Investigators have released the cause of a house fire that killed two people in Waterloo last month. According to Waterloo Fire Rescue officials, an accelerate was involved in the deadly blaze (536 Dawson St.) that claimed the lives of 32-year-old Ashley Smith and her 9-year-old son, Jaykwon Sallis on April 22nd. Two others were treated for minor injuries at a local hospital.

Investigators revealed on Monday (today) that a Waterloo Fire Rescue canine was alerted to the presence of an accelerate during the investigation. The city’s fire marshal submitted that evidence to the Iowa State Crime Lab, which determined that a flammable substance WAS involved in the blaze. No charges have been filed in the case, which remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Early voting is underway for Iowa’s June 5 primary. Monday (today) is the first day Iowans can vote in-person at their county auditor’s office. Absentee ballots can also be requested via mail by May 25. They must be returned by Election Day or postmarked by June 4th.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate says he encourages Iowans to vote early. Detailed instructions on how to vote can be found online at www.VoterReadyIowa.org. The June primary is the first time Iowa voters will be asked to show identification at the polls. Identification won’t be required until 2019.

The voter ID law, signed last year by then-Gov. Terry Branstad, shortened the time period for early voting. It also eliminated an option for straight-ticket voting for one political party.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two women from Georgia were arrested Friday evening on charges of Burglary in the 2nd Degree, and Child Stealing. Taken into custody at around 7:15-p.m., was 32-year old Alice Mae Blackwell and 25-year old India Leigh Gaston, both of Atlanta, GA. Their bonds were set at $20,000 each. No other details were immediately released.

Arrested Saturday in Mills County, was 63-year old Randall Ray Williams, of Omaha, for OWI/1st offense, and Failure to Maintain Control. Williams was driving a 2014 Harley Davidson motorcycle and attempting to merge onto northbound Interstate 29 from mile marker 35 at around 11-p.m. Saturday, when he lost control of the cycle and crashed. The machine came to rest on the road. Williams suffered minor injuries during the accident. He was being held in the Mills County Jail on $1,000 bond.

57-year old Russell David Rule, of LaVista, NE., was arrested at around 11:40-p.m. Saturday, also for OWI 1st offense, and Failure to Maintain Control. Rule was driving a 2008 Harley Davidson motorcycle on the northbound on-ramp to I-29 from Highway 34, along with 49-year old David Newton, of Council Bluffs. Both drivers were looking at the crash involving Randall Williams, when Rule failed to notice Newton had slowed down. His Harley hit Newton’s Harley Davidson from behind, causing both cycles to crash and slide on the pavement. Both drivers suffered from “road rash.” Newton also had a possible broken ankle. A female passenger on Rule’s cycle was thrown from the bike and suffered face and head trauma. She was transported to the hospital by ambulance. Both drivers refused medical treatment. Rule was subsequently arrested for OWI. His bond was set at $1,0000.

Authorities say 25-year old Daniel Joseph Polan, of Glenwood, was arrested at around 8:20-p.m. Saturday, for OWI 1st offense, Child Endangerment and Speeding. He was taken into custody on I-29 at Highway 34 eastbound. Bond was set at $3,000.

On Sunday, Mills County Deputies arrested 20-year old Jordan Edward Thompson, of Glenwood, on two counts of Possession of Controlled Substance. He was arrested on I-29 at mile marker 42. Bond was set at $1,000. And, 34-year old Theodore William Blaske, of Bellevue, NE was arrested at around 6:50-a.m. Sunday on I-29 at the same location. He was charged with OWI 1st offense. His bond was also set at $1,000.

31-year old Billy Dee Croffer, Omaha, NE, was arrested at around 10:50-p.m. Sunday, on a Pottawattamie warrant for Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree. He was taken into custody on I-29 at the 29 mile marker. Bond was set at $1,000. And, today (Monday), 33-year old Rashaunda Nicole Jones, of Omaha, NE was arrested on I-29 also at mm 29, on a Pott. County warrant for Criminal Mischief 4th. Bond was set at $1,000.

Two Atlantic residents were arrested on drug charges, Saturday. The Atlantic Police Department reports 28-year old David Fredericksen and 24-year old Catherine Charles, were arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. They were booked-into the Cass County Jail.

On Friday, 54-year old Dick Cook, of Atlantic, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. He was also booked into the Cass County Jail. And, on Sunday, 36-year old David Richman, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI. He was also booked into the jail here in Atlantic.

A school bus carrying students on a band trip drove into a ditch and rolled onto its side in eastern Iowa on Saturday afternoon, injuring nearly everyone on board. Northeast Community School District Superintendent Neil Gray says the accident happened in Clinton County near the town of Charlotte as the band members were being carried from an event Tipton back to Goose Lake. “It was a single-vehicle accident,” Gray says. “There were a total of 21 people on the bus, 19 students and two adults. Of those 21 people, 15 were transported to area hospitals in Maquoketa, DeWitt and Clinton and one was flown by helicopter to Iowa City.” Gray says most of the injuries were relatively minor, bumps and bruises.

“Of the students that were hospitalized, as of this morning, we still have three people in the hospital,” Gray says. “Two students are in Iowa City and the bus driver is in Davenport.” A full school assembly was planned this morning to fill in everyone, students and staff, on what happened. “Also, I’ve communicated to teachers on what to look for and how different students express their feelings differently,” Gray says. “It was a very traumatic experience. It looks like everyone will be okay. Emotionally, the trauma of this event is going to be with us for quite a while.” The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

(Radio Iowa)

NORA SPRINGS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a 12-year-old boy was fatally struck and killed by a falling safe in northern Iowa The accident occurred around 4:40 p.m. Sunday at a home in Nora Springs. Police Chief Jessie Dugan said Monday that Karson Ott and his father, Larry Ott, were loading the safe onto a trailer when the safe fell and struck the boy.

Dugan declined to comment further about what happened.

BELLE PLAINE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have released the names of a woman and boy whose bodies were found at a railroad crossing in eastern Iowa. The bodies were found by police sent to a Belle Plaine crossing around 5 a.m. Friday. The Iowa Public Safety Department identified them in a news release Monday as 36-year-old Teresa Gerleman and her 8-year-old son, Henry Fields. They lived in Belle Plaine.

Autopsies have been scheduled for Thursday. The department says no more information will be released until autopsy results are available.

The City of Atlantic’s Planning and Zoning Commission will meet 5:30-p.m. Tuesday, in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. On their agenda is the review of a site plan for a new commercial vehicle repair garage at 308 E. Elm Street. Brant Bonnesen will be on-hand to answer any questions or concerns with regard to the site plan. City Administrator John Lund says Bonnesen wants to purchase an empty lot on the site and build a commercial garage. Bonnesen has applied for and received a conditional use permit, and most of the requirements for the site plan have been satisfied. The next step is for the Commission to approve the site plans.

The Commission will also receive a request from Tommy Gaines, to review a portion of the Zoning Ordinance (Section 17.030), with regard to the maximum height of any accessory building, and with regard to a property abutting his, that he wishes to purchase from the City, for a post-frame garage. The current Ordinance has a typo, that states an accessory building shall not exceed 12-feet in height, yet shows 15 in parenthesis. Once a clarification is made on that matter, the P & Z will need to transit a recommendation to the City Council, to decide on an proposed amendments.

The final order of business, Tuesday evening, is a request to include R-2 Districts under Section 23.020 of the Zoning Ordinance. The issue arose when Patty Vavricek, at 1601 Linn Street, made it known she wants to replace her existing carport with a new garage. The carport, however, abuts the property line, which would not be a problem in an R-3 Zone, but her property is in an R-2 Zone, a low-density, single-family district. Lund says a review of her neighborhood shows a considerable number of properties where the house, carport or garage were built immediately abutting the property line. And, while Vavricek initially wanted to apply for a variance, Lund suggests that’s not advisable, at least where the law is concerned. A more appropriate path, he said, would be for the Commission to review the ordinance, and consider changes that would allow her to build the garage legally. That includes a compromise allowing dispensation from the neighbor, with a minimum distance between two structures, as opposed to distance from the property line.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency reports the grassland/field fire Danger Index will be in the “Moderate” category, this week. Persons wanting to conduct an open burn on their property should pay attention to the weather conditions (Including wind direction), and notify their local fire chief of your intentions.  The next update on the danger index will be Thursday morning.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County say on Friday, Deputy Eric Shea was dispatched to a residence in Oakland, for a verbal disturbance. The caller stated her daughter was in a verbal argument with her husband, 30-year old Daniel Lambert, of Oakland. The Deputy spoke to both parties who stated nothing was physical, and they were arguing about Daniel’s sister. After running the names of both individuals through the criminal database, Daniel Lambert came up as having a warrant through the Council Bluffs Police Department. The warrant for operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent was verified, and Daniel Lambert was placed under arrest just before 9-p.m. without incident. He was transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail where he was booked-in on the warrant.

Two men were arrested on drug charges Friday night, in Walnut. Authorities say 23-year old Trey D. Anderson, of Exira, and 35-year old Matthew Carmichael, of Des Moines, were arrested at around 10:40-p.m. Anderson was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Carmichael was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance. In their vehicle, Deputies found 13.2 grams of a crystalline substance in a clear plastic container, 2.9 grams of a green leafy substance in a plastic bag, three glass pipes, and one water bong.

Pott. County Sheriff’s Deputies also arrested 23-year-old Jesse Brenneman, of Missouri Valley, Friday, after they were dispatched to 21859 York Road in Missouri Valley, to recover a jeep that was possibly stolen. A 2001 Jeep Cherokee, a 2007 Jeep Liberty, and a 36-inch television were recovered at the scene. Brenneman was taken into custody on two counts of Theft 2nd Degree. And finally, an inmate at the Pott. County Jail, 25-year old Tanner J. Dehaai,  of Omaha, was served with a warrant Friday afternoon, for Violation of Probation. He was then returned to the custody of jail staff.