Iowa Radio News

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Pleasant Hill day care provider was sentenced to five years in prison Tuesday for abusing kids in her care. KCCI-TV reports Christina Williamson reached a plea deal in the case involving abuse caught on tape in her home. The video was taken by her own husband. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids teenager pled guilty to lesser charges in connection with the shooting death of another teen. KCRG-TV reports 14-year-old Robert Humbles admitted in court he shot and killed 15-year-old Aaron Richardson in September. Police said the shooting happened when two rival groups met in a park. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – An unattended pan of frying chicken ignited and caused a fire that forced the evacuation of a Sioux City apartment complex Monday night, according to the Sioux City Journal.  All 20 residents were safely evacuated, but none were allowed to return to their apartments until further notice. They were given temporary housing through the Red Cross. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A $5 million renovation will close Des Moines City Hall in spring and a temporary home will be established a few blocks away. KCCI-TV reports after more than a century, the building is receiving an update. Crews will install a new heating and air conditioning system and a new sprinkler system. The building will be closed until 2018. NEWTON, IA (IRN) – A bomb threat was made in Newton Monday as authorities were conducting a federal search warrant targeting drugs. The Newton Daily News reports residents of a neighborhood were evacuated and an explosive device was found during the search. Newton police arrested 44-year-old David Kelso and 35-year-old Jennifer Kelso. Charges are pending. GILBERTVILLE, IA (IRN) – Authorities are investigating a body found in an Eastern Iowa river, according to KWWL-TV. The body was found in the Cedar River near Gilbertville on Sunday morning by a man checking his otter traps. The man said he wasn’t sure at first if it was a body or a mannequin in the river. FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – Fort Dodge police say they have arrested a man who was wanted for attempted murder following a November shooting. WHO-TV reports Torre Ashton Mosley was taken into custody Monday. Moseley allegedly shot 25-year-old Damal Clayton multiple times in the parking lot of Sneakers Eatery and Pub. He’s now in jail. COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – A 57-year-old woman and her 17-year-old grandson were arrested after a coupon dispute at a Family Dollar store in Council Bluffs. The Council Bluffs Nonpareil reports officers were called to the store after the woman became upset she couldn’t use a coupon for pop. Police were in the process of arresting her for disorderly conduct when her grandson intervened. He fought with two officers and was arrested as well.

UNION COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is assisting the Union County Sheriff’s Office with a suspicious death. On Wednesday a hunter found the decomposed body of a female in her 30’s in a farm pond in Union County. The cause and manner of death are not being released at this time. COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – Police are investigating the shooting of a woman at Big Lake Park in Council Bluffs Saturday. The Daily Nonpareil reports the woman went for a walk and was resting on a bench when an armed woman approached. The woman ordered her to get on the ground, made a vulgar comment, and then shot her in her thigh. The wounded woman says her assailant then ran off. SWALEDALE, IA (IRN) – Authorities have release the names of two Minnesota women who were killed in a collision with a semitrailer on Interstate 35 in northern Iowa near Swalesdale. The Iowa State Patrol says the two women were southbound when their car veered across the median and hit a northbound semi. The truck entered the median and rolled onto one of its sides. The driver wasn’t injured. DES MOINES (IRN) – Two hunters were injured by gunshot wounds in separate incidents while deer hunting Sunday. 47-year-old Walter Freeman of Winfield was struck in the abdomen by a deer slug fired by another member of his hunting party. He underwent surgery for internal injuries. 28-year-old Travis Myers of Dundee was struck by a deer slug in the shoulder by a shot fired from another member of his hunting party. Both incidents occurred when shots were being taken at moving deer. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police have identified the man killed during a home invasion in Des Moines this weekend. KCCI-TV reports 31-year-old Travis Alan Williams of Earlham died Saturday after an altercation with two people who lived at the home. Investigators believe Williams broke into the home before the confrontation. An autopsy will be performed. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids police are investigating a shooting at Kirkwood Court Apartments on the southwest side. KCRG-TV reports police responded to calls of multiple shots being fired at an apartment building Sunday. Authorities found a man with a gunshot wound and took him to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police say they have not made an arrest. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines motel was engulfed in flames Saturday morning. WOI-TV reports fire crews were called out to the Cozy Rest for a fire in one of the rooms. Officials say the fire was likely caused by an unattended cigarette. There are no reports of any injuries, and the fire has been ruled an accident. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The Hawkeyes received a great consolation prize on Sunday after being narrowly defeated by Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship game. WHO-TV reports Iowa has accepted an invitation to play in the 102nd Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, California. The No. 5 Hawkeyes will face Pac-12 Champion, No. 6 Stanford on Friday, January 1.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (IRN) – Number 4 Iowa lost to Number 5 Michigan State in the Big Ten championship game at Indianapolis Saturday. Iowa held a lead late into the fourth quarter, when Michigan State was able to score with 27 seconds left to play. The final score was 16-13 Michigan State. ALTA, IA (IRN) – An Alta man was arrested after a month long investigation into a report of suspected child abuse. KTIV-TV reports 30-year-old Andrew Russell was charged with child endangerment. The investigation began after a report was made to the Department of Human Services by a mandatory reporter, alleging that a 6-year-old boy was being physically abused. Russell was booked into the Buena Vista County Jail. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A Dubuque man has been arrested after leading police on a chase before crashing his car in the yard of a home. KWWL-TV reports 24-year-old James A. Brown is facing charges of eluding, not having a valid driver’s license, reckless driving, and careless driving. While attempting to elude police, Brown tried to negotiate a curve at a high speed and rolled the car into the yard causing the car to stop upside down. WASHINGTON, D.C. (IRN) – While the Hawkeye football team lost on Saturday, you wouldn’t know it from Senator Joni Ernst’s twitter account. The Des Moines Register reports the Senator erroneously tweeted a congratulatory post to the University of Iowa football team on their big victory. Ernst blamed a staffer for the error.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Police in Des Moines are conducting a homicide investigation after discovering a man’s body inside a home after a report of an altercation on the southeast side. WHO-TV reports officers arrived on scene and found the body of an adult male inside the residence. Another resident was transported to the hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries. This is the 20th homicide of the year in Des Moines. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man has been arrested in connection with a double shooting that killed one person and injured another in downtown Des Moines’ popular Court Avenue District last weekend. WHO-TV reports 24-year-old Dresean Maurice Barber of Des Moines has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder. CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Falls police have arrested a man accused of sexual assaulting an eight-year-old at an AMVETS post.  KWWL-TV reports police say 72-year-old Ronald Nielsen took the child into a closet at the post. The incident ended after the victim’s father walked in. Nielsen is charged with second degree sexual abuse and lascivious acts with a child. AMES, IA (IRN) – Ames ranked No. 1 and Iowa City ranked No. 3 in a new national list of the best college towns in the USA for 2016. KCCI-TV reports the American Institute for Economic Research rated the top 75 college towns. The rankings were based on cost of rent, city accessibility, arts and entertainment, culture, bars and restaurants, diversity and cost of living. INDIANAPOLIS, IN (IRN) – It’s one of the biggest days in Iowa football history. Big Ten Coach of the Year Kirk Ferentz leads the record setting 12-0 Hawkeyes to Indianapolis to take on Michigan State today. A trip to the College Football Playoff is on the line as Big Ten West Division winner, No. 4 Iowa will face Big Ten East Division winner, No. 5 Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship game tonight. Kickoff is at 7:17 PM.

DES MOINES (IRN) – A truck went off I-235 in Des Moines Friday morning and crashed into a house. KCCI-TV reports the truck with a male driver and two dogs went off I-235, hit a light pole, went through a fence, hit a car parked in front of the home and then crashed into the home. Police are investigating what happened, but believe it might have been caused by a medical problem. Neighbors say this isn’t the first time a vehicle has left the freeway and hit a house in the neighborhood. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – After another gas station was robbed in Davenport, police say it’s possible the crime is related to similar recent robberies in Bettendorf and Davenport. WQAD-TV reports a man, armed with a handgun, demanded money but left without any cash when he tried to rob the Super Stop gas station. It’s at least the third gas station robbery reported in Davenport this week. DES MOINES (IRN) – Des Moines police responded to an armed robbery at a Hy-Vee in south Des Moines Thursday night, according to the Des Moines Register. The man had a handgun and wore a ski mask. It’s unknown what was taken. He fled the scene before police arrived. DES MOINES (IRN) – An important key chain was stolen out of a Des Moines city vehicle Monday. KCCI-TV reports the keys allow access to city property across Des Moines. The effort to replace a significant number of locks is underway. A city employee was eating inside a KFC when someone went into his unlocked city truck and stole his lunch box. Inside was the large set of keys to locks around the city. MARSHALL COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Three Kirksville, Missouri men convicted of a brutal murder in central Iowa nearly 20 years ago will be back in court. The Marshalltown Times-Republican reports Rebecca Hauser, a mother of four children, was found murdered on a rural road in Marshall County in 1994. The three Missouri men, all juveniles at the time, were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. They will be resentenced following a decision by the Iowa Supreme Court that made mandatory life sentences for juveniles illegal. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – The original electronic security and master control system at the jail in Waterloo is beginning to fail, according to KCRG-TV. The repairs could be an expensive fix. The system that controls jail doors, intercoms and other functions crashed three weeks ago. Technicians were able to revive the system then, but say it won’t function much longer. It was installed when the jail opened 20 years ago and will cost $2 million to replace. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Regents for Iowa’s public universities have agreed to increase undergraduate tuition for resident students at the University of Iowa and keep tuition the same at two other universities. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports regents approved a 3% tuition increase at the University of Iowa. Undergraduate tuition for resident students at the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University will remain the same. DES MOINES, IA – Iowa posted another record year of liquor and wine consumption while beer sales went flat in fiscal 2015, according to the latest figures released Tuesday by the state Alcoholic Beverages Division. Overall, sales of distilled spirits, beer and wine totaled over $319 million, which represents a 5.4% increase for the year. The top selling distilled spirit? Black Velvet Canadian whiskey.