A fire that officials say was most likely caused by discarded smoking materials, destroyed a home in Hancock Wednesday afternoon. The fire was reported a little before 3:10-p.m. at 409 E. Duncan Street. The flames had fully engulfed the front porch when the first firefighting crews arrived, and were quickly spreading throughout the house. The home’s owner, daughter and some dogs escaped before the flames consumed the structure.

Firefighters from Hancock, Oakland, Avoca, and Walnut Fire Departments responded to the scene.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A historic surge in unemployment claims continued last week in Iowa as more workers lost their jobs in an economy devastated by the coronavirus. The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday that 67,334 people in Iowa filed for unemployment benefits in the week that ended April 4. That is roughly the population of Waterloo, Iowa’s sixth largest city. The labor department said the claims were a 20 percent increase over those filed in Iowa the prior week, which had been a high for the state. Pandemic-related layoffs in several industries, from health care to food services, were driving factors behind Iowa’s claims.

Police in Creston report 62-year old Rodney Cottrell, of Creston, was arrested Wednesday afternoon at his residence. Cottrell was taken into custody for Possession of Paraphernalia. He was subsequently  cited, and released on a Summons to Appear in court.