DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) – Avian flu has been confirmed in several wild bird flocks in central Iowa, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. KCCI reports that Maffitt Reservoir near Des Moines is closed while workers dispose of dozens of dead birds found there. Officials say there is no public health risk and drinking water is safe.

Central Iowa Water Works has confirmed that drinking water is safe because the treatment process eliminates viruses and bacteria.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections, Monday, said a man convicted of in the Robbery 2nd Degree in Jefferson County, failed to report back to the Davenport Work Release/OWI Center as required on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025.

Darrian Lee Nicholson (IA-DOC photo)

27-year-old Darrian Lee Nicholson was admitted to the work release facility on Aug. 18, 2025. Nicholson is a  5’3″, 157-pound White male.  Persons with information on Nicholson’s whereabouts should contact local police.

For more information on the state’s work release program, please see Iowa Code 904.901-904.910.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa City Police Department has put out a warrant for a Nebraska man they believe planned and carried out an ATM burglary. Police say Darnell Gordon, 43, from Omaha, worked with several people to break into an Urban Fuel in Iowa City around 3:15 a.m. on August 3rd. After the break-in, police say they used a rented U-Haul to steal an ATM containing $4,000.

Investigators say Gordon’s cell phone records, including Google searches and his communications with others, place him at the scene at the time the crime happened and show his plans to carry out the crime.

He is wanted on charges of second-degree theft and third-degree burglary.

(Radio Iowa) – Starting this Thursday — January 1st — Iowans caught handling a smart phone while driving a vehicle could get a 170 dollar ticket, including the fine, court fees and other charges. The law took effect July 1st, but officers have been issuing warnings rather than citations. By the end of November, Iowa State Patrol Sergeant Alex Dinkla says state troopers had issued about 10-thousand warnings.

“Then also giving little educational pamphlets out to help educate the do’s, the don’t s and just trying to make people aware of the new law,” Dinkla says. Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau Chief Brett Tjepkes says they learned from other states with so-called “hands free” laws that a warning period or soft roll out was important, so his agency printed 60-thousand cards to educate motorists.

“And so law enforcement are handing them out. They’re in every rest area. They’re in every drivers license station in the state of Iowa,” Tjepkes said. “We don’t want to have to come to the citation. We want to educate people and make them aware as much as possible.” Tjepkes says you don’t have to have a new vehicle with hands-free technology to comply with the new law.

“Almost every phone that’s out there will make a hands free call. You can ask Siri or ask Alexa or even just one touch that the law allows for,” Tjepkes said, “but you can’t have the phone in your hand.” That one touch is for answering a call with a tap on the screen. Law enforcement agencies say it was hard to enforce Iowa’s previous law, which banned texting while driving. Sergeant Dinkla says beyond sending a text, there was some confusion about what drivers were allowed to do with a cell phone while driving.

“This new law, it stripped all that gray out, so it’s pretty cut and dried right now,” Dinkla said. “You cannot have that cell phone in your hand, period.” Dinkla has issued warnings to drivers over the past few months who told him they had no idea they could not hold their phone while driving. Dinkla says some drivers can’t resist the temptation of responding to the chime from the phone, indicating they’ve gotten a new text.

“Have that willpower not to answer the phone or answer that message and that’s our hope, is that people one day will get there,” Dinkla said. “We used to be there at one point, where we didn’t have that temptation.” In 2011, about a third of all Americans owned a cell phone. Now, 98 percent have one.

Dinkla and Tjepkes made their comments during a recent appearance on “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S.

(Radio Iowa) – The annual “University of Okoboji Winter Games” in northwest Iowa begin in less than four weeks — and there’s chili on the schedule. The chili cook-off will be held in the Dickinson County Expo Building in Spirit Lake on Friday, January 23rd. Iowa Great Lakes Chamber of Commerce director Blain Andera says due to space limitations, the first 27 teams that enter online can participate. “There’s no registration fee of any sort,” he says. “They just have to provide a lot of chili.” At least 20 gallons of chili.

“We don’t want to run out of chili at six o’clock when it goes until seven, so we certainly want to have enough for everybody to sample every type of chili,” Andera said. “The vendors don’t want to run out either because if they run out, then people won’t be able to vote for them.” Teams are not only competing for the “Best Overall Chili” award, but to win “Best Non-Profit” and “Best Booth” in the contest. “Lights, Camera, Action” is this year’s theme for the booth decorating.

(Image courtesy of University of Okoboji Winter Games)

The news release for the event encourages the chili-makers to key in on “Chili Wonka and the Flavor Factory” and showcase their favorite movie. Organizers expect up to two-thousand people to sample the chilis and cast their votes. All sort of other events — indoors and out — are scheduled for the University of Okoboji games, including a cribbage tournament and a 5-K fun run through the Arnolds Park Amusement Park.

The fictional University of Okoboji, home of the Fighting Phantoms, was founded in the 1970s by three brothers — who printed t-shirts with a University of Okoboji crest.

• Hometown Connections: Builds partnerships to expand health care options in rural areas.
• Combat Cancer: A statewide effort to improve cancer prevention, treatment, and outcomes.
• Communities of Care: Supports projects that bring different types of providers together under one roof.
• Health Information Exchange: Makes health records accessible across Iowa so patients can get care wherever they are.
• Community Care Mobile: Invests in telehealth and mobile health care programs, including high-risk maternal transport.

(Radio Iowa) – The price of Iowa farmland has only dropped once in the last seven years and that’s likely because the ownership profile hasn’t changed much. Rabail Chandio oversees the annual I-S-U extension farmland price survey. “Iowa is primarily a market for farmland that is held up by farmers, existing, relocating. Even investors here comprised mostly of farmers, out-of-state farmers who are interested in farmland in Iowa,” Chandio says. She says farmers are in for the long haul.

“Farmland continues to be a very stable, very consistently growing asset, which is why the demand from farmers, the demand from investors, has remained as a top supporting factor for farmland over the last few years,” she says. Chandio says investing in farmland isn’t playing the stock market. “There is very low risk for returns that are pretty much expected, pretty much guaranteed. The returns are low, but they are safe,” she says. Chandio says figures from another survey on farmland ownership show 84 percent of Iowa farmland is owned debt free.

“What we also see in that in that survey is that 66 percent of Iowa farmland is owned by experienced farmers, by late stage farmers, farmers were aged 65 and above,” Chandio says. “So the combination of debt -free ownership and experience is what really helps build up the cash reserves. What really helps keep the strong demand for farmland in the farm sector, even when it’s a loss share even when we are struggling when it comes to income.”

Chandio says the ownership hold on farmland is usually only broken when farmers decides to pass it on to family, or they die. “Overall, retried farmers and estate sales continued to make of the largest categories of sales in Iowa farmland markets. This has been true for quite a long time,” she says. Chandio says she doesn’t see that sales trends changing anytime soon.

(Atlantic, IA) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports five arrests took place between Dec. 11th and the 29th.

On Dec. 27th, deputies in Cass County arrested 40-year-old Shawna Kay Bolton, of Glenwood, for Possession of Controlled Substance. Bolton was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and later released on her own recognizance.

On the 21st: 51-year-old Brian Lee Carlson, of Elk Horn, was arrested for OWI-1st Offense, and person Ineligible to Carry a Weapon. Carlson was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and later released on bond; And, 30-year-old Matthew Allen Strong, of Exira, turned himself in on an active warrant for Violation of Probation. Strong was booked into the Cass County Jail and held.

On December 18th, 31-year-old John Mark Topham,  of Griswold, turned himself in on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant for Theft 3rd Degree, and two counts of Nuisance – Obstructing Land Passage. Topham was booked into the Cass County Jail where he was later released on bond.

And, on December 16th, Cass County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 27-year-old William Cody Shepard, of Urbandale, on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant for Theft 4th Degree. Shepard was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and later released on bond.
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All criminal charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in the court of law.

(Red Oak, IA) – The Red Oak Police Department reports a man was arrested Sunday evening on a felony charge of Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree (A Class-D Felony). 18-year-old Matthew Kevin Miller, Jr., of Red Oak, was arrested at around 5-p.m. in the 400 block of E. Washington Avenue. Miller was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

Authorities say six juveniles were arrested for the same violation. Their names and disposition were not released.

(Glenwood, IA) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office has issued a report on arrests that occurred between Dec. 22nd and the 28th. Those arrested include:

• On Dec. 22nd: 53-year-old Adam Michael Blackman, of Malvern, was arrested on felony charges of Failure To Appear (FTA) on original charges in June, that include Child Endangerment and Possession of a Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine. Blackman posted a total cash/surety bond of $10,000, and is scheduled to appear in court January 5th.
• On Dec. 24th, Mills County deputies arrested 39-year-old Clinton Daniel Wostrel, of Nebraska City, NE. He was arrested on Interstate 29 near Pacific Junction, for OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000.
• Mills County Deputies arrested 31-year-old Cody Michael Fischer, of Omaha, on Dec. 26th. He was taken into custody on I-29 south of Council Bluffs, for Assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. Bond was set at $2,000.
• The following day (Dec. 27), 55-year-old Dean Allen Drake, of Silver City, was arrested in Henderson for Theft in the 4th Degree (re: property valued more than $300 but less than $750). His bond was set at $1,000; 36-year-old Geoffrey Oliver Johnston, of Lincoln, NE, was arrested Dec. 27th in Glenwood, for: Public Intoxication; Assault w/Bodily Injury, and Disorderly Conduct – Fighting or Violence. His total was set at $1,600; 34-year-old Blake Ryon Cummings, of Glenwood, was arrested at the same location on Garfield Lane, Dec. 27th. He was charged with: Public Intoxication; Assault w/Bodily Injury; Assault; Domestic Abuse Assault; Disorderly Conduct – Fighting or Violence, and Child Endangerment. Bond was set at $3,000.
• And finally, on Dec. 28th, Mills County deputies arrested 27-year-old Sarah Jeanette Croson, of Council Bluffs, for Theft in the 2nd Degree (re: a loss between $1,500-and $10,000). Bond was set at $5,000.