Iowa Radio News

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – West Des Moines police are asking for the public’s help to solve a rash of vandalism cases, according to KCCI-TV. Police say a pellet rifle has been used to damage at last 20 vehicles and two buildings in the past several days. A $1,000 reward is now being offered for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons involved. AINSWORTH, IA (IRN) – A man is dead following a house fire in rural Ainsworth yesterday. KCII-radio reports Washington County Sheriff Jerry Dunbar says 69-year-old Charles Arthur Darby died in the fire. The state fire marshal is investigating. LAGUNA MADRE BAY, TX (IRN) – Several Iowa State University football players rescued a woman from a sinking car during spring break at South Padre Island, Texas. The Des Moines Register reports the players saw the car sinking in the bay and sprinted over. The taillights were still visible, but the front of the car was submerged, and it was taking on water. A woman was inside, screaming for help. Police say if they hadn’t jumped into the water to pull the 22-year-old woman out, she would have drowned. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man is in custody following a robbery at a Des Moines gas station. KCCI-TV reports police responded to a Git N Go on the south side last night. A man with a hoodie and a mask approached the clerk with a gun. Police said the clerk was asked to lay on the ground as the robber left. Police said they chased a black SUV matching the description involved in previous Git N Go robberies. The man crashed the SUV, and is now in jail. FAYETTE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A man faces charges for threatening to kill Fayette police Chief Richard Pisanti, according to KCRG-TV. 32-year-old Joshua Sergeant was released from Fayette County jail Wednesday. Moments after the release, Sergeant used a phone to call Chief Pisanti, who had originally arrested him on burglary charges. Sergeant told Pisanti he was going to kill him and was on his way to do it. He’s in jail. COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – Authorities say a Nebraska sheriff’s deputy was arrested after a Council Bluffs casino incident. The Omaha World-Herald reports that 44-year-old Thomas Flynn is a sheriff’s deputy in Douglas County, which includes Omaha. Flynn was unsteady on his feet and verbally combative with casino staff. He was arrested, and released on bond. Flynn was shot while on duty in 2011. His department named him Deputy of the Year and gave him two medals. He’s on desk duty. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A special new art exhibit is on display at Drake University, according to WHO-TV. The exhibit is called Finding Happiness. It’s a partnership between Mosaic of Central Iowa and Drake. People with intellectual disabilities served by Mosaic learned various art methods during a special art day at Drake. Faculty and students with the fine arts program helped. The results are now on display in the gallery.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A Mason City man accused of injuring an infant was sentenced to five years in prison, according to KIMT-TV. 21-year-old D’Airio Cryer was arrested in December and charged with two counts of child endangerment. Authorities say he fractured the ribs of a six-week-old child and pushed a bulb syringe up the baby’s nose, causing a gash in one nostril. He pled guilty. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Eight arrests were made after a chase through Davenport into Bettendorf, according to WQAD-TV. Police responded to the scene of a call of shots fired, where they found shell casings and a suspect vehicle at the scene, which led to a high speed chase. The 11-minute chase ended when the driver lost control of the vehicle. Eight people ran from the van and ultimately four adults and four juveniles were taken into custody in Bettendorf. MARION, IA (IRN) – Police are looking for answers after a man was found injured on a street in Marion, and later died. KWWL-TV reports 63-year-old Richard Thompson was found outside of the VIP Lounge Easter morning. Thompson, who had been drinking at the bar Saturday night, had injuries to his face and upper body and later died at a local hospital. Someone driving down the street found him and when police arrived he was still conscious, but couldn’t tell them what had happened to him. Friends say Thompson had terminal cancer and didn’t have long to live. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Randy Metcalf has been found guilty of committing a hate crime, according to KGAN-TV. A jury returned the verdict Wednesday afternoon in a federal courtroom in Cedar Rapids. Metcalf repeatedly stomped on the face of a 31-year-old black man in a racially motivated bar fight in Dubuque in January. Defense witnesses defended Metcalf’s character, but the jury found the assault to have been racially motivated. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Honey Creek Resort will soon be under new management, according to WHO-TV. The Iowa Natural Resource Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to enter into a contract with Delaware North Companies. The firm currently has contracts to run operations at the Grand Canyon and Kennedy Space Center for NASA. Plans call for a new outdoor pool, and shops to provide services to guests, such as hair and makeup shops for weddings. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Construction crews have dug up some ancient finds in eastern Iowa. WHO-TV reports crews unearthed fossils while doing work at the University of Iowa on Tuesday. Geologists explain them as fossilized coral and sponge-like creatures, and they say that’s evidence that a prehistoric ocean once covered the state. Experts say the fossils date back 385 million years. They were found 30 feet underground.

ALTOONA, IA (IRN) – Prairie Meadows Casino and Racetrack in Altoona may lose its tax exempt status, according to WHO-TV. The Internal Revenue Service has advised the casino and racetrack that it is looking into its tax exempt status which allows the company to donate millions of dollars to Polk County and Polk County charities.​ The IRS is auditing the casino back to its 2012 tax returns. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The South Dakota Board of Regents is considering a proposal that would extend in-state, undergraduate tuition rates to new Iowa students at four of its public universities. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that the state already has a reciprocity agreement with Minnesota, but that the Iowa proposal would be “one-way only.” WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A Waterloo man convicted last year for killing a man wants a judge to move his new trial outside Black Hawk County, according to KCRG-TV. A jury in March 2015 found 25-year-old Perquondis Holmes guilty of first-degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Dae’Quan Campbell. A judge in February threw out the conviction after Holmes’ attorneys argued jurors should not have seen Facebook photos showing Holmes using gang signs. MOUNT VERNON, IA (IRN) – Two homes, each valued at more than a million dollars, were destroyed by fire within 30 miles of each other at nearly the same time Monday. KWWL-TV reports one fire was near Mount Vernon, the other near Solon. The State Fire Marshal is looking into the possibility of the two fires being related. Both homes were complete losses, and no one was injured. DELAWARE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Delhi man has pled guilty to vehicular homicide by reckless driving for a crash that killed a 23-year-old Dyersville woman in 2013. KCRG-TV reports 25-year-old Dean Dempster was originally charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication. A rollover crash in 2013 killed Brittany Honkomp and injured four others. Honkomp’s parents said they didn’t want to see Dempster go to prison, so his plea agreement calls for a suspended prison sentence and a fine of $10,000. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – What was initially believed to be a shooting that left a Davenport girl hospitalized, is not a shooting after all. WQAD-TV reports police were called to a report of a 17-year-old girl down in the street, possibly suffering from a gunshot wound, in February. The next day, a 15-year-old boy was charged with attempted murder. Now authorities believe the injuries were caused by blunt force trauma. The girl is out of the hospital and getting ongoing care. CARLISLE, IA (IRN) – Students at Carlisle High School wore black Tuesday to protest changes being made with health and sciences classes. KCCI-TV reports Carlisle plans to change the way that sexual education and health classes are offered by combining the curriculum with the science and technology track. Students say they understand the push for more STEM classes, but don’t believe it should come at the cost of the wellness program. Staff say funding isn’t there for both. CASS COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A baby was born Tuesday morning on Interstate 80 near Atlantic, according to KETV. The couple were on their way to the hospital, but the baby wouldn’t wait. Emergency responders were dispatched, but before crews arrived, the woman had given birth to a healthy baby. Mother and child are doing well. There’s no report on the condition of the father.

BETTENDORF, IA (IRN) – The American bald eagle that was rescued after falling from a tree in Bettendorf has died, according to WQAD-TV. The eagle had been taken to a Davenport veterinarian on Wednesday, then transferred to a nonprofit rehabilitation clinic in Iowa City on Friday. The bird tested high for lead poisoning. MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A 51-year-old man has been accused of sexually assaulting a staff member at a Mason City facility that helps people with mental illnesses, according to KCCI-TV. The suspect had fled the scene but returned later and was arrested. The staff member was treated at a hospital and released. Police say Joseph Wallace is charged with felony sexual abuse. COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – A Nebraska man has been arrested Tuesday in Council Bluffs, accused of backing his pickup into a police cruiser. The Omaha World-Herald reports officers were dispatched to a residence to check a report about a man who wouldn’t leave. The pickup was in the driveway with its lights on as the officers arrived. The man soon backed the pickup down the driveway and struck the cruiser. He was arrested after an officer noticed that the man seemed to be intoxicated. LINN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Multiple fire departments responded to a large home that caught on fire Monday night in Linn County, according to KCRG-TV. Smoke and flames could be seen for miles. No one was injured, but the house was destroyed. The house is owned by Jay Johnson, a businessman and the leader of a think tank that’s working to stop youth violence in Cedar Rapids. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Two women are accused of assault because of what they allegedly did to a store clerk in Dubuque who asked them for identification. The women were reportedly trying to buy alcohol at the Iowa Street Market. When the clerk requested identification, the women allegedly spit on the clerk and threw a beverage at her. The women remain unidentified. REINBECK, IA (IRN) – The Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District is facing the possibility of shutting down. KWWL-TV reports school officials held a meeting Monday night to inform people of potential solutions if the school were to close. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa Department of Natural Resources officials are proposing a new company take over management of Honey Creek Resort. Officials are recommending a contract with Delaware North Companies. The DNR said the new agreement is expected to help the resort remain properly maintained and protected, expand amenities and services, and increase profitability. Honey Creek Resort is located on Rathbun Lake. It has a hotel, cabin rentals, a water park, golf course and more.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Two armed robberies were reported within 90 minutes of each other at Davenport gas stations about five miles today. WQAD-TV reports the robber reportedly went into both gas stations with a handgun, demanded money, and made off with some cash. No one was injured. WEBSTER CITY, IA – Police and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are looking into the death of a six-week-old infant on Easter. The Fort Dodge Messenger reports the baby was found unresponsive Sunday in Webster City. The child was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. The identity of the child and cause of death have not been released. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Three Iowa City men are facing felony robbery and burglary charges in connection with two armed robberies last week. KCRG-TV reports 20-year-old Taylin Anderson and 22-year-old Nico Johnson-Williams entered an apartment and held three occupants at gunpoint before stealing multiple items. They hit one victim in the face. Then 18-year-old Alexander Regennitter joined Anderson and Johnson-Williams to enter another apartment, point a gun at the resident, and threaten his life repeatedly. They fled after robbing him. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Police say a Dubuque man sustained serious injuries after a two-vehicle crash pushed his vehicle into a nearby home. 54-year-old David Gatena was taken to a local hospital Friday. KCRG-TV reports 40-year-old Jamie Birch of Dubuque was driving south when his vehicle hit the passenger side of a vehicle driven by Gatena. The force of the crash pushed Gatena’s vehicle off the street and into a nearby home. Birch faces multiple charges. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Two Davenport gang members have been arrested following a multi-jurisdictional gun investigation, according to WQAD-TV. A search warrant turned up approximately 100 grams of high-grade marijuana, seven guns and rounds of ammunition. Both men are known members of the Lowrider street gang, and face multiple charges. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – Officials in a northwest Iowa county appear ready to change an ordinance that would allow more semi-truck terminals in rural areas. The Sioux City Journal reports the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors is considering a plan that would apply to small, home-occupied businesses. The current ordinance prohibits trucks from being parked outdoors so they can be seen by passing motorists. The new ordinance would allow outdoor parking. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Terrorism by Islamic extremists is in the headlines around the globe but Muslims in Iowa say that’s not the Islam they practice, according to KGAN-TV. Imam Molhim Bilal of the Iowa City Mosque says, “The people who do these terrorist attacks and these evil actions have nothing to do with Islam.” The Iowa City Mosque is inviting the community to learn more about Islam. Bilal says he’s been happy with turnout and community reaction and is excited to continue breaking down barriers through education.