Iowa Radio News

HOLY CROSS, IA (IRN) – A man from the northeast Iowa town of Holy Cross convicted of killing four teenagers has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. KWWL-TV reports Joseph Connolly was driving a truck last year when it hit an ATV, killing four 14-year-old boys. Connolly took a plea deal, which dropped charges of driving drunk. PRESTON, IA (IRN) – The Easton Valley school district has settled a legal dispute with a neighboring district in eastern Iowa. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports Easton Valley must pay $450,000 to Northeast Community School District to settle the two-year legal battle over a grade sharing contract that reached the Iowa Supreme Court. JAPAN (IRN) – Japan is lifting some import bans on U.S. live poultry and poultry meat, but not in Iowa, according to WHO-TV. Eight states can resume exports on its birds, but Iowa is not on that list. Restrictions remain here and in six other midwestern states. Japan’s move follows a similar move lifting bans on U.S. poultry by Canada last week. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – Five people exposed to carbon monoxide at a Sioux City extended-stay motel were taken to a hospital in critical condition Wednesday evening. The Sioux City Journal reports a 30-year-old woman, her two children and her parents were taken by ambulance to a local hospital and treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. All are expected to recover. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A Dubuque man said he sexually assaulted and killed a random woman Tuesday because there “was nothing better to do,” and says he didn’t know the victim–she was just in the “wrong place at the wrong time.” KWWL-TV reports Helmon Betwell, 19, was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree sexual assault and two counts of third-degree burglary. WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Valley West Mall officials evacuated the facility Wednesday in the wake of a bomb threat. KCCI-TV reports the security director at the mall said he received a call around 6 p.m. Officers completed a search and gave the all-clear shortly thereafter. The threat was a hoax. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A Waterloo man drew his gun when he spotted a burglar inside his home Monday afternoon, but he didn’t need to use his weapon because he found the intruder passed out in the middle of the heist. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports Drake Siemens, 19, likely passed out from a medical condition or an overdose. Siemens was arrested for second-degree burglary when he was released from the hospital. MARION, IA (IRN) – Central Iowa Power Cooperative is providing a $2 million dollar loan to a Polish company building a plant in Marion. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports ELPLAST America is constructing a new $4 million production facility. ELPLAST America supplies zippers used for flexible packaging. The company has more than 700 clients in over 50 countries. They plan to hire 10 employees.  

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Fire destroyed a semi-trailer full of sawdust at Bertch Cabinet in Waterloo overnight, according to KXEL-radio. Firefighters say the fire broke out at the Crestwood Drive manufacturing plant shortly after midnight and spread to a conveyor system before it could be extinguished. The cause is being investigated. No one was hurt. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Democratic Party announced plans Wednesday for satellite caucuses for the Feb. 1, 2016, Iowa presidential caucuses with the goal of expanding participation for people who normally are unable to attend. The Des Moines Register reports this will be the first time satellite caucuses have been allowed for the first-in-the-nation event. Republican caucuses will be conducted as usual. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – Davenport police are investigating an overnight shooting that left one person dead. The Quad City Times reports Lewis K. Woodson Jr., 19, of Quincy, Ill. was transported by private vehicle to a local hospital where he died. The investigation is ongoing. HULL, IA (IRN) – Authorities say an 88-year-old has died after a pickup crashed through a wall into a nursing home in northwest Iowa. KCCI-TV reports Anna Dykstra was pronounced dead Monday afternoon at Pleasant Acres Care Center in Hull. The pickup driver, 77-year-old Lawrence Sohl, was taken to a Sioux Center hospital for treatment. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A Dubuque man has been arrested and charged in the sexual assault and death of a Dubuque woman. KWWL-TV reports 19-year-old Helmon Betwell of Dubuque was charged with first-degree murder and sexual assault as well as third-degree burglary. The woman, whose name has not been released, was found lying on the ground with facial injuries. ALTOONA, IA (IRN) – An Altoona man is behind bars after making threats against a school employee. KCCI-TV reports Aaron Bucklin, 42, made violent threats against a Southeast Polk school employee Tuesday. Police did not give additional details about the threat. Bucklin is in the Polk County Jail as of Tuesday evening on a first-degree harassment charge. LECLAIRE, IA (IRN) – The Scott County Freedom Rock Memorial was damaged when it was apparently run over by a vehicle in LeClaire. WQAD-TV reports the damage was reported Monday evening, but it is unclear when the damage actually occurred. The memorial is located along the Mississippi River, and the boulder is painted with images to honor those who currently and previously served in the U.S. military. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Firefighters from Iowa are traveling west to help battle wildfires that have scorched millions of acres this summer. WHO-TV reports twenty-two Iowans are heading to five western states – Washington, Oregon, California, Montana and Idaho. The firefighters are paid by the U.S Forest Service for their work.  

BOSTON, MA (IRN) – Two Iowa men charged with making online threats of violence at a Pokemon competition in Boston have been held without the right to bail for at least four months.  KCCI-TV reports a judge on Tuesday ruled that 18-year-old Kevin Norton, of Ames, and 27-year-old James Stumbo, of Boone, pose a danger to society. Police said they found a 12-gauge shotgun, an AR-15 rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in their car. DES MOINES (IRN) – The Navy’s newest Virginia Class attack submarine will be named the USS Iowa, honoring a military custom of having American warships with ties to Iowa, its communities and its military heroes. The Des Moines Register reports Navy Secretary Ray Mabus plans to visit Ames Wednesday to make the announcement official at a news briefing at Iowa State University. NEWTON, IA (IRN) – A man from the northern Iowa town of Belmond was arrested after allegedly stabbing a man at Sugar Grove Vineyards in Newton on Saturday night. The Newton Daily News reports Sloan Ziller, 23, was charged with willful injury and assault with a dangerous weapon. Upon arriving on scene, officers found the victim who had been stabbed in the arm. Ziller had fled on foot prior to officers arriving, but was apprehended. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The emerald ash borer, a highly destructive insect of ash trees, has been confirmed in Dubuque. The Iowa Department of Agriculture reports twenty-eight of Iowa’s counties have now been confirmed positive with the pest. Since its initial discovery in Michigan in 2002, this exotic pest has spread to 25 states killing tens of millions of ash trees. MOUNT PLEASANT, IA (IRN) – Two people have died after being struck by a train in southeast Iowa, according to KTVO-TV. A Burlington Northern Rail train struck 31-year-old Thomas Riley and 39-year-old Lelania Gillon at a crossing Sunday morning. Riley, of Mount Pleasant, was pronounced dead at the scene. Gillon, also of Mount Pleasant, was taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, where she later died. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – There have been 22 confirmed incidents of gunshots fired this year in Dubuque. KWWL-TV reports that is already more than last year’s total and the totals for previous years. Dubuque police have been increasing patrols in problem areas to help control the violence. AMES, IA (IRN) – A 10-story Ames apartment building was evacuated Monday afternoon after an explosion shook the building. WHO-TV reports one construction worker injured his leg, and no residents were injured. Ames Fire Department Shift Commander Doug Allen said there was no fire, and no danger to the public. The cause is being investigated. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A year-long effort to curtail illegal activities at the Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area in Johnson County has resulted in multiple charges being filed over the weekend by the Iowa DNR. Some of the charges include driving off the roadway, possession of drug paraphernalia, littering, OWI, and prohibited destructive acts. In addition, three men were charged and arrested on Sunday for indecent exposure.

DES MOINES (IRN) – Governor Terry Branstad announced Monday that 90,000 Iowa homes are expected to get a high-speed Internet connection thanks to a new grant.  Leaders of CenturyLink, Windstream, Frontier and Consolidated Communications will expand broadband Internet services across Iowa thanks to over $53 million in grants from the FCC. DAYTON, IA – A Dayton couple were rescued by first responders in an inflatable boat when Skillet Creek flooded their home. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports Jim and Shelley Garland say they’re thankful to the firefighters who helped them and their dogs to safety. The couple lost three vehicles in the flood. DES MOINES (IRN) – State regulators appear to be giving up their battle to stop Planned Parenthood from using a telemedicine-abortion system. The Des Moines Register reports the Iowa Board of Medicine does not plan to appeal an Iowa Supreme Court ruling that allows the system to remain in use. The system allows doctors in urban clinics to visit via video with patients in outlying clinics who want abortion pills, and to dispense the pills via remote control. OTTUMWA, IA (IRN) – Ottumwa’s aquatic center has lost money for 13 years in a row. KCCI-TV reports that expenses exceeded revenue by over a quarter million dollars in the fiscal year that ended June 30. Officials say the costs to keep the pools filled with warm water and keep the lights on have tripled since The Beach opened in 1992. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – An overnight shooting at a strip club in Waterloo has left one dead. KWWL-TV reports the shooting happened around 3:30 Sunday morning at the Fantasy Theater.  Authorities say 27-year-old Justin Dollen was shot multiple times and later died from his injuries. Dollen has a criminal record that includes gun charges. DES MOINES (IRN) – Two people were shot outside a Des Moines bar early Sunday morning. WHO-TV reports the shooting happened near Mom’s Place on the east side of the city. Witnesses say they heard eight gun shots around 2:45 a.m. Two people were shot from inside a car, with one being hit in the chest and the other in the leg. One of the victims is in critical but stable condition, and the other is in good condition at a local hospital. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A 23-year-old Dubuque man has died after being hit by a train. KWWL-TV reports it happened Saturday night, near Key City Recycling in Dubuque. The train’s engineer said the victim came around the corner, got on the track and was then struck by the train. The name of the victim has not been released. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa and Nebraska state officials say the Missouri River could be threatened by a downstream infestation of Zebra mussels from southeast South Dakota. The Sioux City Journal reports the mollusks will have a significant impact on the aquatic ecosystem, and that they can be a nuisance to boaters and cities because they attach themselves to boat motors, structures and water treatment facilities.  

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – A man was assaulted Friday night by six men in a bar bathroom in Iowa City. KWWL-TV reports the man spent an hour socializing with the men at Gabe’s Bar before going to the bathroom. There he was cornered and assaulted by the three males and three other males. The victim was reportedly knocked out and awoke to find his money and property stolen. DAVIS COUNTY, IA (IRN) – One person was sent to the hospital after their vehicle rear-ended a tractor. The Iowa State Patrol reports a Jeep traveling in rural Davis County struck the tractor Saturday afternoon. The tractor drug the Jeep a short distance before coming to a stop. The driver of the Jeep, 16-year-old Kerbe Howk of Bloomfield, was taken by ambulance to Davis County Hospital for injuries. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – More than 100 people walked from Davenport to Rock Island, Illinois to bring attention to overdoses in Iowa and to fight for the use of Naloxone in the state, according to WQAD-TV. Naloxone is a narcotic that can reverse the effects of other narcotics that cause overdoses, according to the Harm Reduction Coalition. Illinois allows the drug; Iowa doesn’t. DES MOINES (IRN) – A new Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics Iowa Poll has Donald Trump maintaining a huge lead in the Republican Presidential race with 23% support. Dr. Ben Carson has shown recent gains and is now in second place with 18%. All other Republican candidates remain in single digits. On the Democratic side Hillary Clinton leads with 37% support, with Bernie Sanders closing in at 30%. VP Joe Biden, not in the race, polls at 14%.