TAMA COUNTY— Officials in Tama County report that they have been in contact with Arkansas authorities after a vehicle linked to an Eastern Iowa man was found in Johnson County, Arkansas. KCCI-TV reports that a 2012 Mini Cooper belonging to 22-year-old Nicholas Collins was located at an abandoned trailhead in the Ozark National Forest without its license plates Thursday morning. According to a press release from the Tama County Sheriff’s Office, Collins has not been seen or heard from since December 19th. Anyone with information on Collins’ whereabouts is urged to call the Tama County Sheriff’s Office.

SIOUX CITY— A teenager has been accused of fatally stabbing another person in Sioux City on New Year’s Day. KTIV-4 reports that the Sioux City Police Department was called to a home for the report of a disturbance between family members at around 11:20 am on January 1st. According to Sioux City Police Sergeant John Sanders, a 17-year-old boy, identified as JK Athreee, was taken into custody and booked on one count of first-degree murder murder. According to court documents, Athreee told his family there was a dead body in a car found in a nearby alley. Upon arrival, officers found Jermel Ellington of Sioux City in a vehicle with 16 stab wounds. Ellington was taken to the hospital for treatment, but was declared deceased. Court records indicate that witnesses and family members told law enforcement that Athreee had come inside the home shortly after 11 am, and asked for assistance in helping hide things. Athreee allegedly told law enforcement in an interview that he and Ellington had issues with each other over the past month.

DES MOINES— The Des Moines Police Department says preliminary data for 2025 shows a decline in the number of homicides and traffic fatalities in the city compared to 2024. WHO-13 reports that detectives in the Crimes Against Persons section investigated 10 homicides in 2025 compared to 15 in 2024. The Des Moines Police Department Traffic Unit investigated only 12 traffic fatalities in 2025 compared to 18 in 2024, and in total, police reports were down by over 1,000. A comprehensive report of the 2025 data will be released to the public at a later date.