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Oskaloosa Police Investigating Church Burglaries

OSKALOOSA – The Oskaloosa Police Department is currently investigating several burglaries that have taken place at churches in the Oskaloosa community.

In a statement released on social media, the Oskaloosa Police Department asked churches, nearby residents, and businesses to review any security camera footage from the past several days, including and especially during overnight hours.

Law enforcement is particularly interested in:

  • Suspicious vehicles parked near churches late at night
  • Individuals walking around church property after hours
  • Anyone checking doors or attempting to enter buildings

Church leaders are encouraged to:

  • Ensure doors and windows are secured
  • Check alarm and camera systems
  • Report suspicious activity immediately

Those with video footage or information that may assist investigators are encouraged to contact the Oskaloosa Police Department at 641-673-3201; or, if you observe any suspicious activity in progress, call 911.

Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, and Newton Recognized with Tree City USA Awards; William Penn University Named Tree Campus USA

DES MOINES – Every year the Urban Forestry Awards luncheon recognizes cities, college campuses and utilities that demonstrate a variety of dedication to the importance of trees in their respective communities.

Awards will be presented April 8 at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny, on behalf of the Arbor Day Foundation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. A full list of award winners follows.

Tree City USA Award – To qualify for the Tree City USA award, a city must have either a city forester or an active city tree board, have a tree ordinance, spend at least $2 per capita annually for its community forestry program, and have a tree planting and maintenance plan.

The award recipients are Adel, Ames, Arnolds Park, Atlantic, Belle Plaine, Bettendorf, Bondurant, Boone, Burlington, Carlisle, Carroll, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Clarinda, Clarksville, Clinton, Clive, Coralville, Council Bluffs, Cresco, Davenport, Decorah, Denver, Des Moines, DeWitt, Dubuque, Dysart, Fort Dodge, Greene, Grimes, Grundy Center, Hampton, Hillsboro, Hopkinton, Huxley, Indianola, Iowa City, Jefferson, Johnston, Livermore, Luxemburg, Manchester, Maquoketa, Marion, Marquette, Marshalltown, Mason City, Maxwell, Muscatine, Newton, North Liberty, Odebolt, Oelwein, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Pleasant Hill, Polk City, Red Oak, Sioux City, Spencer, Story City, Tipton, Urbandale, Washington, Waterloo, Waukee, Waverly, Webster City, West Des Moines, Windsor Heights, and Winterset.

Tree City USA Growth Award – To qualify for the Tree City USA Growth award, cities must provide education and public relations, partnerships, planning and management, and tree planting and maintenance in their community.

The award recipients, which were also recipients of the Tree City USA award, are Ames, Bettendorf, Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Decorah, Des Moines, Dysart, Grundy Center, Iowa City, Johnston, Marion, Marquette, Mason City, Oelwein, Polk City, Story City, Waverly, West Des Moines, and Winterset.

Tree City of the World – Recognition through the Tree Cities of the World program represents the first step toward achieving a green vision for your city. To receive recognition, a town or city must meet five core standards: responsibility for the care of trees, official policy that governs the management of forests and trees, updated inventory or assessment, a dedicated annual budget for the routine implementation of the tree management plan and an annual celebration of trees.

Burlington, Decorah, Des Moines and Iowa City are this year’s award recipients.

Tree Campus USA Award – To qualify for the Tree Campus USA award, a campus must have a campus Tree Advisory Committee, a tree care plan, a tree program with dedicated annual expenditures, an annual Arbor Day observance and a service learning project to engage the student body.

The award recipients are Divine Word College, Drake University, Hawkeye Community College, Iowa State University, Kirkwood Community College, University of Northern Iowa, University of Iowa, and William Penn University.

Tree Line USA Award – To qualify for the Tree Line USA award, a utility must meet five minimum requirements, including quality tree care, annual worker training, tree planting and public education, a tree-based energy conservation program and an annual Arbor Day celebration.

The award recipients are Alliant Energy, MidAmerican Energy and Waverly Utilities.

Jury finds that Bill Cosby sexually assaulted woman in 1972 and awards her nearly $60 million

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A civil jury in California found Monday that Bill Cosby was liable for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 1972 and awarded her $59.25 million.

After a nearly two-week trial in Santa Monica, jurors found Cosby, 88, liable for the sexual battery and assault of Donna Motsinger. They awarded her $17.5 million in past damages and $1.75 million for future damages, including “mental suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, inconvenience, grief, anxiety, humiliation, and emotional distress.”

Then in a second phase of the trial Monday afternoon, they awarded an additional $40 million in punitive damages.

Cosby’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, said in an email after the initial award earlier Monday that they are disappointed and fully intend to appeal the verdict. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the punitive damages.

Deliberations lasted about two days.

The decision came nearly five years after Cosby was freed from prison in Pennsylvania when the state Supreme Court threw out a criminal conviction based on similar allegations. He has settled some similar lawsuits and has been ordered to pay in others, but Monday’s award is likely the most he has had to pay in a case.

“This verdict is not just about me – it’s about finally being heard and holding Mr. Cosby accountable,” Motsinger said in a statement. “I have carried the weight of what happened to me for more than 50 years. It never goes away. Today, a jury saw the truth and held him accountable. That means everything. I hope this gives strength to other survivors who are still waiting for their moment to be heard.”

Motsinger had been a server at a restaurant in Sausalito near San Francisco who said in her lawsuit, filed in 2023, that Cosby had invited her to his stand-up comedy show at a theater in nearby San Carlos. Both were in their 30s at the time. She said Cosby gave her wine and two pills that she believed were aspirin, and that she was going in and out of consciousness as two men put her in a limousine.

“She woke up in her house with all her clothes off, except her underwear on – no top, no bra, and no pants,” the lawsuit said. “She knew she had been drugged and raped by Bill Cosby.”

In court filings, Cosby’s lawyers argued that the allegations rested almost entirely on speculation and assumption, saying Motsinger “freely admits that she has no idea what happened.”

Motsinger’s lawsuit moved with surprising quickness through the California courts, taking just 2 1/2 years from filing until verdict while other lawsuits against him stalled.

“We are grateful to the jury for their careful attention to the evidence and to Ms. Motsinger for the extraordinary courage it took to come forward,” said Jesse Creed, one of her attorneys from the Panish Shea Ravipudi law firm that represented her.

Cosby did not testify at the trial, whose witnesses included Andrea Constand, the Temple University sports administrator he was convicted of sexually assaulting in a Pennsylvania criminal court in 2018. The state’s Supreme Court threw out the verdict and Cosby was freed from prison after serving nearly three years of a three- to 10-year sentence.

Motsinger first made her allegations anonymously in a 2005 lawsuit filed by Constand.

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly and consent to be named, as Constand and Motsinger have.

In 2022, a jury in Santa Monica awarded $500,000 to a woman who said Cosby sexually assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion when she was a teenager in 1975.

Motsinger’s lawsuit echoed allegations of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment made by at least 60 women against Cosby, all of which he has denied.

The former stand-up comedy and television superstar once widely known as “America’s Dad” became the first celebrity tried and convicted in the #MeToo era before his conviction was permanently thrown out when appeals court found he gave incriminating testimony in a deposition only after believing he had immunity from prosecution.

Iowa law on tinted vehicle windows may change

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Senate has sent the governor a bill that would let Iowa motorists have a slightly darker tint on the driver’s and passenger side windows of vehicles.

Under current law, windshields and those front side windows must let 70% of outside light pass through the glass. The bill would let the driver’s side and passenger side windows be tinted so just 50% of light would penetrate into the vehicle. Senator Kara Warme of  Ames said that’s closer to what’s allowed in surrounding states. “Minnesota is at 50%,” Warme said. “Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Nebraska are all at 35%.”

The change won approval in the Iowa House last year without debate and the bill cleared the Senate yesterday on a 31-16 vote. Senator Bill Dotzler of Waterloo voted no. Dotzler said he’s particularly concerned about police and state troopers who will be approaching vehicles at night. “Their job is dangerous enough and I’ve seen plenty of the tinted windows in my community at night and you really can’t see inside,” Dotzler said.

Warme sids bill supporters considered these concerns, especially when it comes to enforcing the state law that made it a crime to handle a cell phone while driving. “Any of you who’ve been in a movie theater recently with teenagers would notice that when there are bright screens on in a dark space, it’s that much easier to see them,” Warme said, “and so we know that our law enforcement will certainly be able to enforce the hands-free legislation.”

The Iowa Police Chiefs Association and the State Police Officers Council are opposed to the bill. Iowa’s current standard for the tint on vehicle windows was set in 1983. Advocates for the change say windows with a darker tint enhance driving safety by blocking the glare of headlighs from other vehicles at night and the intensity of sunlight during the day.

Newton Man Arrested for Sex Abuse

NEWTON – A Newton man faces a felony sex abuse charge for alleged sex acts with an underaged girl.

Court documents state that officers with the Newton Police Department responded to a residence in northwest Newton yesterday after a call was received reporting an adult man who had possibly committed sex acts with a female juvenile. Following an investigation, 21-year-old Ryan Hammen was taken into custody and charged with 3rd Degree Sex Abuse of a Child Victim by a Person 4 or More Years Older, 1st Offense, a class C felony.

Hammen made his initial court appearance yesterday after his arrest. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 30.

Growing Native: Supporting Pollinator Conservation in Iowa Presentation to be Held in Two Weeks

OSKALOOSA — The Mahaska County Master Gardeners are hosting Growing Native: Supporting Pollinator Conservation in Iowa a presentation by Sarah Nizzi with the Xerces Society on April 7 at 7 pm.  The presentation will be viewed at the Mahaska County Extension Office.

Join them to learn how you can support pollinators! Native plants are critical to pollinator conservation. Sarah will discuss the work of the Xerces Society, the biology and ecology of pollinators, and the conservation steps anyone can take to attract and sustain these important insects.

This presentation is open to the public for anyone wishing to learn about the topic; both adults and youth.  There is no fee to attend due to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach–Mahaska County and Mahaska County Master Gardener support.   Registration is not required, but appreciated. To register, or for additional information about horticulture programming please contact Suzette Striegel, Mahaska County Extension Horticulture and Education Program Coordinator by phone 641-673-5841 or email striegel@iastate.edu.

Inclement weather will postpone the presentation.  If in doubt, please check local media, ISU Extension Outreach – Mahaska County office, website or Facebook page, or Mahaska County Master Gardeners Facebook pages.

Knoxville Man Dies in Marion County Motorcycle Accident

MARION COUNTY – A motorcycle accident in rural Marion County over the weekend claimed the life of a Knoxville man.

According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, on Saturday night, at around 7:14pm, law enforcement received a call about the accident, which occurred in the 1200 block of Highway T17.

Pella Fire and Ambulance, the Pella Police Department, and Marion County deputies responded to the scene. Upon arrival, they located 22-year-old Dylan Adkins of Knoxville, who had sustained serious injuries from the crash. Emergency personnel provided immediate medical assistance on scene, and due to the severity of his injuries, Adkins was transported to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines by Mercy Air Ambulance. Despite life-saving efforts, Adkins later succumbed to his injuries.

The accident remains under investigation by authorities.

Pilot and copilot killed in collision between jet and fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport

NEW YORK (AP) — Two people were killed and several others badly hurt when an Air Canada regional jet struck a fire truck on a runway while landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday night, officials said.

The pilot and copilot were killed in the collision, which crushed the nose of the aircraft, while 39 passengers and crew members were taken to area hospitals, some with serious injuries. Most have since been released from treatment, authorities said Monday.

Two Port Authority employees who were traveling in the fire truck also suffered injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, said Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.

The pilot and copilot were both based out of Canada, Garcia said during a news conference early Monday.

The airport will remain closed until at least 2 p.m. Monday to facilitate the investigation, which is being led by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The fire truck was traveling across the runway to respond to a separate incident aboard a United Airlines flight, whose pilot had reported “an issue with odor,” said Garcia, who deferred additional questions about the sequence of events leading up to the crash to the NTSB.

There were 72 passengers and four crew members aboard the aircraft, a Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada, according to a statement from the airline. The flight originated at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, the major airport serving Montreal.

Photos and videos from the scene showed severe damage to the front of the aircraft, with cables and debris hanging from a mangled cockpit. Nearby, a damaged emergency vehicle lay on its side.

Stairways used to evacuate passengers from the aircraft were pushed up to the emergency exits on the jet, a Bombardier CRJ. The impact left the jet with its crumpled nose tilted upward.

In the moments before the crash, an air traffic controller could be heard on a radio transmission giving clearance to a vehicle to cross part of the tarmac, then trying to stop it.

“Stop, Truck 1. Stop,” the transmission says. The controller can then be heard frantically diverting an incoming aircraft from landing.

Air traffic controllers are not impacted by the partial government shutdown that has caused long delays at airport security checkpoints in recent days. They have been affected by past shutdowns.

As passengers straggled out of the airport into the dark early Monday, some described having arrived at LaGuardia hours before their flight, hoping to beat the lines.

Arturo Davidson said his Miami-bound flight was on the tarmac Sunday night when fellow passengers saw the collision or its aftermath and reactions rippled through the cabin.

The passengers were soon told there had been an accident. About 20 minutes later, they were informed the airport was closing and they must return to the terminal, he said later Monday, gazing at a departure board filled with cancellations.

“I don’t think we’re going at two,” he sighed, referring to the time Monday afternoon that officials gave as the earliest for reopening LaGuardia.

LaGuardia was 19th busiest in 2024 out of more than 500 U.S. airports, with over 16.7 million passengers boarding there, according to a 2025 FAA database.

Iowa State Fair trying to make getting in and out easier

By Dar Danielson (Radio Iowa)

The Iowa State Fair is making some changes to try and improve the traffic flow for the one million or so people who visit every year.

State Fair CEO Jeremy Parsons says one big change will make it easier to park. “We’ll be creating a new entrance into our parking lot at East University Avenue and East 38th Street. So there’ll be a third way for fair goers to come into our parking lot,” Parsons says.

He says there will also be a change in the service where you can park and ride a bus to the Fairgrounds. They are dropping the park and ride service at Southeast Polk High School for another location. “The fair will be providing a free shuttle service to the Iowa State Fair every day from South Ridge Mall. So we literally to go in a different direction from the east side to the south side, but this service will be completely free provided by the fair,” Parsons says.

Parsons says this was brought on when Pleasant Hill dropped the bus service that serves the Des Moines metro area. Parson says these services are very popular.  “Last year, roughly 270,000 of our fairgoers arrived at the Fair via our three park and ride locations,” he says. “And so even though we’ll be switching from Southeast Polk to Southridge Mall, we assume that number will remain about the same.”

Parson says. Long lines of traffic can build on the busy days of the State Fair and Parsons says they are looking at other ways to make it easier to get in and out. “Right now we are involved in a traffic study with the city of Des Moines on University Avenue to the north and Dean Avenue to the south, just making sure that we are doing all we can to keep that fair traffic moving,” Parsons says. He says they feel adding the third entrance will help ease some of the congestions.

The third entrance will cost around $1.5 million.

Missing Jefferson County Woman Found Dead

VEDIC CITY – Authorities in Jefferson County have found the body of a missing Vedic City woman.

75-year-old Mary Anne Falk was reported missing on Friday, March 6, in the area of Vedic City. The search for Falk lasted approximately two weeks with extensive efforts from several agencies in the area. On Saturday morning, at around 11am, she was located by authorities and found to be deceased.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office thanked the members of the community for their assistance in the search for Falk. Family members have been notified and an autopsy has been scheduled with the State of Iowa Medical Examiner in Ankeny.

No further details are being released at this time.

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