(Radio Iowa) – A man who’s considered the world’s most popular author, with almost half a BILLION books sold globally, will appear in central Iowa tonight. James Patterson is as big as they get, according to Tim Paluch, director of the AVID series — or Authors Visiting in Des Moines — at the Des Moines Public Library. “He writes nonfiction, fiction, children’s books, he has co-authored best-selling novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton,” Paluch says. “He’s written true story biographies on the Kennedys, John Lennon and Princess Diana, and he also writes about military heroes, police officers, ER nurses, and he has his mystery thriller series that people love.”

Patterson was the first author to sell more than one-million e-books and has now sold more than five-million e-books in his career. He holds a record for 67 number-one New York Times’ best-sellers, and Paluch expects Patterson’s latest book, released Monday, will quickly become #68. “It’s called ‘The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians’ and it’s nonfiction, talking about what he calls heroes, people who get books in people’s hands and why that’s important,” Paluch says. “So it’s a perfect fit for the library, obviously, and we’re just thrilled to have him.”

James Patterson (Provided by DMPL)

Patterson will appear at the Scottish Rite Consistory in downtown Des Moines, which seats about 850 people. He’ll do a moderated talk, take questions, and then will sign autographs, but Paluch says they’ll only be taking people up row by row. “We’re trying to be respectful of his time and everyone’s time, so he’ll only sign copies of his new book. He’s not going to personalize it like a lot of authors do,” Paluch says. “We just have to keep that line moving, otherwise, we’ll be there until the middle of the night. People do want to meet him and he’ll chat with you, but just expect to be moved along. We’re going to have a lot of people in line.”

Doors open at 5 PM for the 7 PM event. Learn more HERE.

DES MOINES, Iowa — [KCCI] –  A picture taken during the Iowa State Fair could soon be seen on envelopes across the country. The picture shows the big Ferris wheel at the fair and is part of a series of 10 stamps depicting images at carnivals or fairs as part of the Carnival Nights series.

The photo was captured by Phil Roeder, an accomplished photographer and the communications director at Des Moines Public Schools. Roeder says he’s excited to be part of the project, and just as excited to be able to highlight the fair.

ANAMOSA, Iowa (KCRG) – The family of an Anamosa corrections officer, is suing the state of Iowa. Correctional officer Robert McFarland and nurse Lorena Schulte were murdered by inmates trying to escape the prison in March 2021. Investigators say inmates Thomas Woodard and Michael Dutcher used hammers from the prison’s maintenance shop to strike both McFarland and Schulte in the back of the head. Both Woodard and Dutcher pleaded guilty to the crimes later that year. They’re both serving sentences of life in prison.

The lawsuit alleges the Anamosa prison was over-capacity and under-staffed for at least five months before McFarland and Schulte were fatally attacked. Specifically, the lawsuit states the prison had a maximum capacity of 911 inmates, but at the time of the attack was housing more than 950 inmates. The lawsuit also states the prison only had 172 staff members despite being funded for 201 staff positions.

It claims this problem of operating over capacity while being understaffed was not unique to the prison in Anamosa and has been a pattern across the state. The lawsuit also accuses the prison of failing to properly train and prepare staff members with an appropriate emergency response plan. It also highlights faulty radios that limited communication, failure to use surveillance cameras to monitor inmate activity, and a failure to control access to the prison’s tools.

In February 2023, the Iowa Department of Corrections redesignated the Anamosa State Penitentiary as strictly medium security. It had previously been a medium/maximum security. The change resulted in the relocation of some of its most dangerous prisoners to the state penitentiary in Fort Madison. Lorena Schulte’s family also filed a lawsuit against the state, the prison and the Department of Corrections in January alleging failures to provide a safe working environment, sufficient staffing and other failures of duty.

(Radio Iowa) – A Sioux City woman who is the wife of a Woodbury County Supervisor, plans to appeal her voter fraud conviction. Kim Taylor will have a new attorney.  Guy Weinstein has been appointed to represent Taylor in the appeal.

Taylor was sentenced to four months in prison and four months home confinement back on April 1st. She was convicted last November by a federal jury on 26 counts of providing false information in registering and voting, three counts of fraudulent registration, and 23 counts of fraudulent voting.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports Deputies conducted an arrest following a traffic stop late Tuesday night, near Villisca. Taken into custody near W. High Street and Highway 71 at around 11:25-p.m., was 54-year-old John David Stone, of Braddyville. Stone was arrested for Driving While Barred. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $2,000 bond.