KEARNEY, Mo. (AP) — Authorities are investigating a report that a missing Iowa college student might have been seen in northwest Missouri. Police in Kearney, Missouri, (about 40 miles northeast of Kansas City) say an employee at a truck stop reported Sunday that she saw a young girl resembling Mollie Tibbetts. The department said in a statement that it spoke to witnesses and reviewed video footage before forwarding a report to a task force investigating Tibbetts’ disappearance.

KMBC-TV reports Kearney police Sgt. Joe Kantola said only one person reported seeing the woman who resembled Mollie. And he noted he didn’t say in the statement that she had been seen on video from the truck stop. Tibbetts, a 20-year-old University of Iowa student, hasn’t been seen since July 18. Authorities in Iowa have scheduled a press conference for 9:30-a.m. Friday to update the status of their investigation into her disappearance.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A man has pleaded not guilty to making unauthorized purchases of meat and cheese while working as the head chef for a Sioux City bar and grill. The Sioux City Journal reports that 52-year-old Carlos Barrera entered a written plea to a theft charge Wednesday in Woodbury County District Court.

Court documents say Barrera made an estimated 53 unauthorized purchases from Staber Meats between May 9, 2017, and Nov. 9, 2017. The documents say Barrera ordered the items, picked them up in his vehicle and then signed invoices allowing Staber Meats to automatically withdraw payment from the Ickey Nickel’s bank account. The documents say Barrera never took the food to the bar.

The Creston Police Department reports two arrests occurred, Wednesday. At around 10:30-p.m., 54-year old Kelly Adamson, of Creston, was arrested on a charge of OWI/1st offense. Adamson was later released on a $1,000 bond. And, at around 2:15-p.m. Wednesday, 23-year old Dakota Brown, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a Union County warrant for Failure to Appear (in court) on an original charge of Theft in the 1st Degree. Brown was being held in the jail on a $10,000 cash only bond.

Authorities said also, there two citizens reported incidents of theft. A resident of the 600 block of N. Maple Street in Creston, told police that sometime between Tuesday and 4:45-p.m. Wednesday, someone took about one-half tank of gas from his SUV, while it was parked outside the residence. The loss was estimated at $20. And, a person living in the 500 block of W. Irving Street reported the passenger side window of his 2009 Ford truck was broken while it was parked near the residence. The incident happened sometime between 10:30-p.m. Tuesday and 10:30-p.m. Wednesday. The damage was estimated at $200.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s governor has signed a letter asking President Donald Trump for a presidential disaster declaration for 30 Iowa counties – including Adair and Dallas, locally – that sustained significant damage from severe storms and flooding from June 6 through July 2.
Gov. Kim Reynolds requested funding under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance Program. Funding from that program is used to rebuild damaged infrastructure, including roads, bridges, culverts and other public facilities, or to cover costs of emergency work during and debris removal after severe weather. A preliminary assessment of the 30 counties estimates more than $16 million worth of damage that could be eligible under the program.
Reynolds also requested other federal help, including funding under FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program for Buchanan, Dickinson, Polk and Winnebago counties.

GRINNELL, Iowa (AP) — State investigators are investigating the death of a man in the custody of Grinnell police. Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation special agent Mike Motsinger told The Des Moines Register that 54-year-old Ronald Shook died Monday after being in Grinnell police custody for less than a day. Motsinger says an autopsy Tuesday revealed no external signs of trauma. More results are expected within six weeks. Why Shook was taken into custody near railroad tracks that run through Grinnell, is unclear.