Thursday, July 10, 2014

Child Spanked Too Much

28-year old Christopher Trogdon's in the Polk County Jail without bond, on a child endangerment charge.  Polk County authorities say the child's mother reported her daughter had marks on her backside after being left with Trogdon.  KCCI reports investigators say the child was spanked excessively. 

Disaster Proclamations

A disaster proclamation has been issued for three more  Iowa counties affected by recent severe weather.  Governor  Branstad says Polk County, and Scott and Shelby counties are now eligible for state assistance to help repair storm damage.  That brings the total to 59 counties that were deemed disaster areas after severe storms hit the state in June.

King Parkway Stabbing

Des Moines PD investigating a stabbing reported earlier this afternoon on Martin Luther King Parkway south of Hickman Road.  KCCI reports someone called police to report a woman walking along the sidewalk at 1901 M.L.K. Parkway who appeared to have been stabbed.  

Kum and Go Land

Kum & Go's spending after more properties near Western Gateway Park.  The Des Moines Business Record reports company's spending $7-million for the Jefferson Apartments at 1519 Grand Avenue and Scotty's Body Shop at 1432 Linden.  KCCI reports the company's planning to use the land for its' new corporate headquarters. 

Pigs Saved From Fire

A fire destroyed one building and damaged another on a farm south of waterloo, near budson, but firefighters saved hundreds of pigs... KCCI says Most of the animals were saved...about 430 pigs were in one of the builldings... and no one was hurt... no word yet on a cause of that fire.

State Savings

A new report from a nonpartisan state agency questions whether Governor Branstad is cutting the cost and size of state government as he claims. The Legislative Services Agency says state employment has increased and expenditures have fallen only slightly since Branstad took office. Branstad says the state is on track to meet his promised 15 percent reduction in the cost of government.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Furman Aquatic Slides

Two of the water slides at the Furman Aquatic Center in Ames have been shutdown after investigators found cracks in the structural supports in a routine inspection.  The slides will stay shutdown until a structural engineer can investigate.  KCCI reports officials say there are no problems with the rest of the aquatic center.  

John Deere Expansion Project

Cedar Falls leaders have approved a tax break for a major expansion for an expansion of a john deer facility in cedar falls.... the project totals 27 point 8 million dollars... and the council this week approved a five-year property tax abatement. The expansion will provide about 62 thousand additional square feet of space, plus improvements to the existing infrastructure.

Mental Health

There's a ribbon cutting Thursday afternoon at 4, for a new facility to provide short term immediate access to adult who need mental health services.   Space at the Central Iowa Shelter and Services building in Des Moines has been turned into a Crisis Observation Center.  Those over 18 can be evaluated there, stabilized, then retutned to their homes and not to jail. 

Phipps

A Des Moines man out on bail awaiting trial on vehicular homicide charges is back behind bars. 21-year-old Jacob Phipps was arrested after being accused of threatening to attack his ex-girlfriend.

West Des Moines Road Project

Iowa's Transportation Commission has approved spending just over $3.5-million for a road project at the new Microsoft data center planned in West Des Moines.  The money will help pay for construction of Maffitt Lake Road from Veterans Parkway southeast to South 8th Street, and rebuild South 8th under Highway 5.    The work should be done by October 2015. 

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Johnson County Evac

Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for several rural areas of Johnson County because of the high water level in the Coralville Lake Reservoir.  Water could top 712' and hit the spillway as early as next Wednesday.  The level this morning was around 702'.   Electricity and natural gas will be turned off in evacuated areas.   

Liquor License

A popular Des Moines restaurant has lost its liquor license for a week because of an illegal Super Bowl betting pool.  Christopher's Restaurant is barred from selling or serving alcohol until July 6th.

Weather-Related Death

A weather-related death: the teen we told you about yesterday morning who was missing in a Cedar Rapids storm sewer has been found, dead. Seventeen-year-old Logan Blake was swept away Monday night. He was found in a lake a mile from where he entered the storm drain, nearly 24 hours after he went missing.

Trade Secret Change

Federal prosecutors say a 42-year old Chinese woman's been indicted and arrested for allegedly trying to steal genetically modified seed corn from Dupont Pioneer and Monsanto.  WHO-TV reports Mo Yun's the sister of another Chinese national, Mo Hailong, who was charged in the same case last year.

Twilight Hearing

People packed a Jasper County courtroom this morning for a hearing for the man who allegedly lured a young girl into his car by claiming to be an actor from the "Twilight" movies.  But 33-year-old David LaVera never showed up.  He waived his request for a bond review and will stay in jail until his trial.