OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – An Ottumwa family is looking to raise funds to attend the trial of a man accused in their daughter’s murder. Eighteen-year-old Tierra Stansberry of Ottumwa was one of five people who died in an arson fire in Los Angeles in 2016. Three other Ottumwa natives also died in that fire. Johnny Sanchez, an undocumented immigrant from Honduras, was arrested and charged with setting the fire to the abandoned building after an argument. His preliminary hearing starts March 19th in and the Stansberry family wants to be there. They have started a GoFundMe page to help with traveling costs from Iowa to California.

DES MOINES, IA (IR) – Arguments began today in a lawsuit to permanently block parts of Iowa’s new abortion law. The law was signed by former Gov. Terry Branstad last year. It bans the procedure after 20-weeks of pregnancy, and requires a three-day waiting period for women wanting an abortion. The Iowa Supreme Court is hearing the argument today.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Gov. Kim Reynolds promised more money in the pockets of Iowa’s middle-class families Tuesday while unveiling a new tax reform plan. Reynolds’ tax reform plan would cut personal income taxes by 23 percent, resulting in $1.7 billion of relief over six years. Reynolds said the new plan will provide immediate relief to small business owners through a 25 percent income deduction.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A bill that private and homeschool supporters are behind moved forward in the legislature Tuesday. Currently, public schools get about $6,500 per year for each enrolled student. The bill to establish an Education Savings Account would allow parents who send their children to non-public schools to use $5,000 a year for education costs. Tom Ahart, superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools says the bill would seriously impact the public schools, and that, “Funneling public money into a private institution that follows a different set of expectations, different set of guidelines, and does not have a publicly elected board…flies in the face of public school tradition in the state of Iowa.”

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A bill to reinstate capital punishment in Iowa will not advance this legislative session. The bill would have allowed for capital punishment for crimes like murdering a peace officer and first-degree murder involving kidnapping or rape.

IOWA (IRN) – U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley is not the highest-rated politician in Iowa. The latest Des Moines Register poll shows 49 percent of Iowans approve of Grassley’s job performance, but 51 percent indicate approval for U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst. The results mark the first time ever that Iowa’s other U.S. senator has rated higher in an Iowa Poll than Grassley, a seven-term Republican first elected in 1980.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – A Council Bluffs police officer is OK after being dragged by an escaping SUV. KETV reports the officer went to a Kwik Shop in Council Bluffs around midnight. Before entering, the officer recognized someone sitting in an SUV outside the store as havng a warrant out for his arrest. The officer attempted to make contact and when he ordered the suspect to get out of his vehicle, the suspect put his vehicle in reverse and drove away. The officer’s hand became trapped in the door and he was dragged about 20 to 30 feet before escaping.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa City business owner accused of repeatedly asking a customer if he was a Muslim and a terrorist has been sentenced to probation. KWWL-TV reports Chad Cermak entered an Alford plea Monday to a misdemeanor charge of harassment. Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges the state likely can prove the charge. Cermak was arrested after a person complained to authorities that he went to Cermak Automotive, where Cermak repeatedly asked if he was a Muslim, a terrorist, or a suicide bomber.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A state Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday advanced a controversial bill banning abortion as early as six weeks, to cheers from anti-abortion Iowans.
KCCI-TV reports the so-called “fetal heartbeat bill” would make it a felony for doctors to perform abortions after detecting a fetal heartbeat. Committee Democrats who oppose the bill argued that it is unconstitutional, attacks women’s rights and will worsen a doctor shortage.

WARREN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – One person is dead and another injured following a crash near Indianola. The Iowa State Patrol reports 29-year-old Jenny Somvong died Monday. 29-year-old Cody Meyer was driving south when his vehicle left the roadway, struck a guardrail and entered the northbound lane. Meyer’s vehicle struck Somvong’s vehicle, killing her.

NEVADA, IA (IRN) – Authorities are investigating a threatening email sent to Nevada High School Monday. WHO-TV reports an email including a threat of violence towards students and staff at the high school was received around 2 p.m. Law enforcement and parents were then notified, and Nevada Middle School and Nevada High School were evacuated.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A construction worker is making sure kids at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital are still getting the wave from the Kinnick Stadium field. KCRG-TV reports Justin Mason is working as part of a crew renovating the stadium. He, like many others, enjoyed the tradition of waving to children in the hospital at Iowa home football games. With the football season over, he didn’t want the recognition to stop. So he spray painted a wave hand on the back of his safety vest. For Mason, this is personal. His son was once a patient at the hospital.

PORTUGUESA, VENEZUELA (IRN) – Iowa Cubs pitcher Williams Perez was reportedly arrested following an accidental shooting that killed his pitching coach in Venezuela. The Des Moines Register reports Perez accidentally killed 52-year-old Cesar Quintero while he was training in Portuguesa. Quintero was accidentally shot while Perez gave the gun to the coach.

CLEAR LAKE, IA (IRN) – Police are investigating an allegation of a camera being put up in a faculty bathroom in Clear Lake schools. KIMT-TV reports that a school employee is being investigated, and no children were victims.

DELAWARE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A father and son have been sentenced to two years supervised probation after pleading guilty to insurance fraud. KWWL-TV reports 69-year-old Richard Hartman of Manchester and 44-year-old Tobin Hartman of Ryan pleaded guilty to third-degree fraudulent practices. Richard filed a fraudulent insurance claim to get money to cover damages after claiming to have hit his son’s barn, causing it to collapse. His son was charged for giving false claims to support his father’s statements.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man was hit by a train in Ames Saturday night. KCCI-TV reports when officers arrived on scene, they found the man unconscious near the train tracks. His name and condition haven’t been released.

DUBUQUE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Two Chicago women have been accused of using stolen credit cards at Hy-Vee stores in Iowa. KCRG-TV reports the pair used the credit cards to make purchases in Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Davenport, and other cities. The suspects would try to use damaged credit cards, which were declined. They would then manually enter the credit card numbers. Hy-Vee officials say the transactions amount to about $50,000 in losses.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – A report of shots fired led to an hours-long standoff at a Council Bluffs home Sunday. KETV reports a SWAT team and negotiators were called in. Hours later, police learned the home was empty, and that no shots had been fired. The woman who called 911 was brought to the police station for an interview. There’s no word on any arrests.

BETTENDORF, IA (IRN) – An investigation regarding a string of daytime residential break-ins in Bettendorf, Davenport and rural Scott County has resulted in two arrests. WQAD-TV reports a Bettendorf police officer caught Kalandis McNeil Sr. and Erica Kauer burglarizing a home and arrested them. Police believe the two are responsible for many more burglaries.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Lake City farmer has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for committing fraud to get bank loans, crop insurance proceeds and ease a bankruptcy burden. 36-year-old Clint Devries was sentenced Wednesday. He lied about how much crop he had in storage to obtain farm operating loans, and to bankruptcy trustees about sales of crops.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police were called to the Des Moines International Airport overnight to quell the anger of outraged airline passengers who say they had to wait 14 hours for their flight. KCCI-TV reports Allegiant Air Flight 153 was supposed to leave Friday morning but didn’t take off until early Saturday, creating a nightmare for passengers. One passenger said they couldn’t get a refund, they couldn’t get their luggage, and they were “stuck.” Hundreds of flights across the midwest were postponed due to weather.

WAUKEE, IA (IRN) – A Waukee boy is now up and moving around after he was placed in a coma due to complications of the flu. WHO-TV reports seven-year-old Jaxson Ridout was admitted to the hospital two weeks ago. He came out of the coma last week and is slowly recovering. A coloring page on the door serves as motivation; his mom, Melody, says Jaxson gets worn out quickly, but notes they “have to take baby steps before we run.”