Iowa Radio News

HAWARDEN, IA (IRN) – Nine fire departments responded to a hog confinement fire near Hawarden Saturday morning. Upon the first fire department’s arrival, the barn was completely engulfed in flames. The fire was so large at the first barn that a second barn caught fire. Several employees were present at the time of the fire but no injuries were reported. The two building were a total loss and approximately 5,000 hogs perished. MOUNT UNION, IA (IRN) – A small Henry County city has taken its first step toward ceasing to exist. The Hawk Eye reports that the Mount Union City Council voted 4-0 Monday to pass a resolution of intent to discontinue functioning as a city. A petition Mayor John Marek received several weeks ago had 12 signatures out of about 80 registered voters in the city. MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A 43-year-old Mason City man has been accused of trying to kill his girlfriend. KWWL-TV reports Jason Clausen is charged with burglary, kidnapping and attempted murder. Mason City police say Clausen used a weapon to injure his girlfriend, and she was taken to a hospital. Police didn’t say what sort of weapon was used or provide other details about Sunday’s incident. MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – Mason City police have arrested a 28-year-old man accused of throwing a kitten against a wall, killing it. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that Jerrick Rinnels was arrested Sunday on a warrant for misdemeanor animal abuse. Rinnels and another resident in a Mason City house were arguing Friday when Rinnels grabbed the kitten from the other person and threw it against the wall, killing it. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Dubuque police said a 2-year-old boy went to the hospital after a vehicle struck him Sunday night. KCRG-TV reports a vehicle was backing up when it hit Jaceyon Young, who was riding a small tricycle at the time. The driver of the vehicle told police he didn’t see the boy as he was backing up. The boy has a skull fracture. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines woman and two men from Nebraska were arrested over Memorial Day weekend at Gray’s Lake Park, according to WHO-TV. Officers responded to a call Saturday evening and found a car blocking the only exit of the parking lot. Other drivers were honking at the car and at a crowd of people nearby. The driver of the car refused to move it, and the crowd became angry at the officers. Police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd and make arrests. MARSHALLTOWN, IA (IRN) – A 29-year-old inmate has been listed as escaped from the work release facility in Marshalltown. The Iowa Corrections Department says Michael Compston didn’t return as required Sunday from a furlough. Compston had been sentenced to 10 years in prison for robbery in Cerro Gordo County. THE QUAD CITIES, IA, IL (IRN) – A growing group of Quad Cities women have the goal to be healthy and have a good time. WQAD-TV reports they are part of “Moms RUN This Town” and dress in bright colors and bows when they run. One member explains, “We’re just a group of women who get together to run–it’s 100% girl power. We lift each other up.”

BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – Authorities in southeast Iowa say a 17-year-old driver has minor injuries after crashing his car into a pond at a golf club. KGAN-TV reports the teen was speeding early Monday in Burlington and lost control of his vehicle at a curve. The car slid sideways, entered Flint Hills Golf Course and eventually went into a pond on the eighth hole. The teen returned to land before his vehicle was fully submerged into the water. He was intoxicated. OMAHA, NE (IRN) – A man who was shot to death in Omaha on Saturday had been acquitted of first-degree murder in the 2001 death of his girlfriend. The Omaha World-Herald reports 40-year-old Carlos A. Alonzo was was acquitted in 2005 in the death several years earlier of his girlfriend, Teresa Windham. The 17-year-old Windham disappeared from a Council Bluffs motel where she was staying with Alonzo. Her body was later found near Fremont. SABULA, IA (IRN) – A 21-year-old Clinton man has drowned in a lake near Sabula this weekend. KCRG-TV reports Eugene Kemp Jr. died at a hospital after being found in a small lake Saturday afternoon. The incident remains under investigation. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police in Des Moines are investigating an incident involving a car that crashed into an apartment building early Sunday morning. WHO-TV reports police were called to the apartments around 6 a.m. where a car had crashed into a first-floor apartment. One person was in the bedroom at the time of the wreck but wasn’t hurt. The driver of the car claims he was hit by a truck that made him spin into the building. CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – A Freedom Rock completed last fall in Cedar Falls was vandalized Saturday night. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports spray paint was used to damage the rock. Greenfield artist Ray “Bubba” Sorensen II painted the rock, which includes images of the Five Sullivan Brothers killed in World War II. A memorial service scheduled for today at the rock will proceed as planned. BOONE, IA (IRN) – The facade of a historic building in Boone partially collapsed Sunday afternoon, according to KCCI-TV. No one was hurt when part of the Boone History Center’s facade came crashing down. The director of the center has been pushing for repairs since winter. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Paralyzed at age 16, Hunter Stoneburner thought he’d never walk again. KWWL-TV reports this weekend he walked across the stage for his high school graduation in Des Moines. After a stroke put him in a wheelchair, Stoneburner thought he’d never walk again. Two years and two brain surgeries later, he’s beaten the odds. Stoneburner says “there were a few times I wanted to give up but I just kept on fighting.” He plans to take business classes at college, and hopes to open up his own business one day.

DALLAS, TX (IRN) – Former Iowa State men’s basketball player and current guard for the New Orleans Pelicans Bryce Dejean-Jones was killed after he allegedly broke into a Dallas apartment and was shot early Saturday morning, according to WHO-TV. The resident of the apartment says Dejean-Jones kicked open the front door and entered the residence. He then kicked open the bedroom door and the resident fired his gun, killing him. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Sageville Elementary School in Dubuque is picking up the pieces after a storm swept through the building. KWWL-TV reports on Saturday, thunderstorms and winds as high as 60 miles per hour ripped through Dubuque County, causing the school’s roof to blow off. Students were to return to school on Tuesday, but classes have been cancelled. FAIRFIELD, IA (IRN) – Small wasps have a big job ahead in Iowa. It’s hoped they can help control the spread of the destructive emerald ash borer (EAB). KCRG-TV reports the Iowa Department of Agriculture launched an opening round in a “bio-war” against the insect that’s infected ash trees in 31 of Iowa’s 99 counties on Friday. They did it with an insect that’s a natural enemy of the EAB, a “stingless” wasp. The first release was in an infected ash tree grove near Fairfield. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – It was an emotional surprise at an Iowa Cubs’ game as fans watched a Des Moines father reunite with his family after a yearlong deployment. KCCI-TV reports Chief Warrant Officer Ryan Beargeon’s three kids were overjoyed when he surprised them at Principal Park Saturday night. During the reunion, one of Beargeon’s daughters asked him if he’s here to stay. His reply was, “Yes, I’m home forever now.”

SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – A man has been charged after Sioux City police say he shot a water pipe in a hotel room, flooding two floors. The Sioux City Journal reports 30-year-old Brett Anderson was inside a Super 8 Hotel room Friday when he accidentally fired his gun. No injuries were reported. Anderson was arrested and charged with reckless use of a firearm. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Authorities are investigating an explosion and fire at a University of Iowa owned apartment that left one person dead. KCCI-TV reports police are investigating a single fatality, and a State Fire Marshall’s office investigator was at the scene. Authorities aren’t releasing the name of the victim. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Rescue crews recovered a body from the Des Moines River on Thursday, according to WHO-TV. A witness spotted the body hung on debris at the Southeast 14th Street bridge. Authorities say it is the body of an adult male from Des Moines. The State Medical Examiner’s office is working to identify the body. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The possibility of an American Indian burial site in Iowa may require relocation of a crude oil pipeline route which would further delay the beginning of construction in the only one of four states where work hasn’t yet begun. KCRG-TV reports the Dakota Access pipeline passes through the Big Sioux Wildlife Management area and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe leaders say there is a burial site in the way. A stop work order has been issued until the issue can be resolved. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – The first traveling exhibit to showcase Major League Baseball memorabilia will make six stops during the 2016 baseball season, and the very first stop is in Davenport. This is the first time the Baseball Hall of Fame has taken its show on the road. The tour, called “We Are Baseball,” will feature a new IMAX movie about the past, present and future of baseball; plus artifacts from some of the most memorable moments in baseball history.

NEWTON, IA (IRN) – An Iowa couple faces child endangerment and drug charges after police say they were caught riding in a vehicle driven by a 13-year-old. The Newton Daily News reports that 51-year-old Paul Deaton and 48-year-old Jacqualine Deaton, of Colfax, were arrested Sunday. A Jasper County sheriff’s deputy noticed a heavy odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, and when stopped Paul Deaton reached behind a seat and grabbed a pipe along with four grams of marijuana. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa teenagers convicted of murder will no longer face life-without-parole sentences, after the Iowa Supreme Court ruled today that the sentence constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. The Des Moines Register reports Justice Brent Appel wrote in a majority opinion that locking young killers away permanently is simply too “speculative” when they have not been given any chance to show rehabilitation in prison. MORSE, IA (IRN) – One person was killed and another injured after a semi collided with a tractor Thursday afternoon just outside of Morse. The Iowa State Patrol reports a tractor traveling west turned left in front of a semi traveling east, causing the collision. The tractor driver was ejected and killed. The driver of the semi was transported to an area hospital with injuries. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Bar staff at D.C.’s Bar in downtown Iowa City tell police that as they tried to remove a drunk man making comments against homosexuals from the bar, he reached for a gun. KCRG-TV reports officers arrived at the scene Wednesday night to find 37-year-old Jason Bason pinned to the ground by bar staff. His handgun was on the ground next to him. BETTENDORF, IA (IRN) – An Iowa man is accused of threatening to post nude photos online unless the woman in the photos gave him money and sex. WQAD-TV reports 30-year-old Bradley Richard Williams of La Porte City was arrested Wednesday after his alleged victim showed threatening messages from him to police. Williams is charged with extortion. ATLANTIC, IA (IRN) – Heavy rains hit much of Iowa yesterday, and caused some street flooding in Atlantic, prompting at least one rescue. WHO-TV reports a woman had to be pulled from her car at an intersection where water was several feet deep. She’s OK. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Soon, passengers traveling along Interstate 35 through six states will see a lusher refuge and more food for bees and butterflies in the hopes of helping the insects boost their declining populations, according to KCCI-TV. That 1,500-mile stretch of road from northern Minnesota to southern Texas is a flyway for monarch butterflies that migrate between Mexico and Canada.