SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The city has joined battle with a legion of rats that have invested a condemned home in Sioux City. Neighbors have complained to the city, fearing the rats will spread to their properties in the city’s Leeds neighborhood. One resident says rats have been seen coming from the house for more than a year. Several neighbors call the conditions at the property disgusting.

Mayor Bob Scott says the city has been trapping and poisoning the rats. The Sioux City Journal reports that a wire mesh barrier was erected around the property, although Scott says he realizes the rats can and have climbed over it. One neighborhood resident reports once seeing up to 15 to 20 rats a day, a figure that’s fallen to two or three a day since the city took action.
It’s unclear why the condemned home hasn’t been renovated or razed.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man who shared methamphetamine-laced greeting cards, letters and other paper goods with fellow jail inmates has been sentenced to 26 years in prison.
Prosecutors say 47-year-old Kelly Mitchell, of Burlington, was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Davenport. He’d pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and phentermine, and providing contraband to an inmate.

Mitchell acknowledged to authorities that while in custody at Muscatine County Jail on unrelated drug charges, he regularly received coloring pages, greeting cards, letters, envelopes and other paper goods that had been soaked in a liquid containing meth and another controlled substance. He then provided those papers to other inmates.

The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office reports an additional suspect was arrested Wednesday, in connection with an ongoing narcotics distribution investigation. 25-year old Jacob Jones, of Bedford, was arrested in Bedford on an active Taylor County Class-C and Class-D Felony Warrants for Controlled Substance Violations/Delivery of Controlled Substances.  Jones was being held in the  Taylor County Jail on $15,000 bond.

The Creston Police Department reports three separate arrests took place, Thursday. A little after 3-a.m. 59-year old Tracey Allen Simmerman, of Cromwell, was arrested following a traffic stop at the intersection of Highway 34 and Cromwell Road. Simmerman was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense, and Possession of drug paraphernalia. He was later released on a $1,300 bond.

At around 7:40-a.m. Thursday, 32-year old Anthony Gene Keller, of Creston, was arrested for Driving While Barred. He was released on a $2,000 bond. And, at around 10-a.m. 40-year old Dustin James Seley, of Creston, was arrested at the Adams County Jail, on a Union County Warrant for Parole Violation.  He was being held on a $5,000 cash bond.

EDGEWOOD, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a man was killed by a logging accident in northeast Iowa. First responders were sent around 12:25 p.m. Tuesday to the worksite about 2 miles from the Mississippi River in the southeast corner of Clayton County.

The Clayton County Sheriff’s Office says 38-year-old Jason Steger, of Greeley, was struck by a falling tree that had been knocked over by a log that was being moved. Steger was pronounced dead at the scene. He worked for Kendrick Forest Products, which is based in Edgewood.

Work safety authorities have been notified.