DAVENPORT – Nine Quad Cities men were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a racketeering conspiracy, which included charges for murder, attempted murder, and drug trafficking. According to court documents, the Fifth Street gang members, also known as the “Arsenal Courts Posse,” “Zone Fifth,” “Fifth Street Mafia,” “Rock Town Money Getters,” and “Money Team,” were associates of a coordinated violent criminal enterprise based out of Rock Island, Illinois, but engaged in racketeering activity in Davenport. Don Christopher White, Jr., Raheem Jacques Houston, Deaguise Ramont Hall, Michael Linn Cross, Devell Carl Lewis, Lashawn D James Hensley, Simmeon Terrell Hall, Devante Atwell French, and Cortez Deangelo Cooper, Jr., were sentenced to federal prison time on December 20th for their roles in the organization.

IOWA – The average acre of farm value declined in 2024, according to a recently released survey from Iowa State University. The Des Moines Register reports a drop of $369, due to higher interest rates, inflationary costs, and falling commodity prices. Values had been on an upward trend for the previous five years, but profits have dropped by 25% over the past two years. The biggest drops in value came over the northwestern third of Iowa, while multiple counties in the southern two tiers grew significantly.