Des Moines Local News - ABC News Radio

Semi Truck Rolls Over as Severe Storms Pound Iowa

2013-05-20T14:21:08Z

(DES MOINES, Iowa) -- As severe stormy weather conditions pounded parts of Iowa on Sunday evening, one semi truck was no match for the powerful winds.

Authorities said in published reports that a semi truck traveling on Interstate 35 north of Ankeny was knocked over onto its side.

The driver of the vehicle was reportedly taken to an area hospital with unknown injuries.

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Fire Prompts Evacuation at Parkland Memorial Hospital

2013-05-20T10:07:55Z

(DES MOINES, Iowa) -- Patients and staff at Parkland Memorial Hospital had to be evacuated on Sunday evening after a fire broke out at the hospital.

The blaze was reported shortly before 5:30 p.m. at the hospital, located on Harry Hines Boulevard. Fire officials say crews arrived to find smoke coming from the ninth floor and patients and staff in the process of self-evacuating. Firefighters then located the source of the fire and worked to quickly extinguish it.

Officials say the blaze began in a mechanical room on the 11th floor, however, investigators are still working to determine just how it started.

There were no reported injuries.

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Police Investigate After Neighbor Finds 2-Year-Old Unattended

2013-05-17T15:57:35Z

(WEST DES MOINES, Iowa) -- Police responded to a report of an unattended 2-year-old earlier this week and launched an investigation into the child and her mother.

According to the Des Moines Register, the girl was seen outside her apartment wearing a T-shirt and a diaper that appeared to be dirty. A neighbor who had previously seen the girl outside by herself, called the police.

When police arrived, the mother of the child did not go outside to search for her daughter. The Register reports that she told police that she had been looking for the girl inside the apartment.

The mother was not arrested, but the case was assigned to a detective in the Department of Human Services.

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Crash Leaves Teen Driver with Injuries, Citations

2013-05-17T15:54:03Z

(ALTON, Iowa) -- A 16-year-old boy was injured and also given citations following a crash near Alton on Thursday.

The single-vehicle collision happened on Thursday morning as the teen was driving a Dodge Ram truck east on 450th Street. The Sioux County Sheriff's Office said the teen lost control of the vehicle, resulting in it running off the roadway, entering a ditch and rolling over, the Sioux City Journal reported.

The driver sustained minor injuries and was cited for failure to maintain control and not having insurance.

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Woman Dies in Early-Morning Fire in Boone

2013-05-17T15:34:40Z

(BOONE, Iowa) -- One person is dead following a fire at a home in Boone overnight.

The fire was reported shortly after 3 a.m. Friday at a house located on Benton Street. Fire crews responded and worked to battle the flames, however, one woman died in the blaze, published reports stated.

The cause of the fire is being investigated.

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Four Louisiana Men Guilty of Illegal Deer Hunting in Iowa

2013-05-16T17:03:13Z

(RED OAK, Iowa) -- Four Louisiana men have been convicted of illegally poaching Iowa deer.

According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, William Chambliss, Michael Fralick and Stanley Russel, were all found guilty of deer hunting violations, while James Moore pleaded guilty to related charges.

"These men came to Iowa specifically to road hunt trophy bucks during the rut," Deb Howe, state conservation officer for the Iowa DNR said in a statement. "They did not have any licenses or tags to hunt in Iowa during the time they were here."

The convictions come after an investigation that began in November 2011, when someone tipped off authorities about illegal deer activity taking place.

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Bomb Squad Responds to Threat at West Des Moines Store

2013-05-16T16:27:37Z

(DES MOINES, Iowa) -- A bomb squad responded to a threat at a West Des Moines store on Wednesday afternoon.

According to the Des Moines Register, employees at the business, located at 5405 Mills Civic Parkway, discovered a message in a dressing room that threatened an explosion in 14 hours.

The bomb squad responded at about 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and found no suspicious objects, says the Register.

No arrests have been made in connection to the threat.

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Cops Release Surveillance Photos in Des Moines Store Robbery

2013-05-16T13:27:43Z

Des Moines Police Department(DES MOINES, Iowa) -- Police are seeking the public's assistance in locating a male suspect in a robbery at a Des Moines store earlier this month.

The robbery happened on May 3 at the Git-N-Go store, located at 4900 Urbandale Ave. A store clerk told police that a man entered the business and announced a robbery. No weapon was displayed, but the suspect reportedly kept his hand in his pocket as if he was armed. Police say the suspect robbed the store of an undisclosed amount of cash.

Police have released a surveillance photo of the suspect, and are asking that anyone with information on the his identification or whereabouts call the Des Moines Police Detective Bureau at (515) 283-4864 or Polk County Crime Stoppers at 515-223-1400.

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Toddler Drowns in Lake at State Park

2013-05-15T15:46:47Z

(SPRING LAKE STATE PARK, Iowa) -- A 3-year-old boy drowned in Spring Lake State Park on Tuesday, The Des Moines Register reports.

Ransom Cummings had been visiting the beach with his mother and two siblings, after making the trip from their home in Jefferson. The boy had wandered off from his mother, and his family noticed his absence at around 1:15 p.m.

Sheriff’s deputies, firefighters and medics were called and a search for the boy began, which ended tragically when his body was found in 5 feet of water by the docks.

According to his mother, the previous summer the water was shallow and he had been able to jump in when it was only waist deep. She thinks that her son must have still thought he could still do that safely.

The 50-acre Spring Lake State Park does not employ lifeguards.

Paddlers Warned About Near Full Streams, Cold Water

2013-05-15T14:57:50Z

(DES MOINES, Iowa) -- With paddlers getting set to hit the waters across the state this spring, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) warns them to beware of cold water and streams being near bank full.

The department says unusual spring weather has resulted in many streams being near bank full, flowing fast and cold.

"Many new paddlers don’t realize that even though the air temperature is warm, the water can still be ice cold," Todd Robertson, a paddling instructor at the DNR said in a statement. "As spring arrives, it takes a while for that water to warm up, making it necessary to have a wetsuit and a change of dry clothes in a dry bag in case you dump your boat."

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