CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (KCRG) – Cedar Falls Police now say a 16-year-old is charged as an adult after what they call a “disorderly situation” led to the death of another 16-year-old. Dakota Berky is charged with intimidation with a dangerous weapon, which is a felony. Police say in a news release the teen was charged as an adult “due to the seriousness of the crime.” Officers responded to the area of the 700 block of West Ridgeway Avenue just after 2:30 p.m. Sunday for that disorderly situation call. That’s where they found a 16-year-old who was hurt, and later died from those injuries. Police have not released any other details, but a criminal complaint explains what police say happened at the scene, and name the victim. It shows officers responded to a shooting at a trailer, where they found 16-year-old Jeremiah Butler lying in the doorway with a gunshot wound. First responders took him to the hospital where he died. A witness told police Berky was inside the trailer with another juvenile male, and advised Butler walked into the trailer from the front door, and Burky shot Butler with a shotgun. The criminal complaint goes on to say Berky then called Black Hawk County Dispatch, telling them he was going to jail after the shooting. The complaint shows police followed shoe prints from the back of the trailer, where they found Berky waiting for them along with the shotgun. Black Hawk County Deputies, Black Hawk County Dispatch, Hudson Police and Mercy One Paramedics all helped on the call.
DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau/KCRG) – Iowans are drinking less, and the state is collecting less revenue as a result, according to the director of the Department of Revenue. An Iowa Senate subcommittee heard Monday that changing alcohol consumption patterns are among the reasons revenues are down in the department. Department of Revenue Director Mary Mosiman said the department is down about $5 million this fiscal year. She said expenses also increased because of an increase in employees for nect fiscal year. The department collects taxes, regulates alcohol and oversees the Iowa Lottery. Mosiman outlined the numbers for fiscal year 2026. She said the Iowa Lottery alone generates about $400 million. However, alcohol sales across the state are declining. The drop in alcohol consumption is part of a national trend, especially with younger consumers.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (KCRG) – The University of Northern Iowa announced Monday it is launching three-year degree pathways for more than 30 majors. The launch spans more than 30 majors across the College of Humanities, Arts and Sciences and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. The three-year accelerated track allows for early degree completion by following a structured plan of study initiated during the student’s first semester. The streamlined programs help students enter the workforce sooner, allowing them to support Iowa’s economy and local communities more quickly. The university also offers “Degree in 3,” an accelerated program for college students to earn an elementary education Bachelor of Arts degree. Course work is done year-round with classes in the summer and winter semesters, with students eligible for scholarships to help with summer tuition and student teaching stipends. One in seven UNI students are now completing their undergraduate degrees within a three-year timeframe.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – An Illinois man was sentenced in Cedar Rapids to more than 15 years in federal prison Monday for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl. 26-year-old Devon Frazier, of Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl in December 2024. According to court documents, Frazier distributed over 111 grams of ice methamphetamine to someone on February 8, 2023. He then distributed 282 grams of purported methamphetamine to someone else on February 13, 2023. Police said testing confirmed that the purported methamphetamine was actually sea salt. Officers arrested Frazier following this transaction. During transportation to the Linn County Correctional Center, Frazier dropped a baggie that contained 362 pills with fentanyl on the floor of the police car. Officers later found the baggie. On March 3, 2023, Frazier distributed a purported Xanax pill to a 19-year-old female that contained fentanyl. She later suffered a fentanyl-related overdose a day later and died. Frazier than threatened to kill individuals that he believed were working with law enforcement following the overdose. Frazier was sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release following imprisonment.
