A north-central Iowa man has been charged with voluntary manslaughter, accused of causing the death of another man during a fight. The Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office says 51-year-old Robert Laverty of Swea City was charged last week in connection with the April death of 41-year-old Casey Tobin, also of Swea City. Sheriff’s officials say deputies found Tobin on April 3rd unconscious on a Swea City street corner. Authorities believe Tobin and Laverty had fought earlier in the day, and that Tobin died of his injuries from the fight. Laverty was arrested in the case just last Thursday.
A 20-year-old Iowa man accused of hiding in the backseat of a Nebraska woman’s car and using zip ties, duct tape and homemade chloroform to abduct her has entered pleas of not guilty to charges in the case. Zack Smith of Bronson entered the pleas Monday to third-degree kidnapping, false imprisonment and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse. His bond has been set at $250,000. Sioux City police say the woman was reported missing June 3rd, the morning after her car was found abandoned with her purse and cellphone inside. Police say the woman managed to escape from a storage shed on Smith’s property while police were searching for her.
An Ankeny man was arrested Saturday after police say he threatened to blow up a McDonald’s because the restaurant didn’t include dipping sauce for his chicken McNuggets. 42-year-old Robert Golwitzer Jr. called the McDonald’s around 5:20 p.m. Saturday after discovering his order was incorrect. In the call, police say Golwitzer threatened to blow up the restaurant and punch an employee. Golwitzer has been charged with a Class D felony of false report of explosive or incendiary device. He was booked into the Polk County Jail Saturday and was released on bond Sunday.
Usually, a person hits the jackpot inside the casino. One Anamosa man is accused of getting a big payday while stealing money from a truck parked in the Isle Casino parking lot in Waterloo. Police were called around 9:15 a.m. Saturday for a suspicious person who had been rummaging through a vehicle. Officers caught up with 25-year-old Matthew John Peterson of Cemetery Road, as he was walking away from the casino. They found he had a cigarette box containing meth and a meth pipe in his pocket. They also found he was carrying $62,900 in cash. Police determined the money had been taken from a briefcase that was in the bed of a pickup truck with Minnesota plates parked in the lot. Peterson was arrested for first-degree theft and possession of meth. Bond was set at $15,000.
AP–Republicans eyeing a 2024 White House run are wasting no time in jockeying for a strong position in what could be an extremely crowded field of contenders. The politicking will only intensify in the coming weeks, particularly in Iowa, home to the nation’s leadoff presidential caucuses and a state where conservative evangelicals play a significant role in steering the GOP’s direction. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas is slated to visit the state on Tuesday. In the past week alone, Nikki Haley regaled activists in Iowa, Mike Pence courted donors in California and Donald Trump returned to the rally stage, teasing a third campaign for the White House.
