DAVENPORT, IA – A Iowa man has been sentenced to 180 months in prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and being found an armed career criminal. Jonathon Adam Lamb, age 36, formerly of Bettendorf, was sentenced Friday in the Southern District Court of Iowa. Lamb was found in possession of a stolen Colt .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol a year ago, and had prior convictions for unarmed robbery and burglary.

DES MOINES, (IRN) – Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 3.8 percent in May, significantly down from the May 2014 rate of 4.4 percent, according to Iowa Workforce Development.  Meanwhile, the U.S. unemployment rate rose slightly to 5.5 percent in May from 5.4 percent in April.

DES MOINES (IRN) – Iowa’s Supreme Court ruled today that Planned Parenthood of the Heartland may continue to use its controversial telemedicine-abortion system. The Des Moines Register reports that more than 7,200 Iowa women have used it since 2008. The system, the first of its kind in the nation, allows Planned Parenthood doctors in Des Moines or Iowa City to interact via video with patients in outlying clinics, and then dispense the pills to the women.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Waterloo police on Thursday night arrested an adult and three teens on drugs and weapons charges following a traffic stop. The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier reports officers detected an odor of marijuana and during a search recovered marijuana, a digital scale and packaging material. One of passengers, Dennis W. Washington, 24, of Waterloo, was in possession of a stun gun and a loaded .22-caliber handgun, which was reported stolen earlier in the year.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A Dubuque man stabbed his girlfriend to death and then, while suffering from stab wounds of his own, demanded alcohol from neighbors, fell off a nearby retaining wall, and repeatedly asked responding police officers to shoot him. The Dubuque Tribune Herald reports that Eddie Hicks, 26, is charged with one count of first-degree murder. Police said he stabbed Kahdyesha J. Lemon, 21, to death Wednesday night at their home. Lemon had more than 20 stab wounds to her head, neck, chest and back.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – Police continue to investigate the death of a toddler who was found unconscious at an in-home day care Wednesday afternoon. The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier reports that the 18-month-old boy, Brody Harrelson, of Waterloo, was discovered unresponsive in a car seat inside the home. The cause of death is unknown.

OMAHA, NE (IRN) – A new report shows farmland values continue a gradual decline in Iowa and the Midwest. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that Omaha-based Farmers National, a real estate company, says the average sale price of an acre of high quality Iowa farmland fell to $11,000 this month from $12,250 in June 2014. Farm profit margins are depressed due to lower corn and bean prices and steady input costs.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The American Heart Association announced a $3.7 million dollar grant to the Carver Biomedical Research Center at the University of Iowa for researchers to investigate methods to predict, prevent and treat preeclampsia in pregnancy.  Preeclampsia is a hypertension disorder in pregnant women, complicating 5-7% of all pregnancies, killing 100,000 women and 500,000 babies every year.

 

JOHNSON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – An autopsy is scheduled for a body pulled from the Iowa River Wednesday evening. According KCII radio, two campers fishing north of the Hills Access reported seeing a pair of pants and boots in a brush pile. Authorities searched the river by boat and recovered the body of a white male who has not been identified.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad says more than 1,500 workers will likely lose their jobs as a result of the bird flu outbreak. KCCI-TV reports that Branstad is asking President Obama to declare a major disaster for four of the hardest hit counties. Branstad says 438 people have sought unemployment benefits from Buena Vista, Sioux, Webster and Wright counties.

DES MOINES (IRN) – Des Moines police say one person was killed in a one-vehicle crash early Thursday morning and it appears speed likely played a role. WHO-TV reports that 29-year-old Tyler Joseph Sloan Luna of Des Moines died in the accident near Drake University. The vehicle struck the curb at a high rate of speed and went airborne about 10 feet before it hit a tree. Luna was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Dubuque police are investigating a stabbing death after a disturbance at a home late Wednesday night. KCRG-TV reports police found a man and a woman with stab wounds. First responders transported them to the hospital, where one died. No one has been charged in the incident.

DES MOINES (IRN) – The former bookkeeper of an Iowa farming cooperative has admitted she embezzled roughly $1.4 million over six years.  KCCI-TV reports Kathy Joan Cullen, who worked 27 years for the 21st Century Cooperative in Cass County, pleaded guilty Wednesday to filing a false tax return.

OSAGE, IA (IRN) -| An Osage man facing multiple sexual abuse charges has now been charged with plotting the murder of the victim set to testify against him. The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier reports that Mark Retterath, 50, is being held in the Mitchell County Jail. Retterath allegedly planned to use the toxin ricin to poison the victim, who also lives in Osage.

WELLMAN, IA (IRN) – A woman was struck by a car in Wellman right before dawn Wednesday. KCII radio reports that a motorist called the Washington County dispatch center saying he had struck a woman with his car and she was not responding but was breathing. The woman was transported to the University of Iowa Hospital. Names of those involved have not been released.

WATERLOO, IA (IRN) – A high collar kept a Waterloo woman from suffering a slice to the neck following an assault Saturday night. The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier reports that Geraldine Hall, 53, attempted to cut Lisa Macomber’s neck with a kitchen knife during an altercation at Hall’s home. But Macomber was wearing a tall shirt collar that protected her neck. Macomber and others in the home took the knife from Hall and detained her until police arrived.

NORTH LIBERTY, IA (IRN) – Three Iowa cities have been named as among the most playful cities in the country. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that KaBOOM! – a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that all kids get a childhood filled with the balanced and active play needed to thrive – is honoring cities, towns and counties across the country for making their communities more playable. The Iowa cities on the list? North Liberty, Ankeny, and Davenport.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A first-of-its-kind grocery store could soon be coming to Des Moines. KCCI-TV reports the group Eat Greater Des Moines is planning to add an automated grocery store where area residents and anyone driving by could quickly get fresh, healthy foods. The store would be completely automated with a touch screen order system and robotic vending of products.

 

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A semi overturned in Cerro Gordo County Wednesday morning, killing numerous hogs. KIMT-TV reports that 30-year-old Jon Gardner of Grand Meadow, Minnesota, was hauling a load of hogs westbound when he tried to turn north in a rural part of the county. The semi’s trailer entered the ditch, which caused both semi and trailer to overturn. Gardner, who was not injured, has been cited for failure to maintain control.

DES MOINES (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Agriculture is responding to a probable case of avian flu in Wright County.  The Department has quarantined the premise and once the presence of the disease is confirmed, all birds on the property will be euthanized to prevent the spread of the disease.  The site is a commercial layer with an estimated 1 million birds.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The Eastern Iowa Airport was shut down for nearly 2 hours this morning after someone called in a bomb threat. KGAN-TV reports the threat was made around 3:30am. The airport was shut down and police responded to help conduct a search for explosives. Nothing was found and the airport reopened for normal business around 5:00am.  Police took a suspect into custody but have not released their name or a list of the charges against them.

DES MOINES (IRN) – Federal prosecutors want a former Des Moines police officer to spend up to eight years behind bars. WHO-TV reports that in March, a jury found Colin Boone guilty of unreasonable use of force. Boone kicked a man in the face during a traffic stop in 2013. He was fired from the department later that year. His sentencing is set for Monday.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA (IRN) – Two Council Bluffs residents have been sentenced to prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. The Southern District of Iowa Court announced Tuesday that 20-year-old Ruben Toledo Jr., has been sentenced to 84 months in prison. Oscar Arriaga Martinez, a 25 year-old citizen of Mexico who resided in Council Bluffs, was sentenced to 135 months in prison. Both were convicted of drug trafficking in Iowa and Nebraska.

PELLA, IA (IRN) – A Central College Professor is involved in a pending court case for alleged sexual abuse in Colorado in 2001 and 2002. Facing charges is Joshua Dolezal, 39, a faculty member in the English Department of the Pella college. The Dolezal family has been in the news this week. Joshua’s sister, Rachel Dolezal, has faced criticism as a leader in the NAACP for claiming that she is black, while her parents claim she is white. Joshua Dolezal’s alleged crimes are against an adopted family member. His parents and a brother are defending him, saying the allegations are untrue.

GARWIN, IA (IRN) – The former City Clerk of Garwin has been arrested by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Anna Lori Leytham, 51, of Garwin has been charged with five counts of Theft in the 1st Degree and one count of Ongoing Criminal Conduct. An audit revealed that Leytham has allegedly embezzled over $600,000.

HENRY COUNTY, IA (IRN) – There may be someone impersonating a law enforcement official in Henry County. KCII radio reports that the Henry County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a report from a female who was pulled over in rural Henry County Monday afternoon. She was pulled over by a black and white vehicle with the word “Police” on it. It also had blue and red flashing lights on the dash and a spotlight. The impersonator returned to his vehicle after questioning the driver about her expired registration, which in fact was not expired.

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A bomb squad was called to the parking lot at Valley West Mall in West Des Moines Tuesday. WHO-TV reports that several suspicious packages were found outside the Younkers store.  The bomb squad x-rayed the boxes and determined that they contained clothing.

DES MOINES (IRN) – Iowa homebuilders will have more leeway on how much topsoil they place in yards. The Des Moines Register reports that the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission approved a rule Tuesday that strips out a 4-inch requirement for topsoil coverage on development lots. While the change takes out the definitive requirement for how much topsoil needs to be in a yard, it prohibits developers from removing topsoil from a lot.

JESUP, IA (IRN) – A young black bear died Sunday after being struck by a vehicle near Jesup. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports that the bear was found on U.S. 20, and appeared to have died after being struck by a vehicle sometime after sunset. DNR officials don’t know what type of vehicle struck the bear or who was driving. It’s not clear whether the bear was one of the animals spotted near the Dubuque area in recent weeks. DNR officials believe at least two bears – and possibly as many as three – have been roaming the region.

DECORAH, IA (IRN) – A 71-year-old man has been killed in an eastern Iowa tractor accident. KCCI-TV reports that passers-by noticed the overturned tractor Sunday afternoon in a rural Decorah field. Officials say it appears the tractor’s brakes gave out as it was going up a hill, and the tractor then slipped backward and flipped, trapping Raymond Ransom underneath.

CEDAR RAPIDS (IRN) – The suspect in last week’s bank robbery at Community Savings Bank in Cedar Rapids faces additional charges. KCRG-TV reports that after 31-year-old Lemarkis D. Hobson was booked at the jail on charges related to the bank robbery, deputies discovered two plastic bags of a white substance believed to be crack cocaine in Hobson’s medical boot.

DES MOINES (IRN) – Rainfall amounts of two to three inches were common across much of the state on Monday. The National Weather Service reports that 5.4 inches of rain fell near Saylorville in central Iowa. Minor flooding is expected today for parts of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers, the English, Iowa, Cedar, East and West Nishnabotna, as well as the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.

WINFIELD, IA (IRN) – A Winfield girl who was reportedly abducted on Friday is now considered a runaway. KCII radio reports that according to Winfield Police, after receiving credible information from a family member, they no longer believe 16-year-old Karyn Renee Mehaffy was abducted. Officials were told Monday that Mehaffy and the suspect, 20-year-old Wilfredo Martinez Gonzalez, were seen driving in separate vehicles in Indiana.

DES MOINES (IRN) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said Monday the bird flu outbreak ranks as Iowa’s worst animal health emergency and could cost federal and state agencies up to $300 million in the cleanup, disposal and disinfection process on top of the sizable losses being incurred by producers.  The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that the flu has led to the deaths and euthanizing of more than 32.7 million commercial layers and turkeys on 76 farms in 18 Iowa counties.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Since the world’s largest Ebola epidemic began in West Africa more than a year ago, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics has spent more than $640,000 preparing to treat an Ebola patient. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that hospital officials say such expenses are necessary preparation. The state has yet to see an Ebola patient.