Des Moines, IOWA — The Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner with the assistance of the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Criminal Investigation have confirmed the identification of the body discovered in Boone County on Friday, June 7th, 2013, as that of Kathlynn Shepard.

Following an autopsy on June 8th, 2013, Dr. Julia Goodin, Chief State Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be multiple sharp and  blunt forced injuries. The manner of death will be certified as homicide.

(Updated) A central Iowa woman was killed and two Adair County residents were injured during a head-on crash early this (Sunday) morning in Dallas County. The Iowa State Patrol says a 2007 Chevy Aveo driven by 24-year old Megan Wakeham, of West Des Moines was traveling east in the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 one-mile east of Earlham at around Midnight, when it collided head-on with a 1994 Pontiac Firebird driven by 20-year old Jessie Leeper, of Adair. A 2010 GMC Terrain, driven by 49-year old Lori Wallace, of Greenfield, then collided with the rear of Leeper’s car.

Wakeham died from her injuries.Wallace and Leeper were transported by Stuart E-M-S and Dallas County E-M-S to Methodist and Mercy Hospital’s in Des Moines, respectively.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A bill designed to crack down on cyberbullying failed to advance in the Legislature this year, but Gov. Terry Branstad says he plans to keep working to toughen Iowa’s anti-bullying laws.  Branstad promised Thursday that he would hold another state summit on bullying, as he did last fall, and will work to get a bill passed next year. Branstad says he “wants kids to feel safe.”
 
The bullying bill offered by Branstad this year would have updated state guidelines for school districts to include bullying that occurs outside school on social media websites like Facebook. It received subcommittee approval in the state House, but never moved forward. 
 
Matt Carver, of the group School Administrators of Iowa, says he thinks the Legislature will approve the bill once lawmakers have more information.

Two young people were cited early this (Sunday) morning for public intoxication and given a warning for being in violation of curfew. According to Red Oak Police, 16-year old Jacob Ryan Ballard, of Clarinda, and 17-year old Todd Micheal H. Rensch, of Red Oak, were cited just after 2-a.m. near the intersection of Coolbaugh Street and Highland Avenue. Both teens were released to the cutody of a parent or adult guardian.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

BOONE, Iowa (AP) — Residents of a small central Iowa city say they’re saddened at the discovery of a body in a river believed to be that of a 15-year-old girl who was abducted more than two weeks ago. Along streets and businesses in Dayton, purple ribbons on trees, plants and utility poles had signified hope for finding Kathylnn Shepard alive. A body in clothing that matches what she was last seen wearing was discovered Friday night in the Des Moines River near Boone, about 20 miles away.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey and Nebraska Agricultural Trade Representative Stan Garbacz are packing for Turkey to accompany officials from four other states and the U.S. Department of Agriculture on a trade mission. Officials from Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and Pennsylvania also have reserved space for the trip to be led by acting USDA Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse next week.

DYERSVILLE, Iowa (AP) — Several former major league baseball players are scheduled to participate in a game this fall at the “Field of Dreams” movie site in eastern Iowa. Cedar Rapids television station KCRG reports the game is set for September 14th in Dyersville.

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — The NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Iowa Speedway has been postponed until 10 o’clock this morning due to weather. The race was set to begin at 7 p.m. yesterday, but rain began falling about 40 minutes before the scheduled start in Newton, Iowa.