CRIME

CHARLES CITY — An after-midnight report of an injured woman led Charles City police to arrest a convicted domestic abuser and felony drunk driver who is now accused of another serious domestic assault.

The Charles City Police Department was called to the 2100 block of Clark Street at 12:05 a.m. Saturday, September 12, after receiving a report of an injured woman.

MASON CITY — A Mason City woman was arrested at the courthouse after police accused her of a felony crime of trying to influence what a witness might say in an ongoing court case.

MASON CITY — A Mason City man who already has a drunk-driving conviction on his record is facing another OWI prosecution after police allegedly found signs of alcohol use and an open container during a midnight traffic stop.

CHARLES CITY — A Northern Iowa woman wanted on three Floyd County warrants was nabbed by Charles City police late at night, and officers say the arrest may now lead to additional drug charges after narcotics were seized.

SIOUX CITY — A Northern Iowa man investigated by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and Charles City Police Department has been sentenced to 7½ years in federal prison after authorities found more than 1.6 million images of child pornography across 20 electronic devices.

Scott Devries, 57, of Hardy, was sentenced Thursday, September 11, 2026, by U.S. District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 90 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.

A Northern Iowa man is facing a felony drunken-driving charge after a Fayette County deputy allegedly found his pickup truck sitting in a ditch during the middle of the night.

CHARLES CITY — A Northern Iowa construction truck driver struck a train at a Charles City railroad crossing and later pleaded guilty to failing to properly stop, just days after another traffic case against him was resolved in Mason City.

SIOUX CITY — A Fort Dodge felon who admitted selling two revolvers and synthetic marijuana to a person cooperating with law enforcement will spend nearly five years in federal prison.

MASON CITY — The courtroom battle surrounding a Mason City couple accused of showing and distributing explicit photographs without permission is still raging months later, with one defendant moving toward a possible plea and the other preparing for an October jury trial.

The legal turmoil adds another messy chapter to a relationship that appears to be on the rocks. Court records show both Christina Jo Dodge and Matthew Alan Dodge (pictured at top in jail phortos) have previously sought domestic-abuse protection from the other.

MASON CITY — One of two Mason City women accused of financially exploiting a dependent adult has been convicted through a plea agreement, while her co-defendant remains charged with three felonies and is scheduled for an October trial.

A woman suspect was hauled to jail after police raided a Northern Iowa residence Tuesday night and allegedly uncovered methamphetamine, marijuana, prescription drugs and drug paraphernalia.

A Northern Iowa man who avoided a lengthy prison term earlier this year is back behind bars after allegedly strangling and injuring a woman during a domestic disturbance.

ROLFE — A Northern Iowa man facing a felony methamphetamine charge after an early-morning traffic stop has made his initial court appearance and is scheduled to return to court later this month.

The Pocahontas County Sheriff’s Office said deputies stopped a maroon Ford F-150 at approximately 3:32 AM on August 31 in the 700 block of Grant Street in Rolfe.

MASON CITY — After felony drunk-driving convictions in two North Iowa counties, a five-year prison sentence, repeated probation violations and years of court intervention aimed at keeping her from driving impaired, Amber Ann Ward is accused of getting behind the wheel and doing it again.

Ward, 41, was nabbed by the Iowa State Patrol on Sunday, September 6, and booked into the Cerro Gordo County Jail at 1:01 p.m. Her latest booking photo shows her smiling proudly, but the criminal history behind that image is considerably more serious: Ward has previously been convicted of felony third-or-subsequent OWI offenses in both Floyd and Cerro Gordo counties, has been convicted of driving while barred, has repeatedly violated probation and has previously been sent to prison.

MASON CITY — A convicted felon whose probation was revoked and suspended prison sentence ordered imposed last year is back behind bars after a suspicious-person call in Mason City.

A Northern Iowa man has been arrested on an OWI charge nearly two months after authorities were called to a trail where a man was found lying on the ground next to a golf cart.

CEDAR RAPIDS — A repeat Northern Iowa child sex offender who has already served federal prison time is headed toward another stiff sentence after a Mason City police investigation uncovered dozens of videos and images of children being sexually abused on his phone.