CRIME
Northern Iowa student’s bomb-in-backpack text sparks school scare, juvenile court referral
A Northern Iowa student’s bomb-in-backpack text prompted a police response and a student was nabbed in the incident.
Recognize this person? Clear Lake and Garner police seek help after overnight vehicle break-ins
Clear Lake and Garner police seek help identifying a person in surveillance video after overnight vehicle break-ins. Residents are asked to check cameras and contact police.
Northern Iowa man faces attempted murder charge after rural Webster County shooting
A Northern Iowa man faces an attempted murder charge after an October 7 shooting in rural Webster County sent another man to a Fort Dodge hospital.
Second man charged with murder in 1995 killing of Waterloo woman Angela Renee Buck
WATERLOO — A second man now faces a first-degree murder charge in the 1995 shooting death of Angela Renee Buck, marking another major development in a Northern Iowa cold case more than 31 years after her body was discovered beside a rural creek.
Northern Iowa man, 23, nabbed on OWI charge after Pocahontas County traffic stop
POCAHONTAS — A 23-year-old Northern Iowa man faces an operating while intoxicated charge following an October 24, 2026, traffic stop in Pocahontas County.
Iowa man held on $1 million bond after Ames stabbing leaves woman with neck injuries
AMES — A 21-year-old Iowa man faces an attempted murder charge and a listed $1 million bond after police say a woman suffered neck injuries in a stabbing on Lincoln Way in Ames on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
Mason City police nab woman on domestic assault, two child endangerment charges
MASON CITY — A woman arrested following a reported physical domestic incident in Mason City faces two child endangerment charges and a domestic abuse assault charge, with a judge ordering her held for bond and issuing a no-contact order.
Mason City woman back in jail for OWI after earlier car-ramming case
MASON CITY — A Mason City woman previously jailed for violating probation in a case involving allegations she rammed another woman’s vehicle is back in the Cerro Gordo County Jail to serve a two-day sentence for operating while intoxicated.
Former Waverly postmaster gets home confinement for $16,000 USPS fraud
WAVERLY — A former Waverly postmaster who admitted stealing more than $16,000 through bogus mileage reimbursements was sentenced October 26, 2026, to five years of probation and eight months of home confinement, marking her sixth theft-related conviction.
Southern Minnesota meth bust nets more than 10 pounds; three Albert Lea men nabbed
Investigators seized more than 10 pounds of methamphetamine and over $3,700 after an intercepted parcel led to searches at three Albert Lea addresses and three arrests.
Four suspects nabbed after downtown Des Moines shooting; officer fires at armed suspect
DES MOINES — If you’re heading to Iowa’s capital city for dinner or a night out, a shooting in the Court Avenue entertainment district offers a sobering reminder that gunfire can erupt where people gather to socialize. A fight just before midnight Saturday, October 24, left a 20-year-old man wounded, sent officers chasing suspects through downtown and ended with four people in custody, police said.
ICE nabs five illegal predators in Iowa; DHS cites child exploitation, abuse and assault convictions
DHS identified five men arrested by ICE in Iowa in October, citing prior convictions involving child exploitation, child endangerment, domestic abuse and assault. Democrats hate this, and would love these creeps to live next door to you.
Northern Iowa woman nabbed on OWI, child endangerment and marijuana charges
Angela Christine Westberg, 54, of Waterloo, faces two child endangerment charges, first-offense OWI and marijuana possession following a Delaware County arrest.
Northern Iowa motorcyclist collared after police chase ends in dead-end road crash
Tyler Ryan Osterkamp, 20, faces felony eluding and other charges after a Cedar Falls motorcycle chase ended in a crash on Oster Parkway. Police reported minor injuries.
Mason City police nab wanted area sex offender facing felony charges in two counties
MASON CITY — Mason City police nabbed a wanted Northern Iowa sex offender October 16 as he faces separate felony charges accusing him of violating sex offender registration requirements in Cerro Gordo and Franklin counties.
Northern Iowa man who called 911, then opened fire on officers, convicted of four attempted murders
A Northern Iowa man who called 911 requesting a welfare check at his own home, then opened fire on responding officers, has been convicted of four counts of attempted murder of a peace officer.
Northern Iowa cold case: Minnesota man nabbed in 1995 killing of Waterloo woman
WATERLOO — More than 31 years after turtle hunters discovered a Waterloo woman’s body beside a rural creek, investigators have arrested a Minnesota man and charged him with first-degree murder.
Northern Iowa grooming case sends man to prison after detective saves disappearing messages
A 43-year-old man who used social media, code words and disappearing messages to groom a juvenile girl has been sentenced to up to five years in prison after a friend raised concerns and a detective preserved the evidence.
Texas man accused of lewd act inside Mason City Hobby Lobby before second arrest
MASON CITY — A Texas man accused of masturbating in front of a woman at a Mason City store in October had already been arrested after an alleged encounter inside Hobby Lobby, where police say he approached a woman and began speaking while performing a sex act.
Northern Iowa woman killed in Waterloo home identified as Ta Mia Sisk, 27
WATERLOO — Police have identified Ta Mia Sisk, 27, of Waterloo, as the woman who died after a shooting inside a Lunar Lane home on October 17, 2026. The department released her name in an October 19 update and said the homicide investigation remained active.