Iowa Radio News

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Neighbors and police were stunned early Friday morning by a crash just outside the State Fairgrounds. KCCI-TV reports a man was traveling east on Dean Avenue, which is closed due to construction. They say he hit the bucket of an excavator, slicing his car in half. The man was injured but police say he’s expected to survive. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit against authorities who unsuccessfully sought to convict an Jasper County woman in the 1983 deaths of her estranged husband and his girlfriend. Authorities charged Theresa Supino in 2014 in the deaths of the two, who were found bludgeoned inside a trailer at a horse ranch. Supino was acquitted at a 2015 trial. Afterward, she filed suit against authorities saying she was defamed by statements implying she was guilty even after the acquittal. The judge disagreed. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Marion man is facing charges after he left his crying baby in a wrecked van in a Taco Bell parking lot Wednesday. KGAN-TV reports 24-year-old Trevor Brickson pulled into the lot, parked the van and – after hanging around the restaurant for about 20 minutes, took off. 15 minutes later, employees checked the van and found Brickson’s one-year-old son crying inside. Employees pried open the window to get the baby out of the van. BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – The Burlington Police Department is warning merchants of counterfeit $100 bills being used at local businesses. WQAD-TV reports all of the bills have the same serial number. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A chase by the Iowa State Patrol ended Wednesday with an excuse from the driver troopers have never heard before. KCCI-TV reports it happened on I-80 in Des Moines. A trooper attempted to pull the driver of a sedan over on a traffic violation. The driver refused to pull over, and the chase was on. A trooper used a PIT maneuver on the sedan, and the driver was apprehended peacefully. The driver told troopers he wanted to be chased because, “it was on his bucket list.”

BOONE, IA (IRN) – A former Boone pastor who was arrested after allegedly sexually exploiting a teenage girl and “grooming” her for several years has pled guilty to lesser charges, according to the Des Moines Register. 48-year-old Joel Waltz of Boone, was charged with sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist, a class D felony. He was a pastor at Grace Community Church in Boone. Waltz and the victim first met at the church while he was the youth pastor. The victim was 11 and in foster care at the time. The sexual encounters began when the girl was 16. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – One person was killed in a wreck this morning in rural Linn County, according to KCRG-TV. Rescue crews found a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer had gone into a ditch, hitting the driveway of the residence and then rolling multiple times, coming to rest in a bean field. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. RED OAK, IA (IRN) – Police have arrested a man they say shot and killed another man in Red Oak Wednesday. Officers found 27-year-old Devin Davis of Villisca lying dead in the street of a gunshot wound. The investigation revealed that 39-year-old Kevin Staley of Red Oak, got into a confrontation with Davis, which resulted in Staley fatally shooting Davis. Staley is in jail. MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A pursuit late Tuesday night ended with one man in custody, according to KIMT-TV. A Cerro Gordo County Deputy attempted to stop a Chevy Malibu driven by 25-year-old Alex Welch, of Ames, who refused to stop. After his vehicle was disabled, Welch fled on foot, but was apprehended. He faces numerous charges, including some related to drugs and weapons. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – The Rhythm Casino barge is now gone from the Davenport riverfront but it’s left behind a mess for the city to clean up. A mess likely to cost more than $200,000. The city approved to get rid of all the concrete left behind like the sidewalks, parking lot, and driveways. Once the area is cleared it will make room for parks. City leaders say they want the public’s input and ideas for that space. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The biggest star at the Blank Park Zoo celebrated a big day yesterday. WHO-TV reports Tumani the black rhino turned one year old. The zoo helped her celebrate with a special cake made of grains and bananas and a frozen apple and carrot treat … every rhino’s favorite meal. Tumani is a big deal for the zoo. She’s a member of a critically endangered species and the only female black rhino born in the US last year.

RED OAK, IA (IRN) – Authorities are investigating an apparent homicide in Red Oak. Police received a call of a body lying in the street. The victim is a man in his late 20s who died of a gunshot wound to the chest. Police have taken a woman into custody. CORALVILLE, IA (IRN) – A Coralville prisoner is dead, according to KCRG-TV. 74-year-old Robert Robinson was pronounced dead due to natural causes in a hospice room of the Iowa Medical and Classification Center. Robinson had been serving a lifetime term for the crime of Murder in the 1st Degree from Clinton County. His sentence began in 1999. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines woman faces charges after police found her children and dogs left alone in filthy conditions. KCCI-TV reports the three small children of 25-year-old Destinee Miller were found playing in a parking lot. Officers found a four-year-old boy trying to care for his two-year-old sister and one-year-old brother. Police say the oven was found left on and hot. There were dirty dishes, spoiled food, dog feces and urine in the house, along with human waste. Five dogs in the home tested positive for Parvovirus. DHS officials removed the children from the home. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Police have arrested a Waterloo teen following a Monday shooting. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports 17-year-old Corey Dunn, Jr. is being charged as an adult for intimidation with a weapon and gang participation. Police say there were no injuries, but gunfire hit a passing vehicle with three people inside. The shooting was part of a gang feud. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowans have a new way to get help during an emergency. Governor Reynolds announced a system that allows cellphone users to text 911 when they need help. The service is available in 94 of Iowa’s 99 counties. The system is beneficial in life-threatening situations such as a home invasion, kidnapping or medical emergency. Users are asked to include an address or location, and to call 911 if possible. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A record 84 babies were born at Dubuque’s Finley Hospital in the month of September, according to KWWL-TV. That’s just six shy of their all time record of 90 born in May 1946. The big month has put the hospital on track for a big year. So far, they’ve seen 72 more births than at this time last year.

CLEAR LAKE, IA (IRN) – Drawings of a male body part were found throughout Clear Lake over the weekend. KIMT-TV reports police are investigating ten incidents, and nine of the ten appear to have been made by the same person. The damage was done using a permanent-type marker or spray paint. Police say with the estimated costs of repair, the act would classify as a Class D felony. FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – An inmate has been listed as escaped from the state work release facility in Fort Dodge. KWQC-TV reports 40-year-old Andrew Nielsen didn’t report back to the facility Monday night. Nielsen’s been serving time for burglary in Webster County and a drug-related crime in Fayette County. ANKENY, IA (IRN) – Ankeny police charged four men and are searching for a fifth in connection with a sexual assault investigation. KCCI-TV reports the assault happened in an apartment building near the DMACC campus. The victim says she was assaulted by multiple people that she knew. She was treated at a local hospital for injuries sustained in the assault. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – The trial of a Dubuque man accused of a 2015 sexual assault and murder will be moved outside of Dubuque County. The Telegraph Herald reports a judge determined extensive media coverage would make fielding an impartial jury for the trial of 21-year-old Helmon Betwell impossible. Betwell allegedly sexually assaulted and killed 66-year-old Nancy Krapfl. Betwell told investigators he attacked Krapfl because he “had nothing better to do,” and she was “in the wrong place at the wrong time.” SWISHER, IA (IRN) – More than one hundred fake IDs were found during a traffic stop Sunday night in Swisher. KGAN-TV reports a sheriff’s deputy stopped 24-year-old Tyrone Smith of Cedar Rapids for speeding. Investigators say Smith was driving a rental car that was stolen. During a search officers found a bag with 112 fake IDs. MARENGO, IA (IRN) – When you go to a gas station and pick up a sandwich from the cooler, do you look to see where it came from? It may well be a sandwich made by the Marengo company, “Pride of Iowa.” The company can make as many as 25,000 sandwiches a day that are shipped all over the country. Recently, the company has shipped thousands of sandwiches to help in hurricane relief efforts. Among their most unique sandwiches is a twin chili dog called “The Gambler.”

DECORAH, IA (IRN) – A Decorah man faces charges after authorities found dead feeder calves on his property. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that 51-year-old Craig Scott Underbakke was arrested on charges of livestock neglect and seven counts of failure to dispose of livestock. Officials say 24 feeder calves were found dead and in different stages of decomposition on the property, and another 20 malnourished feeder calves were seized. ROCKFORD, IA (IRN) – A home in Rockford is a total loss after an overnight fire, according to KIMT-TV. Five agencies responded. Nobody was home at the time of the fire and there were no injuries. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police are investigating a shooting that happened near a Des Moines Kum & Go Saturday, according to KCCI-TV. Police found blood in a parking lot and shell casings in the street. The victim arrived at Mercy Medical Center with a gunshot wound shortly after the shooting. NASHUA, IA (IRN) – The Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an incident at a Nashua apple orchard. KCRG-TV reports a child was hit by a stray bullet at Apples on the Avenue Sunday. Police believe the stray shot came from a nearby shooting range. The condition of the child has not been reported. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Today is Columbus Day. KWQC-TV reports in Davenport, it‘s also Indigenous People’s Day. The Davenport City Council passed a proclamation to that effect two weeks ago. There was some confusion at the time, as some thought Davenport was replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day, but that’s not the case. The community is celebrating both. TIFFIN, IA (IRN) – A Clear Creek Amana high school football player who took a knee during the National Anthem became the target of a racial slur on social media. KGAN-TV reports 17-year-old Darius Moore knelt during the National Anthem protesting police brutality and racial discrimination. His sister took the knee at her school in the Quad Cities and was bullied by some of her classmates for doing so. The District Superintendent says, “the district will not interfere with a student’s right of expression by peacefully kneeling or sitting during the national anthem…”