(Red Oak, Iowa) – Montgomery County Auditor Jill Ozuna reports per State Code, the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office has ordered a post-election audit of the June 4, 2024, Primary Election. Such audits are standard procedure following an election. The race to be audited will be the U.S. House contest for each political party in Precinct 7: The Scott East/Frankfort/Washington Township & Villisca. The precinct essentially covers the east central, southeast and a portion of southern, Montgomery County. The polling place location for Precinct 7 is the Villisca Community Building.

The Montgomery County Auditor’s Office will conduct the audit on Wednesday, June 12, beginning at 9-a.m. The audit takes place in the old Supervisor’s meeting room on the first floor of the Courthouse, at 105 E. Coolbaugh Street, in Red Oak. The proceedings are open to the public.

(Radio Iowa) – The emergency management coordinator for Dickinson County says they are keeping a close eye on high water levels on the Great Lakes. Michael Ehret says they may have to put a speed restriction on Big Spirit, and East and West Lake Okoboji lake.  “With the continued rain we’ve had over the last several weeks, the river levels and lake levels have come up significantly from where we started in the spring. Like a lot of the state, we went from drought to flood in a matter of a couple of weeks,” he says.

He says they can restrict boat speeds to five-miles-an-hour rule.  “That minimizes the wake that your vessel creates, which then, in turn, minimizes damage, you know, the wave action and damages to the shoreline,” Ehret says. Ehret says the wake in high water can also damage property, docks, and boat hoists.

The D-N-R restricts boaters from causing a wake 300 feet from the shore, but Ehret suggests they stay even farther away until lake levels start falling. He is thankful the current forecast calls for dry conditions for the next week to allow levels to stabilize. The haven’t had to put these type of boating restrictions into place in the Iowa Great Lakes Area due to flooding since 2018.

(Radio Iowa) – The former city clerk for the small Tama County town of Clutier has been sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison for stealing over 100-thousand dollars in city funds.
Forty-four-year-old Keri Kopriva pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud last fall. She was Clutier’s city clerk for three years before she was fired in February of 2019.

A special investigation by the state auditor’s office found Kopriva paid herself more than was allowed and used the city’s credit card to buy jewelry, clothes, alcohol, and other personal items. Auditors also estimated Kopriva stole 43-thousand dollars worth of cash paid on city utility bills.

The federal judge who sentenced Kopriva has ordered her to pay more than 108-thousand dollars in restitution to the City of Clutier.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says a woman from Wisconsin was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Illinois, on a Mills County warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree, and Forgery. 54-year-old Kim Burger Stanton, of Omro, WI, was arrested at the Kankakee, IL, Jail. Her bond was set at $5,000.

And, 41-year-old Rebecca Joy Butowsky, of Glenwood, was arrested Wednesday morning, for OWI/1st offense. Her bond was set at $1,000.

ALTOONA, Iowa [KCCI] — The Altoona Police Department is investigating after a man from Boone reported his boat missing from Bass Pro Shops in Altoona late last month. Charles Chamblee told KCCI-TV that he dropped off his boat at Bass Pro Shops in Altoona on May 13 to get a motor installed, as well as other additions. Chamblee got the boat from his grandfather in April and brought it back to Iowa. He and his kids were only able to take the boat out once before he dropped it off at Bass Pro Shops in Altoona with the expectation of getting it back.

When he arrived on May 24 —the date he says was agreed on by him and Bass Pro Shops to pick up his boat — he was shocked to learn his boat wasn’t there.

According to Chamblee, employees and managers at the store told him they searched throughout the property and did not find the boat. Chamblee says he spoke with multiple supervisors and managers in the store, only to be told the following. Chamblee says Bass Pro Shops called Altoona Police on May 24 when he arrived at the store. He also called the police department. Chamblee says in addition to the boat’s camouflaged paint job, people can be on the lookout for the left LED tail light on the trailer, which he says is out.

The Altoona Police Department say they are investigating the incident. Anyone who has information on the theft is asked to contact the police department.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa [KCCI] — A reward is now being offered for information that leads to the arrest of a suspect in a deadly shooting at a Marshalltown bar last weekend. In a criminal complaint, authorities say 18-year-old Victor Delgadillo, of Marshalltown, is suspected in Saturday’s shooting at Center Street Station Bar that left one person dead. Police say he is believed to be armed and dangerous. Marshall County Crime Stoppers is now offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to Delgadillo’s apprehension. Tipsters are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 641-753-1234.

The criminal complaint alleges Delgadillo threw a cup on the ground and was confronted by another person to pick it up. An argument began and Delgadillo pushed two people, according to the complaint. Delgadillo then showed a firearm, according to court documents, and fired multiple shots at Ramon Alexis Feliciano Nieves, 41. Nieves died from his injuries.

Victor Delgadillo

Delgadillo is charged with first-degree murder. Police ask that anyone with information on his whereabouts call 911 or contact Marshalltown police at 641-754-5725.

(Creston, Iowa) – A collision Wednesday afternoon in Creston caused an estimated total of $13,000 damage, but no one was hurt. According to the Creston Police Department, 41-year-old Melvin E. Leathers, of Creston, was driving a 2017 Chevy Tahoe northbound on Sumner Avenue at around 4:30-p.m. He signaled, and was slowing to turn left at the intersection with Russell Street, when his vehicle was hit from behind by a 2022 Chevy pickup truck driven by 62-year-old Jeffery L. McKinney, of Kent (IA).

The Police report said McKinney was not paying attention prior to the collision taking place. The pickup was disabled in the crash and towed away. The Tahoe was driven away from the scene. No citations were issued.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department says two men were arrested on separate charges Wednesday evening. A little before 8-p.m., 33-year-old Quinton Lee Kimball, of Creston, was arrested at the Creston Motel (301 W. Adams St.), for Violation of Parole. Kimball was being held in the Union County Jail.

And, at around 6-p.m., Wednesday, Creston Police arrested 39-year-old Kevin Wayne Rauch, of Creston, at the Greater Regional Health Center (1700 W. Townline St.), for Assault on persons in Certain Occupations, with the intent to cause injury. Rauch was being held in the Union County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

(Cedar Rapids, Iowa) [updated 11:15-a.m.] – A call about multiple persons injured at a home in rural Marion, Wednesday afternoon, resulted in the arrest of a man on Attempted Murder and other charges. The Linn County Sheriff’s Office says when emergency personnel arrived at the scene, they found four adult victims with severe injuries. Three of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene. One adult was flown to an area hospital for treatment of what were believed to be life-threatening injuries.

According to the sheriff’s office, the three victims who died have been identified as:

• Romondus Lamar Cooper, 44, of Cedar Rapids
• Keonna Victoria Ryan, 26, of Cedar Rapids
• Amanda Sue Parker, 33, of Vinton

Additionally, Brent Anthony Brown, 34, of Marion, is in critical condition. An investigation indicated the victims sustained blunt force trauma injuries to the head, delivered by a metal pipe. Officials say a possible motive was the possibility of the crime being made into a movie. 34-year-old Luke Truesdell, of Marion, was arrested and charged with one-count of Attempted Murder, with additional charges pending.

No additional arrests are expected.