DELHI, Iowa (KCRG) – The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office has charged the former Dehli city clerk and the former city mayor with theft after allegedly mishandling city funds for years. Lori Tucker, former clerk, has been charged with first- and second-degree theft, and tampering with records. Gregory Preussner, former mayor, is charged with aiding and abetting the first-degree theft and impersonating a public official. Tucker was employed by the city from 2014 to 2022, and is currently the City Clerk for Ryan, Iowa. An investigation began after the state Auditor’s Office received and investigated concerns about Tucker’s financial transactions. The Auditor’s report found more than $80,000 in taxpayer money had been misused. Violations included unapproved payroll costs and credit card purchases, extra vacation hours and wages, and excess reimbursements. The Sheriff’s investigation says Tucker made improper disbursements of more than $10,000. The investigation says Preussner admitted in an interview to approving certain improper disbursements. The investigation claims Tucker’s personal insurance and retirement accounts continued to receive a total of $2,695 in payments from the city’s bank account, even after Tucker resigned. Additionally, Tucker is charged with tampering with records after the Sheriff’s investigation says she withheld passwords to accounting and email systems from city staff. The Auditor’s investigation said Preussner, while no longer serving as mayor, was seen on surveillance approving a PTO request from Tucker and backdating it several months to when he was still mayor. The Sheriff’s Office says Preussner admitted to signing the form. The case now moves to the Delaware County Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
AMES, Iowa (KCCI/KCRG) – Iowa State University is getting closer to determining its next president. The Iowa State Presidential Search Committee has cut its list to eight semifinalists, according to a release from the school. The committee of 12 met October 13 to evaluate 78 applications and narrowed the list to eight. The committee will conduct virtual interviews this week with each semifinalist. The candidates’ names will not be revealed. Finalists will be announced early next month, and on-campus interviews and public forums will be held around that time. Per Iowa code, those interviews will take place behind closed doors. The new president will replace Wendy Wintersteen, who announced her retirement in May. She will have led the university for nine years, retiring in January 2026.
VINTON, Iowa (KCRG) – Iowa State Patrol has released the name of a Vinton woman killed after her vehicle was rear-ended by a Vinton-Shellsburg school bus on Friday. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the bus rear-ended 37-year-old Crystal Offerman’s Jeep, pushing the vehicle into oncoming traffic where it was hit head-on by another vehicle. Offerman died from her injuries. The Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District said the bus driver and its passengers were not injured.
MARION, Iowa (KCRG) – A motion to continue trial has been granted for the Marion dad who admitted to planning his son’s death before strangling him last year. Matthew Schleier, 46, waived his right to a jury trial October 8. He is charged with first-degree murder. On Thursday, Schleier’s attorney filed a motion to exclude evidence. The state filed a response to that motion requesting that “the Court deny the motion” later that day. On Friday afternoon, a motion was filed to hold a hearing for Monday at 3:00 p.m. regarding the motion to exclude evidence. There was also an “unresisted motion to continue trial” filed. The motion to continue trial was granted but there is no date set. The judge decided moving the trial solved the evidence question. This gives the defense more time to review this evidence before trial. The evidence includes all of the video calls, phone calls, and text messages between Schleier, his wife, his family, and “others” since he went to jail.
