Author: Yorke Prough

On December 6th at approximately 11:30pm, a traffic stop was conducted by the Mount Pleasant Police Department on a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt for a stop sign violation. The driver who was identified as 27-year-old Allen James Hart and passenger who was identified as 27-year-old Nathen Cosgrove were present in the vehicle.

While a pat down search for weapons was being conducted, Allen fled on foot failing to stop. Allen wasn’t able to be located. While Allen fled on foot it was found that Nathen had fled on foot as well for a short distance before injuring himself. Nathen was apprehended by Officers and Sheriffs Deputies. A search of Nathen’s person was conducted with marijuana and drug paraphernalia being located on his person.

Nathen was transported to the Henry County Health Center Emergency Room by Ambulance.

It was later found that Nathen had an active arrest warrant out of Burlington, IA and there was a firearm present in the vehicle that Nathen had been in possession of prior to fleeing.

A short time later that night, Nathen was taken into custody after leaving the Emergency Room.

On the morning of 12/08/23, Allen was taken into custody as well.

Nathen was charged with Dominion/Control of Firearm by Felon, a  D Felony, Interference with Official Acts,  Simple Misdemeanor, Possession of Marijuana, a Serious Misdemeanor, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia,  Simple Misdemeanor

Allen was charged with Interference with Official Acts, Simple Misdemeanor, and received traffic citations for Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability and Failure to Obey Stop Sign.

On May 6^th, 2023, the West Burlington Police Department responded to a report of a burglary at Cricket Wireless at 411 W Agency Road Suite 3. The store had been burglarized at that time, with stolen phones and U.S. currency, the total amount taken adds up to several thousand dollars.

An investigation began in order to catch the suspect. On May 26^th, a residential search warrant was conducted at 38 Midtown Lane in regards to this investigation. During this Search Warrant several items of evidence were seized to further the investigation.

On August 21^st, the West Burlington Police Department issued arrest warrants for Diamonte Ladon Walls for charges on Burglary 3rd Degree and Possession of Controlled Substance.

Diamonte Ladon Walls was arrested in DuPage County, Illinois on September 14^th, following the robbery of a Verizon Wireless store. Walls was charged with one count of Armed Robbery with a Firearm and one count of Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon. Walls is currently being held at the DuPage County Jail and will be extradited back to Des Moines County at the conclusion of his Illinois cases.

The West Burlington Police Department was assisted by the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Taskforce, Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office, and the Burlington Police Department.

On December 5^th, 2023, at approximately 3:57 P.M., the Henry County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle rollover at the intersection Highway 78 and Gabriel Avenue.

An investigation into the incident determined that Tristan Luitjents, age 15, of Olds, was driving a passenger car on Highway 78 eastbound approaching the intersection of Gabriel Avenue. Luitjents’ car dropped off the pavement, lost control and side swiped an oncoming passenger car driven by Kenneth McKee, 52 of Richland, Iowa.

The Luitjents vehicle struck the fore slope of the Gabriel Avenue intersection and rolled multiple times before striking a tree and coming to rest, in an adjacent house-yard.  The juvenile was wearing his seat belt and both front and side airbags deployed.

Mr. McKee, and his passenger, denied medical treatment at the scene.  Luitjents was treated by Wayland First Responders and Henry County EMS, on scene, for minor injuries and was later released to his parent.

The Henry County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Wayland First responders, Wayland Police Department, Winfield Police Department and Henry County EMS.

***A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendants are

presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.***

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced yesterday that a successful Water Quality Initiative (WQI) project in Wapello, Mahaska, Keokuk, and Jefferson Counties is expanding in territory, further east into Jefferson County, while beginning a new phase that includes an added focus on edge-of-field conservation practices.

Since the Cedar Creek Partnership Project started in 2014, nearly 45,000 acres of cover crops have been seeded in the project area and more than 367,000 feet of terraces have been built. The next stage of this project will continue to emphasize the use of these traditional conservation practices and expand to now include a larger focus on the installation of edge-of-field practices such as saturated buffers and bioreactors as well as nutrient reducing grade stabilization structures. These proven structural practices filter water as it leaves fields, helping to keep nutrients from entering our waterways. To date, five saturated buffers, three bioreactors, and two nutrient grade stabilization structures have been built in the project area and the goal is to greatly increase these numbers.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, through the Water Quality Initiative, is allocating $417,490 for the next phase of this expanded project.

The price of regular unleaded gasoline fell 4 cents, averaging $2.87 across Iowa according to AAA.

Crude Oil Summary

The price of global crude oil fell this week on the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) by $7.02 per barrel over last week, currently priced at $70.17.

• Brent crude oil fell $7.08 and is currently priced at $75.21.
• One year ago, WTI crude sold for $74.25 and Brent crude was at $79.92.

Motor Fuels

• As of Wednesday, the price of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $2.87 across Iowa according to AAA.
  • Prices fell 4 cents from last week’s price and are down 22 cents from a year ago.
  • The national average on Wednesday was $3.22, down 3 cents from last week’s price.
• Retail diesel prices in Iowa fell 10 cents this week with a statewide average of $3.97.
  • One year ago, diesel prices averaged $4.72 in Iowa.
  • The current Iowa diesel price is 20 cents lower than the national average of $4.17.
• Wholesale ethanol held steady and is currently priced at $2.16.
• The current Des Moines Terminal/Rack Prices are $1.95 for U87-E10, $2.19 for Unleaded 87 (clear), $2.47 for ULSD#2, $2.82 for ULSD#1, and $1.92 per gallon for E-70 prices.

Heating Fuels

Propane prices rose 1 cent with a statewide average of $1.56 per gallon.

Home heating oil prices fell 19 cents, with a statewide average of $3.32 per gallon

Natural gas prices fell 15 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $2.67/MMbtu

Tips for saving energy on the road or at home are available at energy.gov and fueleconomy.gov.