(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Fire Department say firefighters were dispatched Thursday evening to a reported home explosion in the 600 block of N. Cedar St.    Union County Sheriff’s deputies and Creston police officers arrived on the scene first and determined the location. The spoke with residents to ensure no one else was in the house. Greater Regional Medics were on hand to care for the residents and firefighters as needed. (Photos via the Creston F.D. Facebook page)

Flames were visible through the front window as the fire department arrived on scene. Crews were able to begin a transitional attack through the living room window and front door before attacking the fire offensively inside the home. Exterior crews were able to extinguish fire that had extended to the basement. Interior crews successfully extinguished the fire on the 1st floor but had to overhaul and remove almost the entire ceiling from the residence. Mutual Aid from the Afton Fire Department was also received. Union County Emergency Management was also on scene to aide the homeowners.

The Creston Fire Department thanks all of their partners who come together during this and other emergency situations.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court says a search that led to a 2020 drug charge conviction against a Texas trucker was not legal. Stephen Arrieta stopped at the Northwood weigh station on I-35 after his automatic pass device failed to work. A D-O-T officer then inspected his truck and called for a drug dog. The drug dog alerted outside the truck and Arrieta admitted to having marijuana in the cab. He appealed his conviction for possession of a controlled substance, saying the stop was illegally delayed to allow the dog to show up.

The Iowa Supreme Court ruling says the officer had no reasonable suspicion to delay the stop and improperly detained Arrieta to allow the drug dog to arrive.

(Corning, Iowa) – The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports a total of nine people were arrested between Nov. 22nd and Dec. 5th, including four people who were arrested on drug charges.

On Nov. 22nd, Adams County Deputies arrested 20-year-old Jasime Caplinger, 20-year-old Kally Burchett, and 18-year-old Jeffrea Van Scoy, all of Creston. They were taken into custody following a traffic stop on 150th Street at Willow Avenue, and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance (PCS), as well as Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Additional charges on Van Scoy were pending lab results.

On the 23rd of November, 33-year-old Makinze Reed, of Lenox, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. Additional charges on Reed were also pending lab results.

November 27th, Adams County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 25-year-old Desiree Ladd, of Council Bluffs, on a warrant for Failure to Appear on original charges of Poss. of a Controlled Substance and Unlawful Poss. of Prescription Medication.

54-year-old Patrick Jones, of Lenox, was arrested November 30th in Adams County, for OWI/1st Offense, and Interference with Official Acts.

December 1st, 35-year-old Jacob Franson, of Villisca, was charged in Adams County with PCS and Poss. of Drug Paraphernalia.

This past Tuesday (Dec. 5), 21-year-old Christian Sexton, of Bellevue, NE, was charged in Adams County with Sexual Abuse in the 2nd Degree. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office was assisted in the investigation by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. And, 60-year-old Dennis Nekuda, of Corning, was arrested Dec. 5th for OWI/1st Offense. He was also cited for additional traffic violations.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Enhance Iowa Board, Thursday (Dec. 7, 2023) awarded $1.4-million dollars in Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grants to an event center in North Liberty and an indoor aquatic center in Ames. In addition, the board awarded $503,572 in Sports Tourism grants, to promote the National Junior High Finals Rodeo event in Des Moines and the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend in Newton.

Details for the projects receiving CAT and Sports Tourism grants follow:

Project Name: Centennial Center – North Liberty
Total Project Cost: $8,357,963
Amount Awarded: $900,000
Project Description: This project includes the construction of a 13,000 square-foot event center with an outdoor stage designed to accommodate crowds from 500 to 5,000. The interior of the facility will accommodate events for up to 500 people.

Project Name: Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center – Ames
Total Project Cost: $31,374,394
Amount Awarded: $500,000
Project Description: This project includes the construction of a 39,000-square-foot recreational and wellness facility with a six-lane lap pool, zero-depth recreational pool with a current channel, children’s play structure, wellness pool, two water slides, locker rooms, party/meeting room, multi-purpose rooms and walking area.

Details for the projects receiving Sports Tourism Marketing grants follow:

Catch Des Moines was awarded $3,572 toward marketing the National Junior High Finals Rodeo in Des Moines on June 23-29, 2024. The funds will go toward social media marketing and digital billboards.

Newton Community Events, Inc. was awarded $500,000 to market the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend on July 12-14, 2024. The funds will go toward a national TV ad buy, radio campaigns throughout the Midwest and digital media ad buys.

The Enhance Iowa Program provides financial incentives to communities for the construction of recreational, cultural, educational or entertainment facilities that enhance the quality of life in Iowa. To date, 132 CAT grants have been awarded by the board, totaling more than $44.6-million dollars. The next Enhance Iowa Board meeting is scheduled for January 4, 2024.

(Tiffin, Iowa) – A crash early this (Friday) morning in eastern Iowa claimed the life of a semi tractor-trailer driver. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2022 Freightliner semi was traveling west on Interstate 80 south of Tiffin/west of Coralville, when it left the road at around 4:30-a.m. The semi entered the north ditch and struck a tree before catching fire. The name of the driver was being withheld, pending notification of family.

The Patrol was assisted at the scene by Tiffin Fire, Johnson County Communications(JComm) & Sheriff’s Office, Oxford Fire, and the Iowa DOT.

(Radio Iowa) – The Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railroad is bringing its 25th annual Holiday Train program through northeastern Iowa today (Friday). Railroad spokesman Terry Cunha Says the train visits 191 communities across North America over the course of four weeks, spreading holiday cheer and raising donations to help people struggling with food insecurity. “Guests are able to watch a free, live performance by a talented musician, and all it costs is a donation to your local food bank,” Cunha says, “All we ask is anyone who comes and participates in these free, live musical performances is to bring a non-perishable food item that is donated to your local food bank and supports those in need during the holiday season.”

The Holiday Train. (Canadian Pacific photo)

Cunha says the festive six-car train has intricate displays inside and out. “It’s a train that’s lit up full of decorations and lights that help bring some excitement to the holiday season for those in attendance,” he says, “and then one of the train doors slides open and the musical act comes out and they sing some of their hits and also several Christmas carols that those in the audience would definitely know very well.”

Cunha says the Holiday Train’s focus has always been to work with local food banks in the communities they operate in. “Over the course of our 25-year history, we’ve been able to raise over $25-and-a-half million to local food banks and also raise over five million pounds of food, which is extremely important just to help address food insecurity,” he says, “but more importantly during the holiday seasons just a positive way to give back to the communities in which we operate.”

The Holiday Train will make stops today (Friday) in Ossian, Marquette, Lansing and New Albin.