CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Waterloo convicted sex offender, who was wanted for failing to register, was arrested after he was spotted in Cedar Rapids Monday afternoon, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Investigators say 26-year-old Ladarius Martez Blue was spotted after he stepped outside to view the solar eclipse.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Officials fear hundreds of Iowa students will be barred from classes on the first day of school because the students lack the newly required meningitis vaccination. The Des Moines Register reports that districts have been notifying families for months, and some even set up vaccination clinics to meet rules passed by lawmakers in 2016. Polk County health officials say nearly 1,000 students still lacked the vaccination as of Monday afternoon.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Two teens have been taken into custody in connection with a shots-fired incident Monday in Davenport. Both teens have been identified as street gang members involved in a feud with a rival gang, and both have been charged with criminal gang participation. One girl has been tied to several other shots-fired incidents. She had a 12-gauge shotgun with a shortened barrel in her possession when she was apprehended.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Police have arrested a man for making threats on Twitter saying he would kill Senator Joni Ernst. The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier reports 33-year-old Joseph Dierks of Waterloo, faces a federal charge of transmitting a threat through interstate commerce. Dierks sent several tweets including one that said, “I just want you to know I’d put a bullet in your head if you were my wife.” He told police he was just joking around.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A commercial building fire turned into an apartment fire on Des Moines’ east side Monday. WHO-TV reports the fire started in a single-story building on East Grand, but spread next door to another commercial building that had two floors of apartments. No one was injured.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The numbers are in and it’s official: the 2017 edition of the Iowa State Fair was the biggest ever in terms of attendance. This year, 1,130,071 made it to the event, breaking the record set in 2015 by approximately 12,000 people. The reason for the increase? Officials say the “great weather.”

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – An October trial has been scheduled for an Iowa parolee accused of fatally shooting an Iowa City taxi driver. KWWL-TV reports 41-year-old Curtis Jones has pled not guilty to robbery and first-degree murder. He’s accused of killing 46-year-old Ricky Lille. Jones allegedly entered Lillie’s cab and took a ride to a street near a motel, shot Lillie in the head and left the scene. Jones’ trial is set to begin Oct. 17.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Office of Auditor found $109,073 of improper disbursements by the Mason City Community School District, according the Globe Gazette. The improper disbursements between 2014-2017.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – One man is dead and another wounded in a shooting early Sunday morning in Davenport, according to KCRG-TV. Police responded to a report of gunfire, and found one person had been shot. He later died at a hospital. Shortly later, another man showed up at the hospital with a gunshot wound. Police believe the two incidents are related.
Over the past week, there have been at least eight other shots fired incidents in Davenport.

DES MOINES, IA – A man who had allegedly killed a puppy by snapping its neck during a dispute about Wi-Fi in Des Moines has been arrested. KCCI-TV reports that 25-year-old Christopher Vogel was taken into custody Saturday. Vogel went to a friend’s apartment and asked the neighbors if he could use their Wi-Fi password, and when they said no, he killed their 12-week-old corgi in retaliation.

MUSCATINE, IA (IRN) – Muscatine is working to become the first city in the state to convert food waste from restaurants, grocery stores, and homes into renewable fuel for vehicles. The Muscatine Journal reports that a new machine would be used to separate packaging from food. The organic material would then be converted into gas to fuel public transportation buses, semi-trucks and police cars. About 40 percent of food in the U.S. goes to a landfill.

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – More than 100,000 people took to the West Des Moines Golf and Country Club this week for the 2017 Solheim Cup. WHO-TV reports more than 20 different countries were represented. While there were many fans rooting for the red, white, and blue, others sported Europe’s colors of blue and yellow. The U.S. team came out on top for the second year in a row, keeping the cup at home. The 2019 Solheim Cup tournament will be held in Scotland.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man died after crashing his car into construction equipment in Des Moines. KCCI-TV reports 33-year-old Ed McDaniel was driving a car Friday night when the car left the road, entered a parking lot, and crashed into parked construction equipment at a high rate of speed.

BETTENDORF, IA (IRN) – Fire crews spent several hours battling an apartment fire in Bettendorf on Saturday. WQAD-TV reports a witness saw one person taken to the hospital.
One resident she went back in to grab some personal items, but the smoke quickly made it hard to breathe. She says, “Everything kinda went black when I saw all the smoke inside. I just ran out, and I got out in time, because it was coming in really fast. The fire was strong and dangerous, so I ran out.” Smoke was visible from several miles away.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A group of protesters pushed for a boycott of an Iowa City Farmers Market vendor Saturday, saying the man spreads “White Nationalist rhetoric” online. KCRG-TV reports the man posted “multiculturalism IS white genocide. it should be terrifying to everyone,” among other posts protestors find offensive. Protesters say “he has every right to say what he wants,” but so do they.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The votes–or rather, the kernels–are in on who will be Iowa’s next Governor, according to Iowa State Fair attendees who cast their kernel for Iowa’s next Governor over the run of the fair through Saturday. The winner? Current Governor Kim Reynolds. The highest polling Democrat was State Senator Nate Boulton of Des Moines.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A man was shot to death in a Davenport neighborhood Friday, according to WQAD-TV. A woman who lives in the neighborhood said she was scared for her own safety. “It’s happening everywhere lately. You hear of more shootings and more shootings and more shootings. These kids must be going crazy. I don’t understand it,” she said, “It’s petrifying. Makes you afraid to even go out of your house.”

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A parade float blaring “God Bless America” and loaded with Trump memorabilia made its way through downtown Iowa City Friday. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that the Trump Unity Bridge, a 30-foot-long trailer with dozens of signs, a carved wooden eagle, a Statue of Liberty statue and 8-foot tall vertical letters spelling “TRUMP,” stopped in the college town. The Unity Bridge is traveling to the nation’s capital for the Mother of All Rallies, or M.O.A.R., on Sept. 16.

MARION, IA (IRN) – A Marion woman was shaken up after a water bottle smashed through her car window Friday, according to WHO-TV. Meegan Dyrland says two people in a passing car tossed full water bottles out their windows, and that her sunglasses were the only thing that kept the glass from the shattered windshield from getting into her eyes. At least two other drivers were hit by water bottles the same day.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Wahlert Catholic High School in Dubuque is using a new helmet technology to measure head impacts to football players. KCRG-TV reports players are equipped with helmets that have InSight concussion technology. If a players gets a hard hit to the helmet, a sensor will set off an alarm that goes to the athletic trainer, who can check on the player. The helmets cost approximately $560.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – An Iowa man accused of trying to sell a stolen refrigeration unit back to its owner has pled guilty to a felony theft charge. The Daily Nonpareil reports that 38-year-old Roger Otts of Council Bluffs stole a refrigeration unit worth $12,000 from a trucking company and tried to sell it back to the owner for $8,000. Otts was arrested that day.