POLK CITY, Iowa – The Iowa DNR Law Enforcement Bureau continues to investigate a boat crash that left five people injured after it crashed into a pillar of the Mile Long Bridge at Saylorville Lake on Monday, July 5th.

The single-boat crash happened around 6:15pm. The owner and operator of the boat was Steven Starrett, 38, of Pleasant Hill. The four passengers on the boat that were injured were:

• Thorne Glasgow, 30, Indianola
• Clayton McKenzie, 19, Prole
• Mattie George, 23, Norwalk
• Alexander Buck, 30, Des Moines

The DNR does not currently have condition updates on those injured in the crash.

DES MOINES, Iowa – This (Tuesday) afternoon, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s Crime Laboratory positively identified the body found in rural Adair County on July 1, 2021 as that of 58-year old Timothy Fechter. Since being reported missing to the Creston Police Department on June 20, law enforcement had been searching the south central part of the state for Fechter. On July 1, Adair County deputies found Fechter’s body just off of 320th Street, near the intersection of York Avenue.

Tim Fechter

Based on the circumstances of his disappearance and the discovery of his death, the Division of Criminal Investigation, along with the Creston Police Department, Union County Sheriff’s Office, and the Adair County Sheriff’s Office continued to investigate Fechter’s death as suspicious.  The exact cause and manner of death for Timothy Fechter are pending further examination by the Office of the State Medical Examiner.

There is no known threat to the public associated with this investigation. Anyone with information surrounding the death of Timothy Fechter is asked to call Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater at 641-743-2148 (corrected phone number).

(Radio Iowa) – Firefighters in the Des Moines suburb of Clive had to shut down a street for two hours after fireworks in a storage unit caught fire just after midnight. Clive Fire Chief Rick Roe says the fireworks in the 40-foot container were burning when they arrived in what he called an “extremely hazardous” situation. Roe says it appeared explosions had pushed out the sides and roof of the container owned by the Iowa Fireworks Company.

Firefighters were eventually able to put out the fire by shooting water through air holes in the container. Clive Police are trying to determine how the fire started, and the damage is estimated at 10-thousand dollars.

(Radio Iowa) – State officials have released five years’ worth of satisfactory inspection reports for the Adventureland ride that was the site of a fatal accident this weekend The Raging River ride was inspected last Friday. The inspector found “no code violations at this time” according to a notation at the bottom of the inspection report.

Nineteen different items on the ride are listed as satisfactory, including the chains and belts that run the ride as well as procedures for training the ride’s operators and responding to emergencies. Inspection reports from previous years were also released, showing the ride has passed safety checks dating back to 2017.

An 11-year-old boy died and his older brother is in critical condition after one of the rafts on the Raging River overturned Saturday. The ride had just opened for the season this Saturday after passing Friday’s inspection. Altoona officials have not released where the children are from, but the Associated Press reports recent court documents list a Cedar Rapids address. The boys’ parents were also injured on the ride.

(Radio Iowa) The summer heat is here but Iowans are being advised against swimming in seven state park lakes due to elevated e-coli levels and toxic algae blooms tied to agricultural runoff. So far, Lake Darling in southeast Iowa is the only beach in the state with both advisories in place. Diane Rosenberg, of the advocacy group Jefferson County Farmers & Neighbors, says the pollution is causing a major loss for families.

“I used to bring my children when they were young to the lake all the time. We would go and have a nice afternoon there,” Rosenberg says. “I would never do that if I had small children again. I just wouldn’t do that. It’s just not healthy. It’s not safe right now.” Taxpayers and private donors funded a multi-million-dollar restoration at Lake Darling State Park that was completed in 2014. Rosenberg says a lack of regulation of nearby livestock operations have degraded the lake, despite the investments to improve it.

“Why bother to raise $16 million and get a whole community of people working to create this beautiful lake to make it more available and clean it up if you’re not going to have practices that protect it?” Rosenberg says. Advisories are also posted for the lakes at the following state parks: Backbone, Lake Keomah, Pine Lake, Prairie Rose, Rock Creek and Union Grove.

(By Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – A Davenport man has been sentenced to a dozen years in prison afer pleading guilty to witness tampering. Thirty-five-year-old Stephen Wayne Toliver admits he hit a woman with a gun so hard she was knocked unconscious. In a plea agreement, Toliver admits he made false accusations against the victim’s family members, prompting investigations by Dubuque Police and state social workers that ultimately cleared the family of any wrong-doing.

According to a news release from the U-S Attorney’s Office, Toliver also sent a threatening letter to the woman he assaulted.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous arrests occurred over the past week. Most recently, a traffic stop Monday afternoon on a vehicle with no license plates and speeding on Highway 92 near Treynor, resulted in the arrest of 25-year-old Daryl Cleveland Smith-Watkins, from Council Bluffs. He was taken into custody for Operating a Non-Registered Vehicle, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Possession of a controlled substance/marijuana – 1st offense. Bond was set at $1,300.

Late Sunday night, 31-year-old Richard Allen Petersen was arrested at a residence on State Orchard Road in Council Bluffs, with regard to an adult male who allegedly assaulted a minor. Petersen was charged with Child Endangerment with bodily injury, Child Endangerment with Substantial Risk, and Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense – causing bodily injury.  Sunday morning, Pott. County Deputies arrested 22-year-old Liam M. Fahey, following a traffic stop in Avoca. He was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Poss. of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – 1st offense, and Speeding.  And, a little before 2-am Sunday, a traffic stop on a vehicle in Council Bluffs, resulted in the arrest of a 17-year-old female for Possess/Purchase of Alcohol by a Minor. She was turned over to Juvenile Court Services. 19-year-old Erika Kay Miller, of Missouri Valley, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, and Willful Failure to stop for law enforcement. Her total bond was set at $6,000.

At around 9:50-am, Saturday, a traffic stop in Council Bluffs resulted in the arrest of a wanted subject. 28-year-old Jonathan James Gruber, of Council Bluffs, was taken into custody for Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree, and Domestic Abuse Assault/Strangulation. He was being held in the Pott. County Jail on a $2,000 bond. Late Friday morning, a Pott. County Deputy engaged in the pursuit of a 2012 Toyota RAV4, in Council Bluffs. At the conclusion of the pursuit, 28-year-old Roland Leland Nelson was arrested for Eluding, having no valid driver’s license, and speeding.

The body of a Fort Dodge man was discovered over the weekend inside the freezer of a vacant restaurant. KCCI reports Police in Fort Dodge said the body of 56-year-old Terry Brogan was discovered at around 2-p.m. Saturday, at the restaurant in the 100 block of South 25th Street., in Ft. Dodge. Authorities said since the business closed, it had become an area where homeless individuals would occasionally seek shelter.

In a news release, Police said “While there were no immediate signs of foul play, we are exploring all avenues to determine the timeline of events that led to Mr. Brogan’s death.” The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Fort Dodge Police Department.

(Radio Iowa) – Senator Joni Ernst was in Europe this weekend, meeting with U-S military commanders and Iowans who’re deployed overseas. Ernst spent the 4th of July with Iowa National Guard soldiers deployed in Kosovo. Ernst met with Kosovo’s president and other government officials on Saturday. On Friday, Ernst met with Iowans who’re in the Army and stationed in Germany and Belgium. Ernst got to Europe last Thursday and her first meeting was in Germany with the head of U-S military operations in Africa.

Senator Ernst and Iowa National Guard soldiers.

On Friday in Belgium, she met with the Supreme Allied Commander of U-S military operations in Europe. Ernst is a former Iowa National Guard commander and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Sen. Ernst with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.