(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State Patrol spokesman, Alex Dinkla, says 2022 ended with 338 fatal traffic accidents. “That number is down from the past few years. But again, it still is over our goal of trying to obtain 300 fatalities, which has not been done in Iowa since 1925,” Dinkla says. Sergeant Dinkla says they haven’t had time to analyze all the numbers yet –but there was one that stuck out. “This year, we did have 11 A-T-V or U-T-V fatalities. That’s the highest number that we’ve had in a number of years,” he says “And so that is pretty alarming when we look at that statistic.” He says part of the increase could because more people are driving them.

“These are becoming more and more popular as we see those being used all around Iowa and on our roadways. And the recent legislation did allow those vehicles to be driven on our roadways, legally now. And so now that we see those being legally operated on our roadways, those are just becoming more prevalent,” he says. Dinkla says they do know that some of the traffic death could have been prevent if people had buckled up.

“A hundred and 14 people failed to buckle that seatbelt in collisions had they buckled that seatbelt, there’s no doubt that we would have had more lives saved and possibly not even had as many people injured in those car crashes,” Dinkla says. “Whether you’re in the front seat back seat, no matter where you’re at, think of safety as the forefront when you get in that vehicle. And before you head out somewhere.”

Iowa State Patrol spokesman, Sergeant Alex Dinkla

Dinkla says their ultimate goal is to have zero fatal accidents on the roadways — and they plan to continue working to get below 300. He says they will step up the effort throughout this year with special efforts across each Patrol district. “And so, they are going to be proactively setting up projects every month that are geared towards reducing crashes on our roadways. So moving forward, there’s no doubt that you’re gonna see clusters of officers work against impacts, to drive down these fatality numbers,” Dinkla says.

Dinkla says each fatal accident affect families, friends and loved ones all over Iowa.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Officials with the Council Bluffs Fire Department today (Thursday), identified a man who died as the result of an explosion that occurred late Tuesday morning. 56-year-old Martin Desomma died, when a compressed natural gas cylinder exploded in a garage near Avenue G and North 35th Street.  Authorities said an autopsy will be performed as part of the investigation. According to the fire department, there are no indications that the explosion was caused by a gas leak from the utilities at the property.

Council Bluffs police said Desomma was cutting the tank, resulting in a gas explosion. Two additional compressed natural gas containers were removed from the property “as a safety precaution.”

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has issued a report on numerous arrests spanning the time frame of December 16th through the 31st, 2022.

• On Dec. 31st, 28-year-old Aaron Dale Kobes, of Missouri Valley, was arrested following a traffic stop at Station St and East St in Shelby, IA. Kobes was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with OWI 1st and Turning at Intersection Violation.
• On the 29th of December, 21-year-old Jonathan Gary Shimerdla, of Harlan, was arrested after a call for service in the 500 block of 12th St., Harlan, IA. Shimerdla was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
• On the 28th, 26-year-old Victoria Anne Griffen, of Shelby, was arrested following a traffic stop on Plateau St., Shelby, IA. Griffen was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Interference with Official Acts and Driving while Barred; and, 22-year-old Nathaniel Lee Gangwer, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Shelby County Warrant. Ganger was transported to the Shelby County Jail for Failure to Appear.
• Christmas Day, 45-year-old Joshua Howard Finken, of Irwin, was arrested following a traffic stop on Chatburn Avenue, in Harlan. Finken was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drug, Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Controlled Substance 2 counts, and No Valid Driver’s License.
• On Christmas Eve, 22-year-old Scott Alexander Selix, of Harlan, was arrested after a traffic stop on 12th Street. Selix was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Driving while Suspended, Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability, and Improper Rear Lamps.
• Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 25-year-old Spencer Lee Miller, of Manilla, on December 22nd. Miller was arrested on a Shelby County Warrant. He was transported to the Shelby County Jail for Failure to Appear.
• On the 17th of December, 35-year-old Matthew David Andersen, of Harlan, was arrested after a traffic stop in the 1100 block of Linden Rd. Andersen was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with OWI 1st.
• There were two arrests December 16th, in Shelby County: 24-year-old Anton Jason Ahlhem, of Harlan, was arrested after a traffic stop in the 100 block of East St, Shelby. Ahlhem was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Failure to Maintain or use Safety Belt; and, 30-year-old Drew Ashton Gagnon, of Harlan, was arrested after a traffic stop in the 100 block of East St, Shelby. Gagnon was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Possession of Controlled Substance, Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, No Valid Driver’s License, Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability, and Operating Non-Registered Vehicle.

Note: Criminal charges are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

(Radio Iowa) – Human remains found on the Cedar River have been identified as a missing Cedar Rapids city employee. The State Medical Examiner has identified the remains found by hunters December 30th as those of 54-year-old Erik Spaw.

Spaw went missing on May 7th after the city-owned pickup truck he had been driving between work sites was found submerged in the Cedar River. An extensive search of the river had failed to locate his body. Spaw’s mother told K-C-R-G T-V that complications from his diabetes could have contributed to his accident.

(Radio Iowa) – A man was killed and another man was seriously injured in an early morning shooting in Davenport. According to a news release from Davenport Police, officers responding to a report of gunshots being fired near a pawn shop found two men with gunshot wounds at about 2:20 this (Thursday) morning. Police say a 40-year-old man found at the scene died and the other man, who is 33 years old, was seriously injured.

According to a statement from Davenport Police, the incident does not appear to be a random act of violence. There was a shooting in the same area in May. The Quad City Times reported witnesses told police two men had been shooting at one another and a building was damaged, but no shooting victims were found.

(Radio Iowa) – An arrest has been made in connection to an armed robbery at a northwest Iowa liquor store on New Year’s Day. Storm Lake Police were called to Al’s Liquor in Storm Lake late Sunday evening. An employee informed officers that a man had entered the business and brandished a firearm, which he held to the employee’s head. The man allegedly moved the employee to the cash register and took an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect then fled the business on foot. No injuries were reported. On Tuesday, police executed search warrants at two Storm Lake residences, and found several items of interest.

The suspect, 24-year-old Eh Lwe of Storm Lake, was located at one of the residences, and arrested on multiple charges. The incident remains under investigation.

(Audubon, Iowa) – The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports Deputies on Monday arrested 61-year-old Harlin Weaver, of Kingsford, Michigan.  Weaver was arrested on an outstanding Violation of Probation, and an Unserved Mittimus warrant. He appeared before the District Judge and was held on his charges.

(Radio Iowa) – January is human trafficking awareness month and more than 600 Iowa businesses and industry groups are now part of an initiative aimed at identifying and responding to human trafficking in the state. Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking was launched a year ago. Secretary of State Paul Pate says businesses that join the program are asked to help raise public awareness of trafficking or train workers to spot people who may be trafficking victims. “Some of them are aggressive about putting out 800-numbers in their businesses’ restrooms so people can get help if they need to,” Pate says. “They’re reaching out to their own employees and to their customers with information. So, it’s building an army to combat this situation.”

Pate says the number of reported trafficking incidents has risen in Iowa. The most recent data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline shows there were nearly 300 contacts from Iowa in 2021. Those tips led to dozens of cases reaching law enforcement. Child sex trafficking sometimes starts with connections made online through social media, according to Teresa Davidson of Chains Interrupted, an eastern Iowa nonprofit that works to prevent human trafficking. Davidson says parents and caregivers should talk to kids about online relationships, but she says state lawmakers could also push device and tech companies to do more. For instance, she says safe browser settings should be turned on automatically, instead of being an option buried in user settings.

“Children do not have the developmental capability to handle what will be thrown at them online,” Davidson says, “so as adults, as a community, as lawmakers, we need to help protect our children.” Davidson says Iowa lawmakers should also pass a Safe Harbor law so victims of sex trafficking are safe from criminal liability and put more funding into survivor services. Secretary of State Pate says anyone with information about possible human trafficking should call local police or the Iowa Victim Service Call Center at 1-800-770-1650.

On the web at ibat.iowa.gov

(reporting by Grant Gerlock, Iowa Public Radio)

(Creston, Iowa) – A man residing in Creston told Police late Wednesday morning, that someone damaged his vehicle. A person unknown threw a brick at his car window, while the vehicle was parked in the 200 block of N. Maple Street. The incident resulted in an estimated $100 in damage. No other information is available.