Month: March 2026

The trial for a Harper man who was arrested in early February after a high speed chase ended in a vehicle wreck and arrest has been set.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office arrested 26-year-old Cole Stout of Harper at 4 a.m. on February 4th. According to court documents, allegedly a deputy observed a 2023 Ford F150 travelling southbound at a rate of 97 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone. The deputy activated the lights and siren in the patrol car and attempted to stop Stout. Stout failed to yield and a pursuit began. According to court documents, the deputy observed the vehicle travelling southbound on Kiwi Avenue and later found that the vehicle had rolled onto the driver’s side. Stout was placed under arrest. A search warrant was executed, and he was transported to the Washington County Jail.

Stout was charged with eluding with speeds over 25 miles per hour over the limit, a class D felony, operating while under the influence, a serious misdemeanor, reckless driving, failure to yield to emergency vehicle, open container and failure to maintain control.

A trial date has been set for March 27th at the Washington County Courthouse.

Two people were killed in a crash in Lee County on Saturday.

A car was driving north on Green Bay Road around 9:30 p.m. when it crossed the center line and went into a ditch, according to the crash report.

Officials said the car hit an embankment, rolled over and stopped in a field.

The 61-year-old driver, of Fort Madison, and a 50-year-old, of Wever, both died in the crash. Officials said the driver wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and that the 50-year-old was.

The names of the two people who died are being withheld.

Severe Weather Week is March 23-27, 2026.  The following are the websites mentioned in today’s program:

Alert Iowa (alert.iowa.gov), (ready.iowa.gov), Iowa DOT (511ia.org) for road conditions.

Henry County Sheriff Department app:  download from preferred App store

Annual statewide tornado drill:  10am, Wednesday, March 25, 2026.

Henry County Solid Waste Collection hours of operation have changed with Spring and summer months upon us. The hours are Tuesday – Thursday 11am – 5:30pm, on Friday 7:30am – 5:30pm and Saturday from 7:30pm – noon. The rural sanitation service applies to residents across Henry County and is for rural residents only; city trash isn’t accepted. Proof of rural residency is required. They accept household trash and recyclables.  Questions may be directed to All American Sanitation at 319-986-6355.

The Mount Pleasant Police Department arrested and charged a New London man with burglary and assault following an incident on February 9. Owen J. Scott Reed, 24, faces charges of Burglary in the First Degree, a Class B felony; Burglary in the Third Degree involving a motor vehicle, an aggravated misdemeanor; and Assault Causing Bodily Injury or Mental Illness, a serious misdemeanor.  Reed was taken into custody last week on March 17th.

According to court documents, Reed entered an unoccupied vehicle in the 600 block of South Maple Street, then used a garage door opener found inside the vehicle to gain entry to the residence. Once inside, Reed allegedly struck a male occupant in the face approximately four times with his hand, causing substantial swelling and redness to the left side of the victim’s face.

Reed is being held on a $28,000 cash or surety bond. At his initial appearance, a preliminary hearing originally set for March 27th was deemed unnecessary, and Reed has been scheduled for arraignment on April 6th. A no-contact order has been requested in the case.

The Wayland and Crawfordsville fire departments extinguished at out of control burn at about 1pm on Friday afternoon in Wayland.  The Washington County Dispatch also reported a burn pile in Wellman that got out of control – on Friday afternoon. The Wellman and Kalona Fire Departments were able to extinguish the fire before it reached a grain trailer.

National Weather Service Severe Weather Outlook: Near record to record warmth and gusty southwest winds to 30 mph will lead to an elevated fire risk today.  Avoid outdoor burning if possible. (High temperature today – 86 degrees.)

The Wapello Rural Fire Department was dispatched to a house fire in the 11000 Block of Rutledge Road at 4pm Friday afternoon. According to the Wapello Fire Department, the homeowner was conducting a controlled burn in the backyard, and it got out of hand and ignited the back of the house. There were no injuries, and the damage to the house was minimal.