Thursday, August 10, 2017

CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – An 8-year-old died after the ATV he was driving crashed on a farm in Grundy County. KWWL-TV reports Micah Jones was driving an ATV on a farm near Cedar Falls Tuesday morning when the ATV went over a retaining wall and flipped, killing the boy. Another 8-year-old on the ATV suffered minor injuries.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A Lake Mills man has been charged in a case of alleged “revenge porn.” KIMT-TV reports police arrested 27-year-old William Alan Eldridge on an outstanding warrant from Minnesota. Eldridge is accused of posting naked images online of a woman from Kiester, MN. He’s charged with non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images, which is punishable in Minnesota by up to three years in prison and a fine of $5,000.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A man was shot in Dubuque overnight, according to KCRG-TV. Police say the suspect and the victim knew each other. It was all caught on security camera footage, and police are looking for the suspect.

AMES, IA (IRN) – Iowa State University undergraduates could face a 7% tuition increase per year for at least the next five years. Interim president Ben Allen unveiled the plan Wednesday. Currently, tuition for in-state undergrads is $7,456, meaning under the proposal, tuition would be $10,457 by fall of 2022. The plan assumes no increase in support by the Iowa Legislature.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Ronald McDonald House in Des Moines in the process of being torn down to be replaced with a bigger and better version. Hubbell Realty intends to start construction of the new facility in September.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa is among 11 states on the shortlist to host a $1.6 billion Toyota-Mazda production facility, according to the Wall Street Journal. Toyota and Mazda made the announcement last week that they would be joining together to develop the factory in the United States, much to the delight of auto-parts manufacturers and other businesses. The plant could bring as many as 4,000 jobs to the state.

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The founder of a Des Moines anti-violence group is behind bars today on a charge of child endangerment. KCCI-TV reports 46-year-old Mothers Against Violence founder Calvetta Williams is charged with child endangerment causing bodily injury. Williams was babysitting a child and the parents noticed the girl had several marks and scratches on her face, arms and eye. Williams had no explanation when asked about the child’s injuries.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A report is accusing the Eldora Boys State Training School of using damaging punishment methods on boys. Disability Rights Iowa claims residents are often put in seclusion rooms or bonded to what is called “the wrap” bed as punishment. DHS Director Jerry Foxhoven says it’s not punishment — “these are kids who may have killed somebody. These are kids who have a bad criminal history. When they become violent and put other kids at risk, we are going to try and protect the other kids.” Governor Reynolds says she is looking into it.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Racist hate speech in the form of fliers is popping up in Davenport neighborhoods and parking lots. WQAD-TV reports the flyers are the responsibility of the “National Alliance,” a white supremacist group that has been around since the 1970’s.

PEOSTA, IA (IRN) – A vehicle fire that quickly spread to a commercial building in the Dubuque County town of Peosta Tuesday caused more than $1 million in damage, according to the Dubuque Telegraph Herald. The building was evacuated and no one was injured.

MARSHALLTOWN, IA (IRN) – Four Marshalltown kids got a big surprise after saving their father’s life. KCRG-TV reports Matt Gannaway was tearing down a shed when it fell on him. His kids, ages 6 to 13, jumped into action, calling 911, and then lifting the shed off of him. They were honored with a certificate of recognition from the Marshalltown fire chief Tuesday.

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (IRN) – Authorities in southern Minnesota say a wrong-way, drunken driver caused a head-on crash early Sunday, killing a Des Moines woman. WCCO-TV reports 29-year-old Kacy Merseal, a bride to be, was killed in the crash. A passenger from Story City was injured.

TIFFIN, IA (IRN) – A Tiffin man is facing a number of charges after sexually abusing his daughter over the course of five years. KGAN-TV reports 50-year-old Clyde Hinkle is charged with incest, child endangerment causing bodily injury, committing lascivious acts with a child and sexual abuse. Hinkle admitted he was aware that he was committing incest and knew it was wrong. His daughter is now 12.

ALGONA, IA (IRN) – A Titonka man is facing a felony kidnapping charge after allegedly taking a woman against her will. KIMT-TV reports the Algona Police Department charged 29-year-old Anthony Jay Countryman with kidnapping. Countryman is accused of taking an adult Algona woman against her will to several rural locations. The woman wasn’t harmed.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City Police are searching for a suspect who robbed a 70-year-old man Monday. KCRG-TV reports the man was walking on the sidewalk when the robber approached him, assaulted him, and took cash and property. Witnesses reported seeing the suspect riding a bicycle.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A vote by the Des Moines City Council has sealed the fate of a proposed federal courthouse site, according to KCCI-TV. The City Council voted to buy the former YMCA site for $5.2 million if the land is not developed by its current owner by May 31, 2018. The decision means the federal government will have to find a new location for its proposed courthouse.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – One of the biggest attractions at the Iowa State Fair is taking shape–the butter cow. WHO-TV reports Sarah Pratt is hard at work crafting her butter sculptures. This year’s companion sculpture to the butter cow is Laura Ingalls Wilder, well known for her Little House on the Prairie books for children. This marks the 150th year since Wilder’s birth. She lived in Iowa when she was 10 years old, and it is thought her life in Iowa influenced her books.

Monday, August 7, 2017

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Davenport police are looking for the driver who hit a pedestrian overnight and then took off. WQAD-TV reports a 25-year-old man from Rock Island was pronounced dead at the scene.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – An overnight motorcycle chase began in Cerro Gordo County and reached speeds of 125 miles per hour before a 31-year-old man was taken into custody in Butler County. KIMT-TV reports Robert Lee Hartkopp led authorities on a several-mile pursuit on rural county roads early this morning.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man killed his brother this weekend at a family gathering in Des Moines, according to KCCI-TV. 49-year-old Shawn Davis is charged with first-degree murder after he fatally stabbed his brother, 35-year-old Preston Davis Saturday. The motive is unknown.

CAMP PENDLETON, CA (IRN) – A Marine from Iowa based at Camp Pendleton died after a tree fell on him. KCRG-TV reports 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Cody Haley of Hardin died Friday. Haley was doing routine morning physical training when the tree fell.

BRANDON, IA (IRN) – A home in the northeastern Iowa town of Brandon burned to the ground Sunday morning, and neighbors say they’re glad it’s gone. KWWL-TV reports twelve years ago Roger Bentley was living in the home, and now he’s serving time in prison for kidnapping and killing a 10-year-old girl. His brother James is serving time for taking pornographic photos of her. Their father, Howard, owns the home and was renting it to tenants. Howard says he’s happy to see the house go and so are neighbors.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – After losing both legs in a tragic accident, a Cedar Falls woman did the unthinkable. WHO-TV reports Pam Portillo crossed the finish line at the ShamRock N Run 5K in Waterloo this weekend with a huge smile on her face. One year ago, she fell off a boat and her legs caught in the propellers. Portillo says finishing the race meant the world to her.