(Stuart, Iowa) – Officials with the Stuart Police Department report that at around 10:30-a.m., Friday, April 5th, the Department will co-host a mock accident for West Central Valley High School students. The exercise is in coordination with Stuart Fire Department, Stuart Rescue, Menlo Fire & Rescue, Dexter Fire & Rescue and Redfield Fire Department.

The mock accident will take place in the gravel parking lot on the south side of the sports complex. Multiple emergency services agencies will be on site.

Authorities say while this event is not open to the public, they want the community to be aware the event is taking place, and to not be alarmed if you see a large emergency response in the area.

Picture is from the Stuart P-D’s last mock accident held in 2022

If you have any questions, please email Sgt. Katie Guisinger at kguisinger@stuart911.com.

(Creston, Iowa) –  Police in Creston report the arrest at around 4:10-a.m. today (Wednesday), of 33-year-old Matthew Thomas Riddle, from Creston. Riddle was taken into custody at the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center, for Driving While Suspended. He was cited, and released on a Promise to Appear [in court].

(Radio Iowa) – Officials with the GoServ Global humanitarian organization say their frustration level is growing over the situation in Haiti. The organization was co-founded in 2011 by missionary Terry Baxter and Iowa farmer Ken DeYoung following a devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010. DeYoung says they support operations in the southwestern part of Haiti. “We’ve been able to keep the school going, our hospital, birthing center, those kinds of things going fairly well,” DeYoung says. “But the biggest thing for us and the orphanage we support is the availability of food and fuel and that king of thing.” He says it has been hard to get all the supplies they need.

“The gangs have shut the road off going from Port-au-Prince to Le Cayes and so we haven’t been able to get many supplies. There is some food available, but it is at a ten-X price of what it was six months ago,” he says. DeYoung says the unstable nature of the country makes it difficult to try to help.

“You get to the point of desperation where it’s next to impossible. I’ve got a container of food sitting in Port-au-Price right now, been there for several weeks, that we can’t get up there,” DeYound says. “And even for me to fly in supplies to La Cayes, and I haven’t been able to get clearance to go in there since this whole shutdown happened. Even if I can, the desperation sets in to the point that you don’t hardly show up with plane load of food, everybody will know what it is.”

GoServe Global is in the process of moving from Eagle Grove to Ankeny.

This is Donate Life Month, when you are encouraged to sign up on your driver’s licenses to donate organs, eyes and tissue. Heather Butterfield, spokeswoman for the Iowa Donor Network, says it’s a time to highlight the critical need for donors, to shine a light on those who are on waiting lists, to honor those who’ve donated in the past, and to celebrate those who’ve received organs through transplants. She says last year was a record-breaking year in terms of the number of donors saying ‘yes’ to donation.

You can go online to IowaDonorNetwork.org to register.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – Officials with the Page County Sheriff’s Office, Tuesday, said a man from Imogene was arrested after he turned himself-in on a warrant. 41-year-old Vincent Michael Martin was wanted on a Page County Warrant issued on March 4th.

The warrant charged Martin with Assault on Persons of Certain Occupations – Intent of Injury, Disarming a Peace Officer, Interference with Official Acts – Inflicting Serious Injury, and Assault on Persons in Certain Occupations.

Martin’s bond was set at $16,000, but the court allowed 10% to be paid. Martin posted $1,600 bond and was released from custody pending additional court proceedings.

A charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa now has a law modeled after the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Governor Kim Reynolds signed the bill into law last (Tuesday) night at an event sponsored by The Family Leader, a Christian conservative group.

In a written statement, Reynolds said religious rights have increasingly come under attack and this law uphold ideals that are the very foundation of our country. Critics say the law will let some Iowans weaponize and misuse religion to
discriminate against others.

The federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act was approved in 1993. According to the governor’s office, 26 other states have adopted similar laws in the past three dec