CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO (IRN) – Twin sisters originally from Toledo, Iowa drowned in Mexico last Sunday according to the Toledo Chronicle. 67-year-old Barbara Jo Thomas and Beverly Ann Skripsky were walking on the beach in Cabo San Lucas when they were swept out to sea by a rogue wave. An obituary for Beverly says she was currently living in Scottsdale, Arizona while Beverly was living in McKinney, Texas.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – Two teens were killed when the vehicle they were in crashed into Lake Manawa Friday morning, according to KETV. 18-year-old Efren Lara and 17-year-old Christian Renteria-Perez were pronounced dead at the scene. Both teens were students at Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs. Speed may have been a factor in the crash.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A fatal stabbing in Des Moines first started as a dispute over money, according to WHO-TV. Michael Bell Jr. is charged with first degree murder following a stabbing on Wednesday. Records say he was confronting Jerry Martin about a dispute over $50. Two witnesses claim Bell stabbed Martin multiple times.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two Iowa Democratic lawmakers have come up with a plan they say will make healthcare affordable for all Iowans. It’s called Healthy Iowans for a Public Option, or HIPO. But Republicans are attacking the plan. Party Chair Jeff Kaufmann said Iowa does not need to experiment with costly socialized medicine. Democrats plan to propose the legislation in the upcoming session, but it’s unlikely to pass in the Republican-controlled Legislature.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Greater Des Moines is the fifth best place for business and careers, according to Forbes magazine. The annual ranking compares the business climates of the 200 largest metro areas in the U.S. Des Moines’ placing in the top five stems from a cost of doing business that is 15% below the national average, and Des Moines is leading the Midwest in gross domestic product, population growth, and employment growth.

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A baby who died at four months old in Chickasaw County weighed less than seven pounds and hadn’t had a diaper change in more than a week. KIMT-TV reports Cheyanne Harris and Zachary Koehn were charged with first-degree murder in the death of their four-month old son. The baby was found deceased in his infant swing Aug. 30. His body was ridden with maggots.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – Two people have died after a vehicle they were in crashed into Lake Manawa in Council Bluffs, according to KETV. It appears the vehicle swerved off the road and into the water.

MUSCATINE, IA (IRN) – Muscatine police responded to a report of two males fighting on Thursday, according to KWQC-TV. One of them was said to possibly have a firearm.
Officers arrested a sixteen-year-old male and charged him with robbery 1st degree and possession of firearms by a felon. He’s in jail.

ANKENY, IA (IRN) – Three of the state’s top ten most dangerous intersections are in Ankeny, and the Iowa Department of Transportation says those intersections are in need of safety improvements. Ankeny has seen its population more than double in the last 15 years. Officials say designs that made sense 15-years-ago, don’t today.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Transportation says there have been more than 3,300 reported animal crashes so far this year–mostly involving deer. That’s down in comparison to this time last year. Last year, the DOT says there were more than 7,000 animal collisions across the state. Officials suggest, “don’t veer for the deer…just brake as quickly as you can, reduce your speed, maintain your lane…when people get injured or killed…it’s often because they’ve lost control of their car.”

AMES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa State Marching Band has been awarded the highest honor given to a collegiate marching band. WHO-TV reports the Sudler Award will be presented to the band at the halftime show Saturday, during the Iowa State TCU game at Jack Trice Stadium. Saturday’s performance will include Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, and yes, cannons will fire during the performance.

FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – Police say a Fort Dodge man has been charged after he was shot twice while breaking into an apartment. Police in Sac City say Bendji Joseph broke into an apartment intending to harm the people inside. One of the residents shot Joseph. He’s now hospitalized in stable condition and facing burglary charges.

BUTLER COUNTY, IA (IRN) – One person was taken to the hospital after falling from a grain bin in Butler County. KWWL-TV reports it happened near Aplington on Wednesday. The sheriff’s office says the person went to a hospital and his or her condition is unknown. Authorities say the person fell off the bin, and not into the grain.

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Chickasaw County couple are facing first degree murder and child endangerment charges for the death of their four-month-old child in August. KCRG-TV reports 28-year-old Zachary Koehn and 20-year-old Cheyanne Harris are in jail. First responders found their child dead in his infant swing. If convicted, they face life in prison.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A 3-year-old Des Moines girl is safe Tuesday after the car she was sitting in was stolen. KCCI-TV reports Rosella Taylor ran inside a home to grab something. She says she was gone for seconds when two teenagers took off with her car and child. The suspects abandoned the car and took off on foot just down the street after realizing a child was in the back seat.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – An 18-year-old Mason City man is facing a second-degree robbery charge after an incident at Hy-Vee. KIMT-TV reports Jared Osmon is also facing a felony assault charge for allegedly punching an employee after they attempted to detain him as he was trying to get away after the robbery. He’s in jail.

JOHNSTON, IA (IRN) – With the holidays fast approaching, the Iowa Blue Star Mothers are starting to collect items for care packages to send to military men and women deployed overseas. WHO-TV reports they looking for donations and items like shampoo, deodorant, soap, gum, snacks, chocolate and coffee. A spokesperson says a lot of the time troops don’t have access to simple things and they really look forward to packages like this. The Blue Star Mothers all over the United States started sending care packages in 1942.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Supreme Court has agreed to a temporary hold on implementing parts of a new state law that require a woman to wait three days before getting an abortion. The court granted a motion Monday that extends an injunction on the 72-hour waiting period until a lawsuit challenging the provision is resolved.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Revenue increased last season at Iowa’s only greyhound racing operation, but the track’s future is uncertain because it depends on temporary funding from two casinos. The Telegraph Herald reports the total amount wagered on races at Iowa Greyhound Park in Dubuque was $4.6 million in 2017, up from $3.3 million in 2015. The park received a $5.1 million subsidy from Q Casino and Hotel and the Council Bluffs casino, which still leaves the track operation short of being sustainable.

AMES, IA (IRN) – The Ames Police Department is investigating after the high school football team found a racially charged message in the locker room Tuesday. KCCI-TV reports the slur blamed black players for why the team lost. Ames Community School District spokesperson Eric Smidt says, “I don’t think this incident is a reflection of our student body… and it certainly isn’t a reflection of our community as a whole. I think it is the act of a few people.”

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Davenport police are looking into criminals committing “smash and grab” robberies at cell phone stores, according to WHO-TV. The thieves smash windows with rocks and bricks, and then fill a garbage can in the store with phones and accessories and take off. Six Boost Mobile stores have been hit in the last two weeks.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Toyota-Mazda car plant that would have brought thousands of jobs to Cedar Rapids will not be built. Iowa Economic Development Association Spokeswoman Kanan Kappelman confirmed that Iowa lost its bid to bring the $1.6 billion project to town.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – If you live in the Quad Cities, you are probably cheering for the Houston Astros to win the World Series, according to WQAD-TV. The Quad Cities River Bandits are a farm team for the Astros, and out of the 25 players on the Major League team, eight are River Bandits alumni. The River Bandits also have an alumnus playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bandits staff plan to fly to Houston to cheer on their Major League affiliate in game three on Thursday.