(Des Moines, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety, today (Friday), issued a statement on behalf of the Ida County Sheriff’s Office, with regard to an incident that occurred this (Friday) morning in the northwest Iowa county. Authorities report that at 11:14-a.m.., the Ida County Communications Center received a 911 call of a shots fired incident in the 300 block of 5th Street in Battle Creek, Iowa.

The Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and discovered 53-year-old Kevin Lee Blume, of Battle Creek, Iowa, suffering from a single gunshot wound. He was flown to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City, Iowa.

At this time, the investigation is ongoing and there is no danger to the public.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation; the Iowa State Patrol; the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; the Monona County Sheriff’s Office; the Battle Creek Ambulance; Ida Grove ambulance and Ida County EMS.

(Menlo, Iowa) – In honor of Memorial Day, Greenfield native Ray “Bubba” Sorensen repaints this 12-foot tall, approximately 60–90-ton boulder to pay tribute to our military men and women. With the town of Greenfield reeling from the Tornado devastation, Sorensen who serves as a State Representative has been on the ground helping to facilitate donations and clean-up efforts during the day and trying to find time to work on the Freedom Rock® in the evenings and nights.

Sorensen started painting the original Freedom Rock® the second week of May and plans to be finished by Memorial Day 2024, but again he may miss his mark due to the tornado. His stories on this year’s version include:

“For the 26th version of the original Freedom Rock®, the “front” road facing side of the rock was envisioned to be a broad Thank you to all our Veteran, especially those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice, with a Revolutionary War soldier and current service member and a perched eagle with a ribbon in its mouth that reads “When you go home tell them of us & say for your tomorrow we gave our today.”

It also has a mourning widow standing amongst poppies. On the south side of the rock, PTSD piece, that shows a Veteran sitting in a cemetery, staring at the grave of his brother-in-arms, remembering the chaos of battle with a quote that reads “No bullet, no shell, no demon in hell, shall break the bond called Brother.” On the east side of the rock, an illustration of Lafayette G Pool who was a WWII Veteran nicknamed “War Daddy”. He was a tank-crew and tank-platoon commander in World War II and is widely recognized as the US tank ace of aces.

On the northeast side with the Huey that contains the cremains of over 150 Vietnam Veterans, is Paris D. Davis is a retired United States Army officer who received the Medal of Honor on 3 March 2023 for his actions on 18 June 1965 during the Vietnam War. He was twice previously nominated for the Medal of Honor, but both times the paperwork relating to his nomination disappeared. Davis, then a captain with the 5th Special Forces Group, was instead awarded the Silver Star. He subsequently commanded the 10th Special Forces Group.

On top of the North facing side is my version of the POW/MIA flag, featuring a prisoner gripping the barbed wire while being grabbed by a prison guard. Finally, the “Lion of Fallujah”, Douglas A. Zembiec, referred to as the “Unapologetic Warrior”, was an officer in the Marine Corps and member of the CIA who was killed in action while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is best known for his actions during Operation Vigilant Resolve.

Sorensen is not commissioned for his work on the original Freedom Rock® in Menlo, Iowa but works as an independent mural artist having completed the Iowa Freedom Rock® Tour last September. Sorensen is working on the 50 State Freedom Rock Tour. “I always say I have three goals with ‘The Freedom Rock® Tour’ and that is to honor America’s Veterans, promote tourism and provide for my family.”

Sorensen’s oldest two children, Indie and Michael, enjoy helping him in the early stages of many Freedom Rocks® including the original, filling in sketched areas at his discretion, and his littlest, Libby, has even scribbled a bit of paint on as well.

For a list of the Tour and other info, please visit www.thefreedomrock.com. Sorensen plans to be at The Freedom Rock® over Memorial Day weekend, including Memorial Day to meet with visitors. Calendars as well as other merchandise are also available to help offset costs for the original Freedom Rock® project. The Freedom Rock® exit from Interstate 80 onto
Highway 25 is open to the Freedom Rock®, but is closed to the entrance into Greenfield that has been devastated by a tornado.

COUNCIL BLUFFS – As yet another storm system has caused damage to both public and private property, Pottawattamie County Emergency Management officials continue to request damage reports and pictures from the public. Director of Emergency Management Doug Reed, says “We’re now included in three active State Proclamations of Disaster Emergency, it’s almost unprecedented.

“Covering a county of over 93,000 square miles can be challenging for our staff of three, so reports from the public are crucial in expediting the process to help identify needs and apply for assistance programs that can help our jurisdictions, residents, and businesses,” Reed said.

Reporting Damages. Damages for the most recent storms occurring in the county are being requested from those impacted. Any renters, homeowners, or businesses that have not yet reported their damages for the May 6 or May 20 through May 24 storms should do so on the emergency management website. Please indicate the exact date damages occurred and provide photos if possible.

Current Declaration Status:

• Severe Storms and Tornadoes (April 26) – Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for FEMA Individual Assistance and Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance. FEMA Public Assistance program is being requested.
• Severe Storms and Tornadoes (May 6) – Governor’s Proclamation of Disaster Emergency for state assistance to local governments, Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program, and Iowa Disaster Case Advocacy Program – please report damages here.
• Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Derecho (May 20 through May 24) – Governor’s Proclamation of Disaster Emergency for state assistance to local governments, Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program, and Iowa Disaster Case Advocacy Program. An expedited Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for FEMA Individual and Public Assistance is being requested – please report damage here.

Assistance for Farmers: USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has approved the Governor’s request for the activation of USDA disaster assistance in the state and Pottawattamie County. The Governor’s press release on the announcement can be found here. A USDA Farm Service Agency Disaster Assistance Fact Sheet can be viewed at this link. Impacted farmers in Pottawattamie County should report their damage and inquire on available assistance programs through their FSA Service Center in Oakland or Council Bluffs.

Access to Assistance Information and Ways to Help:
Information and links to available assistance programs and ways you can contribute to disaster relief can be
found at the emergency management agency website and the Share Iowa website. Both websites are updated
as information is received from partners and service providers.

ADAIR COUNTY, Iowa – U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today met with local leaders in Greenfield to survey the damage and discuss recovery efforts following this week’s devastating tornado and storms.

“My heart breaks for the Greenfield community. Witnessing the damage today has been sobering,” Ernst said. “In the midst of such devastation, Senator Grassley and I saw true Iowa resilience: neighbors helping neighbors and communities coming together in the midst of hardship. That is what it means to be Iowa strong! As our state continues to recover, I will keep working at the federal level with our entire delegation and Governor Reynolds to ensure Iowans have access to the resources they need.”

“I was grateful for the opportunity to support the Greenfield community and meet with those on the ground who are working tirelessly to put their town back together. Iowans stand together in good times and bad. Greenfield is showing remarkable strength and resilience after experiencing terrible destruction and losing neighbors, homes and businesses,” Grassley said. “I’ll continue to do all I can to assist Greenfield and other storm-affected areas in Iowa as they rebuild.”

The senators earlier this week led the entire Iowa congressional delegation in urging President Biden to approve Governor Kim Reynolds’ Presidential Disaster Declaration request to aid in storm recovery.

Senator Ernst shared the following video message from Greenfield:

(Radio Iowa)- A northern Iowa man has been found guilty of murdering a retired grocer more than a decade after the crime. A Chickasaw County jury has found 51-year-old Randy Patrie guilty of killing 70-year-old Carl Gallmeyer of Nashua in September of 2012. Patrie was the primary suspect, however, before local officials could proceed with their case, he was sentenced in 2014 to life in federal prison on felony firearms charges and for being a career criminal.

In 2018, Patrie was re-sentenced “I think everyone is very grateful the jury delivered justice to the Gallmeyer family after nearly 12 years of waiting,” Laudner says.

Patrie’s first degree murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence in an Iowa prison. No sentencing date has been set.

(Radio Iowa) – President Biden has approved federal disaster assistance for residents and businesses in four counties hit by Tuesday’s severe weather. Governor Kim Reynolds made the request yesterday (Thursday), noting over 200 homes had been severely damaged or destroyed in Adair, Montgomery, Polk and Story Counties. The state’s initial damage estimate is 11 million dollars.

In a written statement, Reynolds thanked Biden for expediting the assistance, which the governor says it critical to Iowa’s recovery process. Homeowners and renters in the four counties who were affected may seek federal assistance now to cover temporary housing, medical bills and other expenses.

U-S Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack has approved U-S-D-A disaster assistance for farmers in 29 counties that had damage from the tornadoes and severe weather that hit Iowa LAST month.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced May 21, 2024, to 84 months in federal prison for Conspiracy to Distribute 500 grams or more of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencings, Alejandro Almaraz, 24, and three co-defendants, conspired to distribute methamphetamine in the Council Bluffs, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska metro areas. This case involved the seizure of approximately 12 kilograms of methamphetamine. The seized methamphetamine was transported from Juarez, Mexico to the United States through El Paso, Texas.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Almaraz will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

Almaraz’s three co-defendants were sentenced earlier this year. Arnulfo Ibarra-Nunez, 57, was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Stacey Hernandez, 19, was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Manuel Gamez-Acosta, 25, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Council Bluffs Police Department.

(Radio Iowa) – Tornado sirens wailed this (Friday) morning in several central and eastern Iowa counties as severe storms rolled across the state. In Hamilton County, southbound traffic is being detoured off of Interstate 35 due to several semis having been knocked over by powerful winds. Hamilton County Sheriff Doug Timmons says there were no serious injuries reported.

One of several semis along I-35, flipped by the strong winds. (Photo by Pat Powers, KQWC)

“About the 139 mile marker, which is the Kamrar exit, is currently closed,” Sheriff Timmons says. “We got multiple semis that are tipped over and we got powerlines across the road. We’re diverting traffic.” Timmons says there’s damage to buildings in the county that was either caused by a small tornado or strong straight-line winds. As yet, no tornadoes are confirmed in today’s storms.

MidAmerican Energy reported some 35-thousand customers statewide were without power at the peak this morning, while Alliant Energy had another 12-thousand customers in the dark.