One of two inmates accused of killing two prison workers at the Anamosa State Penitentiary last month has entered a plea of not guilty in the case. Michael Dutcher filed a written plea ahead of yesterday’s scheduled court appearance. Appearance for the other inmate accused, Thomas Woodard Jr., has been delayed following a request by his attorney. Both men are charged with first-degree murder and other counts in connection with the March 23 killings of nurse Lorena Schulte and correctional officer Robert McFarland. Authorities say the workers were killed during a failed escape attempt by Dutcher and Woodard. Both inmates were serving time for armed robbery convictions at the time of the killings.
President Joe Biden met Monday with a bipartisan group of lawmakers as his White House released state-by-state breakdowns to make the case for the $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal. The reports show Iowa has 4,571 bridges needing repair. Republican lawmakers say just a fraction of the overall spending in the bill goes to traditional infrastructure.
For the third time in the first four months of 2021 alone, a gun has been found in a carry-on bag at a TSA checkpoint at the Des Moines International Airport. The gun, a .45 caliber pistol loaded with five bullets, was found by TSA agents on Sunday. Des Moines Police were alerted; the gun was confiscated and the traveler was cited. Travelers are allowed to pack their guns in checked baggage. No firearms, loaded or unloaded, are allowed to be carried on to commercial flights – even if the gun owner has a permit to carry. Seven guns were confiscated all of last year, with reduced air travel. In 2018 and 2019, there were 12 weapons confiscated each year.
Des Moines police have identified a pedestrian killed Sunday morning after he was hit by a car. Police say 33-year-old Weston Bueford of Des Moines was in the southbound lanes of the four-lane Hubbell Avenue when he was hit by a vehicle shortly before 5 a.m. Sunday. Investigators said the driver involved is a 25-year-old Des Moines man and that impairment was not a factor in the collision. Police said yesterday no charges had been filed in the case. The southbound lanes of the road were closed for about four hours while police investigated the crash.
A memorial is now in place for fallen Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Jim Smith in Oelwein. The 27-year veteran of the force was killed during a standoff with a suspect in Grundy Center on Friday. Sgt. Smith’s patrol car is positioned outside the District 10 Office in Oelwein. The Department of Public Safety and Sgt. Smith’s family are thanking those who are showing support for them during this difficult time. They say the community can bring flowers, cards or items for the family to the state patrol’s Oelwein location.
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office says a 69-year-old Shellsburg man crashed his car into a home in the 100 block of Cottage Street Northwest in Shellsburg yesterday morning just after 11 a.m. Investigators say he died at the scene, after first responders tried CPR.
Results from a recent study of healthcare workers performed by the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and the UI Carver College of Medicine show they are more likely to contract COVID-19 from exposure at home compared to exposure in the community or at work. The study found of those University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics workers who participated in the study from September 1st to November 30th of last year, 26% who reported significant exposure at home ended up infected with COVID-19. Just 18% reported exposure in the community and 10% reported exposure at work, the study shows.
Murder charges have been dismissed against one defendant in a Webster County double homicide. Two counts of second-degree murder and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon against 23-year-old Darryll Jones of Fort Dodge have been dropped after prosecutors said they no longer believed the charges could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. Jones was one of five men accused of shooting to death Jamael Cox and Tyrone Cunningham, whose bodies were discovered on June 16, 2020 in Fort Dodge. Murder charges remain in place against four others, from Eagle Grove and Fort Dodge.
