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.

POMEROY – One person has been charged in relation to a shooting incident in Pomeroy on New Year’s Eve. The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office charged Nicholas Benedict with Willful Injury Causing Serious Injury, Reckless Use of a Firearm, Going Armed with Intent, and other misdemeanor charges. Two people are hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries following the alleged shooting. DES MOINES – Des Moines Police killed a man who was wanted on felony warrants on Thursday. The Des Moines Register reports officers responded to a home on the southeast side of the metro in an attempt to arrest the man. The department claims two officers fired their weapons once inside and killed the individual. Nobody else involved in the incident was injured and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is assisting. The Register reports this is the fourth fatal officer-related shooting in the last six months. IOWA – Governor Kim Reynolds extended a disaster proclamation for O’Brien, Palo Alto, Sac, Sioux, and Worth Counties effective immediately through February 1st, as the USDA has confirmed positive cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in all five counties. The recent detections in birds do not present an immediate public health concern, according to the state government, and it remains safe to eat poultry products.

IOWA – A total of 351 people died on Iowa’s roadways in 2024, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. While the number is 27 fatalities less than 2023, it is still slightly above the previous five-year average. The report indicates 43% of those killed in vehicle crashes were not wearing a seat belt.NEW ORLEANS – At least two Iowans were witnesses to the attack that claimed more than a dozen lives in New Orleans early on New Year’s Day. KCCI-TV reports Jim and Nicole Mowrer were on Bourbon Street when a truck came slamming through festivities. Jim is a former congressional and Secretary of State candidate. Both told CBS News they saw police running toward the truck after they fled to safety, and they also saw many of the victims impacted. IOWA – While a blast of snow is impacting many across the state today, another round will come with even colder air by the weekend. According to the National Weather Service, for a system that starts on Sunday, the highest accumulations are expected in southern Iowa into Missouri, however the entire state can expect bitter cold temperatures which will last through the upcoming week.