(Radio Iowa) — Clean-up is underway in Charles City after a tornado tore through the fairgrounds, hit the local fertilizer plant and damaged homes in the area early Monday afternoon. Floyd County Fair Board President Amy Staudt was there as the twister tore through the complex.

“Literally, like people have said before, it sounds like a train coming,” Staudt says. “I thought the noise was too big and I popped my head out and glass started shattering. We lost a couple of windows up top out of the cupola area and I thought that was the worst of it when it passed, then I looked out the window…and half the buildings are leveled out here.”

Volunteers arrived to deal with the damage as soon as the storm moved out, but Staudt is wary of having people working in some of the buildings on the fairgrounds. “We’ve got to make sure they’re structurally safe to be in because they’re twisted,” Staudt says. “That’s my main concern. The ones that are standing — are they safe to be in right now? We’ll meet with the adjusters and have some contractors out here and just double-check all safety issues.”

The twister tracked to the north and east and nearly missed Charles City, according to Floyd Emergency Management Director Lezlie Weber. “There is one housing development that got hit,” Weber syas. “Almost all the damaged houses have been contacted and we know of no injuries or fatalieis. We just want people to stay out of the area for right now.” Weber says it’s too early to discuss damage estimates, but there’s an emergency operations center at the Floyd County Courthouse where citizens can report damage.

“Get as many pictures as they can of everything, just in case, and then here probably after a while we’ll have some volunteers calling people that need help cleaning up and get some people out there to help clean up their yards,” Weber says. Another tornado touched down northeast of Elma shortly after the first tornado. It tracked through Chickasaw and Howard Counties before leaving a path of damaged homes, roofs and downed power lines in Lime Springs, where house-to-house searches begun in mid-afternoon Monday.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 32-year old Stephanie L. Gay, of Villisca, was arrested at around 2:30-p.m. Monday (5/27), for Theft in the 5th Degree. Her arrest followed an investigation into a shoplifting incident at the Casey’s General Store in Villisca. Gay was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer, Monday, released a report on arrests over the past week. Four arrests took place Sunday (May 26):

• 38-year old Bobby Lee Stevens, of Audubon, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Causing Injury and Violation of No Contact Order.  Stevens was arrested and transported to the Audubon County Jail to appear before a magistrate.
• 40-year old Tesha Joy Stevens, of Audubon, was arrested for Violation of No Contact Order.  Stevens was arrested and transported to the Audubon County Jail to appear before a magistrate.
• 38-year old Joshua Lee Larsen, of Audubon, was arrested for owning a Vicious Dog and Allowing Dog to Run at Large.  Larsen was issued citations on promise to appear.
• And, 49-year old Vicente Gomez, of San Antonio, Texas, was arrested Sunday, in Audubon, for Public Intoxication; Interference With Official Acts and on an active Cass County Warrant.  Gomez was arrested and transported to the Audubon County Jail where he is being held on $5,600 cash bond.

Last Friday, Audubon Police arrested 41-year old Melinda Marie Hunnicutt, of Audubon, for Allowing Dog To Run at Large.  Hunnicutt was issued a citation on promise to appear.

And, on May 22nd, a 14-year old Audubon male was referred to juvenile authorities on a charge of assault.  The juvenile was charged and released to his parent.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa police and the state’s Department of Natural Resources are investigating another alleged sighting of a mountain lion in Des Moines.

The Des Moines Register reports an animal was spotted Sunday. Des Moines police Sgt. Paul Parizek told the newspaper that Animal Control is reviewing a photo of the creature but hasn’t located it.

Department of Natural Resources spokesman Alex Murphy says an agency biologist is analyzing the photo and does not believe it’s a mountain lion. Murphy says characteristic dark marks around mountain lions’ eyes are not visible in the photo, but Murphy says it’s difficult to tell because the image is blurry.

The last confirmed sighting of a mountain lion in the city was May 10. Murphy previously said agency officials believed that mountain lion likely left town.

Official with the Burlington (IA) Police Department are investigating a suspicious death. Officers were called to a residence in Burlington at around 2:41-p.m. Friday. Upon arrival, they found the body of the resident, 62-year old James Keith Poggemiller. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Decedent Care Center performed an autopsy Saturday, with the results pending. The Burlington Police Department and Iowa DCI’s Criminalistics Lab are jointly conducting the ongoing investigation. Anyone with information regarding the death is asked to call the Burlington P.D. at (319)-753-8375, or Crime Stoppers at (319)-753-6835.

The Creston Police Department reports numerous arrests took place over the past week. Arrested Sunday in Creston, was 42-year old Tina Ann Songer and 36-year old Matthew Jason Songer, both of Creston. Both were charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/2nd offense. Matthew Songer was additionally charged with OWI/1st offense. They were taken into custody at around 3:55-a.m.  Tina Songer was being held on $2,000 bond in the Adams County Jail. Matthew Songer was being held in the Union County Jail on a $6,000 bond.

A little after midnight, Saturday, Creston Police arrested 28-year old Miguel Angel Almanza, of Raymondville, TX, for Disorderly Conduct and Interference with official acts. Almanza was later released on a $600 bond. At around 3:15-a.m. Saturday, 23-year old Jose’ Alcantar Zavala, of Overton, IA, was arrested in Creston for OWI/1st offense. He was later released on $1,000 bond. And, at around 10:47-p.m., Saturday, Eliseo Buchanan Nava, of Creston, was arrested at his residence for Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense and Possession of Paraphernalia. He was later released on a $1,300 bond.

Friday night, 20-year old Crystal Zamora, of Creston, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. She was released on a $1,000 bond. And, 41-year old Lindsey Ann Woollums, of Creston, was arrested twice last week. She was arrested Wednesday and Friday morning, for Driving While Suspended. Both times Woollums was released on a $300 bond.