FAIRFIELD, Ia. – If you drive on Iowa 1 in southern Jefferson County you need to be aware of an upcoming road closure that may impact your trip.

Beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10, until Tuesday, Dec. 17, weather permitting, crews will close the roadway so repairs can be made to a gas line near the roadway.

While Iowa 1 is closed you will follow a marked detour route using county roads in Jefferson and Van Buren counties. From Birmingham you will drive east on Van Buren County Road J-16 to Stockport, turn onto Jefferson/Van Buren County Road W-30 and travel north to reach Jefferson County Road H-46, travel west on Jefferson County Road H-46 to reach Osage Avenue, turn onto Osage Avenue and travel north to U.S. 34, then you will travel west on U.S. 34 to reach Iowa 1 (see map).

The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles, and wear seat belts.

The latest traveler information is available anytime through our 511 system. Visit 511ia.org; call 511 (within Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (nationwide); stay connected with 511 on Facebook or X (find links at https://iowadot.gov/511/511-social-media-sites); or download the free app to your mobile device.

It’s easy to subscribe to Your 511 and sign up to receive email/text alerts. Visit https://new.511ia.org/#login to sign up. For instructions and help with this feature, visit https://www.511ia.org/help/section/how-to-create-and-manage-a-511-account.html.

BLOOMFIELD, Ia.- Agricultural equipment manufacturer John Deere recently announced a round of upcoming layoffs that will affect around 610 production workers in plants located in Iowa and Illinois.  Those layoffs have been reported to be effective August 30^th.  This follows the news announced last month that the company would be shifting production of its skid steer loaders and compact track loaders from Dubuque to Mexico by the end of 2026.

During a stop in Bloomfield on Monday, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig reacted to the news.

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In a statement, the company cited rising manufacturing costs as a key factor.  Lower crop prices have also caused a slow down in new agricultural equipment sales.  Some forecasters have predicted a 25% decline in farm income this year over last.  Secretary Naig said that the agricultural economy in general is experiencing what he termed as “softness” due to a number of factors.

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Secretary Naig said that the economic effects aren’t just limited to the agricultural equipment sector.

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Secretary Naig said that it was imperative for the state to do everything it can to help agriculture and manufacturing continue to thrive as they are key economic drivers in the state.  His comments came as he was in Davis County to tour a local parts fabrication business on Monday.

BLOOMFIELD, Ia.- Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig recently made a swing through southeast Iowa as part of his annual visit to all 99 counties.  On Monday afternoon he stopped off in Davis County to tour M3 Fabrication in Bloomfield, a contract manufacturer that fabricates and powder coats parts for a variety of industries.  The business has been family-owned and operated since 2014 by brothers Tyler and Sam McClure.  Secretary Naig met the pair on stage in 2023 when they were one of six recipients of the Iowa Venture Award, presented by the Iowa Area Development Group.

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Secretary Naig toured the sprawling facility located in the Bloomfield Industrial Park and had the opportunity to learn how important the business is to the area economy, as well as the challenges they face.

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The visit also gave Secretary Naig an opportunity to hear first-hand from local business owners how they perceive the economy to be at this point.

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Another purpose for Secretary Naig’s visit was to spread the message about how important manufacturing and agriculture are to Iowa’s economy.

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Secretary Naig said that it was important for the state to do everything it can to make sure that those economic drivers are able to thrive and grow.

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Making sure that the state is also doing everything it can to address work force challenges should also be a high priority according to Secretary Naig.

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In addition to his stop in Davis County on Monday, Secretary Naig also visited Appanoose County’s Lake Rathbun to get updates on water quality and conservation efforts.  He wrapped up his trip in Wapello County to present the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award to the Doug and Janet Brinegar family.

(L-R):  Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, Sam McClure, Tyler McClure and District 26 State Representative Austin Harris

KIRKSVILLE, Mo.- A 22-year-old Iowa man was arrested in Kirksville in the early hours of April 26, 2024, for Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Assault in the 1st Degree, Armed Criminal Action, and several other charges.

At about 1:10 am, officers were dispatched near the area of McPherson Street and Franklin Street for a public nuisance. As the officers approached the area, they heard and saw the flashes of gunshots in the vicinity of a group of four to five people. The gunman fled on foot, and after making sure there were no injuries, officers quickly apprehended the suspect, who was identified as Jackson Phillips, 22, of Iowa. Officers also recovered the firearm and shell casings from the area. Phillips is currently being held at the Adair County Detention Center.

At this time, there is no current threat to the public and the case remains under investigation.

A criminal charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Anyone with information about this incident, or any suspicious activity is encouraged to contact the Kirksville Police Department at 660.785.6945, Central Dispatch at 660.665.5621, Adair County Sheriff’s Office at 660.665.4600, anonymously at 660.627.BUST (2878), or email police@kirksvillecity.com.

Jackson Phillips, 22, of Iowa, was arrested on weapons related charges by Kirksville Police

(Photo courtesy Kirksville Police Department)

MEMPHIS, Mo.- A Memphis bank was the target of a successful ATM robbery early Saturday morning.

Captain Bill Holland with the Memphis Police Department told KMEM News that around 4:34 am Saturday, April 20th, at least three suspects wearing masks and gloves were caught on security camera footage breaking into the ATM machine on the east end of the Memphis branch of Exchange Bank of Northeast Missouri. 

The suspects accomplished the break-in by hooking a log chain to the ATM and using a stolen pickup truck to then jerk the chain and force the ATM vault open.  The pickup was a Ford F250 commercial vehicle stolen from a private residence in Albia, Iowa earlier that same morning.

Captain Holland stated that from the time the perpetrators struck to the time they departed the scene, less than five minutes had elapsed.  They were clear of the scene within one minute of the security alarm sounding.  He said that the truck was abandoned at the scene and that the suspects fled in a different vehicle.

Captain Holland further said that an undisclosed amount of cash was taken from the ATM.  The canisters that dispense the bills were found discarded and empty near the North Fork of the North Fabius River, located between Highway 15 South and the west edge of Memphis.

There has been a recent rash of similar ATM robbery incidents throughout the listening area.  On Wednesday, April 10^th, there was an attempted break-in of the ATM at the Palmyra branch of Exchange Bank of Northeast Missouri using a very similar M.O.  In that incident, Palmyra Police officers responded to a report of suspicious activity to find a commercial pickup truck that had been stolen earlier from a business in Palmyra.  The truck was high-centered on a curb with chains and tow hooks attached to the ATM.  The engine was running and the passenger door was open.  Witnesses stated they observed two male suspects fleeing the scene.  They are believed to have escaped in an unknown SUV going northbound on Highway 61.

In yet another incident, an ATM at Meridian Credit Union in Ottumwa was the target of an attempted break-in.  The Ottumwa Police Department received a report of someone trying to break into that machine on Friday, April 19^th, at 5:43 am.  Again, the suspects had used a truck and chains to attempt to pull open the ATM vault door.  That truck was also stolen, taken from an Oskaloosa hotel parking lot in the overnight hours prior to the attempted break-in.  The suspects were later pulled over in a different vehicle fleeing the scene in Ottumwa.  They were arrested and booked into the Wapello County Jail.  The three suspects arrested were all from Texas and were fleeing in a vehicle that had been rented in Texas.

Captain Holland said that authorities are unsure if the incidents are related in any way, but that there are several striking similarities.  He further encourages businesses and individuals to invest in high-quality security cameras, as they prove invaluable in investigations such as these.

BLOOMFIELD, Ia.- An Iowa man is bringing his crusade against cancer to southeastern Iowa on Thursday morning.

Rik Zortman is a father of five who is known as the Human Etch-A-Sketch.  This is because he puts a unique twist on distance running by running in a pattern that spells out a message when you look at his route on a map.

Zortman says that he uses this technique to draw attention and awareness to the fight against Cancer, particulary childhood cancer.  This is a cause that is close to Zortman’s heart after losing his son Armstrong to the disease in 2009 at the age of 3.

As Zortman’s crusade drew more attention, he began to run in honor of others who have battled cancer.

On Thursday morning, Zortman will be running in honor of the former Bloomfield Police Chief Shawn Armstrong, who passed away in July of 2023 at the age of 54 from complications due to a recent kidney transplant.  Zortman learned of the former chief’s story from his son and decided to honor him with a run.  He will spell out the word “Shawn” with his run pattern.  The run will begin southwest of the Bloomfield square on Locust street.

The run will begin around 9 am and the pattern will start with the letter “S” and work from west to eas to finish spelling out “Shawn”.

The community is encouraged to come out and support Rik as well as Shawn’s memory and cheer Zortman on as he runs.

Zortman says that if the public would like to learn more about his cause or would like to support it, they can find more information online.

The run in memory of Shawn Armstrong will begin at 9 am and the public is invited to participate.

DAVENPORT, Ia.- A large canine found lying in the median of I-80 in Scott County Monday morning has been identified as a young adult male gray wolf.

The animal, estimated to be around two years old, was seen laying in the I-80 median near the interchange with I-280 by State Conservation Officer Brooks VanDerBeek who collected it for examination.

The wolf was taken to the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Ames, and received a full necropsy on Wednesday to confirm cause of death and assess overall health. The DNR is planning to send tissue samples for DNA testing to verify if it’s a true wolf or hybrid, and its population of origin.

Based on the examination, state furbearer biologist Vince Evelsizer and state wildlife veterinarian Dr. Rachel Ruden are confident it is a gray wolf.

“He was in fair shape physically, with not much fat under the hide but a good amount of fat internally,” Ruden said. “He was also moderately parasitized by tapeworms, including Echinococcus, which is not unexpected as wild canids are the definitive host. However, this particular parasite can infect people through the ingestion of eggs in feces, so this serves as a good reminder for our hunters, trappers and wildlife rehabilitators to take care when handling coyotes and foxes.”

This wolf likely originated from the Great Lakes population in Wisconsin and Minnesota, Evelsizer said.

“Wolves have a complex social structure and will naturally disperse, typically in the fall or winter, not necessarily associated with breeding. We received a quality daylight photo of a gray wolf from a trail camera in Delaware County in November, and this wolf appears to have similar coloring, but we don’t know for sure it’s the same animal or not,” said Evelsizer. “We are thankful Officer VanDerBeek spotted this animal and picked it up.”

The Great Lakes wolf population has been steady to slightly increasing in recent years and is the closest population to Iowa. Over the last five years, Iowa averages from one to five wolves roaming through. Iowa does not have a breeding population of wolves.

“While it is rare for wolves to be in Iowa, this serves as a reminder to coyote hunters to be very sure of your target before pulling the trigger,” Evelsizer said.

Coyotes typically weigh 25-40 pounds whereas wolves typically weigh 70-110 pounds. For comparison, this wolf weighed 77.5 pounds, and measured 62 inches long from nose to tip of the tail. Wolves are protected in Iowa and there is no open season.

BLOOMFIELD, Ia.- As crime continues to grow in rural areas, Congressman Zach Nunn held a roundtable discussion with local law enforcement officers on Wednesday at the Davis County Law Enforcement Center in Bloomfield.  The Republican represents Iowa’s third congressional district which includes Des Moines and many rural counties in the south-central part of the state.  At the forum, Nunn said that the Biden administration’s lack of a clear strategy at the southern border is making things tougher for local law enforcement officers here at home.

Nunn said that one recent incident at the southern border illustrates how the lack of an effective border policy is impacting Iowa’s leading industry.

The congressman said that this type of response by the administration has the dual effect of increasing crime in Iowa counties while also crippling the local economy.

Davis County Sheriff Dave Davis said that these types of forums are beneficial to local law enforcement agencies, as it allows them to make state and federal officials aware of their needs and concerns.

One of the key concerns Sheriff Davis brought up at the forum was a severe lack of mental health treatment options available in rural areas.

At the conclusion of the forum, Congressman Nunn took a tour of the Davis County Law Enforcement Center.  He said that he intended to follow-up on several of the key topics of discussion from the forum.