DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A termination letter shows that a member of the Iowa State Patrol was fired this month because of “intimidating, threatening and unwelcome” interactions with colleagues. The patrol fired Des Moines-based trooper Wade Karp on July 3 after a 10-month paid administrative leave. The agency had refused to explain the leave or reason for the termination, citing only violations of department rules.

In response to an appeal filed by The Associated Press, the patrol reversed course Friday and released a heavily redacted copy of Karp’s two-page termination letter under the open records law.

The document shows Karp was accused of violating the state’s violence-free workplace policy and engaging in “unbecoming conduct.” The letter says Karp interacted with employees in and out of the patrol in ways that were “intimidating, threatening and unwelcome” and that those actions reflected unfavorably and impaired department operations.

The department blacked out nearly half of the letter, claiming it contains confidential personnel information.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Iowa roads officials say high outdoor temperatures are to blame for the buckling of a large section of pavement along Interstate 380 in Cedar Rapids. Television station KCRG says the Iowa Department of Transportation was called around 6:30 p.m. Thursday after pavement on the inside lane of northbound I-380 heaved upward.

Some employees said it was the largest pavement heave they’ve ever seen. Officials estimate the pavement buckled about 14 inches in the center of the heave.

The Iowa State Patrol says five vehicles drove over the buckled pavement before troopers could shut down the lane. Officials say there was no visible damage to any of the vehicles and no injuries were reported.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police say no charges will be filed against a business owner who shot and killed a suspected burglar outside his business in southern Des Moines.
Des Moines police said Friday that 67-year-old Thomas Kraft checked security cameras at this business from his home Wednesday morning and saw the shop had been burglarized.

Police say Kraft drove to the business about two hours later and interrupted 37-year-old Amund Benjamin Haarstad, of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, loading items from the business into a stolen truck.

Police say Kraft retrieved a gun from inside the business after Haarstad threatened to kill Kraft. Kraft later went outside thinking Haarstad had left, but again encountered Haarstad. Police say Kraft fired a round into the ground, but the bullet ricocheted and hit Haarstad in the head.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A unique memorial service set for 5-year-old Garrett Matthias of central Iowa is matched only by the one-of-a-kind obituary the preschooler had a hand in authoring and that is now garnering national attention.
Garrett, of Van Meter, died July 6 of a rare cancer that attacked his temporal bone and cranial nerve.

His obituary mentions the painful treatments he endured, but it’s his funny take on life and death that’s getting noticed. It notes his likes: Playing with his sister, his blue bunny, thrash metal music. And his dislikes: Pants and dirty stupid cancer.
The obit closes with his last message, “See ya’ later, suckas! -The Great Garrett Underpants.”

Garrett’s memorial service on Saturday will include some of his last requests — like five bouncy houses. Also planned are snow cones, fireworks and a local archer who will shoot a flaming arrow onto a small boat carrying Garrett’s ashes into a neighbor’s pond.

CHESTER, Iowa (AP) — A sheriff says a man installing a boom extension on an old, truck-mounted construction crane in northern Iowa was crushed to death when the boom fell on him. Fifty-seven-year-old Timothy Brandau was pronounced dead at the scene Wednesday in Chester. An autopsy has been ordered. Howard County Sheriff Mike Miner said Friday that Brandau told acquaintances that he needed the extra boom length for a construction job. Miner says Brandau hadn’t set up any safety support and was struck when the top part of the boom suddenly fell after he knocked out a connection pin.
Miner says Brandau was working alone.

Brandau bought, sold and repaired construction equipment at his property in Chester, a town of about 125 people that sits on the Minnesota state line.

City officials in Exira say a Boil Advisory that had been issued Tuesday due to low or no water pressure in some parts of the City, has now been lifted. Test results showed no bacteria were found in the system after the problem was discovered.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports 49-year old Lori Leigh Richter, of Marne, was arrested on several charges, Thursday. Richter was taken into custody on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for (felony) Ongoing Criminal Conduct; two felony counts of Theft 1st Degree; and a felony count of Dependent Adult Abuse by Exploitation. Richter was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $50,000 bond. Also arrested Thursday, was 33-year old Elijah Lee Fecht, of Council Bluffs. His arrest was by order of a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Fecht was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $10,000 bond.

And, on Monday, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 40-year old Justin David Reading, of Marshfield, WI, on a charge of OWI 1st Offense. Reading was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $1,000 bond.

A man from Central Iowa was arrested following the high-speed pursuit of a motorcycle this (Friday) morning. Sgt. Marc Freeman with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office told KJAN News an Iowa State Patrol Trooper started the pursuit near Highway 71 in Cass County, during an attempted traffic stop. The man on the 2008 Ducati motorcycle, 18-year old Colton Fineran, of the Des Moines area, sped-off and led authorities through several communities, including the northern-most city limits of Atlantic past KJAN twice (southbound and northbound), before returning to Interstate 80 westbound.

Pursued cycle northbound on Olive Street just south of KJAN (Ric Hanson photo)

Sgt. Freeman said they had several deputies and other law enforcement stationed along the interstate, but there was no way to keep up with him, as speeds reached in excess of 120 miles per hour, to as much 150-miles per hour.  The man eventually exited I-80 and went into Neola, where observant citizens told authorities he tried to hide the cycle in a residential carport. Fineran was taken into custody without further incident. Sgt. Freeman said he was wanted on warrants out of central Iowa for Driving While Barred. Fineran now faces charges of Speeding, Eluding and an additional Driving While Barred charge.

He was transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail and booked-in.

WASHINGTON, Iowa (AP) — Iowa farmers are joining an effort to create a habitat statewide to save monarch butterflies from extinction. The Des Moines Register reports that Iowa’s two-decade-long effort is part of a 16-state regional plan to develop up to 7 million acres of habitat for the monarch’s migration east of the Rockies. Roughly 40 percent of all monarch butterflies that overwinter in Mexico come from Iowa and other Midwestern states.

The state plans to create up to 830,000 acres of habitat and plant nearly 190 million new stems of milkweed. About 1.6 billion stems are needed in the Midwest. Dozens of conservation, government, utility and agriculture groups support Iowa’s plan, including Farm Bureau, Monsanto and Syngenta. About $5.3 million in public and private funding is dedicated to the effort so far.

Numerous law enforcement agencies were involved in the high speed pursuit of a man on a “crotch rocket” type motorcycle this (Friday) morning. The chase entered the northern limits of Atlantic past the KJAN studios at around 9:25-a.m. The rider got to about the Troublesome Creek bridge on Olive Street,  where a road block was set up by Atlantic Police. The cycle turned around and went north on Olive to the interstate. Speeds were estimated at 125-to 130 miles per hour. At one point, the speeds were said to have reached 150-mph.

Pursued cycle northbound on Olive Street just south of KJAN (Ric Hanson photo)

When he flew past KJAN the man was wearing a helmet, white shirt, shorts or blue jeans, and was carrying a backpack. Law enforcement entities involved in the chase include Iowa State Patrol, Cass County Sheriff’s Department, Atlantic Police, Iowa Dept. of Motor Vehicle Enforcement and Iowa DNR.

KJAN listeners reported on our social media page that the cycle had been through Brayton and Exira at some points during the pursuit. After it left The Atlantic City limits and went northbound, the cycle went westbound on I-80 near Shelby, and eventually ended-up in Neola, where the subject was taken into custody. He faces numerous charges.

Additional information was not immediately available.