Iowa Radio News

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Gov. Terry Branstad says Iowa Utilities Board chairwoman Geri Huser has done nothing wrong in maintaining a busy outside law practice while earning a $128,900 state salary. KCCI-TV reports a Senate committee delayed Huser’s re-confirmation last week after they learned she’s handled scores of cases as an attorney during her two-year tenure, earning over $177,000. State law requires board members to devote their “whole time” to their duties. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – One person was hospitalized after an overnight house fire in Waterloo, according to KCRG-TV. Crews found flames coming out both the front door and window. The fire was extinguished and the home suffered heavy fire and smoke damage. GENOA, WI (IRN) – An Iowa man’s drowning in the Mississippi River might have been avoided if the 52-year-old had been wearing a life jacket. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports James Freeman of the northeastern Iowa town of Lansing drowned Friday after his fishing boat capsized and went under the dam gates near Genoa, Wisconsin. Freeman had a life jacket hanging on his boat and was attempting to put it on when his boat capsized, and he was pulled under. ROCKWELL, IA (IRN) – A man has been arrested for the November death of Griselda Castaneda Tello of Hampton. KIMT-TV reports 59-year-old Paul Wood of Manly was arrested on charges of vehicular homicide and other charges. Wood was allegedly driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol when he crossed the centerline killing Castaneda Tello. IOWA (IRN) – Iowa’s problem with high nitrate levels in lakes and rivers is getting worse, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette. Iowa has 61 nitrate sensors and 40% showed an increasing average daily concentration of nitrates in 2016 above the federal standard of 10 milligrams per liter. This included the Raccoon River, which is the source of drinking water for the Des Moines Water Works. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A pilot project by Dubuque schools to install Wifi on school buses is a hit with students. The Telegraph Herald reports that Dubuque Community School District officials launched a pilot project last week on seven district buses. They say the goal is to give students an opportunity to continue their studies on long rides to and from home and to activities.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A Dubuque woman has been stabbed to death, and her boyfriend has been charged. The Telegraph Herald reports that 21-year-old Samantha Link was killed in her apartment Friday. 25-year-old Fontae Buelow met officers at the door in a hysterical state. Buelow told officers he and Link had been arguing when Link became violent, assaulted him, then stabbed herself in the stomach with a butcher knife. But police say Link had been stabbed twice in the chest and had bruises on her nose and forehead. Buelow has been charged with first-degree murder. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – A Sioux City man has been charged with stabbing four people in an argument that occurred in the Historic Fourth District. The Sioux City Journal reports when officers arrived on scene, they found four victims suffering from stab wounds. 33-year-old Jess Pinney later turned himself into authorities. The victims were trying to help a woman who was having an altercation with Pinney. IOWA (IRN) – Iowa has joined 15 other states in opposing the latest version of President Trump’s travel ban. Attorneys General from 16 states and the District of Columbia filed a brief on Friday. The brief urges judges to reject a request by the Trump administration to let the ban take effect while the court considers its appeal. Earlier this week, a federal judge in Hawaii extended his previous decision to block the executive order. DECORAH, IA (IRN) – The eggs are hatching in northeastern Iowa. Two of three eagle eggs have hatched in a Decorah nest that people around the world watch online through a webcam. The first hatchling broke through its shell on Wednesday. The second followed the next day.

MARION, IA (IRN) – A 15-year-old boy has been convicted of fondling three kindergarten students while volunteering at an eastern Iowa elementary school. KCCI-TV reports it is unclear what punishment he could face at his April 28 disposition hearing. The parents of two of the children have sued the classroom teacher and the district, alleging they should not have let the boy have unsupervised contact with the students last fall. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two children in Des Moines escaped serious injury when a car crashed through their bedroom wall and landed on the bed where they were sleeping. The Des Moines Register reports that the crash into the ground-level apartment happened Friday. The driver says she went to back out of a parking spot, but put the car in drive instead of reverse, sending her into the building. One child suffered a scrape on the face, likely from debris. The other child wasn’t injured. Police say it was accidental, so charges aren’t expected. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A jury found Travis West of Norwalk guilty of involuntary manslaughter and delivery of a controlled substance Friday in the overdose death of a West Des Moines woman. KCCI-TV reports West gave heroin to Bailey Brady, who died of a drug overdose in 2015. West was with Brady in her apartment when she died. MARION, IA (IRN) – A Linn County Co-Op employee has been charged for stealing thousands of dollars from his employer. KCRG-TV reports police were contacted in August after officials at the co-op suspected an employee was stealing money. 56-year-old Robert Ball has been arrested. He’s charged with first degree theft and ongoing criminal activity. Ball is accused of taking more than $10,000 since 2007. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Two Iowa sisters met at the Dubuque airport this week after 75 years apart, according to KWWL-TV. Jan and Dee were separated when they were three and four years old. Jan never stopped searching, and finally tracked down her sister. Jan says, “When I first heard her voice on the phone, I just fell apart. I said, ‘I’ve loved you all my life, and I prayed for you.’”

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Dubuque Police are investigating a murder that happened early this morning. KWWL-TV reports police received a report of a stabbing, and once on scene, found a dead woman. They also found a man inside the home. An investigation is underway. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A man broke into his ex-girlfriend’s apartment and used a knife to stick a copy of a no-contact order on a wall of her Dubuque apartment. Police say the gist of a message written on the order was: Who’s going to stop me? The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports 24-year-old Bodhi-Kristoffer McGowan is in jail on charges of burglary and violating a no-contact order. The woman had returned from a trip and found that her apartment had been ransacked. Also, an ice cream container in her refrigerator had four knives stuck into it. SPRINGVILLE, IA (IRN) – A alleged drunk driver slammed into a storage shed in the Linn County town of Springville, starting a fire. KCRG-TV reports 37-year-old Kurt Hepker was taken into custody and charged with OWI. No one was hurt. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A huge anti-abortion rally took place at the Statehouse Thursday, according to KCCI-TV. Hundreds of “Rally for Life” participants gathered to encourage lawmakers to vote in favor of anti-abortion legislation. Chanting, “Unborn lives matter!” Iowans at the rally said they will not give up until abortions are banned in the state. MUSCATINE, IA (IRN) – Store owners at the Muscatine Mall are angry about a fake news story claiming the mall is closing in May. WQAD-TV reports the story, headlined “Say Bye to the Mall,” has gone viral on Facebook. The mall manager says the story is false, but that hasn’t stopped it from spreading. It originated on a website that encourages users to create fake news stories to “prank” their friends. Store owners say this has been was one of their worst weeks ever. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Polk County Jailers say they have a new tool to help improve inmate behavior, make the jail more efficient, and give inmates something to do. WHO-TV reports the jail was given 97 tablets, free of charge, from the company Telmate. Inmates are charged up to five cents per minute for streaming music, movies and playing games. Inmates can also use the tablets to sign up for Chaplain services, attorney visits, medical requests, and access the law library.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An 88-year-old convicted sex offender accused of grabbing an Iowa state mental hospital worker has been found unfit to stand trial. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports William Cubbage grabbed the worker between the legs last year while she was showering him at the hospital in Independence. Cubbage was convicted of numerous sex crimes beginning in 1987, and gained notoriety after he was accused in 2011 of molesting a 95-year-old woman at a Pomeroy nursing home. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Dubuque woman accused of stealing more than $70,000 from her employer has pled guilty. KWWL-TV reports 35-year-old Jennifer Shively wrote unauthorized checks on the accounts of her employer while she worked as the man’s bookkeeper. BELMOND, IA (IRN) – A man from the north-central Iowa town of Belmond passed away Monday afternoon in an accident at a cooperative. Dan Feller died after falling from a platform while loading a truck. The accident is under investigation. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – One day after introducing an amendment that would ban abortions in Iowa as soon as six weeks after conception, lawmakers have dropped the plan. WHO-TV reports the amendment approved by a House committee yesterday would have made it illegal for an abortion to be performed after a fetal heartbeat was detected. The amendment was added to a bill that already bans abortions 20 weeks after conception. The revised bill passed. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Gov. Terry Branstad has lowered his projections for Iowa’s upcoming budget year by about $173 million amid declining state revenues. KCCI-TV reports Branstad’s revised budget reduces funding to some departments, community colleges and the state’s three public universities. It also cuts money from a job skills training fund. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A Dubuque man’s proposal to his girlfriend drew lots of attention Tuesday. KCRG-TV reports Jeremy Valentine placed red plastic drinking cups into a fence to spell out his marriage proposal to his girlfriend, Lucy Reisen. It said simply, “Lucy, marry me. I ‘loe’ you.” The fence was on a overpass over busy Highway 20. Jeremy says he misspelled the word “love” because he got in a hurry when he noticed a policeman was watching him. There’s no word yet on whether or not Lucy has accepted.