DES MOINES, Iowa – On August 22, 2024, the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Office to Combat Human Trafficking partnered with law enforcement and service providers from across the United States to conduct a multi-state human trafficking operation.

This operation, named “Coast to Coast,” was a grassroots effort involving 12 states with the common goals of identifying trafficking victims, offering these victims much-needed services, arresting traffickers, and making our communities safer. The following Iowa agencies assisted in the operation:

Department of Public Safety (including the Iowa State Patrol and the Division of Intelligence & Fusion Center, Division of Criminal Investigation, and Division of Narcotics Enforcement); Ames Police Department; Ankeny Police Department; Bettendorf Police Department; Burlington Police Department; Cedar Rapids Police Department; Clinton Police Department; Davenport Police Department; Des Moines Police Department; MINE Task Force; Ottumwa Police Department; Polk County Sheriff’s Office; Scott County Sheriff’s Office; Wapello County Sheriff’s Office; West Des Moines Police Department; and prosecutors with the Polk County Attorney’s Office, Scott County Attorney’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office.

Iowa joined law enforcement agencies and service providers from New Jersey, Ohio, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, California, Minnesota, and Washington to carry out the operation. Private organizations also assisted, including the Human Trafficking Training Center, Safe House Project, and Nurses Against Trafficking.

Dorothy’s House, Chains Interrupted, and Polk County Crisis and Advocacy Services provided victim services during the Iowa operation. Seventeen adults were contacted and offered food, lodging, medical services, drug rehabilitation, counseling/therapy, and childcare. Seven adults were contacted, detained, or identified during the operation.

Further details cannot be released at this time as the investigations are ongoing.

Human trafficking continues to be an issue across America and agencies across the country are taking it seriously to minimize its devastating impacts. For more information on Operation “Coast to Coast” from a national perspective, please contact Dan Nash at dan@humantraffickingtrainingcenter.com.

If you suspect human trafficking in your area, please call 911 or your local law enforcement agency.

(BOONE, IA) – Fareway Stores, Inc. is partnering with The Iowa Wave Shirt to conduct the fourth annual Round Up at the register from August 26 – September 7 at all Iowa store locations, the two weeks ahead of the Iowa vs. Iowa State football game.

Customers will have the opportunity to round up to the next dollar or provide an additional donation on their grocery bill to help fund The Iowa Wave Shirt’s mission. Dollars raised through the round up will benefit the Iowa Wave Shirt, a non-profit created to support the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Additionally, Fareway employees can purchase a co-branded Iowa Wave Shirt in their favorite team colors to wear during the event, on game-days, or other events throughout the year.

“The Iowa Wave Shirt team is thrilled to partner with Fareway as part of their Lead with Love commitment to our local communities. Celebrating the third year of collaboration is an exciting way to bring the spirit of The Iowa Wave into each store while also embracing some friendly state rivalry competition,” said The Iowa Wave Shirt co-founder Meighan Phillips. “We are so moved by the support of Fareway customers across our Iowa communities and look forward to celebrating with the campaign-leading store!”

“We are so proud to partner with the Iowa Wave Shirt to help make a difference in the lives of children treated at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital,” said Rob Stevenson, Director of Corporate Outreach and Employee Engagement for Fareway Stores. “Thanks to our generous customers and employees for helping lead the way in providing enhanced care for kids and their families.”

About The Iowa Wave Shirt

The Iowa Wave Shirt brings together Hawkeye fans, friends of the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital (UISFCH) and generous hearts across our country in support of children at UISFCH. Support of the Iowa Wave Shirt demonstrates that together, we can make a difference in the lives of the children that are treated at UISFCH.  In the first six seasons of The Iowa Wave, our community of givers donated more than $2 million to UISFCH.  Today, each person that supports the Iowa Wave Shirt supports enhanced care, new and innovative research through the Iowa Wave Shirt Pediatric Research Fund, the Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Center and care within the Child Life Program. 

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans who want to vote by mail can now start requesting absentee ballots for this fall’s election, as today (Tuesday) is the first day county auditors can accept applications for those absentee ballots. Becky Bissell, president of the Iowa State Association of County Auditors, says it’s a good idea for Iowans to request ballots sooner rather than later to allow for processing at the auditor’s office and for mail times.

“It’s really important to get them in ahead of time so that you have more days at home to fill out your ballot,” Bissell says, “and then that also gives you more days that you can get it mailed back to us.” Bissell says if you want to vote absentee, get your application in as early as possible.

“The window is only 20 days before the election, and so that is for you to get it voted and mailed back,” she says, “and we know that in most rural areas, the postal service is a little bit slower, and so it could be five to seven days before any of my residents get their mail back to me or get the mail to them.”

Bissell, who’s from Adams County, says Iowans who want to vote by mail should make sure they’re registered to vote. Voters can then print an absentee ballot request form at voterready.iowa.gov, or call their county auditor to have an application mailed to them.

Completed ballot request forms must be mailed or delivered to the voter’s county auditor. County auditors can start sending ballots to voters on October 16th.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Officials with the Glenwood Police Department report a Pottawattamie County woman was arrested Monday. 34-year-old Ashley Floyd, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for driving under suspension. While her bond was set at $300, Floyd was released on her own recognizance.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State University Police reported on social media More than half of the three dozen people arrested or cited during “801 Day” in Ames had no affiliation with ISU. The college police’ Facebook page said 36 people were arrested and/or cited between 7 a.m. Saturday and 3 a.m. Sunday. The Saturday before classes start at Iowa State is commonly known as “801 Day,” a reference to an old rule that said fraternities and sororities were prohibited from having alcohol until 8:01 a.m. the Saturday before classes started.

Of those 36 people arrested or cited, 58.3% (21 people) had no affiliation with the university, police say. Last year, 45% of the 51 total people arrested were not affiliated with the university, and had no ties to student community. Nine people were arrested this year and one person was hospitalized. Of the citations issued, 25 were for possession of alcohol under the legal age of 21.

Additionally, Ames police say they responded to 245 calls for service, down from 271 a year ago. Police towed 26 vehicles, six fewer than the year before.

DES MOINES – Iowa incumbent 3rd District, U.S. Republican Representative Zach Nunn, today (Tuesday) announced his re-election campaign chairs for all twenty-one counties of the Iowa Third Congressional District. In southwest Iowa, that includes, in:

Adair County – Ryan Frederick
Adams County – Ray and Elaine Gaesser
Cass County – Jim Triller
Dallas County – Kelley Koch and Eric Klein
Guthrie County – Laura Kuhl
Madison County – Katy Downes
Montgomery County – Jerald Palmquist
Page County – Karen Perala
Ringgold County – Carrie Main
Taylor County – Rep. Devon Wood
Union County – Laura Hartmann.

(Radio Iowa) – There’s more legal trouble for a former employee of a north-central Iowa chamber of commerce, who was originally charged after more than $200,000 vanished. Leah Mulholland of Webster City was arrested last Saturday, accused of violating the conditions of her probation. Mulholland admitted to the stealing of thousands of dollars from her employer, the Webster City Area Chamber of Commerce. She is being held in the Hamilton County Jail in Webster City. Mulholland is now facing the possibility of having to serve the ten-year prison term that was originally suspended in 2021. She has a probation revocation hearing set for October 7th in Hamilton County District Court.

Iowa Courts online reported that an application to revoke Mulholland’s probation was filed by her probation officer last Friday. Probation officer Dan Lindgren detailed some manners in which he says Mulholland violated her probation. One of them was her payment history toward her Hamilton County cases showed her to make regular payments.

CHR discharged Mulholland from treatment due to being a no call no show fourteen times in six weeks. She also missed a scheduled individual appointment with her substance counselor and missing a scheduled probation appointment plus continued sporadic attendance at mandatory meetings for probation.

Leah Mulholland (Hamilton County Jail photo)

In January, 2021, Mulholland was given a ten-year suspended prison sentence, five year’s probation and a $1000 fine which was also suspended on a charge of first-degree theft. It was in February, 2020 that Mulholland was originally arrested following a lengthy investigation related to more than $239,586.23 in improper disbursements from the Webster City Chamber of Commerce during the time of her employment.