Iowa Radio News

VERSAILLES, MI (IRN) – A Missouri State Trooper has been charged in the death of an Iowa man who drowned while in custody at Lake of the Ozarks. KCRG-TV reports Trooper Anthony Piercy faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of 20-year-old Brandon Ellingson. Ellingson drowned after being arrested for allegedly boating while intoxicated. Ellingson fell out of Piercy’s boat while he was handcuffed. A life jacket Piercy placed on Ellingson was put on wrong. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – A Sioux City high school band director who resigned last week has been arrested and charged with sexual exploitation by a school employee. The Sioux City Journal reports 34-year-old Lucas Sursely texted a 15-year-old female student in one of his classes about having sex with her and sent the girl a picture of himself in his underwear. DES MOINES (IRN) – Two people who received speeding violations from automated traffic enforcement cameras on Interstate 235 have filed a lawsuit against the city of Des Moines according to KCCI-TV. The men allege their equal protection rights were violated because not every speeder receives a citation. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A company has agreed to pay $1.1 million to settle claims that it improperly billed Medicare for treating patients who were ineligible to receive hospice benefits. KCRG-TV reports the government alleged that Iowa Hospice knowingly billed Medicare for 34 patients between 2007 and 2013 who were ineligible for the benefit. Iowa Hospice doesn’t admit wrongdoing in the settlement. GRANGER, IA (IRN) – A body found Thursday in a pond between Granger and Grimes is that of a missing Des Moines teenager. WHO-TV reports 17-year old Sam Kemp was last seen at a party that had between 150 and 200 people in attendance. When police busted the party, Kemp fled. The cause of death hasn’t been determined. BLACK HAWK COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A man was arrested after deputies responded to a burglary in progress at a home in Dunkerton Thursday morning, according to KWWL-TV. The suspect got into a vehicle and sped off as deputies arrived. 43-year-old Chad James Clark of Waterloo was apprehended and charged with Burglary in the Third Degree, Possession of Burglary Tools, Carrying Weapons and Possession of Methamphetamine. He’s in jail. CHARLES CITY, IA (IRN) – A Charles City student has been expelled for striking an assistant wrestling coach. The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier reports the incident occurred in late November. The student hasn’t been identified, and charges won’t be filed. DES MOINES COUNTY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa sheriff shot himself accidentally. WQAD-TV reports Des Moines County Sheriff Mike Johnstone sustained a gunshot wound to his left hand as he cleaned his handgun Wednesday. Johnstone was taken to a local emergency room and later transferred to another facility for treatment by a surgeon who specializes in hand injuries. The injury isn’t life-threatening.

DES MOINES (IRN) – A man stabbed his roommate after an argument about dirty dishes, according to the Des Moines Register. Police arrived at an apartment near downtown Des Moines and found a 48-year-old man with a stab wound in his back. 55-year-old William Nixon, the alleged stabber and the victim’s roommate, was sitting in a chair with a bloodied blade next to him. The roommate, who was cutting cheese in bed before the fight, said he used the cheese knife to defend himself. DES MOINES (IRN) – A Des Moines teenager accused of killing his grandmother is scheduled to be back in court Thursday, according to WHO-TV. Seventeen-year-old Noah Laprei has pled not guilty to first degree murder. Police say he beat his grandmother to death in the home they shared in October. Laprei’s family says he was on drugs at the time. His trial will begin next month. CLARKE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A Creston man was killed Wednesday in a grain bin accident in Clarke County. KCCI-TV reports 39-year-old Eric Reasland was pulled out of the bin after being buried inside soybeans for more than three hours. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man was injured Tuesday after four masked men with a gun broke into his home near Drake University, according to the Des Moines Register. The 20-year-old victim told police one of the men pointed the handgun at him and told him to get on the floor. He resisted, and was struck in the back of the head with the gun. The men took electronics and ran. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Attorney General’s Office has found a Waterloo police officer’s actions in a shooting justified. In November, Waterloo police were conducting a meth investigation involving Brandon Seeley. After a chase, Seeley ignored the officer’s commands to stop and drove his vehicle directly at the officer, who fired four shots at Seeley. Seely was hit, but survived. He’s been charged with possession and intent to deliver, eluding, and assault on a peace officer. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – They call them “porch pirates;” thieves who steal packages delivered to homes when their owners aren’t there. WQAD-TV reports people like Mark Riedesel of Davenport are catching them in the act with cameras hidden at their front doors. After having delivered packages stolen, he set up a camera and placed an empty box out as bait. Within hours, the camera caught a woman taking the box. She has been identified, and police are investigating.

IOWA CITY, IA – Mumps is a growing problem at the University of Iowa. KCRG-TV reports school officials don’t see any sign the number of cases are slowing. On November 9th, Johnson County reported 116 cases of mumps, with the vast majority believed to be at the UI. As of Monday, that number grew to nearly 200 cases. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa health officials say only half of all potential contracts for Medicaid services have been signed ahead of the state’s switch to privatized care on Jan. 1. KWWL-TV reports Gov. Terry Branstad says the privatization move will offer better care and save money. Some lawmakers and health professionals have criticized the timeline for the switch. BLOOMFIELD, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the death of a man in rural Davis County as a homicide. Investigators identified the victim as 39-year-old Michael Thomas Goodwin Sr., of Bloomfield. The DCI began assisting the Davis County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday after deputies found the dead man while doing a welfare check. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A vehicle fatally struck a man crossing Hubbell Avenue in east Des Moines Tuesday evening, according to KCCI-TV. Police say the man crossed the street in an erratic manner when the vehicle hit him. Authorities said the driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with police. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa has the top high school graduation rate in the country. Data released Tuesday by the National Center for Education Statistics show Iowa ranked first among all states with a graduation rate of 90.5 percent for the 2013-2014 school year. The national high school graduation rate is 82.3 percent. The worst state? New Mexico, with a 68.5% graduation rate. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The animal ethics group PETA (PEET-uh) is planning an unusual protest at a downtown Des Moines intersection Wednesday. KCCI-TV reports PETA wants families to rethink their holiday food choices with a banner reading, “Try to relate to who’s on your plate: Go vegan this Christmas.” The protest will feature a nearly naked woman on a giant plate complete with cutlery and a side of vegetables.

AMES, IA (IRN) – Ames police are asking for the public’s help to identify a driver involved in a fatal pedestrian crash Monday near the Iowa State campus. KCCI-TV reports a memorial has appeared at the scene where 18-year-old EmmaLee Jacobs of Urbana was hit. She died from injuries sustained in the crash. Authorities say it was dark and raining when she was hit, but that’s not an excuse to leave the scene of an accident. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The University of Iowa’s president has apologized to one offended employee for saying publicly that instructors who aren’t ready to teach their classes should be shot. KWWL-TV reports Bruce Harreld has apologized, saying it was “an unfortunate off-the-cuff remark.” He says he didn’t mean to offend anyone or imply that he supports gun violence. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for fatally stabbing his younger brother. The Des Moines Register reports that 34-year-old Frank Turner pled guilty to charges of attempted murder and going armed with intent for killing 29-year-old Tad Foster in February. The brothers’ brawl broke out when Foster tried to break up a fight between their mother and Turner, who had been drinking. FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – A man had to be rescued from the Des Moines River in Fort Dodge early Tuesday morning after police say he went into the water to get away from them. WHO-TV reports police were called to a bridge just after midnight on a report of a man walking in traffic. When they arrived they found 38-year-old Harry Carvalho III and began talking with him, when he ran and jumped into the river. The Fire Department arrived on scene and rescued him. NEWTON, IA (IRN) – Two Newton women are facing child endangerment charges after police say four children in their care tested positive for methamphetamine. WHO-TV reports 29-year-old Cristy Clark and 28-year-old Somer Speer were charged. The children were two, four, six, and nine years old. DES MOINES (IRN) – A former legislative clerk has pled guilty to a white powder hoax on the floor of the Iowa Legislature. 28-year-old Michael Dekota McRae pled guilty to conveying false information concerning a biological weapon. McRae, a former legislative clerk, wrote a threatening letter addressed to Representative Abdul-Samad. The letter contained racial slurs and threats to kill both McRae and the legislator. McRae inserted the letter, along with a white powdery substance, into an envelope which he opened during a session of the legislature. DAVIS COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation officials are assisting the Davis County Sheriff’s office with a death investigation. On Sunday, the sheriff’s office was called to do a welfare check on an individual in rural Davis County. Deputies found a man dead inside the home. An autopsy is planned. DES MOINES (IRN) – Heavy rainfall throughout much of the state has overloaded many wastewater treatment systems in Iowa, causing wastewater discharges. The DNR reports although heavy rains have diluted the wastewater, people should keep children and pets away from runoff.

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A car chase with a wanted man in Davenport broke out after officers spotted him behind the wheel of a minivan. WQAD-TV reports the chase went on for several minutes and ended in a collision with another vehicle. 32-year-old Darryl Bernard Shears was wanted on a variety of charges, including intimidation with a dangerous weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, going armed with intent, domestic abuse assault with a weapon, and eluding. He now faces additional drug charges and nearly 20 traffic charges. CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Falls man was jailed Saturday morning following an incident in which a Cedar Falls police officer and two others were assaulted at a Hy-Vee. The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier reports 33-year-old Michael Paul Myers faces charges of second-degree robbery and assault causing bodily injury. As a responding officer was attempting to exit his patrol vehicle, Myers rushed the officer and assaulted him. Myers was then subdued with a Taser. AMES, IA (IRN) – One person is dead in a hit and run in Ames. KCCI-TV reports an unidentified woman has died in a car vs. pedestrian crash. An Ames police officer saw the female lying in the street and then called paramedics. She was rushed to the hospital where she later died from her injuries. No witnesses have come forward. HAMPTON, IA (IRN) – Hampton police say a man killed his girlfriend Sunday. WHO-TV reports sixty-year-old Ronald Rand is charged with first degree murder in the death of 51-year-old Michelle Key of Waterloo. Police say Franklin County Dispatch received a call Sunday night about a possible suicidal subject. When they arrived they found Key dead from a gunshot wound. Rand is in jail. FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – Police are trying to locate a man who allegedly pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots inside a bar in Fort Dodge early Sunday morning. WHO-TV reports Fort Dodge police responded to reports of a fight and gunshots at the Dodger Tap. Police are looking for 23-year-old Jordan Foy, and consider him armed and dangerous. No one was injured. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Leaders from nearly 200 countries have adopted the first global pact to fight climate change. The Paris Agreement calls on countries to collectively cut and then eliminate greenhouse gas pollution. KCCI-TV reports Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie was one of 650 leaders from around the globe who represented local government in the historic agreement. Cownie says the agreement is a good start, but much work remains to be done. DES MOINES (IRN) – Jolly Holiday Lights, the popular 3 1/2-mile ride through light displays at Water Works Park in Des Moines, is closed for the season due to power issues and flooding. The seasonal attraction is a benefit for Make-A-Wish Iowa, which receives 100% of admission fees. DES MOINES (IRN) – Today Iowa Governor Terry Branstad becomes the nation’s longest serving governor in history, having served 7,642 days in office. He surpassed former New York Governor George Clinton who started serving New York in 1777. Governor Branstad served from 1983 to 1999, then again from 2010 until today. When elected in 1982, Branstad was also the youngest chief executive ever when he was elected at the age of 35.