Iowa Radio News

JOHNSON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A high-speed chase in Johnson County ended with a crash yesterday, according to KWWL-TV. At one time, troopers were going to call off the chase, but then they learned the driver was a sex offender and there was a young female in the car. The suspect lost control on a gravel road, the car went into the ditch and hit a pole. 20-year old Jeff Rangel of Des Moines was arrested, and the passenger hospitalized. Her condition is unknown. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man died and an infant was seriously injured in a crash that involved multiple vehicles Tuesday in downtown Des Moines. The Des Moines Register reports 46-year-old Soe Reh died as a result of his injuries. He rear-ended a pickup, then struck a delivery truck, continuing into a parking lot and striking other vehicles. Reh’s infant passenger was hospitalized and is in critical condition. ANKENY, IA (IRN) – Investigators have made an arrest in an arson investigation in Ankeny, according to WHO-TV. $1 million in damage was done to the home of Thomas Knapp. During the investigation it was found that Knapp’s truck was missing. The truck and Knapp’s son, 18-year-old Paul Knapp, were located in Fort Dodge the next day. He’s accused of setting the fire, stealing the truck, and illegally using his father’s credit cards. He’s in jail. BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – A number of shootings over the past week in Burlington are related, according to WQAD-TV. One of the shootings killed a man, while a second shooting injured another. The dead man was found slumped over the steering wheel of a vehicle with a gunshot wound to the upper body. Police have several suspects in custody, and say the shootings aren’t random. GALT, IA (IRN) – An approximately two-year-old girl was found abandoned in the northern Iowa town of Galt yesterday. She was found wearing pink pajamas and no shoes. The child is in the custody of the Iowa Department of Human Services, and an investigation is underway. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines police arrested four people Tuesday for seventeen robberies that took place over eight months, according to KCCI-TV. The robberies took place at Git N Go stores, Kum and GO stores, Hy-Vee stores and one bank. Two of those arrested are brother and sister. Their mother says she didn’t raise them that way, and blames their behavior on heroin addiction. She’s been trying to get them help. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids mother who forgot her wallet in line at the grocery store Monday is thanking the stranger who paid for her groceries. KCRG-TV reports the cashier had scanned half of the woman’s groceries before she realized she had forgotten her wallet. While she was calling her husband to bring her wallet so she could pay, the woman behind her paid for the nearly $200 in groceries. The woman who paid said she simply wanted to do something nice for the holidays.

BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – One person is dead and at least one other injured following several late morning shootings in Burlington. KBUR-radio reports one shooting happened just before 10 a.m., another at 10:30 a.m., and a third at 11 a.m. One man was killed while driving his car, and another man was hospitalized with a gunshot wound. Schools were placed on a precautionary lockdown. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Waterloo Police were called to a home yesterday after someone reported a woman being beaten. KWWL-TV reports officers forced their way into the home where they found a woman with bruises and a bite mark to her forehead. 34-year-old Patrick Ian Berry was arrested and charged with assault domestic abuse. ELDON, IA (IRN) – A southeast Iowa woman has been sentenced for stealing money from the Cardinal Community School District parent-teacher organization. KTVO-TV reports 33-year-old Ashley Jean Ingle of Eldon pled guilty last week to one count of second-degree theft. She was sentenced to five years probation and received a deferred judgment. Ingle stole around $10,200 from the PTO. The missing money came from fundraisers to designed to support the group. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A couple and their pets were rescued from a house fire in Des Moines Tuesday, according to KCCI-TV. A passerby noticed flames coming from the roof, and called 911. When firefighters arrived, they rescued the elderly couple, who didn’t know the roof of their home was on fire. A dog and three cats were also rescued. JASPER COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Two people are in the Jasper County Jail after a chase Sunday on Interstate 80 where speeds exceeded 150 mph. WHO-TV reports 34-year-old Samuel Roberts of Oklahoma faces multiple charges, while 45-year-old Bridget Anderson, of Texas, is charged with allowing an unauthorized person to drive. It all started when Roberts refused to pull over for an Iowa State Trooper Sunday morning. Stop sticks ended the chase near Newton. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Three opponents of the Dakota Access pipeline began a hunger strike in a last-ditch effort to stop the controversial oil pipeline, which is nearing completion in Iowa. The Des Moines Register reports the group began fasting Monday outside the Iowa Utilities Board in Des Moines. OELWEIN, IA (IRN) – A U.S. Marine from Oelwein who died fighting a World War II battle on the Pacific Ocean island of Betio was buried at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington on Monday. KCRG-TV reports Pfc. Wilbur Mattern, who was 23 when he died, had been unaccounted for since a Nov. 21, 1943, battle on the small island of Betio. The grave site of Mattern and 35 other Marines was found in June 2015. Family members say they believed his body had floated out to sea and would never be found.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – Authorities say a Council Bluffs woman placed one of her 10-month-old son’s hands in a mug of coffee to prove to him that the coffee was hot. KCCI-TV reports 36-year-old Rebecca Brahier is charged with willful injury and child endangerment. The child was seriously burned. The mother is in jail. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A Dubuque man was stabbed several times early Monday morning. KWWL-TV reports police responded to a domestic disturbance, and when they arrived, they found a man was restraining his wife by holding her arms. 42-year-old Vanessa Tillman-Johnson had a knife in one hand and a bottle in the other. The husband was stabbed several times. She’s in jail. ANKENY, IA (IRN) – A residential fire destroyed a half-million-dollar home in Ankeny Saturday, according to KCCI-TV. No one was injured. Neighbors say they believe someone may have set the fire. Police are looking at surveillance video. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Authorities are re-examining a 15-year-old shooting in Waterloo because a man wounded in the incident has died from complications related to his gunshot wounds. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports police reclassified the unsolved case as a homicide instead of an assault. Shawn Michael North was paralyzed since 2001, and his death relates to the paralysis. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids woman wants to make sure no kids go hungry after school districts in Eastern Iowa tightened their school lunch policies. KCRG-TV reports Linn-Marr has begun a no money, no lunch policy for high school students and elementary students get a peanut butter sandwich. Cassie Gatewood started a GoFundMe account called “Tray it Forward.” She says, “Our children should never go hungry…” SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – A Sioux City woman helped launch a new U.S. Coast Guard ship named for her uncle, who was killed in 1945. The Sioux City Journal reports Donna Fuller was present Saturday at the commissioning of the Rollin Fritch, a 154-foot fast response cutter, at Cape May, New Jersey. Rollin Fritch was a gunner on the USS Callaway off the Philippine coast when it was attacked by Japanese kamikaze pilots. Fritch kept firing at airplanes when a kamikaze crashed into his position, killing him at age 24. He was posthumously awarded a Silver Star.

ANKENY, IA (IRN) – An Ankeny man has been arrested and charged with attempted murder after police say he stabbed his roommate. KCCI-TV reports officers found the 50-year-old male victim had suffered non life-threatening stab wounds to his arm and torso. Police have identified the suspect as 50-year-old Russell Alan Singer. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Several teenagers face charges related to dozens of criminal mischief reports involving BB guns in Iowa City, according to KCRG-TV. On Saturday, Iowa City Police found a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle. Five teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17 were inside. Officers found BBs, BB Guns and CO2 cartridges scattered on the floor of the vehicle. The teens are facing multiple charges. WAPELLO, IA (IRN) – About a dozen straw bale minions — the characters from the “Despicable Me” movies — were added to the streets of downtown Wapello in an effort to bring a little cheer to town. One person didn’t see it that way, and set several on fire. A Wapello man has been arrested and charged with arson. IOWA (IRN) – In college football, Iowa State crushed the Texas Tech Red Raiders 66-10, and one week after upsetting #3 Michigan the Hawkeyes shut out Illinois 28-0. And South Dakota State beat UNI 45-24 for a share of the conference title.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – Cerro Gordo County health officials are revoking the license of a Mason City motel. KIMT-TV reports there are numerous health and fire code violations at the America’s Best Inn & Suites. Guests at the motel are receiving mail at the property and using their own linens, furniture and appliances. They are also providing their own housekeeping. All guests must leave by December 1. PERRY, IA (IRN) – A Perry man faces a felony charge after a toddler drank his meth bong water. Raccoon Valley Radio reports 34-year-old Brandon Lee Lauer was watching a 15-month-old child the morning of October 12th. Lauer and the toddler were in a shed when the child drank water from a meth water bong sitting on a workbench where the child was playing with toys. The child tested positive for meth and was kept in the hospital overnight. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – An armed robber made off with medication from a Walgreens in Davenport Thursday, according to WQAD-TV. The man had a handgun and demanded Oxycodone from the pharmacy. He got away with an undisclosed amount of medication. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two Detroit-area men were arrested Thursday night in Des Moines for allegedly using stolen credit cards and fake IDs to make purchases at a pawn shop. WHO-TV reports the two face a number of charges including identity theft, conspiracy and drug charges. They appear to have been targeting pawn shops in the Midwest and making high dollar purchases. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – As many as 150 juveniles in Iowa prisons for felonies including kidnapping and attempted murder will get their sentences shortened as a result of an Iowa Supreme Court decision. KCCI-TV reports the court ruled Friday that juveniles convicted of forcible felonies should be given credit for good behavior at a much faster pace. It’s tied to a 2014 decision in which the court struck down as unconstitutional mandatory minimum sentences for juveniles. MONTICELLO, IA (IRN) – A cat named “Tommy” escaped a fire in Anamosa three years ago, and got a little lost on his way home, but turned up in Cedar Rapids Thursday. KCRG-TV reports Tommy has a leg injury that veterinarians believe happened a few years ago, but is in good health. He was returned to his original owner when a shelter checked and found a microchip.