The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from eastern Iowa was arrested Thursday night on theft and burglary charges, following a traffic stop and pursuit. Authorities say 40-year old Zac Bratzel, of Marion, was arrested near 255th St. and Pecan Ave. in Guthrie County. He faces multiple charges related to two vehicle pursuits, a motor vehicle theft and burglary from Guthrie Center REC, along with drug charges. Bratzel was being held at the Guthrie County Jail awaiting an appearance before the Guthrie County Magistrate.

The incident leading to his arrest began when Bratzel fled from a Guthrie County Sheriff’s deputy following an attempted traffic stop west of Guthrie Center on Highway 44. The deputy tried to stop Bratzel’s vehicle, which was clocked at 109 MPH. The deputy pursued Bratzel into Guthrie Center and lost sight of the fleeing vehicle. At approximately 10-p.m, Thursday, a Guthrie Center citizen reported a vehicle theft in progress from Guthrie Center REC.

Law enforcement responded to the area and located the stolen REC vehicle as it was fleeing the scene south of Guthrie Center on gravel roads. After a short pursuit, the stolen vehicle pulled over and Bratzel was taken into custody without further incident.  The sheriff’s office was assisted by the Panora Police Department and the Iowa State Patrol. All criminal charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in the court of law.

Police in Council Bluffs say a convenience store was robbed today (Friday), at around 3-a.m.  Officers were dispatched to the Kwik Shop at 1749 W. Broadway for a reported robbery. Upon arrival officers made contact with the victim. The victim said he was returning to the store after taking out the trash, when the suspect approached the victim and displayed a handgun ordering the victim back into the store. Once inside the store the suspect then demanded money. The victim gave the suspect the money out of the register. There were no injuries reported.

The suspect left the store and fled west and then south. The victim told officers that he noticed a red Chevy truck pass the store a short time prior to the robbery. While officers were checking the area for the suspect they located a red Chevy truck. The truck had no plates and when officers investigated further they located the suspect hiding on the floor of the truck attempting to hide under a coat. The suspect’s name was not immediately released. He was was transported to the Criminal Investigation Division for further questioning. Inside the truck, officers located under a seat, a firearm matching the description given by the victim.

EVANSDALE, Iowa (AP) — Officials say the water tower in the Waterloo suburb of Evansdale is functioning again after a suspected ice blockage melted. Officials also lifted the boil order after tests showed Thursday that the water was safe for consumption. Residents and businesses lost water service for a time Monday, regaining it at lower pressure when well water was redirected into the system, bypassing the tower.

Water plant and system manager Mike Ellison suspects that ice had blocked a standpipe. Mayor Doug Faas says the rising temperature let the tower cure itself. The National Weather Service says the temperature at the Waterloo airport got down to 20 below zero (minus 29 Celsius) Monday morning.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — With Powerball and Mega Millions lottery games offering huge jackpots, some winners will also soon face enormous tax bills. Lowered federal income tax rates offer some relief, as the top rate would drop from 39.6 percent to 37 percent. But in most states, those changes are offset by limits on deducting state tax from federal taxes.

As Steven Rosenthal, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Tax Policy Center, puts it, “The new tax bill will not give any benefit to most lottery winners.” There are exceptions, as 10 states don’t tax lottery winnings. But in the others, the newly rich won’t get much of a break. The jackpot in tonight’s (Friday night’s) Mega Millions drawing is $445 million. The Powerball game’s top prize has reached $550 million for Saturday night’s drawing.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Police say a man suspected of threatening a Sioux City resident and trying to break into the victim’s house had to be rescued from a window well in the home.

Television station KCAU reports that police were called to the house after 1 a.m. Thursday and arrested 51-year-old Levin Nichols on a charge of attempted burglary. Police say Nichols had threatened to kill a resident of the home, then kicked out a basement window to the bedroom of the person he had threatened. Police say when he tried to enter through the broken window, he became stuck in the window well.

Police say Nichols was still stuck when officers arrived, and firefighters had to remove him. He’s being held in the Woodbury County Jail on $52,000 bond.