INDIANOLA, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources, Tuesday, said a man found dead in Lake Ahquabi on Sunday, June 27, 2021 has been positively identified as 33-year-old Joshua Sweeden, of Indianola. The Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on Monday, June 28, on Sweeden but the official cause of death has not yet been determined, pending further investigation and autopsy results.

On Sunday, June 27, 2021, at approximately 10:15am, a body was spotted floating in Lake Ahquabi approximately 20 yards from shore in the beach/swimming area. DNR Parks staff, Warren County Sheriff’s Office deputies and other medical personnel responded to the scene, located the body and brought it ashore. The body was transported to the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny.

(Radio Iowa) – The rocketry team from Webster City High School placed third in the country out of 615 teams in this year’s American Rocketry Challenge. The team competed against 99 other teams in the National Finals which took place at 10 regional launch sites earlier this month. The Webster City students and advisor Mark Murphy participated in the contest held in Dayton, Ohio. Students worked on how to safely carry a payload of one raw egg to three different altitude and time goals and to keep the egg intact when reaching the ground. The Webster City High School will received $14,000 in total prizes to be split between the team, the school and for the best in launch site at Dayton, Ohio.

Webster City High School will also receive an invitation to participate in NASA’s Student Launch initiative to continue their exploration of rocketry with high powered rockets and challenging mission parameters. The first place finisher was from Oregon Episcopal School in Portland.

Two other Iowa teams competed in the national finals — teams from Cedar Falls High School and Maharishi High School in Fairfield.

(Radio Iowa) – A northeast Iowa man who sexually assaulted a woman after giving her methamphetamine will spend more than sixteen years in federal prison. Fifty-six-year-old Herman Lee Ronnfeldt from West Union pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Court information showed a search of Ronnfeldt’s apartment in West Union in late 2018 turned up more than 80 grams of meth.

Witnesses testified at sentencing that Ronnfeldt regularly distributed methamphetamine to people at his apartment — and in one case Ronnfeldt distributed meth to a woman that caused her to feel ill. He then sexually assaulted her. He was sentenced to 224 months in prison.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 38-year-old Grant Alan Bruckner, of Coin, was arrested at around 11:10-p.m., Friday, in the vicinity of Highway 34 and Highway 59. He faces charges that include Possession of Burglary Tools, Possession of Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond was set at $3,300. And, at around 1:36-a.m. today (Tue., June 29), 46-year-old Tracey Elizabeth Farlin, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Interference with Official Acts and No Valid Driver’s License. Bond on those offenses was set at $300. Farlin was also taken into custody on a warrant out of Page County for Larceny. Bond on that offense was set at $1,000.

The Glenwood P-D says also, no injuries were reported following a collision Monday afternoon at 195th Street and Highway 34. Officials say a 2015 Jeep driven by Roger Beem, of Pacific Junction, was traveling south on 195th Street at around 4:15-p.m., and approaching the intersection with Highway 34. Torrential rains prevented the SUV from coming to a complete stop, and the vehicle began to hydroplane.

A 2007 Audi driven by 76-year-old Thomas Millikan, also of Pacific Junction, was traveling west on Highway 34. Officials say Beem tried to accelerate through the intersection to avoid a collision, but the front of the Audi collided with the rear of the Jeep. Authorities say heavy rain at the time, made it nearly impossible for either driver to see each other.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s first African-American woman mayor has died. LaMetta Wynn was elected mayor of Clinton in 1995. LaMetta Wynn died recently at the age of 87. Wynn served a dozen years on the Clinton School Board. After that, she was elected as the Clinton Mayor in three consecutive elections. As mayor, Wynn was recognized in Iowa and across the nation and attracted interviews for her place in Iowa history. Three Iowa governors also appointed Wynn to various state commissions. She also worked as a nurse at the local hospital for many years.

Wynn’s funeral will be held Friday at the Church of the Open Door in Clinton.

(Radio Iowa) – There’s a benefit concert in Grinnell tonight (Tue., June 29) to raise money for the reward fund for information about a missing 11-year-old boy. Xavior Harrelson of Montezuma was reported missing in late May. The benefit concert at the Poweshiek County Fairgrounds starts at 7 p.m. “We just want to bring Xavior home,” says Tina Goff, part of the “Finding Xavior Harrelson” Faeebook group..

Goff says country singer Adam Whitehead of Marshalltown was instrumental in putting the concert together. “Adam had mentioned that he was interested in helping us in the effort to find Xavior Harrelson,” Goff says, “and we thought the best way to do that was to put together this reward benefit.” There’s a silent auction as well as music from Whitehead and Hunter Mason, a singer and piano player from Ottumwa. Organizers are asking concert-goers to wear orange tonight. “Xavior’s favorite color is orange,” Goff says, “so we really want just to show Xavior we care and are coming out for him, to bring him home.”

All the proceeds from the concert will go to the reward fund for information on Xavior’s whereabouts. The Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office says the reward fund has now reached more than $22,000.