Iowa Radio News

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The Emerald Ash Borer has been discovered in another eastern Iowa county. Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources announced Tuesday the invasive and destructive beetle has been found on the University of Iowa Campus in Iowa City. The discovery brings the list of counties in Iowa where the pest has been discovered to 30. WEST CHESTER, IA (IRN) – A West Chester man was arrested for involuntary manslaughter Monday afternoon. KCII radio reports Washington County Sheriff’s personnel arrested 30-year-old Justin Wayne Milam for involuntary manslaughter and operating while under the influence – third offense. Last summer a pedestrian was struck in Wellman by a car driven by Milam. The pedestrian later died of injuries sustained in the collision. GLENWOOD, IA (IRN) – A former Pacific Junction city clerk accused by state auditors of giving herself unauthorized Christmas bonuses and vacation and sick pay has been given probation and must pay a civil penalty of $625. KCCI-TV reports forty-three-year-old Kari Williams, of Glenwood, pled guilty to tampering with records and was sentenced Monday to a year of probation.The investigation found Williams took nearly $32,000 in improper payments. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – One person has been found dead in a house fire in Des Moines overnight, according to KCCI-TV. Police were called to the scene just before 1:00 am because of a dispute between neighbors. While still on scene, they saw the house on fire. They called the Des Moines Fire Department, but firefighters had to stay back from the scene until it was secure. Once inside the house, firefighters found the body of one person. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – More than 80 Iowans have been convicted of violating a state law that bans domestic abusers from owning guns in the five years since it went into effect. KWWL-TV reports those convicted include people who used weapons to kill others, to threaten their spouses and to shoot at police officers. Attorney General Tom Miller and other supporters predicted the law would save lives by keeping guns away from dangerous individuals. Critics, including some Republican lawmakers, warned that it could unfairly take away gun rights. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A car traveled off the roadway and through the garage of a home in Davenport on Monday. WQAD-TV reports tire tracks from the vehicle show where it went off the road, through a side yard, and then through the garage. The homeowner was inside at the time of the crash, but was not hurt. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – William, the missing University of Iowa research goat, has been found. KWWL-TV reports the goat escaped at the end of January. He was found between Coralville and North Liberty. A veterinarian checked him out, and says William is doing just fine.

ELDRIDGE, IA (IRN) – A fiery single-vehicle accident in eastern Iowa left one teen dead and two others injured The Iowa State Patrol says 19-year-old Bret Schaebauer was driving a car near Eldridge early Sunday when the vehicle left the road and entered a ditch. The car then struck a culvert and came to a stop in a driveway. At some point, the car burst into flames. A passenger, 18-year-old Mitchell Hayes, died in the crash. Hayes was not wearing a seatbelt. The driver and another passenger were hospitalized. CHARLES CITY, IA (IRN) – Charges are pending against several people in Charles City after a search warrant was executed Friday. KIMT-TV reports there were four people present at the time, and police found several narcotics-related items and a stolen kids’ motocross motorcycle. The motorcycle had been reported stolen in 2014 and was returned to the owner. DES MOINES (IRN) – Hillary Clinton’s remarkably narrow win over Bernie Sanders in the Iowa caucuses is now even narrower, according to the Des Moines Register. Nearly a week after the contest, the Iowa Democratic Party on Sunday announced revised results after finding “reporting errors” in several precincts. Clinton’s share of the delegates awarded was revised slightly downward, to 49.84 percent, while Sanders’s total was bumped up to 49.59 percent. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A Waterloo 15-year-old accused of fatally shooting his older sister has pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports the teen also pled guilty Friday to trafficking in stolen weapons. Prosecutors say the boy was 14 when he accidentally shot his 15-year-old sister at their home May 15. The handgun had been stolen during a burglary earlier that day. COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – Authorities are working to identify a body found inside a Council Bluffs home after firefighters extinguished a fire Saturday. KCCI-TV reports the body was found in the bedroom where the fire started. The victim hasn’t been identified, and the investigation into the cause of the fire and the cause of death continues. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A man has been arrested for setting off a Waterloo hospital sprinkler system causing multi-level flooding. KWWL-TV reports firefighters responded to Covenant Medical Center Sunday morning. When they arrived, there was no fire and they say the sprinkler system was set off by a patient. Police arrested 42-year-old Douglas Hala for first-degree criminal mischief. MUSCATINE, IA (IRN) – A fire destroyed a Muscatine home on Sunday. When firefighters arrived, smoke and flames were coming out of the house. Everyone got out safely, but the home was a total loss and several pets inside perished. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A nonprofit is trying to make dreams come true for Dubuque-area children struggling with medical issues. KCRG-TV reports the group is doing it one bedroom at a time. Special Spaces Dubuque leaders meet with children to find out what they like and to create a special bedroom makeover plan. Volunteers get it all done in one day. The latest effort? 9-year-old Camdyn Reisner has some developmental delays, but she smiled from ear to ear and giggled when she saw her small room transformed into a magical princess getaway.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – Firefighters found a person dead inside a Council Bluffs home damaged by fire Saturday evening, according to KETV. Crews got the fire under control quickly, but found a body. The victim has not been identified. Neighbors say two young men lived there, but they haven’t seen anyone leave the house in days. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – No one was injured in a house fire in Cedar Rapids on Saturday night. KCRG-TV reports the fire started inside a bathroom. Firefighters were able to contain the flames to the bathroom, but the house did sustain smoke and water damage throughout the second floor. Five family members were able to escape, and firefighters rescued three cats. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A Davenport Subway restaurant was the target of an armed robbery on Friday evening. WQAD-TV reports the suspect displayed a handgun and demanded money from the clerk, and got away with an undisclosed amount of cash. No injuries were reported. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Thousands of bowlers from across the state are helping the Des Moines economy. KCCI-TV reports bowlers are in the metro for the next several weekends competing in a tournament with a prize worth nearly $200,000. It’s the 99th annual Iowa State Bowling Tournament. Over the next 14 weekends, some 200 teams with the highest scores will split the prize. The winner of the tournament will be announced in May.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Now that all the presidential candidates have left Iowa, local businesses are counting their cash. KCCI-TV reports the Des Moines Visitors and Convention Bureau estimates the Des Moines metro area saw more than $10 million in economic impact from the caucuses and an estimated $40 million statewide. Approximately 2,000 members of the media were in town, which is about 500 more than the last caucuses. That’s in addition to the original 22 candidates and their staff. OSKALOOSA, IA (IRN) – One person was killed in a car wreck south of Oskaloosa Thursday. The Iowa State Patrol reports the vehicle was traveling northbound on Highway 63 when it left the roadway and struck a bridge pillar and burst into flames. Killed was 44-year-old Alan Shearer of Ottumwa. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A Dubuque woman whose toddler accidentally shot himself now faces additional counts of child endangerment. KDTH reports 25-year-old Raven Harris is the mother of the two-year-old. The boy suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face on January 3. Harris originally faced two counts of child endangerment and one count of child neglect. Two additional child endangerment charges have now been filed, as all three of her children have tested positive for marijuana exposure, while two also tested positive for exposure to cocaine. AMES, IA (IRN) – A man is behind bars after he stabbed his cousin. WHO-TV reports an argument between the two men turned physical Thursday afternoon outside an apartment complex in Ames. When the argument escalated, 32-year-old Delancey Smith Jr. stabbed his cousin. The victim was treated and released. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines couple celebrated their 80-year wedding anniversary this week, according to KCCI-TV. Peg and Ken Newell don’t look like they’ve been married for 80 years, and they don’t act like it either. Ken is 101. Peg is 99. They started dating as high school students at Fairfield High. Their secret? A sense of humor, and they don’t argue. Ken says they also go out to dinner twice a week. She goes out Mondays, he goes out Fridays.

BEDFORD, IA (IRN) – A man accused in the death of his 3-year-old daughter in the southwest Iowa city of Bedford has been found guilty of murder. The Omaha World-Herald reported Thursday that 26-year-old Charles Hall was convicted of murder and child endangerment. The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call at Hall’s home last May and found the girl unresponsive. Hall’s girlfriend, 26-year-old April Clair, has pled guilty in the case. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa DNR reports that two deer harvested in Allamakee County during the recent hunting season have been confirmed positive for chronic wasting disease, marking the third year in a row the disease has been confirmed in an Iowa deer, all in Allamakee County. SHENANDOAH, IA (IRN) – 250 hourly and salaried positions will be eliminated at the Eaton Vehicle Group plant in the southwestern Iowa city of Shenandoah. KCCI-TV reports the company is moving some of the work to plants in Mexico or Kings Mountain, North Carolina. About 85 Shenandoah positions will be retained to support manufacturing of components for the final assembly of transmissions. FAIRFIELD, IA (IRN) – A Fairfield man is facing a misdemeanor charge after an incident at the Fairfield Municipal Airport. KTVO-TV reports 25-year-old Shannon Harris is facing a single count of Criminal Mischief First Degree. Police say Harris intentionally rammed the main airport gate. OSKALOOSA, IA (IRN) – One person was killed in a car wreck south of Oskaloosa Thursday. The Iowa State Patrol reports the vehicle was traveling northbound on Highway 63 when it left the roadway and struck a bridge pillar and burst into flames. The name of the deceased has not been released. HAWKEYE, IA (IRN) – A man accused of attacking a woman with a hammer in the northeastern Iowa town of Hawkeye has been arrested. KWWL-TV reports 43-year-old Christopher Gruver drove to the woman’s home and hit her with a hammer, before being stopped by several bystanders. He’s in jail facing multiple charges. NEWELL, IA (IRN) – A northwest Iowa family of eight was taken to the hospital for carbon monoxide poisoning Wednesday. KCCI-TV reports the family in Newell woke up and didn’t feel well, so they called 911. Emergency crews found dangerously high carbon monoxide levels in the home and say that snow that piled up on Tuesday had closed off an outside furnace vent. The home did not have a carbon monoxide detector. Everyone is OK. RED OAK, IA (IRN) – A Red Oak man may soon be named the oldest active pilot in the world, according to WHO-TV. 98-year-old Ernie Smith has been flying since he was 20. When Smith’s daughter learned that the Guinness Book of World Records listed a 96-year-old man as the record holder, she contacted them, and they are undergoing the process of verification. Smith attributes his longevity to having “a good wife who didn’t put me through a lot of stress.”