At least 32 people died in structure fires in Iowa this year. Ron Humphrey, with the State Fire Marshal’s office, says many of those lives may’ve been saved if some the homes would’ve had a working smoke detector. “I would say probably about 30-percent of the fires we had this year had either no smoke detectors present or the smoke detector wasn’t working for some reason,” Humphrey said.

The number of fire fatalities in Iowa dropped from last year’s tally of 42, but was up from the 26 fire-related deaths in 2013. One of the biggest fire tragedies of 2015 occurred early in the year in Fort Dodge. The blaze on February 22 claimed the lives of a 25-year-old woman, her 6-month old son, and a 5-year-old boy. The home did have a working smoke detector, but the victims were trapped in the second floor bedroom of the home. The exact cause of the fire was never determined.

“It was officially listed as undetermined. We had it narrowed down to three or four possibilities, but we just couldn’t lock it down,” Humphrey said. “It was not intentional…it was some kind of accidental cause, but since we couldn’t narrow it down to one, we listed it as undetermined.” Many of the fatal fires this year happened when the victims were sleeping. Humphrey says that’s why it’s important to develop and practice plans to escape a fire in your home.

“Have your evacuation plans and know how to get out of your house,” Humphrey said. “That’s what we see a lot in the fire deaths of people — they either get trapped or they’re sleeping…and if they don’t have smoke detectors, by the time they’re woken by the fire or the smoke, it’s too late and they can’t find their way out of the structure.”

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Harlan are reporting three recent arrests. On Tuesday, 24-year old Michael Tremayne, of Harlan, was arrested after officers were called to the area of 10th and Elm Streets, for a male and female arguing loudly and the male allegedly assaulting the female. As a result of an investigation, Tremayne was taken into custody and transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with domestic abuse assault.

And, on Monday, two people were arrested following the investigation of a minor traffic accident at 10th and Tarkington Streets. 33-year old Thomas Holzer, Jr.,  and 27-year old Danielle Terwilleger, both of Westphalia were arrested and taken to the Shelby County Jail. Holzer was charged with driving while revoked, carrying weapons, and failure to prove security against liability (accident related). Terwilleger was charged with felon in possession of a firearm and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff’s officials in Adams County say a man from Union County was arrested Wednesday night, on drug charges. 18-year old Dyrrel Mali Thornton Culbertson, of Creston, was arrested at around 8:05-p.m. following a traffic stop, during which deputies noticed a strong odor of marijuana. A search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of a large amount of marijuana in the trunk.

Culbertson was charged with Possession of Marijuana, Intent to Distribute, and a Tax Drug Stamp violation. He was being held in the Adams County Jail on $7,000 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Patrol says releasing the name of a trooper and details about his use of force during an arrest would be unfair to the suspect he injured. The patrol refused to explain how a trooper’s rifle injured Shanne Arre during a June arrest following a police chase in Plymouth County. The Associated Press asked the State Patrol for further explanation earlier this month.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A judge has granted another trial delay for a man accused of killing his 3-week-old son in southeast Iowa. Twenty-three-year-old Randall Payne’s trial is now scheduled to begin in May. It had been slated to begin next week. Payne was arrested at his Burlington home last May in the 2014 death of Carter Payne.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A plea agreement calls for a retired National Park Service officials to serve probation and publicly apologize to tribes for stealing the remains of their ancestors from a museum he managed. The agreement also recommends former Effigy Mounds National Monument superintendent Thomas Munson pay $108,000 in restitution. Munson is expected to plead guilty to embezzlement next week and receive his sentence.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A state engineer fired in 2014 for giving sexually inappropriate buttons to a female co-worker will be reinstated with $173,000 in back pay after successfully appealing his termination. Bruce Flippin will return Monday to the job with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, two years after the incident that prompted his firing. An administrative law judge has concluded Flippin violated DNR work rules, but that termination wasn’t justified.