DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Fireworks will be legal to use in Des Moines on July 4th thanks to a surprise vote Monday by the Des Moines City Council. KCCI-TV reports Des Moines residents will be allowed to shoot off fireworks within city limits for the first time in generations. The pilot program permits the use of fireworks on July 4th from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. The program also includes a hefty $625 fine for residents who use them any other day of the year.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City police are investigating a robbery Saturday night at Falbo’s Pizza. KWWL-TV reports police were called on a report of a fight at the restaurant. Once there, they found an injured person outside. That person said he was inside the restaurant, tried to put his money away in his pocket, but someone reached inside and took it. The victim says he was punched by two suspects when he threatened to call police.

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man was injured in a shooting at a West Des Moines apartment complex early this morning. WHO-TV reports when officers arrived they found a man in the parking lot suffering from a gunshot wound. The man had entered an apartment where a woman and another man were inside. Shots were fired, and the man who had entered the apartment was struck by gunfire. He was hospitalized, and his condition is unknown.

WASHINGTON D.C. (IRN) – Governor Branstad has been confirmed as the next U.S. Ambassador to China. The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Branstad yesterday. He will resign as governor tomorrow, at which time Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds will become Iowa’s first female governor. Branstad is the longest-serving governor in United States’ history.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa transportation officials say residents should be able to start downloading their driver’s licenses onto their smartphones by late next year. The Des Moines Register reports the DOT has conducted a pilot program with about 100 state employees who used state-issued iPhones last year. Iowa is among the first states in the nation to explore digital driver’s licenses as an alternative to traditional plastic licenses.

CLUTIER, IA (IRN) – It was a once in a century event in the town of Clutier (CLUE-teer) in Tama County. KCRG-TV reports the town celebrated zip code day yesterday. The community’s zip code – 52217 – matches Monday’s date. Organizers say the event was also a way for the town to celebrate its Czech heritage. People sold kolaches (koh-LAH-chees), which are fruit-filled pastries, and danced to polka music.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man was charged with shooting his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend in the leg Saturday in Des Moines. The Des Moines Register reports 34-year-old Jabre Tyrone Norwood was arrested in relation to the incident. Norwood is being charged with intimidation with a dangerous weapon and willful injury causing serious injury in relation to this incident. The victim is recovering.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Two people are in custody after a brief “stand-off” in Dubuque, according to KWWL-TV. Officers say they tried to arrest 28-year-old Kelshawn Marshall Sunday for several felony warrants. Officers say he wouldn’t listen and ran into a home. While police were trying to get him to come out, 48-year-old Polynesia Cowart came out and started yelling at police. Both were arrested, and police seized marijuana and crack cocaine from inside the home.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines is seeing a spike in violence. WHO-TV reports the city is averaging one homicide every ten days, and 15 people have been murdered already this year. Out of those cases, six remain unsolved. This follows the city’s latest homicide that left one person dead and three others injured after an early-morning shooting Sunday in a church parking lot in Beaverdale.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa is on a list we don’t want to be on. KCCI-TV reports nine puppy breeders or brokers in the state are on the Humane Society of the United States list of the “Horrible Hundred” problematic commercial dog breeders.

SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – A former U.S. Postal Service worker in northwestern Iowa has been sentenced to probation for stealing items from the mail he was supposed to deliver. KGAN-TV reports 42-year-old Kirk Baird, of Sergeant Bluff, was sentenced Friday. Baird admitted that from August to October, he removed cash and gift cards from items in the mail at least 22 times.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A Davenport college has unveiled plans for more than $50 million in improvements to student housing, buildings, athletic fields and other aspects of campus. The Quad-City Times reports Palmer College of Chiropractic is making the improvements in order to modernize the campus in an effort to retain and recruit more students.

BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – A car vs train crash killed a woman in Burlington Saturday morning. The Iowa State Patrol reports the vehicle of 24-year-old Alysabeth Ferneau became stuck on the tracks. A BNSF train then struck the vehicle, killing Ferneau.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man broke into a Des Moines home Saturday, stabbed a victim and then tried to carjack another person. KCCI-TV reports the victim suffered non life-threatening injuries and was able to call 911. Authorities quickly caught up with the man, who was a few blocks away trying to carjack another victim. 31-year-old Jovani Villalobos has been booked into the Polk County Jail.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A Davenport man has been linked to multiple incidents of indecent exposure over the past two weeks, according to WQAD-TV. 22-year-old Matthew Pencil has been charged with third degree harassment and three counts of indecent exposure. Pencil confessed to exposing his genitals to women on three separate occasions. In each case, he summoned the female victim to his vehicle under the ruse of asking her a question.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – An Iowa City man is celebrating his 70th birthday by biking to Minnesota. KCRG-TV reports Fritz Viner and a dozen of his friends started their 530 mile bike ride to Park Rapids Minnesota yesterday. He named it FRITZBRAI, which is a play off the popular Iowa bike riding event RAGBRAI. Viner is a physician, and wants to use his birthday to stress the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The group plans to get to Minnesota by Thursday.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – An Iowa man was sentenced Friday for possession of child pornography. KETV reports 41-year-old Mitchell Obrecht of Carter Lake was sentenced to over eight years in prison. The charge resulted from an investigation into the posting of a video and an image, each depicting child pornography, on a social networking site. A search of Obrecht’s home found two computers that contained over 1,000 of images of child pornography.

SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – A Sioux City teen has been arrested and charged with a felony after police said he intentionally shot his 3-year-old sister twice in the face with a BB gun, severely injuring her. The Sioux City Journal reports that the 17-year-old shot the preschooler Wednesday, breaking her jaw and requiring surgery. Doctors say one BB was removed during surgery, but the other BB entered near her eye and lodged next to her brain. Doctors say it was too risky to remove, so has been left in place.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – In a landmark sexual harassment case, the University of Iowa agreed to pay Tracey Griesbaum $1.5 million Friday to end a legal battle that began nearly three years ago with the firing of the former field hockey coach. In addition, the school will pay $2.3 million to Griesbaum’s partner, Jane Meyer, and $2.7 million to the Des Moines law firm that represented them both, bringing the total payment to $6.5 million.

IOWA (IRN) – This weekend could be Terry Branstad’s final one as Iowa’s governor. On Monday, the U.S. Senate will vote on Branstad’s nomination to become the next U.S. Ambassador to China. With Branstad’s appointment, Kim Reynolds’ will become the first woman to serve as governor of Iowa.

JANESVILLE, IA (IRN) – Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers helped an Iowa high school class get out of a final exam. ESPN reports the class made a deal with its teacher, who is a Rodgers fan, that a retweet from the quarterback would cancel the final in a sports literature class in the Janesville School District. Rodgers obliged, tweeting, “I’m sure a sports lit final is very important, but here you go….”