DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) — The Iowa Department of Corrections says it will need to build three new prisons to accommodate a new measure the governor signed into law this week. The law would require a person convicted of a third felony to be sentenced as a habitual offender and more than double their mandatory minimum from three years to seven. It would also increase the maximum sentence for habitual offenders from 15 to 20 years. The DOC says the number of people behind bars is expected to increase nearly 50 percent over the next three years, in part because of this new legislation. As of April, there were nearly 9,000 people being held across Iowa’s nine institutions. That’s already about 27 percent over capacity. The DOC says the state would need to create three new medium-security prisons and renovate two existing facilities to help hold the projected increase of prisoners. Building those prisons and expanding the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison and the Newton Correctional Facility would cost the state nearly $2 billion.
MARION, Iowa (KCRG) – Marion Police said one person is injured and another is in custody after a shooting in Marion Friday night. Authorities were called to the 400 block of 12th Street around 11:20 Friday night for reports of shots fired. Upon arrival, officers found a burglary had taken place, and an occupant had suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot injury. The suspect, 43-year-old Reginald Haynes of Cedar Rapids, had fled the scene. Marion police said with help from other law enforcement agencies, Haynes was taken into custody around 1:30 Saturday morning in a neighboring jurisdiction. Haynes is charged with Going Armed with Intent, First Degree Burglary, Assault While Displaying a Dangerous Weapon, and Person Ineligible to Carry Dangerous Weapons. The incident is under investigation.
PLYMOUTH COUNTY, Iowa (KTIV/KCRG) – Law enforcement says the motorcycle rider who was life-flighted to a Sioux Falls hospital has died. In a press release from the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, deputies say the man, now identified as 33-year-old Dakota Acevedo of Le Mars, has died as a result of his injuries. Deputies say at about 10:10 p.m. on Friday, June 5, they received a report of a motorcycle crash northeast of Le Mars, Iowa. According to the sheriff’s office, the crash happened just east of the Highway 3 and Marble Ave intersection. Witnesses told authorities that a motorcycle was going at a very high rate of speed and failed to negotiate a curve, causing it to leave the road and lose control. The motorcycle was the only vehicle involved in the crash…