(Waukee, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a diesel fuel spill at Little Walnut Creek in Dallas County. On Saturday, May 3rd, the DNR Field Office in Des Moines was notified of a diesel fuel spill at an agricultural site near Dallas Center. An above-ground storage tank containing diesel fuel began leaking around 2:30 a.m., releasing approximately 4,000 gallons of fuel. The majority of the fuel was initially contained on-site, in a nearby pond and the immediate area surrounding the storage tank.

Later in the day, residents in Waukee reported strong fuel odors near Little Walnut Creek. Local officials confirmed that an unknown amount of diesel fuel had entered the creek, which outlets to Walnut Creek in the Clive area. In response, absorbent booms were placed in Little Walnut Creek to limit the spread of the contamination.

The DNR and local officials are actively monitoring the situation. No dead fish have been observed along the affected section of the creek. The public is advised to stay out of the creek at this time. The DNR will follow up with the city for further assessment. The cause of the spill remains under investigation.

To report a release after hours, please call the DNR’s emergency spill line at (515) 725-8694. Quick reporting can help DNR staff identify the cause of an incident. The DNR website has more information about spill reporting requirements.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Officials with the Red Oak Police Department report a woman was arrested late Sunday morning on assault charges. 60-year-old Ruth Kristine Burns, of Red Oak (but with no known address), was arrested at around 11:45-a.m. in the 1500 block of N. 8th Street, in Red Oak. She was charged with Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense, and Assault. Both charges are simple misdemeanors. Burns was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond.

(Hamburg, Iowa) – A man from Missouri is dead after he was struck by a semi early Saturday morning (May 3rd), in Fremont County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2024 Freightliner semi driven by 63-year-old Ken Hermann, of Norfolk, NE, was traveling north on Interstate 29 near mile-marker 1 (the Hamburg Exit), when from reasons unknown, the semi struck a pedestrian who was within the traveled portion of the road. The accident happened at around 1:30-a.m, Saturday.

The person who was struck was identified as 46-year-old David Lindsey McClean, of Kansas City, MO.  McClean died from his injuries on the scene. His body was transported to the Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny for an autopsy. The Accident remains under investigation.

DES MOINES, Iowa — A federal court has blocked an Iowa law that would have imposed new regulations on e-cigarettes and vaping products sold throughout the state. KCCI-TV reports House File 2677, which was passed last year, would have required those products to have marketing authorization from the Food and Drug Administration between 2016 and 2020. Industry leaders argued the requirements would have restricted most of the products sold at vaping businesses and organizations in Iowa. People who support the law said unauthorized products could harm Iowans.

Several groups, including Iowans for Alternatives to Smoking and Tobacco, filed the lawsuit, saying the date restrictions in the new law were unfair. Last month, the Iowa Department of Revenue asked the judge not to grant an injunction, saying it would stop Iowans potentially hurt by e-cigarette or vaping products from being able to sue.

The court ruled Friday that the Iowa law “impermissibly intrudes upon the federal government’s exclusive authority” to enforce the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which ensures that food, medicine, cosmetics and medical devices are safe and properly labeled.

The law was set to take effect Feb. 3 but had been on hold as legal challenges mounted. It’s unclear whether the Iowa Attorney General’s Office will appeal.

(Creston,  Iowa) – [In an update to our previous report] The Iowa State Patrol, today (Sunday), said a man from Creston was injured Saturday night when the motorcycle he was riding was struck by a pickup truck. The vehicle left the scene. Authorities say a 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle operated by 51-year-old Jason Lee Hagle, of Creston, was westbound on Highway 34 at the intersection with Wyoming Street in Creston at around 8:50-p.m., and had the right-of-way.

A 1995 Chevy 1500 pickup was stopped at a stop sign on Wyoming, and began to turn right into westbound Highway 34, when it directly entered the path of the motorcycle. Jason Hagle braked to avoid the pickup, but the vehicles collided. Following the impact, the motorcycle slid onto its left side. The pickup left the scene but was located nearby with no one inside.

Creston Fire Dept. Facebook page photo

Hagle was transported to the hospital in Creston before being flown by LifeFlight to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. A report on his condition was not immediately available. The crash remains under investigation.

(Creston, Iowa) – Authorities in Creston are investigation a  hit-and-run vehicle accident that resulted in injuries to a person on a motorcycle. According to a social media post by the Creston Fire Department, the accident happened at around 9-p.m., Saturday, at the intersection of Highway 34 and Wyoming Street, in Creston.

Responding medical personnel and law enforcement found a motorcycle down on the roadway. While EMS crews cared for the motorcyclist, the highway was closed to allow law enforcement to investigate and let the Creston FD clean up debris.

Creston FD Facebook photo

The motorcyclist was transported by ambulance to the Greater Regional Medical Center’s heliport in Creston, before the injured male was transferred to a Des Moines hospital. Authorities are currently searching for another vehicle involved in the accident, which has been described as a dark pickup truck.

Additional details are currently not available.

(Ottumwa, Iowa) — Sheriff’s officials in southeast Iowa’s Wapello County report, that after a months-long, multi-state investigation led by the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office, a suspect was arrested in the burglaries of at least 16 school districts across Iowa and Missouri, including the Sidney High School, in Fremont County, Iowa, during the early morning hours of March 15, 2025.  The operation highlights the power of proactive investigative work, interagency collaboration, and strategic use of technology. The case began on February 2, 2025, when the Cardinal Community School District in Wapello County reported break-ins at its Elementary, Middle, and High School buildings. The burglar caused extensive property damage and stole over $4,000 in cash. Despite early efforts, initial leads were scarce.

Sidney HS burglary suspect photo

Rather than allowing the case to go cold, Wapello County investigators escalated their approach. Investigators applied for and executed advanced technical search warrants not typically used in standard property crime cases. Working closely with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Intelligence & Fusion Center, Wapello County began analyzing key digital evidence that would ultimately crack the case wide open. As the investigation progressed, reports of similar burglaries at schools across Missouri and southwest Iowa began to surface. Recognizing the broader pattern, Wapello County investigators took the lead in coordinating with multiple jurisdictions to pool data and track the suspect’s movements. Their analysis led to the development of a detailed suspect profile, which pointed to an individual living in Jacksonville, Arkansas.

Curtis Lee Barton booking photo

While conducting a thorough background investigation of the suspect it was discovered that he is currently on parole stemming from a previous conviction for burglarizing numerous schools and small businesses across central Missouri in 2018. Wapello County investigators prepared search warrant applications for the suspect’s known residences in Jacksonville and Sherwood, Arkansas, and worked with the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division to secure search warrants through the Arkansas courts. On Tuesday, April 29, a joint operation involving Wapello County Deputies, Arkansas State Police, and the Lewis County (MO) Sheriff’s Office executed the warrants.

The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Curtis Lee Barton, was taken into custody without incident. Evidence recovered at the scene directly links Barton to the burglaries. He is currently being held at the South Pulaski County Jail in Little Rock, Arkansas, on a $100,000 cash-only bond, pending extradition and further legal proceedings. To date, Barton is suspected in the burglary of approximately 14 school districts in Missouri and 2 in Iowa, including Cardinal Community Schools. Multiple Additional burglaries involving small businesses are also being reviewed in connection to this case and our office is providing pertinent information to the agencies investigating cases within their jurisdiction.

The investigation remains active, and additional charges are expected as both local and federal law enforcement continues to review new reports connected to the case. Anyone with relevant information is urged to contact the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office.

CARTER LAKE, Iowa — There was a large law enforcement presence in Carter Lake Friday evening, after authorities received numerous “shots-fired” calls. Officials with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office said the incident occurred near Mabrey Park, where anywhere from 20 to 30 shots were fired as dozens of people gathered in the park.

One person was hurt by broken glass. The Iowa State Patrol and Carter Lake Police Department were also on scene. Additional information is currently not available.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa Republican Governor Kim Reynolds, Friday (May 2, 2025), signed three bills into law in support of the Iowa National Guard. Officials with the Guard say House Files 117 and 118 are two key pieces of legislation that strengthen education benefits for Iowa’s Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen. The measures expand access to the Iowa National Guard Service Scholarship (INGSS) and ensure its long-term sustainability.

More specifically, House File 117 broadens eligibility to include short-term credential and certificate programs, enabling Guard members to pursue high-demand skills in fields such as avionics, cybersecurity, IT, electronics and welding through Iowa’s colleges and accredited institutions.

Governor Kim Reynolds signs into law bills to strengthen education benefits for the Iowa National Guard Soldiers and Airman. (5-2-25; IANG Facebook page photo)