Saturday, April 7, 2018

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines fire crews responded to a house fire early Saturday morning. KCCI-TV reports when crews arrived they found a fire on the front porch and backyard of a north side home that is believed to be abandoned. Firefighters believe the fire may be linked to several brush fires in the area this morning.

INDIANOLA, IA (IRN) – An Indianola day care provider faces several charges. On October 31, first responders were called to the scene of a 1-year-old in distress. KCCI-TV reports authorities determined that the child had been seriously injured by her day care provider, 34-year-old Heather McKasson. Court documents say McKasson “did knowingly and intentionally commit an assault on the victim,” and caused “severe and life-threatening injuries.”

NASHUA, IA (IRN) – State troopers arrested a Miami man in northeast Iowa after a high-speed chase and then learned he faces a murder charge in Florida. KGAN-TV reports a state trooper tried to stop a speeding vehicle Thursday near Nashua. The vehicle fled at speeds up to 100 mph. 21-year-old Devon Cooke is awaiting extradition on a 2nd degree murder charge in Dade County, Florida.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Police responded to a call of a shot fired at the Kirkwood Court apartments in Cedar Rapids around midnight. KWWL-TV reports a shot was fired from a car that hit the building. No one was injured.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – It’s the opening weekend for a movie based on a story from Iowa. “Miracle Season” is based on a true story about a high school volleyball team dealing with the death of their captain. Caroline Found died in a moped crash in 2011, just days before the start of volleyball season at Iowa City West High School. She was the star of the team. The film won’t be focused on Caroline’s death, but rather her impact on others. The movie is expected to bring in $3M this weekend.

Friday, April 6, 2018

WINTERSET, IA (IRN) – A proposed wind farm in Madison County has been put on hold this week by the Board of Commissioners. KCCI-TV reports the board wants more time to speak with residents because they’ve receiving a lot of negative comments.The wind farm from MidAmerican Energy would be south of Winterset in rural Madison County. The turbines would be anywhere from 200-400 feet tall.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Waterloo police officers responded to an armed robbery late Thursday night. KWWL-TV reports the robbery was at a Kum & Go just before midnight. When officers arrived, store employees said they were robbed at gunpoint. The suspect fled on foot. $70 was taken.

CEDAR RAPIDS (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids woman is asking for the public’s help to determine who killed her daughter. KCRG-TV reports Lori McMann says she wants justice. While the murderer is still free, her family is coming to grips with losing AnnaElise Edgeton. AnnaElise was shot and killed at her apartment. She was 18 years old and had just gotten married. Police have not made an arrest.

MAXWELL, IA (IRN) – A man was hospitalized Thursday after he crashed his newly purchased ultralight aircraft in northern Polk County near Maxwell shortly after takeoff. KCCI-TV reports the owner of the airstrip says the man bought the aircraft that morning and was flying it for the first time.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Police were called to the Davenport bar, Mary’s on 2nd, after a car crashed into the building shortly after closing time this morning. WQAD-TV reports the driver of the car ran from the scene after the crash, and no one was injured.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Cubs celebrated 50 years of minor league baseball in Des Moines yesterday with the 2018 home opener. Two new foods were introduced; the “hot Polish,” and the “smokehouse burger.” The Cubs split the doubleheader with the Oklahoma City Dodgers.

Thursday, April 5, 2018

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A state court has ruled former Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett was legally tossed off the primary ballot to challenge Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds. KCCI-TV reports the court has denied his petition to include signatures that have been stricken through, leaving him short of the needed signatures to be eligible for the ballot. It means Reynolds now has no GOP primary challenger.

AMES, IA (IRN) – A customer found a shopping cart with a razor blade attached to the handle at the Walmart in Ames, according to WOI-TV. Police don’t know if the razors are being placed on the carts to harm people or as a tactic for robbers to shoplift.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa farmers are worried about warnings of a 25 percent increase in tariffs from China on soybeans and beef, both of which are on a list of $50 billion in U.S. goods that could be hit. One in every three rows of Iowa soybeans is exported to China.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police are investigating a shooting Wednesday at a Des Moines bar.
KCCI-TV reports police were called to the Triple Double bar on reports of a shooting. Three shots were fired from the parking lot, and one person suffered a minor injury. Three men were taken into custody. The shooting was the third in five months at the bar.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Pinky the Pit Bull could be heading back home for the first time in two years after a split decision by the Iowa Court of Appeals on Wednesday. WHO-TV reports
Des Moines Police impounded Pinky in March 2016 after the dog attacked a neighbor’s cat. The city ruled that Pinky should be put down after labeling the dog as dangerous under a city ordinance. The court says the ordinance is too vague. The cat was seriously injured but recovered.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Literary leaders from across the globe are coming together in a local community that is famous for producing world-class writers. KWWL-TV reports the event is happening in Iowa City this week. As the host of the annual meeting, Iowa City celebrates its tenth year of being designated as an UNESCO City of Literature.

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

BEDFORD, IA (IRN) – Minor injuries were reported in a school bus rollover crash in southern Iowa Wednesday morning. KMA Radio reports the crash happened in Taylor County near Bedford. Approximately 15 students were on board.

CHINA (IRN) – The Chinese government is striking back after President Trump imposed a $50 billion tariff on Chinese products last week. In response, on Monday the Chinese imposed a tariff on U.S. pork, and CNN reports China announced plans yesterday to impose a 25% tariff on $50 billion worth of US exports. The 106 affected products include the agricultural commodities soybeans, wheat, corn, cotton, sorghum, tobacco and beef.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man has been charged with 15 counts of animal neglect after police removed nearly 50 cats – many of them dead – from his home last month. The Des Moines Register reports that 55-year-old Leland Anthony Moffitt was charged after animal control officers spent several days removing 32 alive and 17 dead cats from his home.

CENTER POINT, IA (IRN) – An eastern Iowa transgender boy will be going to an American Legion summer program called Boys State. KCRG-TV reports Emmet Cummings was born a female and is transitioning into a male. He was selected by the Center Point Chapter of the American Legion to attend Boys State. But later, the state legion board denied his application, saying transgender boys aren’t allowed. The state board has now changed its position, saying Cummings can attend.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A new Iowa law will allow people to buy a cheaper form of health insurance that skirts Affordable Care Act rules. KWQC-TV reports the law will allow Iowa’s Farm Bureau to partner with insurance companies to offer plans that technically aren’t defined as insurance. The plans, which won’t be regulated by the state, aren’t required to cover maternity care and mental health, don’t have to offer protections to people with pre-existing conditions and can implement annual limits on coverage.