IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa City man is facing a felony assault charge after police say he pushed another man onto a burning couch during a fight last month. The Press-Citizen reports that the victim suffered second- and third-degree burns on his lower back and buttocks after allegedly being pushed Nov. 4 by 21-year-old Timothy Peiffer. Police say the men were fighting in a courtyard in Iowa City, and that someone had set the couch on fire before the fight.

Peiffer is charged with assault causing serious injury. He faces up to five years in prison if convicted. He was arrested this (Friday) morning.

Red Oak Police this (Friday) morning, arrested a man on an Adams County warrant. 40-year old Michael Todd Brace, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 9-a.m., on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Brace was being held without bond until being seen by a magistrate judge.

Page County Sheriff’s Deputies, Thursday, arrested a man wanted on a Page County warrant for OWI/1st offense. 20-year old Austin Michael Larson, of Shenandoah, was taken into custody at around 3:30-a.m, Thursday. He was being held in the Page County Jail on $1,000 bond.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and Shenandoah Police Department assisted in the arrest.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — Police are investigating after the body of a Le Mars man was found in his home. Investigators say the death appears to be suspicious. The Sioux City Journal reports that the body of the 57-year-old John Peter Koley was found Wednesday afternoon on his kitchen floor. Officials believe Koley had been dead for several days before his body was found by his son.

Police were unable to immediately determine the manner of death. The body has been sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny, for an autopsy Friday morning.

Deputies with the Fremont County K9 Unit, Thursday, arrested 45-year old James Leroy Clark, of Hamburg, as part of an ongoing investigation into narcotics distribution in Fremont County. Clark was arrested for distribution of less than 5 grams of methamphetamine within Fremont County. Clark is being held at the Fremont County Jail, pending initial appearance with a magistrate.

Clark

Officials with the Glenwood Police Department report 38-year old Matthew Tyson, of Pacific Junction, was arrested Thursday, for Violation of the Sex Offender Registry. Tyson was being held in the Mills County Jail on a $5,000 cash or surety bond. And, 21-year old Kayla Richardson, of Glenwood, was arrested today (Friday), for Gathering where controlled substances are used and for a Controlled Substance Violation. Her total cash bond or surety was set at $30,000.

Iowans who don’t have travel plans over the next few weeks are in the minority. Triple-A is predicting record travel, both in Iowa and nationwide, for the upcoming Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Gail Weinholzer, at Triple-A-Iowa, says more than 107-million Americans will be traveling at least 50 miles from home between December 23rd and January 1st. “There’s going to be a lot of people traveling and there’s been a lot people traveling all year,” Weinholzer says. “We’ve seen year-over-year increases for every major holiday this year, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and now Christmas/New Year’s. Clearly, Americans are traveling in robust numbers and we expect that to continue into 2018.”

This will be the highest year-end travel volume on record and 2017 marks the ninth consecutive year of rising year-end travel. Iowa’s interstates and highways will be busy, so Weinholzer says to plan accordingly. “Actually, we are seeing increases across the board, personal automobiles, planes, trains, buses, everything,” Weinholzer says. “We’re seeing a significant increase and overall, the increase is 3.1% over last year.”

Winter officially arrives next Thursday, the 21st, but Iowa’s already had a few minor bouts with wintry weather in recent weeks. Still, Weinholzer says most Iowans don’t let a little ice or snow get in the way of their vacation plans. “When it comes to something like the Christmas/New Year’s holiday, weather does tend to have a little bit of an impact as far as causing people to leave perhaps a day earlier or a day later, but it rarely cancels travel plans,” Weinholzer says. “People are pretty committed to visiting family and friends.”

Higher gasoline prices won’t keep people home either. The average price for a gallon of gas in Iowa is two-42, about three cents below the national average and 23-cents higher than a year ago. Iowa City has the state’s most expensive gas at $2.47 a gallon while Council Bluffs is the cheapest at $2.36.

(Radio Iowa)

A man from Polk County died in a rollover crash early this (Friday) morning, in Dallas County. The Iowa State Patrol reports the accident took place east of Redfield on Highway 6 near G Avenue at around  2:15-a.m. Officials say a 2014 Lexus LS 250 driven by 26-year old Ali Saquib, of West Des Moines, was traveling eastbound on Highway 6, when the car failed to negotiate a turn. The vehicle left the road and rolled several times, ejecting Saquib, who died at the scene. The man was not wearing a seat belt. The accident remains under investigation. The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the accident scene.