Police in Red Oak say an 11-year old male faces a Reckless use of Fire charge, following an investigation into a garage/house fire that took place Wednesday evening. The youth’s name was not released because of his age. The blaze, which was reported at around 7:15-p.m., Wednesday, destroyed a residence at 211 West Reed Street. Authorities filed charges upon completion of a joint investigation by officials with Red Oak Police, Red Oak Fire Department and the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Red Oak Fire Chief John Bruce told KJAN News Thursday, that the blaze appeared to have started in a garage next to the home, which had been converted into three apartments.  The Chief says the first crews on the scene saw flames shooting out of the garage, which extended into the two-story residence. Two people resided in one of the apartments, but they were able to safely escape, despite having no working smoke detectors to alert them to the danger.

He said because the building had gone through numerous renovations, there were three voids, or spaces between the apartments, that made the fire hard to fight. Mutual aid was requested from the Elliott, Villisca, and Essex Fire & EMS, Emerson and Stanton Fire, and assistance from several emergency agencies, such as the Red Oak Police, Montgomery County Communications, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Montgomery County EMA, and the American Red Cross.

Crews were on the scene for about five-hours. No injuries were reported. The home was a total loss.

Sheriff’s deputies in Montgomery County, Friday afternoon, arrested a woman from Adams County. 49-year old Donna Marie Hansen, of Corning, was arrested at around 1:45-p.m. on a warrant for Harassment in the 2nd Degree. Hansen was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CDT

RED OAK, Iowa (AP) — The Democrats’ national bus tour is motoring through Iowa, targeting vulnerable House Republicans who voted to repeal Obamacare. The ultimate goal for the party is upending the GOP majority in next year’s midterm elections. The vote against the Obama health care law looms large for 21 GOP lawmakers, including Iowa congressmen David Young and Rod Blum. It was politically tough vote with no payoff, as health care collapsed in the Senate.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines woman has been sentenced to prison for embezzling thousands of dollars while working for Bankers Trust. Station KCCI reports that 34-year-old Lacey Nicolino was sentenced Thursday in federal court to five months in prison for embezzlement. She also was ordered to pay nearly $70,000 in restitution to Bankers Trust. Nicolino pleaded guilty in March.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A disbarred Iowa attorney has been sentenced to prison for mail fraud. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa says 52-year-old Dennis Bjorklund, of Coralville, was sentenced Friday to 30 months in federal prison. He had pleaded guilty in March to 11 counts of mail fraud in a scheme to bilk his own clients charged with drunken driving by having them donate to a phony substance abuse charity he had set up.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The FBI has raided a Catholic Worker House in Des Moines looking for property of two women accused of damaging an oil pipeline that crosses Iowa and three other states. The Des Moines Register reports that about 30 armed agents and other officers entered the Catholic Workers’ Berrigan House around 6 a.m. Friday and left hours later with about 20 bags and boxes.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Three LeMars residents are each charged with forgery and theft following a counterfeiting investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation with assistance from the LeMars Police Department, Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, and Sioux City Police Department.

Brittany Anne Derby, age 29, and Jackelen Danielle Hartsock, age 27, were arrested on Tuesday, August 9th, 2017. Kurt Walter Jones, age 26, was arrested on Friday August 11th, 2017.  Each was charged with felony forgery and misdemeanor theft in Woodbury County.

According to the criminal complaints filed: The investigation stemmed after the defendants were observed making or attempting several cash transactions (purchases and cash change outs) at the Hard Rock Casino located in Sioux City on Saturday, August 5th, 2017. The paper cash used was found to be falsified counterfeit bills resembling US currency.

The investigation is still on-going.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The FBI has raided a Catholic Worker House in Des Moines looking for property of two women accused of damaging an oil pipeline that crosses Iowa and three other states. The Des Moines Register reports that about 30 armed agents and other officers entered the Catholic Workers’ Berrigan House around 6 a.m. Friday and left hours later with about 20 bags and boxes.

Former Catholic priest Frank Cordaro, who lives at the house, says the agents had a search warrant seeking property of Jessica Reznicek and Ruby Montoya, who also live at the house. The warrant said items sought included financial records, clothing, computers, and tools capable of cutting metal.

The women have a history of arrests for protesting the $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline that crosses North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois. Last month, they announced they had burned construction machinery, cut through pipe valves and set fires along the pipeline route.

(A-P) — The Democrats’ national bus tour is motoring through Iowa, targeting vulnerable House Republicans who voted to repeal Obamacare. The ultimate goal for the party is upending the GOP majority in next year’s midterm elections.  The vote against the Obama health care law looms large for 21 GOP lawmakers, including Iowa congressmen David Young and Rod Blum, who represent competitive congressional districts where Democrat Hillary Clinton won or came close in last year’s presidential election.

It was politically tough vote with no payoff, as health care collapsed in the Senate. The bus stopped in Cedar Rapids, the biggest city in Blum’s eastern Iowa district. Emblazoned with “Drive for our Lives,” the black-and-gray motor coach was parked in downtown Cedar Rapids for a rally with about a dozen people.