Category: State News

OTTUMWA, Iowa – On Wednesday, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation was called to an officer-involved shooting that occurred in Ottumwa. At approximately 12:30 p.m., members of the US Marshal Service (USMS) attempted to serve an arrest warrant on 31-year-old Michael Zurek. During the interaction, a US Marshal discharged his weapon, striking him, and Zurek died at the scene. No law enforcement officers were injured. The USMS is cooperating with the investigation.

IOWA – Another round of severe thunderstorms pushed through the state on Thursday, bringing strong winds, flash flooding, and hail to many parts of the state. According to the National Weather Service, several southern Iowa communities reported damage as winds approached 80 MPH in a line of morning storms. The city of Corning reported extensive damage. Additional chances for storms impact mainly southern Iowa on Saturday afternoon and evening.

WASHINGTON D.C. – President Donald Trump told reporters he didn’t have enough information about Republican Randy Feenstra before making his endorsement in the contested Iowa Governors race. KCCI-TV reports Trump made the comments following a question on Thursday, and says Zach Lahn was more like him than Feenstra.

ADEL – A shooting incident left a 26-year-old dead and his father wounded in Adel. KCCI-TV reports 26-year-old David Ocasio has died in the incident. Members of the family spoke to the TV station this week, claiming he was suffering from depression. Ocasio may have shot Josh Bohrn in the incident.

DECATUR COUNTY – Multiple tornadoes touched down in southern Iowa on Wednesday night. According to the National Weather Service, emergency managers in both Decatur and Wayne Counties confirmed damage from tornadoes near Garden Grove. Several flash flood warnings were also issued as multiple rounds of storms impacted the region.

DES MOINES – Two weeks after receiving federal prison time, the former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools has been transferred to Illinois. WHO-13 reports Ian Roberts received two years for a guilty plea related to false statements made about his legal status in the country. Roberts will be turned over to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement once his prison term ends.

ADEL – One person died and another was injured in a Monday shooting incident in Adel. WHO-13 reports police responded to a report of shots fired, and found two adults with gunshot wounds. One person was pronounced dead at the scene; the other was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

INDIANOLA – State Senator Julian Garrett has died following a battle with prostate cancer. KCCI-TV reports Garrett announced in March he would not seek election again as he was undergoing treatment. The retired attorney was elected to the Iowa House in 2010 before winning a special election for his current senate seat in 2013.

DES MIONES – A new Iowa law that passed the legislature unanimously aims to crack down on fraudulent businesses that use Iowan’s names and addresses to register. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports House File 2678 sets new rules for organizations registering with the Iowa Secretary of State’s office. Secretary of State Paul Pate says the law allows his office to better address situations in which fake businesses choose a random individual or home address as their location in the state.

DES MOINES – Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand announced his running mate for the upcoming election for governor. KCCI-TV reports Crawford County Supervisor Dave Muhlbauer is the candidate of choice for lieutenant governor. He’s a fifth-generation farmer and one of the lone elected Democrats in his region of the state.

INDIANOLA – Governor Kim Reynolds issued an executive order on Monday establishing the Iowa Office of Outdoor Recreation during a press conference at Lake Ahquabi State Park near Indianola. The office will be an extension of the Iowa Tourism Office, a division of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). Executive Order 19 aims to support, enhance, and expand Iowa’s outdoor recreation sector while ensuring the responsible stewardship of its natural landscapes for future generations. It also creates a centralized structure for public and private stakeholders which actively invest in outdoor recreation to work together, expanding strategic partnerships and promoting cohesive growth.

IOWA – An active weather week returns, with hotter than normal temperatures and multiple thunderstorms in the forecast. According to the National Weather Service, daytime heat in the low 90s is possible today and on Wednesday, with severe storm chances returning every evening and overnight for many Iowans. This also has increased the risk for localized flooding after multiple warnings were issued over the weekend.

SUN VALLEY LAKE – The body of a missing West Des Moines man was found in Sun Valley Lake in southern Iowa after a two-day search. KCCI-TV reports the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office were called to the lake Saturday morning for 70-year-old Ronald Brown. The man was found Sunday morning just before noon.

PLEASANT HILL – A Pleasant Hill man is accused of attacking his ex-wife with a machete. WHO-13 reports 42-year-old Jeremy Dale Reben was arrested on Saturday for a warrant related to attempted murder and domestic abuse charges. Reben is accused of driving his vehicle into the side of his ex-wife’s SUV, trapping her, and then striking her with a machete. Her condition was not released.

UNION COUNTY – A Tingley man was pronounced dead following a head-on collison in Union County on Friday afternoon. The Iowa State Patrol reports that 19-year-old Tanner Richardson was traveling on a rural road and went through a stop sign, which caused the crash. He was flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead there. The other driver was uninjured.