozama. Richards had told a person he had been camping with that he had an urge to rape and kill a woman. Arozamena was found dead in a pond near where her missing items had been discovered. She had sustained several stab wounds to the upper torso, head and neck. WINNEBAGO COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Forest City woman has died after a two-vehicle crash Monday in Winnebago County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 88-year-old Shirley Schutter was killed when the vehicle she was driving was hit by a Ford F-250 she had pulled out in front of. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines woman was arrested Sunday night after she used a machete to vandalize her boyfriend’s car and then threatened to kill him. WHO-TV reports when an officer arrived, they found 19-year-old Shavazzia Edwards breaking out the windows of her boyfriend’s vehicle with a machete. The officer ordered Edwards to drop it, but she refused, instead going after her boyfriend and making threats to kill him. She was tasered and taken into custody. LUCAS, IA (IRN) – An investigation is underway after a man and woman were found dead inside a home in Lucas Monday morning. Lucas County deputies were called to the scene after receiving reports of a shooting. 66-year-old Craig Dawson and 64-year-old Julie Dawson were found dead inside the home. LONG GROVE, IA (IRN) – A man from the eastern Iowa town of Long Grove has been making friends over the past ten years one chocolate bar at a time. WQAD-TV reports Bob Williams has has given out almost 6,000 Hershey’s bars to people. His reason is simple – to bring the people around him closer together. The retired teacher and coach always keeps chocolate bars on him when he’s around town. Inspired by his kindness, Hershey’s has promised to supply him with all the chocolate bars he will ever need.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A 14-year-old East High School student is in custody after being found with a hand gun in his backpack this morning. KCCI-TV reports the School Resource Officer at East was alerted by other students and intercepted the teen outside of the school building. He was also found to have a knife in his backpack. The student told officers the incident is part of an ongoing dispute with another student, and the student had the gun for protection. FAIRBANK, IA (IRN) – A 12-year-old boy died Saturday when a lawnmower rolled over him in the northeastern Iowa town of Fairbank, according to KCCI-TV. Authorities believe the boy may have shut the mower down and stepped away from it before it rolled, pinning him underneath. CLINTON, IA (IRN) – A Clinton man has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. WQAD-TV reports Steven Armsted, 48, is accused of killing two men in March of 2017. The two were found stabbed to death in a home. BUCHAREST, ROMANIA (IRN) – Two U.S. basketball players, one of whom played for ISU, have been stabbed in a club in Romania. KCRG-TV reports former ISU player Darrell Bowie, 24, and another man who plays for local club ACS Cuza Braila, were attacked Saturday night in Bucharest after a fight broke out with locals. Bowie suffered multiple abdominal wounds. Romanian authorities say one person attacked the two men without prior conflict, and a larger group joined in the attack when Bowie and McClain tried to leave. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines based Meredith Corp. has reached a tentative agreement to sell Time magazine for $190 million to Salesforce founder Marc Benioff. Benioff is the founder, chairman and co-CEO of the sales, service and marketing software giant.

ANKENY, IA (IRN) – An armed robber at a Hy-Vee gas station store pointed a gun at Ankeny officers before he was fatally shot by police. A caller told police there was a suspicious man dressed in black who appeared to have a gun fall out of his pants. A responding officer found the suspect, the suspect drew his handgun and pointed it at the officer. The officer discharged his firearm, striking and killing the robber. DOW CITY, IA (IRN) – A woman is dead after her car rolled east of Dow City. The Iowa State Patrol reports that Christina Foote, 27, of Dunlap was driving a Chevy Malibu about two miles east of Dow City Friday when her car left the road on a curve, went into the ditch, and rolled. Foote was pronounced dead at the scene. She wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. ST. JOSEPH, MO (IRN) – A Missouri man faces two felony charges after a fatal boating accident during the Memorial Day weekend killed an Iowa college student. The St. Joseph News-Press reports that Cletus Barsch, 41, was charged with boating while intoxicated resulting in death. Barsch was driving a boat that struck another boat at the Lake of the Ozarks on May 26. A passenger in the second boat, Alec Potthoff, 20, of Van Meter, suffered a serious head injury. He died last month at a care facility in Des Moines. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Barbers from all over the country are coming to Des Moines for the “Clash of the Clippers,” a barbering contest with thousands of dollars up for grabs as well as trophies and bragging rights. WHO-TV reports along with local barbers, celebrity barbers will be competing, including the man who cut the hair of late rappers Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G., as well as the barber to Will Smith and P-Diddy.