FREMONT – A Fremont man was arrested for first-degree murder charges related to a Sunday shooting. WHO-13 reports the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office arrested 45-year-old Michael Joseph Lee. He’s accused of killing 45-year-old David Michael Dyke of Rose Hill at the Casey’s store in town. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is assisting. DES MOINES— Governor Kim Reynolds has ordered all flags in Iowa to be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset today in honor and remembrance of Robert W. Pratt, a former lawyer and federal judge who served in the U.S. Southern District of Iowa from 1997 to 2023. Judge Pratt died Wednesday, January 28, at the age of 78.MONTICELLO – A former high school cheerleading coach is expected to plead guilty in a sexual exploitation case in eastern Iowa. KCRG-TV reports 38-year-old Jessica Rubin is charged with sexual exploitation by a school employee in connection to an alleged relationship with a student. Rubin was the cheerleading coach at Monticello and is accused of having sexual contact with a student several times in 2021. IOWA – A warm up is on the way for many Iowans in early February. After a blast of arctic air dominated the last half of January, a brief taste of spring is on the way for many, according to the National Weather Service. Some Iowans may see their thermometers top 50 degrees on Thursday, with an above average forecast expected for the next several days.

MASON CITY – A person was killed in the parking lot of a grocery store in Mason City. The Iowa State Patrol reports that a Chevy Tahoe was traveling near a Fareway before striking a 75-year-old pedestrian. The names of both individuals involved have been withheld. The pedestrian died from injuries suffered in the collision. DENISON – Two people were arrested following a crash involving two different alleged crimes. The Iowa State Patrol accuses Carlos Gomez Paz of Nebraska of attempting to elude a police officer in Denison. A second vehicle was struck by the Hyundai driven by Paz and both vehicles came to a rest. Both drivers were treated at the scene for minor injuries. Paz was charged with eluding and taken into custody; the other driver was identified as 30-year-old Blake Beymer of Denison, and was allegedly driving while intoxicated and charged with OWI. CEDAR RAPIDS – U.S. Marshals arrested a man from Washington state wanted on murder charges in Iowa last week. Thirty-five-year-old Mickey Wade Wheatley was wanted in connection to the death of an infant in Tonasket. On January 28th, U.S. Marshals coordinated efforts to find and arrest Wheatley, who they believed to live in Hardin County, Iowa. He was found in a rural home near Iowa Falls and arrested, and was awaiting extradition to Washington state.

CEDAR RAPIDS – Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand outraised his Republican challengers in 2025. KCRG-TV reports the state auditor raised over $9.5 million last year, with the closest Republican at $4.3 million — that’s current U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra. While the GOP overwhelming voted for President Donald Trump in 2024, Sand remains the only statewide elected Democrat in the state. Both primaries will be held in June. AMES – Legislation is in the Iowa Statehouse that would bring back a long standing celebration with a history of issues at Iowa State University. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports House Study Bill 545 would require the Iowa Board of Regents to conduct a study into the practicality of reviving the VEISHEA event at Iowa State. The celebration had run for nearly a century in Ames, led by students. Student violence marred the event off-campus, including riots in 2014 that ultimately led to its cancelation. ALTOONA – An Altoona Couple accused of stealing nearly $58,000 in Amazon packages they were supposed to deliver have plead guilty to theft charges. WHO-13 reports Brandon and Madison Kelderman were arrested last October. The Ankeny Police Department claims the two were working as Flex drivers when they kept several items they were suppose to get to customers in the metro. Both were charged with first degree theft.

DES MOINES – The Des Moines Police Department reports that false rumors are spreading about agents from U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement targeting immigrants in the metro. KCCI-TV reports that the recent shootings in Minneapolis appear to be contributing to these allegations in other communities across the country. The Des Moines Police Department says their staff was tied up with reports related to false ICE appearances, especially on Tuesday, as President Donald Trump was speaking in Clive. ATLANTIC – The Atlantic Police Department is investigating a dispute in southwest Iowa that resulted in a man being shot in the stomach on Thursday. WHO-13 reports the Cass County Communications Center received the report late Thursday evening. The man was transported to a Des Moines metro hospital with unknown injuries. One person had been brought to the Atlantic Police Department for questioning. DES MOINES – Iowa House lawmakers heard from lobbyists for local governments and advocacy groups about proposals to limit growth of revenue related to property taxes. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports House Study Bills 596 and 563 were subject to subcommittee meetings on Thursday. The proposal from Iowa House Republican Leaders and Governor Kim Reynolds place a two-percent revenue cap for local governments, with some carve outs for schools and construction. A representative with the Iowa State Association of County Supervisors warned that a “one-sized-fits-all” tax limitation would not have equal impact on cities and counties, and would cause unfair competition for resources.

KOSSUTH COUNTY – The Iowa Department of Agriculture has identified a second outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza in Kossuth County. The flock was found one week after another was reported, and included pheasants, quails, and chukars, according to Iowa Capital Dispatch. The previous detection included chickens and game-birds last Thursday. The is the second outbreak of the avian flu reported in the state this year so far. DES MOINES – The Iowa Senate has removed a ban of carbon pipeline companies from using eminent domain in a bill moving through the Iowa Statehouse. KCCI-TV reports the change was made in a committee following a bill that passed in the other chamber. Arguments center about how far the state should go in protecting landowners and allowing companies to use eminent domain for pipeline projects. DUBUQUE COUNTY – Water quality experts are cautioning those using wells about exposure to nitrates. A KCRG-TV report shows water from city systems are subject to more regulations, but roughly 300,000 Iowans get water from private wells. Excessive nitrates have shown to impact how blood transports oxygen in the body. More than half of Iowa’s water systems have some exposure to the chemical compound.