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Iowa early News Headlines: Saturday, 12/9/17

News

December 9th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:50 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A detective says an Iowa mother on trial in the starvation death of her 16-year-old daughter sent ranting texts saying she hated her children and calling them “worthless.” The Des Moines Register reports that a West Des Moines police detective testified about text messages sent to others by 43-year-old Nicole Finn. She’s pleaded not guilty to murder, kidnapping and child endangerment in the death of 16-year-old Natalie Finn.

TOLEDO, Iowa (AP) — For a second time, a man has been found guilty of murder in the 2000 disappearance of his fiancé. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that a judge on Friday found 51-year-old Tait Purk guilty of second-degree murder for the death of Cora Okonski, whose body has never been found. In May, an Iowa County jury convicted Purk of murder in the case, but a judge found the verdict wasn’t backed by evidence.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Forest City School board has accepted the resignation of an elementary school teacher placed on leave following racial comments about high school basketball players aired in an online broadcast. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that the board unanimously approved Friday the agreement with third-grade teacher Holly Jane Kusserow-Smidt. Kusserow-Smidt was heard Nov. 28 agreeing with an announcer who referred to boys he believed to be Hispanic because of their names as “foreigners.”

DENISON, Iowa (AP) — A Denison man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for a car crash that led to the death of a teenage girl. The Sioux City Journal reports that Ramon Hernandez was sentenced Friday in Crawford County District Court for his convictions on vehicular homicide, three counts of distribution of a controlled substance to a minor and five other counts. Authorities say Hernandez and three others escaped the crash on Jan. 19 into the Boyer River, but 15-year-old Yoana Acosta died.