Firefighters from Avoca were called to the scene of a home fully engulfed in flames early this (Sunday) morning. The call for a blaze at the Rod Osbahr residence at 507 N. Chestnut Street, came in at around 1:40-a.m.  Officials say lightening was the apparent cause of the fire, as witnesses reported seeing the home struck not long before the flames erupted. The roof of the structure had reportedly collapsed before fire fighters arrived. Walnut and Harlan Fire provided additional manpower and support.  The house was declared a total loss. No one was home at the time, and no injuries were reported.

Photo’s & info. courtesy of James Wolff, from Walnut.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections report an escape occurred Saturday from a work release facility, in Council Bluffs. 28-year old Andrew Eugene Maybee was placed on escape status after failing to return to the facility, Saturday.

Maybee was serving a 25-year prison sentence for two counts of willful injury causing serious injury, conspiracy to commit forcible felony, and going armed with intent. He was transferred to the Council Bluffs facility in June.

Maybee is a Caucasian male, 6-feet 3-inches tall. He weighs 285 pounds, has blonde hair and blue eyes. He also has a tattoo on his back, and scars on his abdomen, left arm, right forearm, and both hands and legs.

Anyone with information on Maybee’s location should contact Council Bluffs Police.

Two grants announced last week address the majority of a $700,000 funding shortfall for the proposed Pottawattamie County veterans building in Council Bluffs. The Omaha World-Herald reports the Iowa West Foundation and Charles E. Lakin Foundation each awarded $275,000 to the project, to help close the gap between the $1.5 million approved by voters more than a year ago and the low project bid of $2.24-million.

The amount not covered by the foundation grants — about $150,000 — will come from county funds that were set aside for a property purchase or through changes in the building’s lighting or other design features to cut costs.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A slew of issue-advocacy groups are taking a page from White House hopefuls, flooding airwaves and knocking on doors to try to educate voters ahead of the state’s first-in the-nation 2016 presidential caucus. Groups are running ad campaigns or grassroots efforts are raising issues like early childhood education, campaign finance reform, environmental policy and the national debt. Political strategists and experts view the early-voting state as a fertile ground to reach voters, candidates and influence the conversation. But one veteran operative says that it could be a challenge to cut through the noise because of the mass of groups and candidates jockeying for Iowa voters’ attention.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Residents in Iowa — and neighboring Nebraska across the Missouri River —took advantage of Iowa’s sales tax holiday this weekend. The annual sales tax holiday coincides with back-to-school shopping. It began Friday and wrapped up Saturday. The Iowa holiday allows shoppers to buy select clothing and footwear priced at less than $100 without paying sales tax or local option taxes.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa state auditor’s report says a University of Northern Iowa secretary deposited personal and business checks in lieu of cash donations in an effort to collect personal and business tax breaks. The Des Moines Register reports that auditors found more than $3,000 in cash was collected but never deposited by Lori Shannon, a secretary with the Literacy Education Office.

GARNER, Iowa (AP) — A former Iowa State trooper has been charged with three counts in a child pornography case. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that 66-year-old David Hubbard of Garner has pleaded not guilty to three counts of misdemeanor sexual exploitation of a minor. Hubbard was arrested on June 30th in Britt.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — In two seasons as Iowa’s backup quarterback, C.J. Beathard was one of the most popular players on the roster. Beathard, a redshirt junior nicknamed “Sunshine” by his teammates, was promoted to the starting role following a brutal loss to Tennessee in January’s TaxSlayer Bowl. The Hawkeyes open against Illinois State on September 5th.