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.”

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines was forced to close today after a water main break. Water flooded the area beneath Flix Brewhouse inside the mall, known as Flix Court, according to KCCI-TV. Individual department stores will be able to open if they have an outside entrance and don’t need access to the mall’s water supply. Visitors won’t be able to walk through the mall. When the mall will reopen is yet to be determined.

ALDEN, IA (IRN) – An Alden man who admitted to molesting his granddaughter may end up getting probation instead of prison time. WHO-TV reports 61-year-old Dean Hilpipre faces as many as 50 years behind bars if convicted. But as part of a plea deal, prosecutors will recommend a suspended sentence and probation at his sentencing. The mother of the girl is outraged, and is asking the public to attend sentencing on February 23 at 10 am at the Hardin County Courthouse to help convince the judge to reject the plea.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Meredith Corporation will cut about 600 jobs at a Time Inc. customer service center in Florida in its first major move to consolidate the two businesses. The jobs will move to Des Moines. Des Moines-based Meredith completed its $2.8 billion acquisition of Time on Feb. 1.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City may soon change its definition of gender identity. Right now, it’s only male or female. KCRG-TV reports the City council voted Tuesday night 7-0 to change that. The new ordinance will allow people to identify as “non-binary” on documentation if they don’t feel they fall into the category of male or female.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines mother said she learned her lesson after police found her 3-year-old son wandering a south side neighborhood in subfreezing temperatures without a coat. KCCI-TV reports the mother had left the boy to be watched by her fiance. The boy was sleeping when the fiance decided he would take a nap too. A neighbor found the boy. The boy’s OK, the fiance feels terrible, and mom says that it won’t happen again. No charges will be filed. The boy left the home because he decided it was time for a trip to McDonalds.