Iowa Radio News

LAS VEGAS, NV (IRN) – Des Moines native Kurt Allison who was onstage with Jason Aldean on Sunday night in Las Vegas was not injured in the mass shooting, according to KCCI-TV. All members of the band made it off the stage safely as shots began to spray the crowd. 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire on a crowd of more than 20,000 after Aldean took the stage to headline a weekend music festival. Right now the death toll stands at 58, and 500 others were injured. Allison is a 1986 graduate of Lincoln High School. He’s played with Jason Aldean since 1999. BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – One man is dead after an officer-involved shooting Sunday in Burlington, according to WQAD-TV. Police haven’t released the name, but family confirmed that 27-year-old Marquise Jones was shot and killed by a Burlington police officer after he was pulled over. Police didn’t say why they pulled Jones over, but his mom says there was a warrant out for his arrest for a probation violation. A handgun was found at the scene. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A motorcyclist is in critical condition after a hit and run crash in Cedar Rapids Sunday. KCRG-TV reports the driver of the car ran from the scene. MYSTIC, IA (IRN) – A fire in the Appanoose County town of Mystic Friday left a house destroyed. KTVO-TV reports no one was at home at the time of the fire, and no one was injured. All that’s left standing of the home is the chimney. The cause of the fire is under investigation. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – About 200 dog owners took over Gray’s Lake in Des Moines Sunday for the fifth annual PuppyUp Walk, an event that raises money for cancer research. KCCI-TV reports the group raised $23,000 during the event. The money goes toward research seeking a cure for human and canine cancer.

IOWA COUNTY, IA (IRN) – One person is dead after a crash on I-80 Saturday morning near Williamsburg. The Iowa State Patrol reports 35-year-old Aaron Meyer of Cedar Rapids was killed when his car hit the back of a semi. The truck was slowing or almost stopped as crews worked to remove another semi that crashed into a ditch days before. IOWA COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A young man is dead after flipping his car and hitting a wall four miles east of Williamsburg Saturday. KWWL-TV reports 24-year-old Cody Severns lost control around a curve. He was the only person in the car. Authorities believe it was at least a couple hours before someone discovered the accident. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Davenport Police have identified the body found along Interstate 80 earlier this week. WQAD-TV reports 50-year-old Bobbie Jo Shouse-Byrd of Davenport was found along I-80 near an overpass on Thursday. Police are not released any other information. SOLON, IA (IRN) – 2-year old Chihuahua Sprite from Solon has new wheels, according to KCRG-TV. Sprite can’t use his front legs and is getting used to wearing his wheelie vest. The vest is custom fitted with four wheels to help him move. A GoFundMe Account raised over $2,000 to help pay for it.

LINN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Two people are dead after a car accident in Linn County, according to KWWL-TV. A southbound vehicle driven by 22-year-old Brianna Stastny of Cedar Rapids was attempting to pass another vehicle when it struck a northbound vehicle head-on. Brianna suffered what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries. The passenger in Brianna’s vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and only occupant of the northbound vehicle was also pronounced dead at the scene. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A 60-year-old Des Moines woman died after she was struck by an SUV on Friday, according to KCCI-TV. The SUV was driven by a 16-year-old male Des Moines resident. Detectives say speed was likely a factor in the death. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa’s treasurer says Gov. Kim Reynolds’ plan to tap an emergency fund to address a budget shortfall is not compliant with state law. Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald sent a letter to Reynolds on Friday that says revenue tied to the state budget that ended in June did not drop below a certain legal threshold. Since revenue didn’t meet that threshold, Fitzgerald says funds can’t legally be transferred from the state’s economic emergency fund. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – The Davenport City Council has decided Davenport will mark Indigenous Peoples Day on Oct. 9, not Columbus Day. The Quad-City Times reports the council made the proclamation at its meeting Wednesday at the request of the Native American Coalition of the Quad-Cities. The group shared their concerns about celebrating Christopher Columbus and the history of mistreatment of Native Americans locally. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Friday was the first meeting of a program at Summit Elementary School in Cedar Rapids called the “Mad Scientists” Club. KCRG-TV reports students at Summit are teaming up with future teachers from Coe College after school to learn more about science. There is great interest in the program–forty students joined in less than seven days.

DAVENPORT, (IRN) – A domestic disturbance turned deadly last night in Davenport. WQAD-TV reports police responded to a report of a domestic incident, and when they arrived they heard a gunshot. They secured the perimeter of the scene, and repeatedly asked whoever was inside to come to the door. No one did, and when police entered they found a deceased person inside the front door. The investigation is ongoing. HUDSON, IA (IRN) – Hudson Police say a worker with Traer Municipal Utilities is in the hospital after nearly being electrocuted. KWWL-TV reports the 51-year-old man was working on a transformer box yesterday afternoon when he came in contact with a high-voltage line. The worker has severe electrical burns, but was breathing when he was taken to the hospital. JOHNSTON, IA (IRN) – A Johnston woman faces charges after she left her four children home alone while taking a trip to Germany. KCCI-TV reports 30-year-old Erin Lee Macke is charged with four counts of child endangerment, and one count of transfer of pistol or revolver to a person under 21. The children are 12, 12, 7 and 6. Macke faces the gun charge because she left a firearm within reach of the children. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The Cedar Rapids Police Department has made an arrest in a murder in a Walmart parking lot on July 2nd. Andrew Meeks, Jr. died in the shooting; Johnny Moore, Jr. was injured. Quarzone Martin was arrested in Chicago and transferred to the Linn County Jail on Thursday. GRINNELL, IA (IRN) – A Grinnell doctor has been arrested for sexual assault. WHO-TV reports 62-year-old Roy Doorenbos was charged with two counts of Assault with Intent to Commit Sexual Abuse and one count of 3rd Degree Sexual Abuse. A woman who lived with Doorenbos claims he assaulted her three times. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School used its homecoming game to help victims of Hurricane Maria, according to KCRG-TV. Students say they’re taught at Kennedy to put others first, and always help those in need. Members of the cheer team roamed the stands collecting donations. The effort is part of the “One Campaign.” The organization was formed recently by all five living former U.S. Presidents, and money is going to hurricane relief.

JOHNSTON, IA (IRN) – Johnston officials confirm four arrests in a sexual assault reported earlier this month. KCCI-TV reports Morgan Hough, 18, Ritter Stahlbaum, 17, Kaden Dishman, 15, and Noah Lamar, 15 have each been arrested and charged with one count of robbery in the first degree, one count of sexual abuse in the second degree and one count of felony assault. The victim is a male juvenile. HANCOCK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Hancock County man is facing nearly a dozen felony charges in connection to an incident at a party July 31. KIMT-TV reports 18-year-old Samuel Swanson is facing seven counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree burglary and another felony charge for intimidation with a dangerous weapon. Swanson was involved in a robbery near Klemme where guns were fired and people were robbed. Swanson was taken into custody in Portland, Maine. FOREST CITY, IA (IRN) – Officials in northern Iowa are turning away highly intoxicated people from a new county jail — a policy the sheriff says has been implemented because of liability concerns. The Globe Gazette reports that Sheriff Dave Peterson says highly intoxicated people who are turned away from the jail are taken to the hospital or released to a family member. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Secretary of State Paul Pate has shown up in person to less than half of the meetings of a key committee that helps run Iowa’s executive branch. KCRG-TV reports Pate has missed 20 of 76 meetings of the Executive Council since January 2015 and phoned in to 21 more for an in-person attendance record far worse than colleagues. The committee approves emergency spending, pays outside lawyers, and governs insurance plans for employees. NORTH LIBERTY, IA (IRN) – Liberty High School in North Liberty was temporarily evacuated after a suspicious package was reported yesterday, according to KGAN-TV. The package turned out to be a duct-taped box containing a marble maze toy. ANKENY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa hero and his family have a new place to call home and it didn’t cost them a penny. WHO-TV reports Tyler Cleghorn was handed the keys to his new mortgage free home yesterday. It’s a gift from the Military Warriors Support Foundation and Wells Fargo. Cleghorn is a retired Army Airborne Infantryman who served two tours in Afghanistan before being seriously injured in an IED explosion. He says the home “is a great blessing, and it will change our lives forever.”