HAZLETON, Iowa (KCRG) – A member of the Hazleton City Council and pastor of an Oelwein church has been charged with assault and harassment after allegedly beating a woman. 34-year-old Hayden Robinson faces domestic abuse assault, first-degree harassment, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, and child endangerment charges. According to a criminal complaint, Robinson assaulted the victim before taking her clothes and lighting them on fire in a driveway. At one point, he brandished a loaded pistol. Days later after the assault, Robinson sent voicemails to her phone, making several threatening claims. Robinson posted bail and has since been released.
DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) – Unusually dry conditions across the Upper Midwest have left the Mississippi River running well below normal depths, creating major challenges for residents and local marina operators heading into Labor Day weekend. According to data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, water levels outside Dubuque dropped to 6.8 feet late last week—among the lowest marks recorded at the gauge since 2007. August river levels have hovered near a 7.4-foot average, significantly below the 20-year typical August average of nearly 9 feet. The shallow conditions are forcing local riverfront businesses to make costly operational changes to protect customer vessels. At Dubuque Marina and Yardarm, shallow water led crews to pull “A-Dock” completely out of the river earlier this month to prevent boats from grounding. While independent marina operators look ahead to private fall dredging to maintain access into their slips, federal crews continue working to maintain the commercial nine-foot navigation channel along the main stem of the river.
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – The Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) is warning Iowans about a scam targeting workers’ compensation benefits. Scammers have been impersonating state authorities and attempting to scam injured workers into paying, “fictitious, upfront fees” according to DIAL. In a recent incident, an injured worker was contacted via a fraudulent letter that mimicked the letterhead of DIAL. The worker contacted the group and established a meeting with whom he believed was DIAL. After the fake hearing took place, the scammers notified the worker that they had prevailed and were entitled to more than $180,000 in benefits. However, the “decision” letter required the worker to pay $6,000 in upfront fees before he could claim the funds. Some key warning signs for these type of scams often involve a demand for upfront payment, pressure tactics that create a false sense of urgency, as well as some form of forged letterhead via a letter or email. DIAL advises to never send money, especially if you’re unsure of the legitimacy of the experience.
WATERLOO, Iowa (Iowa Capital Dispatch/KCRG) – For the third time in three months, an Iowa nursing home has been fined for resident injuries that include broken bones and gangrene. Between June 16, 2026, and Aug. 6, 2026, the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals investigated 14 complaints at Ravenwood Specialty Care, a 176-bed care facility in Waterloo, and imposed $53,750 in fines. The first of the fines was imposed on June 16, when DIAL fined Ravenwood $7,750 for failing to assess and treat a male resident’s foot wound, which led to the man’s lower leg being amputated. At the time of the June 16 inspection, the home was the focus of six separate complaints, three of which were substantiated. Ravenwood is operated by one of Iowa’s largest nursing home chains, Care Initiatives. The 176-bed home currently has a one-star rating of “much below average” on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ website. eging negligence and wrongful death.
