BRIGHTON, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, today (Monday), said a 17-year-old squirrel hunter died over the weekend, from injuries sustained in an accidental shooting by another hunter in rural Brighton. The incident occurred Saturday at approximately 3 p.m.

Carson Ryan, of Washington, was mistaken for a squirrel by a member of his hunting party and was struck in the back of the head. Ryan was transported to UI Health Care Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources, in collaboration with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, responded to the hunting incident in Washington County. The incident is currently under investigation.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Parks and Recreation Commission Co-Chair Ali Pieken reports, the Commission voted September 24th to close the Atlantic Splash Pad October 1st for the 2025 season. There will be some repairs, additions and winterizing to do yet this year.

Pieken says “It was an amazing opening first year for the Atlantic Splash Pad! We have taken all positive and constructive feedback and will be making adjustments for the 2026 season. We cannot thank all the donors enough for their support in making this a reality for our community. We are looking forward to splashing with you in 2026!”

(Radio Iowa) – An arrest is made in a brutal murder case in eastern Iowa. Davenport police and first responders were called to a house Saturday night and found a woman laying outside, bleeding. Police say the unidentified 49-year-old was given immediate medical aid and rushed to a hospital where she later died. A suspect was taken into custody at the scene. He’s identified as 41-year-old Donald Brentise Junior.

Davenport media reports say Brentise told police he hit the woman in the head with a hammer three times — and affidavits say a hammer was taken into evidence. Brentise is facing multiple charges including first-degree murder and going armed with intent.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County last week, arrested a man on a Cass County warrant for Child Endangerment with Injuries. Authorities said 21-year-old Gavin Shane McMillin, of Red Oak, was arrested Sept. 23rd and turned over to Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies. His bond was set at $50,000.

And, 41-year-old Cory Ross Smith, of Elliott, was arrested Sept. 23rd in Elliott, for Driving While Barred. He was released from custody after seeing the Magistrate.

(This post was inadvertently omitted from publication, but was read on-air)

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports two people were arrested on separate charges last week. On Sept. 22nd, Deputies arrested 50-year-old James Jeremy Button, of Winterset, on an Adair County warrant for Theft in the 1st Degree. The warrant was the result of work he was supposed to have completed on a residence that sustained tornado damage in 2024.

Over the course of a little more than four months, Button and the resident conversed about the work that needed to be done, according to the Sheriff’s report. In January 2025, Button and the Adair County resident agreed on a proposal for work on the roof of the residence, for an amount in excess of $14,460.That amount was later amended to $19,453, and included work on the residents’ roof and exterior of the home. Two checks written to Button – separate down-payments for the two, separate projects – cleared the bank, but Button failed to complete the work he had agreed to. Button was ordered by the resident’s attorney to repay $22,478, but failed to reply to the demand letter. James Button was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $10,000 cash-only bond.

On September 25th, Adair County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 31-year-old Chu Taia Marika Kei Brown, of Des Moines, on an Adair County warrant for Failure To Appear in court on Jan. 31, 2025, on the original charge of Violation of Probation. Brown – who was picked up from the Polk County Jail – was transported to the Adair County Jail. She was being held on a $1,000 bond.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department say two people were arrested on separate charges over the weekend. At around 2-a.m. Saturday, 22-year-old Olivia Claire Henry, of Mount Ayr, was arrested following a traffic stop. She was charged with Driving While License Denied or Revoked. Henry was transported to the Union County Jail, and posted $1,000 bond before being released.

And, at around 8:40-a.m. Sunday, Creston Police arrested 37-year-old Casey David Mitchell, of Thayer, on an outstanding warrant for probation violation, on an original charge of child endangerment. Mitchell was being held without bond in the Union County Jail until seen by a judge.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with Cass Health in Atlantic, last week, said they had been made aware of scam phone calls that claim to be from Cass Health.

Cass Health Director of Marketing and Communication, Ann McCurdy, said “If you receive a suspicious phone call that appears to be from a Cass Health phone number, or the person claims to be with Cass Health, do not share any personal information. Please hang up and disregard these calls.”

She said also, “If you’re ever unsure about a call from Cass Health being legitimate, you can always hang up, call 712-243-3250, and ask for the department that contacted you.”

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa D-N-R veterinarian Rachel Ruden is studying the impact of a viral fungal pathogen on the state’s rattlesnake population. “It affects snakes kind of broadly and the vipers, so things that include rattlesnakes specifically,” she says. “So they have seemingly worse outcomes than other types of snakes.” Ruden has been doing some testing of rattlesnakes. “So we’re doing these skin swabs to kind of understand how much of the fungus we have on the landscape. You know, in that population and kind of what it’s doing to that population over time,” Ruden says. Ruden says Iowa doesn’t have the number of rattlesnakes seen in other states.

“They are fragmented across the state already, so we don’t have big contiguous, connected populations. In places locally, they’re doing well,” Ruden says. “Overall, we’ve lost a lot of our habitat and you know our numbers really for the different rattlesnake species. But some are doing better than others and it kind of depends on the place.”

Ruden has been working in southeast Iowa, but isn’t disclosing the exact location to protect the rattlesnakes.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department say a drivers’ age, and possibly impaired vision, along with sun glare, may have played a role in a non-injury accident Friday morning at the intersection of Highway 25 and Adams Street, in Creston.

Authorities said a 2004 Toyota Sienna minivan driven by 89-year-old William T. Lewis, of Carson, was turning right onto Adams Street at around 6:15-a.m. Williams told Officers that he believed a car was in his way, so he made a wide turn. His vehicle struck a 2004 Chevy pickup driven by 22-year-old Anthony Anderson, of Creston, as the pickup was sitting stationary and waiting to turn right. Anderson told Police there was a car in front of the minivan, but no vehicle on the side of the road that would have caused Lewis to turn so wide at the intersection.

Damage from the collision amounted to a police-estimated $8,000. No citations were issued.