A 62-year-old man pleaded not guilty last week to sexually assaulting one of his 14-year-old dance students, and his trial was set for July 22 in Linn County District Court. Marcelino Hivento was charged last month with third-degree sexual abuse. He is accused of sexually abusing the 14-year-old girl May 1-  Oct. 31, 2012 in [...]

UPDATE: Iowa City police said Monday that the suspicious package disposed of by the Johnson County Metro Bomb team Sunday evening was not an explosive device. “It was not a bomb,” Sgt. Vicki Lalla said Monday afternoon. Lalla said she is waiting on more information about the investigation before releasing additional details. Police cordoned off [...]

A Central City man charged with shooting and killing Gregory O’Hare last year asked a judge Friday to suppress a search of his home and statements he made to authorities, which included his admittance of guilt. Attorney Kjas Long said the search warrant for the home of Martin Wilkinson, 63, was “over broad” because it [...]

A trial for a man accused of making methamphetamine ended in a mistrial earlier this week because a juror knew a witness, didn’t tell the court and talked to the witness outside the courtroom during a break. Assistant Linn County Attorney Jason Besler said he had no choice but to ask for a mistrial after [...]

Coralville police said a man there cost them four interviews after he tampered with their recording equipment. Police said on May 8, 35-year-old David Rose was awaiting transport to the Johnson County Jail on charges of first-degree theft and third-degree burglary, both class D felonies. While waiting in an interview room, Rose allegedly tampered with [...]

James Breen testified Wednesday that he was intoxicated and doesn’t remember shooting the man he regards as a “brother” with his Tec-9 assault pistol. Breen said it wasn’t his intent to shoot his music “collaborator” and good friend Cory Forbes or to point the gun at Forbes’ cousin Sean Hiepler. It was his habit to [...]

A judge increased a bond Wednesday for a 21-year-old Marion man accused of kidnapping, stabbing and sexually assaulting a woman he met through a social media website in April. Bryan Roche is charged with first-degree kidnapping, first-degree sexual abuse, attempted murder and an added charge of willful injury causing serious injury. His bond went from [...]

A Lisbon firefighter said a Thursday morning fire has destroyed a local business. Crews responded to Auto Worx, 938 Myers Dr. in Lisbon, at about 5 a.m. Wednesday for a call of a building that was fully engulfed. The Auto Worx building sits right next to a propane tank, so fire crews worked early Thursday [...]

Police responded around 1 a.m. Wednesday to a report of a woman with a gunshot wound at 909 28th St. SE. Officers found the victim when they arrived on the scene. An ambulance took her to Mercy Medical Center with what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries. Police are searching for three male suspects in [...]

Sean Hiepler testified Tuesday when he and James Breen got into an argument over leaving a bar last year he thought they were going outside to have a fist fight but when they walked outside Breen pulled out an assault pistol and pointed it at his chest. Hiepler, 24, of Mount Vernon, said he thought [...]