Iowa Radio News

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A boarding school for troubled teenagers in Keokuk that is being investigated by the FBI routinely kept pupils in small concrete isolation boxes for days or weeks and wouldn’t let them out unless they sat in a specific posture for 24 hours, according to several former students. KCCI-TV reports the former students say the Midwest Academy has dark, cell-like punishment rooms which were often filled with the sounds of students’ screams. BREMER COUNTY, IA – One person is dead in a two-car crash that happened in Bremer County, according to KWWL-TV. One vehicle failed to stop at a stop sign and collided in an intersection with another vehicle, causing that vehicle to roll into the ditch and land on its top. 22-year-old Jedidiah Wilson from Fairbank died. He was not wearing a seatbelt. BETTENDORF, IA (IRN) – Nearly three weeks after a van was run off Interstate 80 in Bettendorf in a road rage incident, a man has been charged and arrested. WQAD-TV reports 31-year-old Matthew Jensen from Bettendorf allegedly ran a Ford Windstar van off I-80 with his Ford F350 pickup. The Windstar went into the median, hitting safety tension cables where it eventually stopped. Jensen drove off. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A full-time Cedar Rapids mom decided to return to her old trade for a day to help the underprivileged. KCRG-TV reports former hair stylist, Ingrid Glessner, along with seven other stylists, gave free haircuts at Mission of Hope on Saturday. In all, 55 homeless people got a bit off the top. Rock Photography provided free portraits for those who received haircuts. Ingrid said she plans to make it an annual event.

URBANDALE, IA (IRN) – One person is dead after an officer-involved shooting at an Urbandale hotel early Saturday morning. WOI-TV reports officers were responding to a drug complaint at the Holiday Inn on Merle Hay Road when the altercation occurred. Officers confronted three individuals in the lobby of the hotel. A scuffle began and one person was in possession of a handgun and fired it during the scuffle. Officers returned fire and that individual was struck and killed. ANKENY, IA (IRN) – The Polk County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a deadly crash that happened just before noon on Friday in Ankeny. First responders found a car, on it’s side, pinned between two trees. The female driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene. A young child who was a passenger was taken to a Des Moines Hospital. Names have not been released. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police arrested a man Friday night after gunshots were fired near Drake University. KCCI-TV reports police were called to Platinum Kutz to a report of a man in his 50s or 60s standing in the parking lot, firing a gun in the air and yelling. The man, whose identity has not been confirmed, was taken into custody shortly thereafter. No one was hurt. BETTENDORF, IA (IRN) – A 60-year-old Bettendorf man was arrested after he allegedly drove a truck through a working fire scene and crashed into a fire truck. WQAD-TV reports Robert Sikma drove his Chevrolet Silverado through the fire scene and clipped a parked fire engine before he backed up, drove through his yard, and parked in his driveway. Sikma then went into his house, where police found and arrested him a short time later. No injuries were reported. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – As the sun came up over Highway 20 near Waterloo Thursday morning, a new life was born…on the highway. KWWL-TV reports an Iowa Falls couple was on their way to the hospital, but their little guy just couldn’t wait. Taryn Naill delivered her own baby while her boyfriend drove, and eventually pulled over to wait for paramedics. Both mother and baby are fine.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Two men were arrested following an early Friday morning chase that had officers speeding through snowy Des Moines streets. WHO-TV reports thirty-one-year-old Zeferino Padilla and 33-year-old Felipe Padilla are now in the Polk County Jail. Police say they were responding to a report of an attempted burglary when the two men sped off in a car, leading officers on a high-speed chase. Stop sticks flattened their tires, and the men ran into the woods. Officers were able to follow their footprints in the fresh snow and arrest them. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – An eastern Iowa woman has been sentenced for insurance fraud and filing a false report. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports Stephanie Settle of Asbury was given probation, 30 days in jail, suspended, and a deferred judgment. Settle told officers a man armed with a knife broke into her home in January 2015, attacked her and stole about $15,000 worth of jewelry. It didn’t happen. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The owners of a private northeast Iowa zoo must remove their tigers and lemurs after a federal judge ruled that they failed to provide appropriate living conditions for the endangered animals. WQAD-TV reports the owners of the roadside Cricket Hollow Zoo, near Manchester, have been ordered to transfer the animals to a U.S. Department of Agriculture-licensed facility within 90 days. CORALVILLE, IA (IRN) – A Union County man who pled guilty to two counts of murder in January is dead, an apparent suicide. Jerry Dillinger was found in his cell Wednesday night hanging from a bed sheet. Dillinger had pled guilty to the murders of Michael Robinson and Loretta Dillinger. Loretta was Jerry Dillinger’s ex sister-in-law and Michael was the boyfriend of his niece. Loretta’s body was discovered in a farm pond near Lorimor. Michael’s body was found nearby. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – A Sioux City man accused of impersonating a police officer and enticing young girls and inappropriately touching them has been sentenced to seven years in prison. The Sioux City Journal reports that 31-year-old Joey Alberts pled guilty Wednesday to enticing away a minor, indecent contact with a child and three counts of impersonating a public official. AMES, IA (IRN) – Iowa State University researchers are testing a metal 3D printer that could change the entire manufacturing industry. KCCI-TV reports the ProX 300 printer lays down a fine layer of metal powder. Then a 500-watt laser welds the powder together, one pass at a time and layer after layer. The part is made up of 300 to 400 layers. It takes just a few hours to create a new part, instead of weeks or months to retool and rebuild. MARSHALLTOWN, IA (IRN) – A Casey’s General Store manager in Marshalltown saved a man’s life while at work. The Times-Republican reports that Lorey Smith was working at the convenience store when Frito-Lay salesperson John Schlichte backed his truck into the side entrance of store, then collapsed. He was apparently having a seizure, his head banging the bumper of the truck, unable to breathe. She cleared his airway while another employee dialed 911. He’s OK.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Legislation being considered in the Iowa Legislature will reduce the number of counties from 99 to 40. Rep. Jake Highfill, a Republican from Johnston, has proposed the reduction as a way to save taxpayer dollars and modernize local government. Highfille says “I’m just trying to be a good steward of the taxpayers’ money, and we need less brick-and-mortar than we did in the past. ” MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A motorist paid the price Thursday morning for not obeying railroad signals near Rockwell in Cerro Gordo County. KIMT-TV reports 48-year-old Tracy Ingham of Swaledale failed to stop at a railroad crossing. The Sheriff’s Office says both the warning lights and cross arm were activated. The front of an oncoming train hit the rear of Ingham’s vehicle and sent it into the ditch. The vehicle was a total loss but Ingham was not injured. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – Two women accused of staging a bank robbery in Sioux City have each been sentenced to five years in prison. The Sioux City Journal reports that 19-year-old Heaven Zevenbergen and 18-year-old Angelica Perez were sentenced Wednesday. Perez entered a bank branch at a Hy-Vee supermarket last August in a disguise, and warned Zevenbergen via a note that she was armed. Zevenbergen, then a teller at the bank, knew Perez and gave her $10,000. ORANGE CITY, IA (IRN) – A northwest Iowa woman has been given probation and an order to repay more than $19,000 she stole from her former employer. KCCI-TV reports 38-year-old Heather Bloemendaal, of Rock Valley, was sentenced Tuesday to four years of probation, given a suspended 10-year prison sentence, and was told to make restitution to Stone Soup Cafe in Rock Valley. Bloemendaal stole the money from the restaurant’s bank deposits. NEWTON, IA (IRN) – A Newton jury has convicted a man of helping his mother stab his wife to death in 2013. WQAD-TV reports jurors found 40-year-old Dustin Jefferson guilty of aiding and abetting first-degree murder. His mother, Ginger Jefferson, is serving life in prison for the murder. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – An overheated circuit caused a fire that destroyed a duplex in Waterloo on Tuesday. KCRG-TV reports firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke coming from the home, which had been turned into apartments. Everyone inside the duplex was able to make it out OK, but the building is a total loss. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man is facing an additional charge after he bolted from his court appearance Wednesday. The Des Moines Register reports 35-year-old Nicky Beery made a mad dash out of the Polk County Courthouse fearing he would face jail time for a driving while barred charge. Deputies chased Beery down the street, and found him hiding in the basement of a bank. Beery was right. He’s in jail. Only now he faces additional charges. SHEFFIELD, IA (IRN) – A Sheffield teen overcame major challenges to hit the hardwood with his basketball team for the first time Tuesday, according to KCCI-TV. Born with cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder, doctors told Dakota Reason’s parents he wouldn’t live past the age of five. Now 18 years old, Dakota has been the manager of the boys basketball team in Sheffield for four years. To show Dakota just how much a part of the team he is, coaches surprised him Tuesday by telling him to take the court on senior night. And he did.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A fatal fire was reported in Des Moines Tuesday evening, according to WHO-TV. A neighbor stopped by the home, saw it was on fire, and called 911. Upon arrival, fire crews noticed smoke and flames showing from the back of the house. Crews were able to extinguish the fire quickly, however, a man was found deceased in the home. MONTROSE, IA (IRN) – A southeast Iowa man is accused of dumping nine newborn puppies in a dumpster. KTVO-TV reports 38-year-old Michael Cain of Montrose is charged with nine counts of animal neglect in the case. Investigators say Cain dumped a litter of day-old puppies in a dumpster last week. Two puppies did not make it. A Fort Madison shelter has been providing care for the surviving seven. Cain could face up to two years in a correctional facility for the aggravated misdemeanor. He’s in jail. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines police officer fired at a suspect during a pursuit overnight, according to KCCI-TV. Officers attempted to stop a vehicle, but 25-year-old Austin Allen fled. Allen then lost control of his vehicle and stopped. An officer got out to make the arrest, when Allen began to drive towards him. The officer fired, but missed. Allen fled, but was later arrested. He’s in jail. CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – Two children and their mother are in the hospital following a fire in Cedar Falls Sunday night. KWWL-TV reports firefighters rescued a 5-year-old girl, 3-year-old boy, and their mother from their trailer home. According to firefighters, the mom has serious smoke inhalation. The children were doing well but are being held for observation. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa lawmakers have advanced bills that would raise the speed limit on rural roads despite warnings that the change could lead to more fatal crashes. The Des Moines Register reports the bill would raise the speed limit on rural, two-lane roads. One bill would increase the speed limit from 55 mph to 60, and another would bump it up to 65 mph. AMES, IA (IRN) – Iowa State University Police report a driver lost control and landed their vehicle on top of multiple parked cars Tuesday morning in Ames. KCRG-TV reports the driver apparently got the brake and gas pedal confused and drove off a nearby road, over the sidewalk, into the parking lot and then on top of the other cars. Four vehicles had significant damage. There were no injuries.