Iowa Radio News

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – A 48-year-old Council Bluffs man is behind bars after being charged with five counts of sexual abuse. The Daily Nonpariel reports the charges against Steven Cain stem from eight years of alleged sexual contact with a woman who is now 18 years old, who recently informed authorities. The acts took place while the mother was home, she was aware of them, and witnessed one nearly five years ago. DALLAS CENTER, IA (IRN) – An investigation is underway after a body was found on the Raccoon River Valley Trail in Dallas County Saturday morning. Raccoon Valley Radio reports the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation and Dallas County Sheriff’s office are investigating a suspicious death. The body was found between Dallas Center and Waukee. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – A Davenport man has been charged with second degree murder. WQAD-TV reports 28-year-old Justin McGowan has been charged in the death of 28-year-old Gerald Housley on August 2. After a disturbance Housley tried to leave the area and McGowan fired “at least three rounds” from a 9mm handgun.  One bullet hit Housley in the head. WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A 29-year-old woman is recovering after being shot Saturday morning in Waterloo. KWWL-TV reports she was in her parked car when it was hit by multiple bullets. Officers located 14 shell casings at the scene. Regina Dollen of Waterloo was by a bullet in her thigh and transported to Covenant Medical Center for surgery. She has non-life threatening injuries. CLEAR LAKE, IA (IRN) – A 24-year-old man is being held in the Cerro Gordo County jail on sexual abuse charges. KIMT-TV reports Daniel Wigant is facing two counts of lascivious acts with a child and two 2nd degree sexual abuse charges. Charges were filed by the Clear Lake Police Department and Wignat was arrested by Charles City Police on Friday.

DES MOINES (IRN) – Des Moines Police are looking for three men who assaulted a man with autism because of his developmental disability. KCCI-TV reports the man was beaten and robbed outside his apartment complex. Police Sgt. Paul Parizek said, “They actually targeted the victim based on his vulnerabilities and disabilities. It doesn’t get any lower than that.” CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The U.S. Marshals Office has arrested a Cedar Rapids couple for trafficking stolen weapons, according to KWWL-TV. 18-year-old Sedrick Mac Johnson Jr. and 20-year-old Denaesha Martin were arrested Thursday. Johnson is also a person of interest in some burglary investigations. They face up to ten years in prison. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A motorcycle driver was injured Friday afternoon in a crash that temporarily shut down traffic on the Dubuque-Wisconsin Bridge. Michael Wells, 60, of Monticello was transported to Mercy Medical Center in Dubuque for treatment of head injuries sustained in the wreck. He swerved to avoid a slowing vehicle and lost control. Wells was not wearing a helmet. CEDAR RAPIDS (IRN) – “Dozens and dozens” of cats were taken from a mobile home Friday in Cedar Rapids and transferred to an animal shelter for treatment after their owner voluntarily surrendered them. The Cedar Rapids Gazette says the shelter will be closed this weekend as workers evaluate the cats. They will be kept separate from other shelter animals for now. DES MOINES (IRN) – Most of Iowa’s state owned beaches don’t have lifeguards on duty, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. KCRG-TV reports one of those beaches is at Lake Macbride State Park, where a 6-year-old girl drowned Thursday. Officials say it’s difficult to find and train lifeguards, and funding isn’t available. Lifeguards also create a false sense of safety so parents simply drop their kids off at a beach.  

DES MOINES (IRN) – The crew of a 757 jet requested an emergency landing in Des Moines Friday morning after the windshield on the aircraft cracked in-flight, according to KCCI-TV. The plane was able to land safely. Nine people were aboard. DES MOINES (IRN) – The first case of the West Nile virus in Iowa this year has been identified. The Iowa Department of Public Health reports the case involves a woman from Ringgold County in southern Iowa who is recovering. The virus is spread by mosquitoes, and Iowa’s peak year was 2003, when the virus sickened 141 Iowans and killed six. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A Dubuque man faces a felony charge of sexually abusing a 5-year-old boy. The Dubuque Tribune Herald reports CJay Brokus, 23, was charged with second-degree sexual abuse. Police spoke with the mother of the child, who said her son told her Brokus had sexual contact with him in April and May. Brokus has admitted his guilt. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – The Sioux City metropolitan area has been identified as having the largest personal income growth in the country, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. KTIV-TV reports $7.7-billion of income was generated in Sioux City’s metro area in 2013. That was up nearly 5% from the year before — the biggest growth of anywhere in the country. NEW SHARON, IA (IRN) – Three juveniles died in a Thursday afternoon crash near New Sharon. The Iowa State Patrol reports that 16-year-old Jamie Singletary, 13-year-old Carson Singletary, and 10-year-old Christian Singletary, all of New Sharon, were killed in a two-car collision. The other vehicle was driven by Shawn Schippers, also of New Sharon, who survived. JOHNSON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A 6-year-old girl drowned Thursday afternoon at Lake Macbride in Johnson County. KGAN-TV reports officials received a report of a child missing from a daycare group. 15 minutes later, they got a call saying a group of teens pulled the girl from the water. Emergency crews transported the girl to the University of Iowa Hospital where she was pronounced dead. ANKENY, IA (IRN) – A road rage incident turned bloody in Ankeny when a man allegedly punched a woman in the face Wednesday. WHO-TV reports Lisa Teska says a man driving an SUV pulled out of the Ankeny High School staff parking lot and nearly sideswiped her. Teska threw a coin at the SUV, and the man threw coins back at her vehicle. Further down the road, Teska says the man got out of his SUV and punched her in the face. Police are investigating. RICEVILLE, IA (IRN) – A former North Iowa teacher has pled not guilty to federal child pornography charges, according to the Mason City Globe Gazette. Adam Haacke, 26, Riceville, has been charged with one count of receiving child pornography and two counts of possessing child pornography. Rice taught vocal music. He had recently announced plans to leave teaching to compose music for professional wrestlers. JOHNSTON, IA (IRN) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has closed two beaches at Saylorville Lake near Johnston due to a blue-green algae bloom that could be harmful to people and pets. The algae can cause skin reactions, gastrointestinal pain, breathing problems or liver damage.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa City man was arrested Thursday morning for drunken driving — but not before taking a Snapchat selfie with the arresting officer. The Iowa City Press Citizen reports Gilbert Phelps, 20, was pulled over for speeding just after 2 a.m. Phelps admitted that he had been smoking marijuana. While being tested, Phelps requested a Snapchat selfie with the officer. The officer obliged, and Phelps captioned the photo using a police car, a passenger car, and a tow truck emoji. WHITTEMORE, IA (IRN) – Authorities are investigating the shooting of a crop-dusting plane in northern Iowa. According to KCCI-TV, a plane owned by Steier AG Aviation was hit in a wing flap while spraying a field. The pilot landed safely. Property belonging to a suspect in the shooting has been searched and items have been seized. No arrest has been reported. WASHINGTON, D.C. (IRN) – Iowa’s farm real estate value is down, according to the USDA. Total farm real estate value including buildings averaged $8,000 per acre in 2015, down $500 from last year. Cropland value decreased to $8,200 per acre, while pastureland, at $3,400 per acre, was unchanged from a year ago. Low grain prices weakened cropland values while record high beef prices supported pastureland values. COUNCIL BLUFFS (IRN) – About 50,000 pounds of split peas covered part of Interstate 29 in western Iowa after a semi truck overturned Wednesday. The Daily Nonpariel reports Bradley Zirott, 56, of Sparta, Wisconsin, lost control and rolled the semi scattering peas across the roadway. A medical issue was likely involved. The southbound lane was closed for almost two hours as crews cleaned up the peas. INDIANOLA, IA (IRN) – A jury has awarded nearly $12 million to an Indianola woman who says her former co-workers at a toy company subjected her to graphic sexual comments and other harassment.  KCCI-TV reports Danielle Rennenger is a former employee of ToyQuest in Indianola, a subsidiary of a Hong Kong-based corporation. Rennenger says she feels validated. DAVENPORT, IA (IRN) – The U.S. Federal Court for the Southern District of Iowa has sentenced a Davenport man to seven years in prison after he pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Keelyn Stokes, 21, was seen by Davenport police throwing a gun to the ground as he and several others exited and ran from a stolen vehicle. He had a previous felony conviction. ALTA, IA (IRN) – The arrest of a Wall Lake woman could help solve a series of car burglaries and thefts across Iowa and Nebraska. KMEG-TV reports 19-year-old Alexandra Pratt was arrested after a traffic stop Tuesday morning in Alta. Police determined the car she was a passenger in was stolen and contained numerous stolen items. DES MOINES (IRN) – Republican Iowa House Speaker Kraig Paulsen said Wednesday he will step down from his leadership post at the start of the 2016 legislative session and will not seek re-election in his Linn County district next year. Paulsen, 50, has served as House Speaker since 2011. He was first elected to the Iowa Legislature in 2002.  

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – An off-duty Black Hawk Sheriff’s Office deputy was killed in a motorcycle crash Tuesday afternoon in Waterloo. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports the driver of an SUV, 30-year-old Shawna Flippo, did not stop or look when she pulled into an intersection. She then collided with a motorcycle driven by 34-year-old Timothy Petersen, a 9-year veteran of the force. He had a wife and 5-year-old son. CORALVILLE, IA (IRN) –  A Coralville man is accused of sexually assaulting a woman on his couch earlier this year. KCRG-TV reports a woman was passed out on 27-year-old Jonathan C. Cosby’s couch in May. Police said Cosby admitted to having sexual contact with the woman while she slept. He told police he knew it was wrong. Cosby faces one count of third-degree sexual abuse, a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. DES MOINES (IRN) – A Des Moines man was arrested for murder on Tuesday after he allegedly stabbed a man in June, according to WHO-TV. 27-year-old Timothy Washington died from stab wounds following a fight that broke out during a party. 19-year-old Jonathan Brown has been charged with first-degree murder. This is the sixth homicide investigated by the Des Moines Police Department in 2015. SHELBY, IA (IRN) – One person is dead and another injured in a rollover crash near the western Iowa town of Shelby. KETV reports an SUV on a county highway went over a hill, lost control, and rolled.  One person was thrown from the vehicle, and has been hospitalized. Another person was pinned beneath the SUV and died at the scene.  Names have not been released. CHARLES CITY, IA (IRN) – One of the six candidates for two open positions on the Charles City School Board is a convicted sex offender. The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier reports Doug Lindaman, 59, pled guilty in 1988 to two counts of lascivious acts with a child. Lindaman says, “my legal infraction is 28 years old and old news. I paid my debt to society.” He adds he would “ appreciate a halt to the character assassination.” URBANDALE, IA (IRN) – An Urbandale woman and a 13-year-old have been charged in a child abuse case.  WHO-TV reports 33-year-old Michelle Hagler was arrested and charged with three felony counts of child endangerment with bodily injury. The victim is an 8-year-old girl who was staying with her. A 13-year-old also living with Hagler was also charged with second-degree sex abuse and willful injury causing bodily injury. LINN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A motorcyclist was transported to the University of Iowa Hospital after colliding with a deer Tuesday night in rural Linn County, according to KCRG-TV. Terence McCauley, of Marion, struck the deer when it came out of a ditch. McCauley was found unresponsive in the road. He was transported by helicopter with serious injuries. DES MOINES (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that a turkey farm infected with the Avian Flu has started restocking birds. The farm, located near Manson in northwest Iowa, has completed the cleaning and disinfection process. It is the first of 77 operations impacted by the flu in Iowa to restock. 34 million birds have been killed.