IOWA – Governor Kim Reynolds has ordered all flags in Iowa to fly at half-staff effectively immediately until sunset on the final day of interment in honor and remembrance of Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard of Marshalltown and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar of Grimes. Both were members of the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment. The two Iowa Army National Guard Soldiers were killed in an enemy attack Saturday, December 13th, in Palmyra, Syria.

WEST BRANCH – Public officials have called multiple crashes involving several vehicles in eastern Iowa this past weekend as a mass casualty event. WHO-13 reports the West Branch Fire Department called in several other departments to respond to multiple collisions that occurred while snow was falling along Interstate 80 on Saturday. More than 40 people were treated for injuries and the Interstate was shut down for several hours due to the crashes.

DES MOINES – A federal grand jury in Des Moines returned a nine-count indictment last week, charging multiple individuals with charges related to a racketeering conspiracy and money laundering. As alleged in the indictment, the charged individuals committed thefts of used cooking oil, which can be refined into biodiesel fuel and re-sold. Defendants drove trucks to restaurants and stole cooking oil from collection tanks located at restaurants throughout Iowa and ten other states. The accused then sold that cooking oil and laundered the proceeds. Thirteen people considered to be Chinese nationals were charged with racketeering conspiracy and other related federal criminal counts.