DES MOINES – A Des Moines man was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a child and for possessing child pornography. According to court documents, in 2005 and again from at least 2013 to 2015, 62-year-old Jeffrey Walter Gray, exploited and attempted to exploit dozens of minors to produce child pornography on more than one hundred occasions. Gray did so through the photography business he owned and operated in the Des Moines area. Unbeknownst to clients, Gray placed hidden cameras in the dressing areas at Wicked Imagery’s photography studios to capture videos of minor children undressing. To date, investigators have identified over 20 children impacted. TAMA COUNTY – A Dysart teenager was killed in a collision Wednesday evening. The Iowa State Patrol reports a Volkwagen GTI driven by 19-year-old Jason Thomas Payne was southbound on Highway 21 when it collided with a towing trailer in the northbound lane. Payne died from his injuries and Mark and Jeanne Bagenstos, who were both in a Ford F-150 carrying the trailer, were both injured.DES MOINES – In an ongoing dispute among Polk County leadership, Supervisor Tom Hockensmith is accused of trying to fight with fellow supervisors after County Administrator John Norris was placed on administrative leave. The Des Moines Register reports the Polk County Sheriff’s Office has a report on file related to a confrontation and attempted firing of Norris. There are several ongoing legal disputes as part of what is described as a power struggle in Iowa’s largest county. Norris claims newly-elected Republican supervisors Jill Altringer and Mark Holm asked Norris to resign from the role. Supervisor Chair Matt McCoy says the board has decided to fire the administrator.

DUBUQUE COUNTY – One person died and three others were injured in a three-vehicle collision in Dubuque County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a head-on collision occurred on U.S. Highway 52 on Tuesday afternoon, which prompted a third car to get involved. The driver who died was 36 years old, according to the report. The crash is the first fatal accident reported the Iowa DOT of 2025, according to their daily tracker. IOWA CITY – Police identified a woman considered a suspicious death by the Iowa City Police Department. Thirty-three year old Victoria Skarda was found dead on Camden Road Monday morning. The Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting an investigation. Police are asking citizens for any possible leads. IOWA – Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services announced the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services has approved the State’s extension of postpartum coverage for new mothers. The current coverage for mothers is just 60 days, but the new law expands coverage for twelve months post-birth for families within the 215% federal poverty level. Implementation of the postpartum coverage was set to begin this month, but due to delays in approval from the federal government, the implementation date is still forthcoming.

OTTUMWA – An Ottumwa man faces a human traffic charge following an investigation. A press release by the Ottumwa Police Department indicates 57-year-old Jean-Baptiste Stinfort also faces a count of 2nd degree sexual abuse after his arrest on Monday. Police alleged that Stinfort paid the juvenile victim to engage in sex acts with him for approximately three years on several occasions. DES MOINES – The Polk County Administrator has been placed on leave and says he was asked to resign with a new Board of Supervisors in charge. The Des Moines Register reports John Norris is a former head of the Iowa Democratic Party, and was asked to step down by two new Republican board members, Jill Altringer and Mark Holm. He cannot be terminated without a majority vote by the board. This comes after several years of legal woes for Polk County and accusations of political-based hires.DAVENPORT – A fire in Davenport resulted in three deaths Monday morning. KWQC reports two others were injured following the blaze that started at a house just after 3 a.m. The Davenport Fire Department learned several people were inside as they were fighting the fire. Heavy smoke and fire were coming from the building upon arrival.

DAVENPORT – A Bettendorf man was arrested for an attempted murder charge following an alleged stabbing Saturday. KWQC reports 58-yearold Wesley E. Spotts is accused of attacking a 24-year-old man found with multiple stab wounds at a Walmart. Police say the two were arguing prior to the stabbing. WAUKEE – A report released recently details how a young Waukee boy was killed by a statue in Arizona over the Thanksgiving Holiday. The Des Moines Register reports eight-year-old Luke Linnett died on November 28th after a piece of concrete from a statue struck him the day before. Police say no foul play was suspected and the death was officially ruled an accident. Video footage showed the boy attempted to climb an unsecured statue, and it toppled on him. IOWA – Dry air prevented heavy snow from impacting southern Iowa as a major winter storm blistered through Kansas and Missouri over the weekend. While winter storm warnings were issued for the southern tier of counties, those were cancelled by Sunday morning. However, the heavy snow still impacted travel at the Des Moines International Airport to the south and on roads to the south.

IOWA – The Iowa DOT is warning travelers about falling and potentially heavy blowing snow is expected to create dangerous driving conditions in the southern two tiers of Iowa counties late Saturday into Sunday. Normal winter driving conditions may be present throughout most of the state, however they may deteriorate very quickly for those traveling into the path of the storm south, west, and east into bordering states. Travelers are urged to plan ahead and check road conditions along their entire route.WASHINGTON D.C. – Senator Chuck Grassley will resume his role as president pro tempore in the Senate as the new Congress was sworn in on Friday. The Gazette reports Grassley will be third in presidential succession behind Vice President-elect J.D. Vance and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson once Trump and Vance are inaugurated on January 20th. Grassley will also serve as the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee — a role he held previously before Democrats assumed narrow control of the U.S. Senate in 2021. IOWA – Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and the Department of Public Safety released information on Friday warning Iowans to be aware of a new wave of “grandparent scams.” Several Iowa communities throughout the state have recently reported efforts by criminal groups to swindle predominately older Iowans. In a grandparent scam, con artists call the victim posing as a grandchild and claiming they have been in an accident, hospitalized, jailed, or even in a foreign country, then ask the grandparent to send money to help them. At times, these scammers will go as far as to send an alleged courier to the grandparent’s home to retrieve the money. Iowans suspicious of a grandparent scam should immediately contact local law enforcement for assistance and report the scam to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.