(Radio Iowa) – Democrats in the Iowa House are accusing House Republicans of engaging in political theater by assigning blame to the court system and to State Auditor Rob Sand — a Democrat — for the mis-allocation of about 25-million dollars in court fines and fees. Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports.

Computer software misdirected court fines and fees that should have gone to crime victims, county sheriffs’ departments and other agencies. House Republicans issued a report on Tuesday, blasting the court system for concealing the problem for three years and criticizing Sand for failing to fully investigate after his office was notified of the problem. House Democrats say Republicans on the House Government Oversight Committee are assigning blame to political opponents — Sand is running for governor — and they say House Republicans are failing to do a comprehensive, non-partisan investigation focused on solving a major problem in state government.

House Republicans on the Oversight Committee yesterday (Tuesday) called for a private company to take over distribution of court fines and fees And they suggested a private auditing firm should review how all the fines and fees paid to Iowa courts since the middle of 2020 were handled.

UPDATED 2/26/26:

CLARINDA, IOWA, February 25, 2026: The Page County Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday, that 36-year-old Nicholas Ivan Maher was found guilty, contrary to his plea, of one count of Domestic Abuse Assault by Strangulation, an aggravated misdemeanor, in Page County District Court after a two-day jury trial that began on February 24, 2026. The jury returned its verdict after 3 hours of deliberation.

Maher is currently free on bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled to take place on April 17, 2026. Maher faces a sentence that could include up to two years of incarceration and a $8,540.00 fine.

This case was investigated by the Shenandoah Police Department and prosecuted by the Page County Attorney’s Office.

Nicholas Ivan Maher

(Creston, IA) – The Creston Police Department reports a Polk County man was arrested Tuesday following an undercover online operation targeting individuals attempting to exploit minors. Creston Police Chief Cameron Hale says during the investigation, an officer posed as a 14-year-old female while communicating through an online platform. The suspect – 44-year-old Ryan Anderson, of Des Moines – and the undercover officer later transitioned communication to a texting platform. During the conversation, the undercover officer clearly stated she was 14 years old. Despite knowing the stated age, Anderson allegedly continued communication of a sexual nature, sent obscene material, and made arrangements to meet the purported minor for sexual purposes. He then drove to a predetermined meeting location, where he was taken into custody without incident.

Ryan Anderson was arrested and charged with:

• Enticing a Minor Under 16 for Sexual Purposes
• Grooming
• Dissemination and Exhibition of Obscene Material to a Minor

He was transported to the Union County Jail, where bond was set at $11,000 cash or surety. Anderson has since posted bond and was released, pending further court proceedings. The Creston Police Department says they remain “Committed to protecting children and proactively investigating crimes involving the exploitation of minors.”

A reminder: “All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House Ethics Committee has unanimously dismissed a complaint against two state representatives who are also state troopers. Cameron Stotz of Waukee filed the complaint, alleging it was a conflict of interest for the lawmakers to vote for a bill that would set the pay grades for troopers and other employees in the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Republican Representative Bill Gustoff of Des Moines is chairman of the Ethics Committee. “It would lead to no teachers could vote on education funding bills in this chamber,” Gustoff said, “and we think that’s absurd.” Gustoff says
unless a bill applies specifically to a job or a legislator’s specific investment, House rules allow members to vote on issues that may affect their employment.

Gustoff says he wishes the committee could fine Stotz for making a frivolous complaint. “I looked at it, dug into it and the legislature and its Ethics Committees don’t exist to pursue personal vendettas,” Gustoff said. “That’s kind of what looks like what happened here. Somebody got a tiket and wasn’t happy about it.” Republican Representative Joshua Meggers — one of the troopers named in the complaint — ticketed Stotz for speeding two summers ago. Meggers says Stotz has been trying to get him into trouble since then and has gone so far as to erroneously accuse him of driving his patrol vehicle back and forth to the Capitol during session — and getting a mileage reimbursement for that travel.

The other trooper named in the dismissed complaint was Republican Representative Zach Dieken of Granville.

(Mount Ayr, IA) – The Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Tue., Feb. 25th, of a Madison County man wanted on a Ringgold warrant for Willful Injury resulting in bodily injury, and Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree. 40-year-old Aaron James Mangum, of Earlham, was arrested at around 8:25-p.m., following a traffic stop in Ringgold County. Mangum was transported to the Ringgold Sheriff’s Office and held without bond until seen by a Judge.

Aaron Mangum (Ringgold County S/O photo)

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Senate has passed a bill that would let Iowans who are legally allowed to carry firearms have guns in their locked vehicles in state, county and city parking lots. Republican Senator Jason Schultz of Schleswig says the bill protects the Second Amendment rights of law abiding Iowans. “As they go about their day there should not be a place, funded by them, in which they have to stop. off premises, remove a constitutionally protected carry weapon to go to a place….in order to do their business with whatever level of government.”

Senator Art Staed, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, voted against the bill. He says unlike private property, state and local governments have a responsibility to ensure safety in public parking lots. “Allowing firearms in these spaces makes it more difficult for agents to protect employees and visitors and can complicate security planning for high-traffic facilities and for public events,” Staed said. The original bill would have let Iowans have guns in parked vehicles in the parking lots of Iowa community colleges, the three state supported universities and in the parking lots of Iowa’s K-through-12 schools — but those provisions were removed.

Senator Mike Zimmer, a Democrat from DeWitt, is a retired teacher, administrator and coach. Zimmer says he’s seen some angry people in the lines waiting to drop off or pick up students. “You can see the people’s faces getting (beet red). They get mad,” Zimmer said. “…I would prefer not to have people armed at that pick up or drop off time, so thank you for removing that.” Senator Herman Quirmbach, a Democrat from Ames, says tailgating parking lots should remain gun-free zones. “Sometimes post-game there are, let’s say, incidents of overtime competition even after the final result of the game is over,” Quirmbach said. “…Those are unfortunate sometimes and the last place we want guns to be available.”

The bill, which passed on a 35-to-12 vote, would also let Iowans have a loaded gun in a vehicle that’s transporting a child in foster care. The Iowa Senate gave nearly unanimous approval to a different bill that would let state lawmakers, judges, and the attorney general get a professional permit to carry a weapon. That bill passed on a 45-to-two vote.

(Greenfield, IA) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors, during their meeting this (Wednesday) morning, agreed to set March 11^th at 9:10-a.m., as the date and time for a Public Hearing on repealing a pipeline ordinance. Auditor Mandy Berg…

Supervisor Jodie Hoadley reiterated what she said during last week’s meeting, with regard to the ordinance….

The Board acknowledged receipt of the FY2025 Adair County Audit, which Mandy Berg said had the usual dings to fiscal accountability that most every county experiences.

The Supervisors approved Township Clerk wages, and a Grove Township Mowing contract with Mike Mangels, who has handled the job for the past few years. The Board discussed landowners’ requests to vacate a portion of 115^th Street, in Adair County. And, they passed a Resolution to set Compensation for Right-Of-Way and Temporary Easement Purchases.

They passed also, a Resolution for a FY26 Farm-to-Market road rock contract with Schildberg Construction – the only bidder – for $281,322, which was above the engineer’s bid of $256,000, and reflects their seven-percent increase in costs, such as trucking gravel to the work site. And they received a regular weekly report from Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman. The next meeting of the Adair County Board of Supervisors takes place at 9-a.m. on Tuesday, March 3rd.

(Radio Iowa) – Coralville leaders have voted to end the city’s contract for automated license plate readers, after months of residents asking for the cameras to be removed. City council members had previously signed a two-year, 36-thousand dollar contract with Flock Safety, which operates the city’s two cameras. Coralville resident Dan Wohlers spoke during a public comment period. “By choosing to move away from the Flock system tonight, you are showing that you’ve truly heard us,” Wohlers says. “Throughout this process, we’ve discussed the complexities of this technology, the concerns over data privacy, the importance of strict policy guardrails and the need for local control over our residents’ information.”

The law enforcement tool is controversial as it uses artificial intelligence to capture images of license plates and models of passing vehicles. Several other Iowa communities are considering renewing their contracts with plate reader vendors or signing new ones. Coralville city council member Huy Huynh says there has been broad community opposition to the city’s contract with Flock Safety. “I can honestly say that in my mailbox, in my text messages, in my conversations with community members, that there has been some support,” Huynh says, “but the number of supporters for Flock: minute, compared to the number that is against it.”

City Administrator Kelly Hayworth says Flock will remove the cameras within days but did not provide specifics. Nearby, city officials in Iowa City ended a temporary right-of-use agreement with the University of Iowa earlier this month that allowed ALPRs operated by the university to be placed on city property. All those cameras have been removed. A recent report from the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa suggests the use of automatic license plate readers is expanding in Iowa. It found Cedar Rapids has the most cameras in the state at 76, while West Des Moines has 64 cameras, and Clinton County has 58.

(Glenwood, IA) – The Glenwood Police Department says three people were arrested between Feb. 20th and the 25th. On Feb. 25th, 19-year-old Destiny Rae Lacefield, of Thurman (IA), was arrested in Glenwood for OWI/1st offense, Possession of Marijuana/1st offense, and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia. Her bond was set at $2,300 altogether.

On Sunday, Feb. 22nd, Glenwood Police arrested 35-year-old Hannah Marie May, of Glenwood, for OWI/1st offense. Her bond was set at $1,000. And, on the 20th, 35-year-old Kevin Bradley Mendicino, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Driving While Barred. Bond was set at $2,000.

(Red Oak, IA) – Police in Red Oak arrested a man on several charges, including a felony charge related to the use of an explosive device, following an investigation into a loud explosion that occurred late Tuesday night in the area of 600 Hammond Street. Officers arrived on the scene and located a device that had exploded next to the Methodist Church. They were quickly able to obtain surveillance video of a man igniting the device, and running into a nearby apartment.

Officers with the Red Oak Police Department and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant in the 600 block of Reed Street, and at around 10:42-p.m.,  arrested 42-year-old Matthew David Sloan, of Red Oak.

Sloan faces the following charges:

• Possession of an Incendiary Device with Intent – a Class C Felony.
• Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine- 2nd Offense (An Aggravated Misdemeanor), and
• Disorderly Conduct/Loud Noise – a Simple Misdemeanor.

Sloan was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $10,000 bond.