From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
Funeral arrangements are being finalized for two Iowa National Guard soldiers who died earlier this month after an ISIS attack in Syria. The bodies of Staff Sergeants Nate Howard and Edgar Torres-Tovar arrived on a military transport Wednesday at the Des Moines airport. The Iowa National Guard says Staff Sergeant Howard’s visitation and funeral services are set for Saturday in Marshalltown. The visitation for Staff Sergeant Torres-Tovar is set for Sunday, with his funeral Monday in Des Moines.
A man and woman on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids will likely be displaced after a fire Wednesday afternoon. It happened near Deborah Drive and Wilson Avenue Drive Southwest. Officials say no one was hurt, but the family was home when the fire started. Firefighters say it started with an electrical device in the kitchen. The device was moved outside and then the fire spread to the porch and backyard. It is still under investigation.
Officials are warning about safety on the ice after an 8-year-old boy died after ice fishing in Appanoose County this week. The Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office says the boy fell in on Monday afternoon. His family said he had been fishing for about 45 minutes and when they went to check on him, he was gone. Rescue teams pulled him out after almost an hour of searching but he died later that night. About four inches of ice is needed to support a person. Color, standing water or snow on top are all signs of weaker ice.
Iowa is joining 14 states and the District of Columbia in a public service campaign to combat scams involving gift cards. The campaign is organized by the Gift Card Fraud Prevention Alliance, and warns shoppers that while gift cards are safe, you should be aware of strangers asking for money through them. The Alliance says if you receive a suspicious message asking for gift cards as payment, do not respond and report it to your local police department.
An anonymous businessman donated fifty $100 bills for Ottumwa police officers to give to random citizens while on duty. The Department says it handed out all of the donated funds before Christmas to spread goodwill throughout the community. Ottumwa Police say the donor wanted to spread kindness and inspire others to pay it forward in the community and beyond.
