(Mason City, Iowa) – Police in Mason City said Friday that an arrest has been made in connection with the death of a woman whose body was found in a burning house in September. Authorities report 28-year-old Dominick Daniel Degner, of Mason City, faces a charge of 1st Degree Murder in the death of 25-year-old Tonette Nadine Wolfe. He was being held in the Cerro Gordo County Jail. Officials indicated Degner and Wolfe lived together.

The arrest stems from an investigation into a house fire that took place a little after 5-a.m. Sept. 7, 2021, at 123 N. Tennessee Avenue, in Mason City. After the fire was extinguished, Wolfe’s body was found in the home. The Mason City P-D was assisted in its investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Iowa State Fire Marshal.

(Radio Iowa) – A middle school student in Cedar Rapids has been charged with a felony for bringing a loaded gun to school. According to a news release from Cedar Rapids Police, a student told school officials another student brought a gun into the building, school officials did a locker search and found a small caliber handgun that was loaded with bullets.

A boy was arrested and has been charged with carrying a firearm on school grounds.

(Radio Iowa) – As rumors of school shootings spread on social media, six Sioux City students have been charged with harassment — accused of creating online threats against schools in the community. Sergeant Jeremy McClure is with the Sioux City Police Department. “A lot of the ones that are posting this on social media are doing it to cause panic and alarm among their fellow students,” he says. “And then a few of them, I don’t know if they just think it’s funny or a joke or what, but it’s obviously a serious matter and it’s one that we’re not taking as a joke and we’re charging people appropriately when we find out who is creating these posts.”

McClure says some of the threats were tracked down before school in Sioux City started today, then police were notified of a possible copy cat message. “We’ve been pursuing that one, so additional charges will probably be filed against several of these students as they become known to us and as we figure out who they are and locate them,” McClure says, “and then we’re also working with the schools to keep those students out of the school until they can be dealt with appropriately by the school.”

McClure says Sioux City Police received a report that one student told others he was planning to bring a gun to school today — other alleged threats were made against two different middle schools — and videos posted to TikTok allegedly showed several students from Sioux City East High School brandishing their phones like guns. McClure says parents need to know what their kids are doing on social media.

“It’s important for parents to have these discussions with their kids and know what their kids are posting online,” McClure says, “and if they’re juveniles, they don’t have any right to ownership or possession and as parents, we can take their cell phones and look at exactly what they have on them.” Also today (Friday), central Iowa authorities announced five middle school students face charges for alleged threats at their West Des Moines school last week.

According to a news release from West Des Moines Police, two students will be charged with terrorism and three other students will be charged with first degree harassment. The Iowa Department of Public Safety has been monitoring potential online threats to schools in Iowa, but according to a statement from the agency, none have been identified as credible. A 12-year-old in Dubuque faces a terrorism charge for posting a threat on social media.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Friday, said there were two arrests conducted over the past week, and one non-injury accident investigated. As we reported earlier, 56-year-old Lorisa Buckley, of Red Oak, was arrested Tuesday (12/14), on a warrant for Forgery. She was later released from the Cass County Jail, on bond.

And, on Dec. 10th, Cass County Deputies arrested 30-year-old Tera Reyes, of Clarinda, on a warrant for Failure to Appear. She was later released upon serving her required jail time.

At around 8:36-a.m. Thursday (12/16), Cass County Deputies responded to a collision at the intersection of Highway 71 and Wichita Road. Authorities say a 2011 Chevy Malibu driven by Diedra Nelson, of Griswold, was turning onto Wichita Road, when sun glare obstructed her vision. When she turned the corner too tightly, Nelson’s car struck a 2018 Chevy Colorado pickup driven by Randall Frank, of Griswold. The accident resulted a total of $4,000 damage.

DES MOINES – Iowa’s Third Congressional District will receive over $22 million in rural development grants and loans from the United States Department of Agriculture to improve critical rural infrastructure. Representative Cindy Axne’s office says the investments will expand access to high-speed internet, clean water and dependable electric power in rural Iowa.

Those receiving USDA Rural Development  include:

• Southern Iowa Rural Water Association – $12,000,000 to go toward new water treatment plant that will serve approximately 9,000 Iowans
• City of Neola – $3,900,000 to improve the main line water distribution system and replace and improve the chemical feed system at the city’s water treatment plant
• Lenox Municipal Utilities – $2,270,000 to replace aging watermains, complete loops within the existing distribution system, and repair infiltration issues to improve the health and safety of the drinking water for nearly 1,500 residents
• City of Farragut – $2,268,000 loan and a $772,000 grant for renovating the city’s existing lagoon cell, to construct a chlorination and de-chlorination system, an aeration blower, an effluent lift station building, new piping and make modifications to the existing lift station
• City of Lewis – $628,000 grant and a $145,000 loan for improvements to its wastewater collection system and repairs to manholes
• City of Carter Lake – $509,000 to reline sewer pipes and replace manhole covers

The grants and loan are part of a $5.2 billion investment to improve critical rural infrastructure in 46 states and Puerto Rico.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, Friday, said 71-year-old Hershel James Ratliff, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced Thursday December 16, 2021, in U-S District Court, to serve 30 years in prison for six counts of Human Trafficking, and one count of Distribution of a Controlled Substance to a Minor. His prison term will be followed by ten years of supervised release. A jury found Ratliff guilty of the offenses on July 23, 2021.

The Council Bluffs Police Department began investigating Ratliff in August 2019 after a mandatory reporter made a report to the Iowa Department of Human Services about information reported by a fourteen-year-old child that involved inappropriate sexual conversations and advances by Ratliff. As the investigation continued, numerous other young adults were identified as being victimized by Ratliff while they were in high school. Ratliff provided drugs, alcohol, and a place to party for teenagers.

Ratliff groomed teenagers and after cultivating a trusting relationship with them, convinced them to engage in various sex acts with him and his friends for money, alcohol, or drugs. Ratliff also used his business, Jimmy’s All-American Diner and his rental properties to groom and recruit victims. This illegal activity spanned from 2012-2019.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Cass County Republicans recently made a $500 donation to the Rock Island Society Enterprise (ARISE) to be used for roof repairs and maintenance of the American Legion Memorial Building.

ARISE was organized and incorporated in 1992 as a non-profit entity with the purpose of combating community deterioration; to promote and encourage historical research; to purchase, preserve and protect historical buildings, records and relics; and to educate the community and mark places of national interest.  ARISE has spent more the $207,000 on major expenses.

ARISE has signed short form business property leases in 2008 and 2010 for 99 year terms to ensure that the American Legion, American Veterans, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Atlantic Color Guard Team, the American Legion Auxiliary  and the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War have a rent-free place to hold their meetings.

Delivering the donation are Cass County Republican Central Committee Treasurer Kathy Zimmerman (center) and Member and Past CCRCC Chair David Wiederstein (right).  Receiving the donation on behalf of ARISE is group President Steve Livengood (left).

If you or your group is interested in touring the American Legion Memorial Building contact Steve at 712-243-5445.  With rising costs to maintain the buildings, donation are always needed and appreciated.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest of 31-year-old Nathan Michael Tripp of Booneville, MO on a valid warrant out of Montgomery County for Kidnapping 1st Degree, a Class A Felony. The warrant stems from an incident that occurred in May of 2021. Tripp was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $100,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – After a record-setting fiscal year, Winnebago Industries is off to a good start for Fiscal Year 2022. The Forest City-based outdoor lifestyle products manufacturer saw revenues for the first quarter ending November 27th were a record $1.2 billion, an increase of 46% compared to the same quarter a year ago.

President and CEO Michael Happe credits acquisitions of other companies in recent years to Winnebago’s continued success.“The catalyst continues to be our Grand Design RV brand, which consistently delivers record results and outstanding support for our dealers and in consumers,” Happe says. “Newmar branded diesel motorhome share and Winnebago brand towables growth also contributed nicely.”

More people have been exploring the outdoors since the start of the pandemic, and a recent industry survey says 9.6 million additional households say they are considering purchasing a recreational vehicle in the next five years. Happe says the company should be able to take advantage of that projected demand.

“We fully recognize that not all these potential customers will actually buy a recreational vehicle, but we do agree that future demand will be reasonably sustained at higher historical levels in large part because of consumer interest and participation in the outdoors being at all-time highs,” he says. Happe says the company is now fully reaping the benefits of its 2018 purchase of Chris-Craft boats and this year’s acquisition of the Barletta pontoon boats company. This quarter marks the first time the company is reporting separate figures for the marine segment, with revenues being $79.3 million in the first quarter.

“Our marine segment is performing well and in line with the high expectations we have for Barletta,” Happe says. “The results highlight the strength of the pontoon market and Barletta’s unique offering in strong brand affinity, which has integrated smoothly into our portfolio and delivered on the high growth expectations we anticipated.” Happe says the company has and will continue to be challenged by supply chain issues. “While we anticipate the supply chain constraints and inflation to continue, we have found a good cadence in working closely with our suppliers to mitigate the impact as much as possible,” he says.

Shares of Winnebago Industries stock have climbed over the last calendar year from just under $60 at Christmastime 2020 to $70 at the time of today’s quarterly earnings report release.

(Radio Iowa) – The first female bishop of the 168-year history of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa will be ordained this weekend. Rev. Betsey Monnot will be the 10th bishop of the diocese. “That stained glass ceiling is breaking,” Monnot says. “It is shattering and I want to say that in Iowa, more than half of our congregations are currently led by female clergy, so there’s been a lot of cracks in that stained glass ceiling. and tomorrow it will shatter.”

Monnot was among four female candidates for the post. She was serving a congregation in California when elected Iowa bishop this summer. Rev. Michael Curry, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in America, says her election is part of the church showing society there is room for all. “For everybody equally,” he says, “and when that begins to happen, we’ll have a different world — not just a different church, but a different world.”

Rev. Monnot (Via iowaepiscopal.org.)

More than 400 people are expected to attend the ordination and consecration ceremony for the new Iowa bishop of the Episcopal Church tomorrow. There are five dozen episcopal congregations in Iowa, but the ceremony will be held in the Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, one of the largest churches in the state, to allow for social distancing and other pandemic protocols. The service, which starts at 11 a.m., will also be live-streamed.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Kassidy Arena)