Iowa Radio News

DES MOINES (IRN) – Des Moines is the number one real estate market in the nation for the millennial generation — those roughly 21- 35-years of age. The Des Moines Register reports a study from Realtor.com found that 59% of metro Des Moines homebuyers using a mortgage in the first half of 2015 were millennials. That was the highest rate in the country and the only market where millennials accounted for more than half of mortgage applicants. FAIRFAX, IA (IRN) – A fire in the eastern Iowa town of Fairfax destroyed two homes Friday afternoon. KWWL-TV reports two children and some friends who were inside the home when the fire started were able to escape. The neighboring home that was also destroyed was under construction, but was nearly finished. LUCAS, IA (IRN) – A Slater man suffered a broken ankle after falling while setting up a tree stand Friday afternoon in Stephens State Forest near Lucas. Derek A. Kahler, 42, was putting up the tree stand and accidentally cut through the strap holding the stand in place while he was cutting branches. He fell 16-feet and had not yet attached his safety harness. SPENCER, IA (IRN) – An 18-mile fish kill on Stony Creek in Osceola and Clay Counties has been traced back to an egg layer facility. The DNR reports a tank that contained egg washing liquid at Sunrise Farms near May City in Osceola County was dumped into a corn field and flowed into Stony Creek. The fish kill extended 18.2 miles and killed an estimated 160,000 fish. High ammonia levels were detected along several sampling points on the stream. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – Woodbury County is moving forward with plans to become the first all LED lit county in Iowa, according to KTIV. A meeting next week by the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors will discuss current bids and the lighting retrofit action plan. The transition is estimated to cost about $1.2 to $1.5 million, but will save millions in energy bills.

BURLINGTON, IA (IRN) – A man is under arrest after police say he beat another man with a brick last month in Burlington. KWQC-TV reports the victim and 44-year-old Clyde Mack Stewart got into an argument which resulted in Stewart assaulting the victim with a brick. When officers arrived, they found the 20-year-old victim with significant head and facial injuries. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A 33-year-old Marion man has been given over two years in prison and told to repay more than $187,000 to his former employer’s insurance companies. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports Jeremy Murphy pled guilty to wire fraud. Murphy admitted that while working for Crossroads Mobile Maintenance in Williamsburg, he made fraudulent charges on a company credit card. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – 50 cases of mumps have been reported in Iowa this year–30 of them on the University of Iowa campus. The Iowa Department of Public Health reports the state usually has 10 to 20 reported cases a year, but there have been outbreaks, including hundreds of cases in 2006. Doctors say most of the current cases involve students who had met the university’s vaccination requirements. THORNTON, IA (IRN) – A boa constrictor that escaped its cage and slithered down the block in the northern Iowa town of Thornton cost its owner a $50 fine. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports a retired Iowa DNR officer saw the snake, grabbed it, put it in his pickup and called the Sheriff’s Office. The snake is 7 to 9 feet long, and boas can grow to be about 10 feet long. They are not venomous, but instead suffocate prey by squeezing it to death. DELAWARE COUNTY, IA (IRN) – 32 students who were riding on a bus that rolled over near Manchester Thursday afternoon were taken to the hospital. KCRG-TV reports students received minor injuries. The bus collided with another vehicle in the accident, causing it to roll over. RIVERSIDE, IA (IRN) – A shot was fired in Riverside when authorities apprehended three people related to a case in Cedar Rapids. KCII Radio reports the Iowa State Patrol was notified of a suspicious vehicle involved in retail thefts. Authorities located the vehicle and attempted to stop it. A chase ensued, and when the vehicle pulled into a gas station the suspects failed to comply with commands given by officers. One shot was fired by a trooper before the suspects were taken into custody. No one was injured. DES MOINES (IRN) – Hundreds of guests at the Downtown Des Moines Marriott Hotel were evacuated just before midnight Thursday because of a possible gas leak.  KCCI-TV reports several hotel guests and staff reported an odor, so firefighters, police and hazmat crews investigated. Fire officials estimate it took about 10 minutes to evacuate the approximately 400 hotel guests. No leak was found. OMAHA, NE (IRN) – The FBI’s Omaha office is warning Iowans and Nebraskans about a new phone scam, according to KMEG-TV. The scam begins with the caller claiming to be from the FBI’s Omaha field office. The caller then says the recipient is eligible to receive a grant from the Federal government and asks for credit card or bank account information. The FBI says this is not a legitimate call and if you receive it you should report it to police. ALTOONA, IA (IRN) – The City of Altoona is on the rise and a new initiative hopes to continue the forward momentum, according to WHO-TV. Thursday night city officials launched #AltoonaNow. The economic initiative is aimed to promote the city and attract future residents and businesses to the area. Altoona Mayor Skip Conkling says the city is expanding and “we`re just going to toot our own horn because if you don`t no one else will.”  

DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A Davenport man is behind bars after police say he fired several shots at a car. WHO-TV reports RoyLee Richardson faces numerous charges including going armed with intent. Police say Richardson and another person opened fire on a car last month. They say the victim was hit three times but is expected to be okay. DAYTON, IA (IRN) – Authorities are asking for the public’s help with a death investigation in the town of Dayton, according to KCCI-TV. Webster County Sheriff James Stubbs said officers were sent to a trailer home on a report of an unresponsive man.  The man was found to be dead from a gunshot wound.     IOWA CITY, IA  (IRN) – Two pedestrians were injured after being struck by a car while crossing a street at a crosswalk in Iowa City.  KWWL-TV reports authorities believe the driver, Michelle Mleczewski, possibly suffered a medical issue.  Peggy and Anthony Knight were both taken to the hospital with injuries. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – The head of Waterloo’s sewage treatment plant has been fired. The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier reports Larry Smith, who has worked for the city since 1989, was relieved of his duties Tuesday by Mayor Buck Clark. Clark declined to discuss reasons for the dismissal. Smith says the mayor has “wanted to fire me since his first week in office…He’s denied me the replacement of key people and basically done everything he could to screw it up. CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – A traffic stop in Cedar Falls on Tuesday led to the arrests of three people, including a teenager who police say had a gun and drugs. KWWL-TV reports a 14-year-old from Waterloo ran from the stopped car, threw a handgun into the weeds and also tried to get rid of two bags of marijuana. The handgun was a 9mm Ruger. The teen faces multiple charges. AMES, IA (IRN) – Some residents of a Story County mobile home community north of Ames believe they are being terrorized in their own homes. KCCI-TV reports residents believe two brothers, around 12 and 14 years old, threw paint on the siding and windows of one mobile home, vandalized signs, and that one of the boys chased a girl with a chainsaw in his hand. Neighbors say the boys are often left home alone while their single mother is at work. OSCEOLA, IA (IRN) – The DNR is investigating a fish kill and cleanup of spilled grease from a food processor west of Osceola in Clarke County. Osceola Foods notified the DNR Sunday morning that a pumping station failed, allowing a grease-water mix to flow overland to a ditch that leads to White Breast Creek south of Osceola. The company contracted for cleanup with a HazMat company. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The University of Iowa Dance Marathon committee has announced a fundraising goal for the February 2016 event of $2.4 million. The Daily Iowan reports college and high-school students at more than 250 schools across the country raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals during the event. Since its establishment, the UI Dance Marathon has raised $16.5 million for pediatric cancer patients at the UI Children’s Hospital.  

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – An Illinois woman is accused of assaulting a man with a fence post and pepper spray, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The victim and a witness told police that 22-year-old Sashonia D. Brown, of South Holland, Ill., had gotten in a fight with the victim over a relationship dispute.  Brown faces charges of assault, fourth-degree criminal mischief and providing false information. DES MOINES (IRN) – Governor Terry Branstad has been under pressure from Iowa House and Senate Republican legislators to eliminate all government funding for Planned Parenthood, including for programs that provide non-abortion services. The Des Moines Register reports Branstad said Tuesday he doesn’t have legal authority to strip Planned Parenthood of taxpayer funding and any effort to do so would probably result in state officials being sued and losing in court. NORTHWOOD, IA (IRN) – A 61-year-old Minnesota man has been accused of stealing from his employer in northern Iowa. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that Duane Hansen, of Twin Lakes, Minnesota, is charged with felony theft for stealing at least $13,000 from BP Jo Stop in Northwood over the past two years. Hansen told an investigator that he’d taken $125 to $200 each week from the store. GLENWOOD, IA (IRN) – No arrests have been reported after an altercation in which the Glenwood Community High School principal and his stepson were injured and another man shot. The Des Moines Register reports the incident involved three juvenile girls and six adults. The adults included the principal, Richard Hutchinson; his stepson, Hurl Beechum; and Colton McDaniel, who was shot. All three were treated at a hospital. ATLANTIC, IA (IRN) – A motorcyclist was killed Saturday on Interstate 80 near Atlantic. Three others were hurt as they escorted the remains of a fellow veteran to Nebraska. WHO-TV reports Bill Henry, the man being honored, was part of a motorcycle procession escorting remains to Arlington National Cemetery when he was killed. In tragic coincidence, 38-year-old Ryan Lossing, in a ride honoring Henry, died the same way. DES MOINES (IRN) – A Des Moines woman says a trip to get groceries Saturday ended with her daughter nearly getting abducted. WOI-TV reports the woman stopped at a grocery store and left her dog and 10-year-old daughter in the car with the windows cracked. While she was inside, a man grabbed her daughter’s hair through the open window telling her to get out of the car. The man ran off and police are still looking for him. SPENCER, IA (IRN) – The DNR is investigating a fish kill running about 20 miles along Stoney Creek northwest of Spencer. The fish kill was reported north of Everly Monday morning, but residents in the area said they’d been seeing dead fish over the weekend. DNR staff has not identified the pollutant source, but believe it is from fertilizer or animal manure because of elevated ammonia levels found just west of Spencer. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – The city of Davenport is trying something new to help keep city streams clean–a giant litter trap. The 20-foot-long trap is on Duck Creek and it catches floating debris. It floats on top of the water and rises and falls with changing water levels. The debris is then removed as often as need be and disposed of. The trap has already caught things like propane tanks, volleyballs, and basketballs among other litter.