Des Moines, Iowa — Police in Des Moines are investigating a shooting that happened late Tuesday night. The incident happened in the 1800 block of Arlington Avenue at around 11 p.m., Tuesday. Police say after an adult male suffered a gunshot wound to his upper torso, the man manage to walk to the 1400 block of 2nd Avenue. Officers and medics were dispatched to his location.  The victim, who is expected to survive, was not cooperating with police.

Marshalltown, Iowa — (UPDATE 11:11-a.m.) The Marshalltown Police Department is investigating an apparent murder-suicide that took place Wednesday afternoon. Officers responded a little before 4:30-p.m., to a residence in the 600 block of East Church Street, Wednesday. At the scene they found 57-year-old Hermelinda Alcala-de-Villagomez dead from a gunshot wound. Police also found 72-year-old Jose Carmen Villagomez-Torres, who was shot and suffering from life-threatening injuries. He was transported to a hospital and later died. The couple were married, but living in separate residences.

Police said a firearm was recovered at the scene. A preliminary investigation determined Villagomez-Torres shot Alcala-de-Villagomez before shooting himself.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation was assisting the Marshalltown Police Department with the investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – A Fort Dodge landmark that has hosted some of the biggest names in the music business will soon reopen to the public. The Laramar Ballroom sat empty for years, but last June it was purchased by a group of Fort Dodge investors. Brady O’Brien is the production coordinator for the restoration project. “When my dad first took me in there and he first showed me that they were going to buy it, I was a little skeptical. It just looked horrible inside,” O’Brien says. “Now being able to see…It’s just turned into something really special that I think the community is going to love.”

The building opened in 1904 and was originally the Fort Dodge Armory. After World War I, the brick building became a venue for live music. According to the Fort Dodge Community Foundation Facebook Page, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash are among the artists who’ve played gigs at the Laramar. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper performed at the Laramar on January 30th, 1959 — three nights before their tragic deaths after a concert in Clear Lake.

O’Brien says a relative of one of those performers will be part of the grand re-opening of the Laramar. “We have Richie Valens; sister, Connie, singing and talking a little bit about her history with the Laramar and her brother Ritchie Valens,” O’Brien says. Connie was eight when her brother died at the age of 17. Tickets for the June 22nd opening of the Laramar go on sale this Friday morning.

“We have our house band for that night which will be accompanying tons of local artists performing,” O’Brien says. The State of Iowa provided a 100-thousand dollar Community Attractions grant to help pay for the facelift of the 119 year old building.

The Laramar was a regular venue for Friday night dances and is part of the Fort Dodge Downtown Historic District.

(Radio Iowa) – South Carolina Senator Tim Scott is spending his Wednesday in Sioux City — his first trip to Iowa since officially launching his campaign for the Republican nomination for president this week. Scott’s first stop was the Siouxland Christian School. “The closest thing to magic in America is a quality education,” Scott said. “As a kid, I attended four different elementary schools by the fourth grade and being raising in a single parent household and mired in poverty, one thing I can tell you finding the right place for your kid is really hard when you’re moving a lot.”

Scott touted the state-funded savings accounts that will be available this fall to cover private school expenses for some low income Iowa parents. “Frankly, the governor of this state has done a fabulous job with what has been a signature issue since I started my ‘Opportunity Agenda,’ which is focusing on education,” Scott said. Scott toured the private school, then met with teachers and administrators. Scott was asked about providing better security for schools — and he talked about a proposal from Senate Republicans after the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that would have provided federal grants to train law enforcement and purchase equipment like metal detectors, surveillance cameras and bulletproof whiteboards.

“Providing the resources for communities to make the best decisions that they can to protect their kids,” Scott said. Scott ultimately voted against the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act which included tighter background checks for gun buyers under the age of 21 and incentives for states that enact so-called “red flag” laws to confiscated guns from people considered a potential threat to themselves or others. Scott said at the time that mass shootings are a painful reminder that congress has failed to have a meaningful and honest debate about the issues surrounding gun violence.