Iowa Radio News

DALLAS COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A former Dallas Center pastor was sentenced to probation on Friday after being charged with sexual abuse last year. WHO-TV reports Randy Johnson faced 13 counts of sexually abusing his daughter. His daughter, now 16, disagrees with the decision, telling the court, “I want everyone in this courtroom to know that Randy Johnson is not innocent, and he deserves the maximum sentence for all the sexual, mental, and emotional abuse I will forever live with.” CLINTON, IA (IRN) – An eastern Iowa man has been given 10 years in prison for beating his 38-year-old son to death. The Clinton Herald reports that Glenn Plummer III, of Camanche, was sentenced Thursday. Responding to a domestic assault call, police found Plummer and his son, 38-year-old Joseph Plummer. Joseph Plummer told investigators that his father had beaten him. The son died shortly later. COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – A 35-year-old Omaha man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute a powerful synthetic opioid that led to the 2015 death of a Council Bluffs man. Walter O’Donohue III was part of a drug trafficking ring responsible for obtaining fentanyl from China and selling it western Iowa and eastern Nebraska. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa farmers are bracing for the possible fallout from President Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. KCCI-TV reports Matthew Mitchell, a professor of international business and strategy at Drake University, predicts the effects will extend well beyond the steel industry. Mitchell said China could end up putting their own taxes on Iowa exports like soybeans, corn and pork. He said, “China is evaluating an increased retaliatory tax on Iowa agriculture.”

CRESCO, IA (IRN) – A woman is dead and a man has been charged with murder after a shooting incident on March 1. KCRG-TV reports 34-year-old Brian Fullhart was uncooperative with officers when they arrived on scene, and threatened to shoot them. After Fullhart was taken into custody, officers found a body in the house, identified as Fullhart’s wife, 34-year-old Zoanne Fullhart of Decorah. Brian Fullhart has been arrested and charged with First Degree Murder and Going Armed With Intent. OSKALOOSA, IA (IRN) – A William Penn student and basketball player has died of a stab wound. University sources say the victim was Marquis Todd, from Woodbridge Illinois. Police say they believe there was a minor vehicle accident, and a fight ensued that resulted in the stabbing. No arrest has been made. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man robbed a Hardee’s in Des Moines Wednesday night. The robber pulled out a handgun and demanded the manager open the safe. When the safe was open he grabbed cash and fled on foot. A silent alarm notified police, but the man had fled the scene before they arrived. Police used a K-9 to track the suspect but the search was unsuccessful. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines fire crews were called to a mobile home fire Thursday in the southeast part of the city. KCCI-TV reports two dogs died in the blaze. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has named Mike Naig (NAYG) as the next Iowa Secretary of Agriculture. Naig is currently the Deputy Secretary serving under Secretary Bill Northey. Earlier this week Northey was confirmed by the US Senate as an Undersecretary to Sonny Perdue, the current head of the USDA. Naig will serve the remainder of Northey’s term which ends in January. SABULA, IA (IRN) – A sudden bridge closure between Savanna, Illinois and Sabula, Iowa added about 40 minutes to some people’s work commutes. But 87-year-old Fred Bresette of Sabula is offering to cut that time in half. He taxis people from the dock in his Sabula backyard, over to the Marina in Savanna. Asked why he does it, he replies, “I love Sabula, I love the people…and I’m just trying to help them.” The rides are free.

TOLEDO, IA (IRN) – A Marion teacher acquitted of not reporting that a teenaged classroom volunteer sexually abused her students is returning to work. KCRG-TV reports Diane Graham is back in a classroom today at Vernon Middle School in Marion. Prosecutors alleged that Graham knew of the abuse, and didn’t report it. Graham testified that she never saw or heard of any abuse, and a jury agreed. The teen has been convicted of sexual abuse. CRESCO, IA (IRN) – Investigators are looking into a death in northeast Iowa after one person was taken into custody following a standoff. Cresco police and the Iowa State Patrol responded to a call of shots fired. A subject was found to have barricaded himself into a residence. Law enforcement negotiated with the subject for several hours before he surrendered. During a search of the home officers discovered the body of a deceased individual. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Senate passed the so-called “fetal heartbeat bill” Wednesday, which bans most abortions. WHO-TV reports the bill does not provide exceptions in the case of rape or incest, and a doctor who performs an abortion after a heartbeat is detected could face up to five years in prison. All Republicans supported the bill, and all Democrats opposed it. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A federal judge has sentenced three Cedar Rapids men to federal prison after they pleaded guilty to counterfeiting U.S. currency, stealing U.S. mail, and identity theft. KCRG-TV reports the men stole mail from dozens of mailboxes in the Cedar Rapids area and altered the names on checks, and then fraudulently cashed the checks. ANKENY, IA (IRN) – An Ankeny student suffered permanent brain damage after a bully punched her in the face and slammed her head into a concrete wall, according to a lawsuit filed against the school district. 18-year-old Audrey Vacek alleges that Ankeny High School did little to alleviate years of torment from Mallory Schaubhut. The victim is also angry that the girl who assaulted her was awarded Ankeny’s “Spirit of a Jaguar Award” for her anti-bullying talks that she was legally required to give as part of her court-ordered probation. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The number of drivers caught speeding at more than 100 mph in Iowa has doubled in the past five years, according to the Iowa State Patrol. There were 797 drivers caught doing more than 100 mph last year. That’s more than double the 342 drivers in 2013. The fastest driver the State Patrol stopped last year was going 151 mph.

EAGLE GROVE, IA (IRN) – A house fire in north-central Iowa killed one person and injured another. The Messenger reports three people were in the Eagle Grove home when the blaze erupted Monday. Two people escaped — one uninjured and one later taken to an Iowa City hospital. Firefighters found the third resident’s body as they knocked down flames. Firefighters say an electrical fire in the kitchen spread through the rear of the home. NORA SPRINGS, IA (IRN) – A Nora Springs man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. KIMT-TV reports 40-year-old Delbert Raymond Lane admitted his guilt. In August of 2016, Lane sold an eighth of an ounce to a confidential informant in Mason City, and when arrested he was in possession of 43 grams of meth. IOWA, IA (IRN) – A plan by Iowa Senate Republicans to provide tax reform would come with a significant downside, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency. The Agency says the new tax plan would slash state general fund revenues by more than $1 billion annually when fully implemented. Republicans say taxpayers would have more money in their pockets to spend. Democrats say it’s irresponsible, and would bring huge reductions in state spending on education, public safety, health care and other programs. COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – Council Bluffs police are searching for a missing Lewis Central High School student who allegedly threatened to bring a weapon to school Monday. KETV reports the 16-year-old left school property after making the threat. The student’s family was contacted and is cooperating with police. WEST BRANCH, IA (IRN) – West Branch Community Schools will be closed today due to a threatening message found in one of the school buildings. WQAD-TV reports police are investigating. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines Public Works crews started their Tuesday morning with 467 pothole complaints. WHO-TV reports public works employee Douglas Triplett says they know which ones are the worst by how many complaints they get and how the potholes are described. Triplett said if the complaint says, “Monster, huge, or large,” they try to repair it quickly. Seven crews are working overtime on the filling the potholes with a coal mix.

NEW YORK, NY – Gov. Kim Reynolds appeared on CBS This Morning today and talked about Iowa’s recent ranking as #1 in U.S. News and World Report’s Best States. The magazine lists Iowa #1 in infrastructure, #3 in health care, #4 in opportunity, #5 in education and #9 in quality of life, giving Iowa the #1 ranking overall. However, the state ranked near the bottom in some categories, including #46 for business environment, #36 in growth of the young population, #38 in venture capital investment and #45 in entrepreneurship. MONROE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Two people are dead following a head on collision involving a stolen vehicle in Southeast Iowa last night. KTVO-TV reports a suspect robbed and assaulted a pizza delivery man, and stole his car. Shortly afterward, a collision occurred on Highway 34. The suspect driver, 28-year-old Nathaniel Wesley Stroud of Centerville, was westbound at a high rate of speed when he struck an oncoming car driven by 34-year-old Summer Leanne Cox of Allerton. Both Stroud and Cox were pronounced dead on scene. ANAMOSA, IA (IRN) – The Anamosa city council has fired the police chief after media reports showed he sent emails with racist and sexist comments. KCRG-TV reports Chief Bob Simonson offered to retire, but the council unanimously decided to fire him Monday night instead. Simonson must return his gun and gear by noon today. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A motorcycle driver was hospitalized Monday after wrecking his bike in Des Moines. When police arrived on scene the man was under the motorcycle in the middle of the street. Authorities believe alcohol played a role in the crash. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa drivers are the most ticketed in the country when it comes to speeding. According to the online insurance company, Insurify, Iowa drivers get more speeding tickets than anywhere else in the United States. That’s despite having the lowest per-capita number of police officers among the other highest ticketed states. Over 23% of Iowa drivers reported having a speeding violation in the last seven years, the highest percentage in the nation. BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – The late-winter thawing of an eastern Iowa marina has left a smelly surprise: thousands of tiny dead shad. The Hawk Eye reports fish in Burlington’s Bluff Harbor Marina slowly ran out of oxygen during two months of freezing temperatures and ice build-up. Pelicans, gulls and eagles are taking advantage of the opportunity to feed.