Iowa Radio News

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Experts say violent extremists are targeting youth in Iowa. KCCI-TV reports a former Des Moines Roosevelt student has admitted having contact with ISIS. Friends say Will Skelton became interested in Islam, and after graduating, he changed his name to Abdul Raheem Habil. In March, he walked into a Walgreen’s in Minneapolis, had an argument with a customer, and threatened to shoot and blow up the store, saying he was part of a terrorist group. MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – After more than four hours of public testimony, Mason City’s City Council voted after 1 a.m. Wednesday to deny a development agreement with Prestage Farms and its subsidiary, Prestage Foods of Iowa. The company had planned to build a large pork processing plant on the south end of town. LONG GROVE, IA (IRN) – A woman has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing her husband while he slept. WQAD-TV reports a 911 call from 64-year-old Ardell Oster of Long Grove came in just before 1 a.m. on Tuesday. Oster said that he had woke up to his wife Patricia Oster stabbing him. Police arrested 63-year-old Patricia Jean Oster, and have charged her with attempted murder. Patricia told deputies that her husband had tried to rape her. BOONE, IA (IRN) – A woman has been arrested and charged in connection with an incident in Boone Monday, according to KCCI-TV. Police were called to a residence on a report of a domestic fight. Officers found a man outside the home bleeding heavily from his neck. He was flown by air ambulance to a Des Moines hospital. 32-year-old Latasha Lee of Boone was charged with willful injury. She’s in jail. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A 19-year-old University of Iowa student from a Chicago suburb was severely beaten over the weekend. WLS-TV in Chicago reports freshman Marcus Owens required nearly a dozen stitches to his lip, sustained a damaged eye socket and had his front teeth knocked out. Owens was texting a friend while walking near campus when three white men yelled the n-word and began punching him. A passerby yelled at the men, who fled. Owens does not know his attackers. ANKENY, IA – The owners of a local Kentucky Derby-bound horse announced over the weekend they pledge to give derby winnings to DMACC. WHO-TV reports Ankeny billionaire Dennis Albaugh and his wife, Susan, say if their horse, Brody’s Cause, wins the 142nd “Run for the Roses” this Saturday, they’ll give the $500,000 prize to DMACC. Albaugh graduated from DMACC in 1972.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Grimes woman has been charged with child endangerment following an investigation into an incident at a metro hospital. KCCI-TV reports 19-year-old Alexandra Nicole Weir of Grimes, is charged with child endangerment causing bodily injury. Weir was recorded on video at Methodist Medical Center removing an IV from a 2-month-old infant’s arm, and then reported to the hospital staff that the child had done it. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A former Dubuque police officer who had sex with a 14-year-old he met online has been given a suspended prison sentence of 10 years. KCCI-TV reports Kyle Cross also faces lifetime state supervision as a sex offender. He’d pled guilty in March to sexual abuse after prosecutors dropped a second charge. He says the girl lied about her age. Cross worked as a Dubuque police officer from 2007 to 2012. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The University of Iowa dental school is apologizing for accidentally exposing more than 100 child patients to potentially unsafe levels of nitrous oxide. WQAD-TV reports that 124 patients who underwent procedures at a pediatric dentistry clinic between March 1 and April 20 face an “extremely small risk” of long-term health effects. Parents have been notified. DENVER, IA (IRN) – Police are investigating after one man was killed in an apparent accident at a construction site in the northeast Iowa town of Denver, according to KWWL-TV. The accident happened early Monday afternoon. The man killed was part of a crew working on building renovations. BOONE, IA (IRN) – Investigators are looking into a possible domestic fight in Boone that sent one man to the hospital, according to KCCI-TV. The Iowa DCI is assisting Boone police in the investigation. The man was injured in an altercation and was airlifted to a Des Moines hospital. His name and condition have not been released. JOHNSTON, IA (IRN) – The City of Johnston announced Monday its fire chief stepped down from his position. WHO-TV reports Fire Chief Jim Krohse resigned effective April 21. Krohse was on paid administrative leave pending an investigation. The investigation involved a personnel matter, but city officials didn’t give additional details. Krohse was involved in the fire service for 37 years. MT. PLEASANT, IA (IRN) – Sports fans in Mt. Pleasant are celebrating. KILJ-Radio reports two former Mt. Pleasant High School football players signed with professional teams as free agents after the NFL draft wrapped up. Henry Krieger-Coble who played tight end for the Iowa Hawkeyes signed with the World Champion Denver Broncos. Leonard Wester, a standout offensive tackle at Missouri Western, signed with Tampa Bay.

POLK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – An Ankeny man is behind bars after a deadly accident last month, according to WHO-TV. A Ford pickup truck slammed into a semi and flipped over a guardrail. Police say 31-year-old Michael Wright behind the wheel of the pickup and he was driving drunk. He survived the ordeal but his passenger, 44-year old Susan Thompson, was pronounced dead at the scene. Neither Wright nor Thompson were wearing seat belts. Wright faces a number of charges including vehicular homicide and OWI. FAYETTE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Charges are pending against a Fayette County teenager after she crashed into the rear of a school bus stopped to pick up students. KCRG-TV reports 17-year-old Lucinda Hansel of Arlington was traveling west when she hit the back end of the school bus. The patrol said the bus had its stop arm extended and lights activated. There were 34 students on the bus, plus the driver. An ambulance took Hansel to the hospital to be treated for her injuries. No one else was injured. VENTURA, IA (IRN) – A northern Iowa woman accused of stealing from a breast cancer charity group has pled not guilty, according to KWWL-TV. 51-year-old Leanne Hicks, of Ventura, entered the plea as she waived her preliminary hearing. Authorities say Hicks stole nearly $3,500 from Buddies for Boobies during the 19 months she served as the nonprofit group’s president. Hicks says she didn’t take the money. ST. MARY, JAMAICA (IRN) – The body of an Iowa missionary and a co-worker were found Saturday afternoon in Jamaica, according to KCCI-TV. They were murdered. The missionary has been identified as 48-year-old Randy Hentzel of Donnellson. Hentzel and his co-worker, 53-year-old Harold Nichols, went out on a motorcycle, and were later found dead beside it. Jamaican authorities have made no arrests, and are unsure of any motive. ALLAMAKEE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A 20-year-old man is dead after a rollover accident in Allamakee County, according to KWWL-TV. William Johns of Dorchester died in the accident. The other two people in the car were hospitalized. The driver of the vehicle lost control on a curve and rolled it. MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A man died in a house fire in Mason City Sunday morning. The cause of the fire is unknown, and the name of the man has not been released. Authorities are investigating. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Mark Minear is on a 342-mile mission to raise awareness about mental health. WHO-TV reports Minear is walking across the state of Iowa, averaging 28 miles a day to let Iowans along the way know that mental health is just as important as its physical counterpart. Minear is a psychologist at the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center.

BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – The Burlington Police Department has identified multiple suspects in the murder of 16-year-old Kedarie Johnson, according to WQAD-TV. Johnson was a Burlington High School student whose body was found March 2. After an extensive investigation, Des Moines County Attorney Amy Beavers is confident that charges will be filed. LE MARS, IA (IRN) – A western Iowa man faces operating while intoxicated charges after he crashed into a house in Le Mars. The Sioux City Journal reports that 22-year-old Travor Koontz of Remsen is accused of driving his car into a home around 1:40 a.m. Friday. Koontz lost control of his Chevy Impala and drove into the home, through the concrete basement wall, and broke a water line inside the house. No one was injured. MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A proposed hog-processing plant in northern Iowa is drawing opposition from residents. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that more than 40 people met at a Mason City park Friday to gather petition signatures against the project. Mason City officials have scheduled a May 3 public hearing and vote for the proposed Prestage Foods Plant. Opponents say they’re concerned about the impact the plant might have on water quality. IOWA (IRN) – This year’s NFL draft was a quiet one for the state of Iowa. Chicago picked UNI defensive back Deiondre’ Hall in the fourth round. Indianapolis picked Iowa offensive lineman Austin Blythe in the seventh. Former Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock, who finished his career at Michigan, was picked in round six by the Lions.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Investigators are looking into an unusual claim of jury tampering in a medical malpractice trial in which University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics recently avoided millions in damages. KWQC-TV reports after the trial the court received a letter making allegations of jury tampering. BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – The Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that three people have died in an apparent double murder-suicide in rural Des Moines County. WQAD-TV reports that deputies responded after receiving complaints from a fourth person who was able to get out of the house but reported hearing gunshots. All three people inside sustained gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene. Names of the victims have not been released. CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – A popular Chinese restaurant in Cedar Falls has been destroyed by fire, according to KWWL-TV. Cedar Falls firefighters responded to the Great Wall Chinese Restaurant near UNI Friday morning. The fire started in a stove and quickly spread to the building’s roof. No one was injured. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Amber Alerts for two Iowa girls issued recently have been cancelled. Both girls have been found. There are now no active Amber Alerts in Iowa. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowans participating in the second annual Nationwide Nurse-In rally at the Statehouse became an example of the discrimination they were there to protest yesterday, according to KCCI-TV. A Department of Administrative Services employee asked them to cover up, and the women refused. A spokesperson for the DAS later apologized. Both federal and state laws support breastfeeding in public.