There was a single vehicle accident in Washington on Friday, September 8^th.

At 8:51am, the Washington County Sheriff’s Department was notified of a Nissan Armada that had flipped over and off the road. The driver told bystanders that he had “no injuries.”

Upon arrival, the deputies found the man had left the scene of the incident. Witnesses told the sheriff department that he had hitched a ride with another man in a Ryder truck.

Towing was contacted and his vehicle was towed from the scene. Later information revealed that the owner of this vehicle is from Ottumwa, and he called the Sheriff’s Department three hours later to arrange a time to discuss the accident. Possible citations will be administered.

Keep Iowa Beautiful is thrilled to announce the start of the 14th Photography Contest, an annual contest aimed at raising awareness of Iowa’s natural and environmental beauty.

The two-phase contest began late last week, with the entry deadline on December 16, 2023. Each of the five categories will be awarded $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place.

“The annual photo contest gives local photographers a chance to contribute to the visual story of Iowa,” said Andy Frantz, Executive Director of Keep Iowa Beautiful. “There are five categories to enter your favorite photo of what makes you proud to be an Iowan and captures the beauty and spirit of Iowa. Beyond just displaying Iowa’s scenic charm, this competition also spotlights the pool of homegrown talent spanning our entire state.”

The five first-place winners will all be featured on Keep Iowa Beautiful’s social media in January while the public will vote for the favorite photo. The winner will receive an additional $100.

The Robert D. Ray Best of Show Awards, determined by a distinguished panel, will also be announced at that time. The Robert D. Ray Best of Show award amounts are $500 for first place, $250 for second place and $100 for third place.

The five categories are:

Iowa Landscape
Capture Iowa’s beauty through depictions of Iowa’s landscape, including but not limited to: farm fields, rolling hills, and wooded forests.

Iowa Water
Feature Iowa’s beautiful water systems with depictions of Iowa rivers, streams, ponds and lakes.

Iowa Cities
Iowa’s urban centers are hubs of history, culture, and beauty. This category features depictions of Iowa’s cities, street scenes, and urban landmarks.

Iowans in Action
This category aims to capture the spirit of Iowa through depictions of the people that live, work, and play in Iowa. All means of action that can be captured: biking, running, fishing, hunting and hiking are but a few.

Iowa Wildlife
Iowa is home to a variety of beautiful critters. This category aims to showcase Iowa’s beauty through depictions of Iowa’s wildlife animals: mammals, fish, birds, bugs and more!

A $5 fee is required for each photo entered. Contest rules and entry guidelines can be found on the Keep Iowa Beautiful website: https://keepiowabeautiful.org/photography-contest

The Des Moines County Road Department has announced the closure of another route. Plank Road, between Sunnyside Avenue and West Burlington Avenue, will be closed starting Monday, September 11^th, and will reopen by mid afternoon on Friday, September 15^th. This is dependent on weather and may end up taking longer if we have adverse conditions.

On September 9, 2023, at approximately 10:20 PM Des Moines County deputies were dispatched to 10852 Mediapolis Road in reference to shots fired.  Deputies spoke with the complainant who advised they heard a shotgun fired outside their residence and observed a blue truck leave towards Mediapolis.  They indicated the suspect to Christopher Vargason, age 28, of Mediapolis, and believed Vargason was shooting at them or their residence.

Deputies located Vargason in Mediapolis and spoke with him about the incident.  Vargason would eventually admit to firing a shotgun in the air outside of the victim’s residence in an attempt to scare them.  After further investigation, Vargason was arrested and charged with Intimidation With a Dangerous Weapon (C Felony) and Reckless Use of Firearm (simple misdemeanor).