CENTERVILLE, IA (IRN) – Schools in Centerville went in lock-down status on Thursday. According to the Centerville School District, law enforcement was trying to locate and apprehend a person considered potentially dangerous. In response, all school facilities were locked down. Police were able to take the person into custody and no further security measures were needed.

DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – The Dubuque County Recorder is warning the public to “stay away” from county offices. Recorder John Murphy says there has been a recent COVID outbreak in numerous departments. He says the departments work closely together and their department head does not require staff to wear masks, yet they are still working with the public on a daily basis. Murphy says he is “incredibly disappointed with the county response to COVID.”

AMES, IA (IRN) – Elementary school students in Ames will be going back to class full-time. One reason was class scores, specifically for first graders. Literacy assessment benchmarks for first graders went from 75% in 2019 down to 50% this year.

HIAWATHA, IA (IRN) – The Hiawatha Police Department is warning people to watch out for a large bobcat or a mountain lion. Two people who saw the animal described it as light brown or blonde about three feet long with a two foot long tail.

MASON CITY, IA (IRN) – A Mason City police dog was able to find a 2-year-old boy who wandered away from his family’s rural home and through a wooded area along a creek on Tuesday. Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s deputies searched the property and called in a drone to help search for the boy, but it was Mason City K-9 Kilo who tracked the boy along a creek to a neighbor’s property. Police believe the boy was following the family dog when he wandered off. He’s OK.