DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – Two baby girls are now in the care of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services under the state’s Safe Haven Act. One of the baby girls was born on Feb. 8 and the other baby girl was born on Feb. 12. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services will place the babies with foster families, until permanent placement can be found. These two babies bring the total to 76 infants taken in under the Safe Haven Act since it went into effect more than two decades ago. Under the Safe Haven Act, parents in crisis, who determine they cannot care for an infant up to 90 days old, can relinquish the child at designated safe haven locations, like hospitals and police and fire stations.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A Minnesota man was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison on Wednesday after admitting to driving a stolen vehicle to Winneshiek County where he broke into a home. Steven Current, 58, of Canton, Minnesota, has 15 prior felony convictions. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 15, 2024, to one count of possession of firearms as a felon and one count of interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle. In the plea agreement, Current admitted to driving a stolen Harley-Davidson motorcycle from Canton, Minnesota, to Winneshiek County where he broke into a rural home and stole eight firearms in September 2022. The motorcycle was stolen from a Rochester, Minnesota home on June 9, 2022. During the burglary in Winneshiek County, Current dropped two unscratched Minnesota lottery tickets that had been in his pocket. Investigators used images from the home’s camera system and images from the store in Minnesota where Current bought the lottery tickets to identify him. Current was sentenced on Wednesday by a Cedar Rapids district court to 87 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay $500 in restitution to the owner of the motorcycle and $6,031.31 to the insurance company that paid for the vehicle. Current will also have to serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.
BLACK HAWK COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – The Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office identified the 14-year-old who died in a collision on Tuesday as Kelli Schmitz of Jesup. A Jeep Cherokee and a Pontiac Sunfire collided at around 7:13 a.m. in the 8000 block of Poyner Road. The driver of the Jeep was able to get out of the vehicle before it became fully engulfed in flames. She was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Schmitz was trapped in the Pontiac Sunfire when first responders arrived. She was taken to the hospital where she later died. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
MANCHESTER, Iowa (KCRG) – A dog that was lost for four months after a crash near Manchester is back home with his owner, thanks to the efforts of a Dubuque animal shelter. The crash happened on Oct. 19, 2024 near Manchester. The dog’s owner searched for him, but was unable to find him. Whispurring Hope Rescue said Romeo, a Blue Heeler, had only been at his new home for a week, so he was not acclimated to his new surroundings. Romeo also still had his leash around his neck while he was on the loose. The rescue received multiple reports from people in the area having seen Romeo over the four months, including sightings near Dundee and other locations around Manchester. Rescue staff put out food, cameras and traps between Dundee and Manchester, but Romeo often ran away when he saw people. Romeo is said to have survived on food from the traps and dead deer along the roadways. He was later sighted near the fence line between Highway 20 and the road to Pin Oak Golf Course, just south of Manchester. A trap was set up in the area, but on February 23, staff with the rescue started getting pictures from another trap about 15 minutes away. It showed Romeo inside. Staff say Romeo must have had to chew through his leash at one point after it got caught on something. What remains of the leash now serves as a souvenir for staff of a successful rescue. Staff with Whispurring Hope Rescue said Romeo is a well-trained cattle dog with good hunting instincts. He also used to live on a farm in Missouri, and that likely helped keep him alive as he went into survival mode. Romeo has since been to the vet for care and is in good shape. He was not under weight and seemed well-fed.
