(Radio Iowa) – Fort Dodge Police have arrested the man wanted in the 4th of July murder of a Fort Dodge teenager. According to Fort Dodge Police Chief Dennis Quinn, 18 year old Jamarrion James Davis, also known as “JJ,” was taken into custody Thursday afternoon.

Police say after a search warrant was executed at 447 North 27th Street in Fort Dodge, Davis fled the scene and was apprehended after a short foot pursuit. His arrest comes less than two days following the murder of 15-year-old Jameel C. Redding Pettrigrew of Fort Dodge.

According to police, Redding-Pettigrew was gunned down Tuesday at around 9:45 p.m. in Fort Dodge. Davis is charged with first degree murder.

DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds, Thursday, issued a disaster proclamation for Union County in response to severe weather that occurred on June 29. The governor’s proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program and the Disaster Case Advocacy Program.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery.

The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services website at https://dhs.iowa.gov/disaster-assistance-programs. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.

(State Center, Iowa) – A collision between two pickup trucks in Marshall County this (Thursday), resulted in the death of a man from Story County. The Iowa State Patrol says 41-year-old Bruce Ryan Yorik, of Ames, who was not wearing a seat belt, died when the 2005 Chevy Silverado pickup he was driving, turned left in front of a 2020 Ford F-250 pickup.

The crash happened in the westbound lanes of Highway 30 at around 8:50-a.m.  The Patrol says following the collision, the Ford pickup, driven by 27-year-old Anthony Joseph Trca, of Norway (IA), hit multiple stop signs and a 2010 Toyota Corolla, driven by 41-year-old Lisa Marie Halter, of Rhodes (IA).

The Ford continued through a fence before coming to rest. Yorik died from his injuries at the scene. No other injuries were reported.

(Radio Iowa) – The winners of the 2023 Iowa Character Awards are being named. The annual awards salute Iowans who adhere to the six pillars of character: Caring, Citizenship, Fairness, Respect, Responsibility and Trustworthiness. A total of eleven people and organizations will be honored at an awards banquet later this month, according to program coordinator Hilary Ortman.

“We’ll be recognizing the Iowa women’s basketball program with our Jim Hallihan Pursuing Victory with Honor Award,” Ortman says. “They really stood in a national spotlight last year and demonstrated great character in both athletics and off the court as well, so we’re really excited to honor Lisa Bluder and her team.” The awards event will be held July 28th at the Prairie Meadows Conference Center at Altoona. Ortman says one of this year’s top awards is posthumous, honoring a Des Moines woman who died in June of brain cancer.

“We’ll be recognizing the late Lisa Brinkmeyer with the Robert D. and Billie Ray Pillar of Character Award,” Ortman says. “She obviously is a very familiar name across Iowa and an incredible, incredible woman with high character, integrity and kindness.” While at Hubbard-Radcliffe High School, Brinkmeyer was named Miss Iowa Basketball in 1993. She won accolades at Drake University as both a basketball player and an assistant coach, and went on to become an assistant director of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union.

Launched in 2005, the Iowa Character program has since recognized more than 150 Iowans — individuals, groups, businesses and organizations.

The rest of this year’s recipients are:

Doug Alberhasky, Iowa City – Citizen of Character
Salvador Montes-Clausen, Mason City – Citizen of Character
Grace McCunn, Ames – Aaron Eilerts Community Service Award
Thomas Braverman, Iowa City – Educator of Character
Jay Byers, Des Moines – Character Champion
Nevada FFA, Nevada – Student Organization of Character
Walter Solar and Roofing, Clive – Business of Character
Louisa-Muscatine Community School District, Muscatine (School of Character)
Covenant Construction Services, Des Moines – Partner of the Year