The Creston Police Department has received two reports of Theft. Tuesday afternoon, a residents in the 400 block of north Stone Street, told police someone took checks belonging to him and cashed them without consent. The incident happened sometime between 12-p.m. Nov. 12th and 12-p.m. Nov. 28th. The loss was estimated at $640.

And on Monday, the Creston Wal-Mart reported an unknown female had entered the store and took merchandise valued at $362. The loss included two cans of paint, a heater, two wiring kits, two DVD players, two CD players, toilet paper, paper towels and other, unidentified merchandise.

Both incidents remain under investigation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – U.S. Postal Service officials say mail thefts have cost Iowa businesses thousands of dollars in the past few months. Inspector Jim O’Hara told The Des Moines Register on Tuesday that businesses have notified his office of stolen mail and suspicious activity on their bank accounts. He says thieves steal checks from mailboxes, make counterfeits and then recruit homeless people to cash them.

O’Hara says the scheme is becoming more common in the Midwest, and investigators think the more recent cases can be linked to the Bloods gang in Atlanta. He advises businesses to lock mailboxes and retrieve mail as soon as possible.

Firefighters from Irwin, Kirkman and Defiance were called to the scene of a structure fire about five miles east of Kirkman, Tuesday afternoon. The call went out about 4:20 to 2204 1500th St, the Plumb and Sons Tiling and Trenching business. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to one portion of the building, with some structural damage in that area. Crews were on scene for about 2 hours. The fire is believed to have been electrical in nature.

(KNOD/Harlan)