DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – Some 250 soldiers with the Iowa National Guard will be returning from the Middle East as they finish their part in the United States’ fight against ISIS. These soldiers were stationed in Iraq and Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. In a statement, the Iowa National Guard says they were deployed to improve “security and stability throughout the region” and reduce ISIS capabilities. Two Iowa soldiers, Staff Sergeants Nate Howard and Edgar Torres Tovar, and a civilian interpreter were killed in an attack by an ISIS gunman last December. The returning soldiers are from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team and the 34th Infantry Division. As of the start of 2026, about 1,800 Iowa National Guard soldiers were stations throughout Iraq and Syria. Welcoming parties are expected in Des Moines and Sioux City within the next two weeks. More information will be revealed once plans are finalized. Operation Inherent Resolve is the United States’ broader mission to stop ISIS. The mission formally launched in 2014 after ISIS took over major cities in Iraq.
MASON CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa State Patrol says a person was killed after being struck by a vehicle in a Fareway parking lot. This happened at the Fareway along Delaware Avenue in Mason City around 2:30 p.m. Saturday. ISP says a person was struck while in the traveled portion of a parking lot. The pedestrian was sent to the hospital but was pronounced dead. The names of those involved are being withheld. The incident is under investigation.
EVANSDALE, Iowa (KCRG) – Police are investigating after a person was found dead in the parking lot of a Flying J truck stop on Saturday morning. The Evansdale Police Department responded to the Flying J in the morning hours of Jan. 31 for a report of a person down in the parking lot. The person was determined to be deceased. Police stated that further information would not be released at this time and that the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Evansdale Police Department at 319-232-6682 or Dispatch at 319-291-2515.
MANCHESTER, Iowa (KCRG) – Manchester police have arrested six people in a child grooming sting operation, with the most recent arrest made possible by Iowa’s new grooming law enacted in July 2024. A Manchester police officer posed as a 15-year-old boy online. Police say 140 people sent unsolicited nude images or requested a meetup with the officer, including the six men who have been arrested. Manchester Police Chief Ben Davis said the department has encountered grooming cases before but lacked the legal tools to prosecute them. In July 2024, Iowa enacted a new law that makes grooming a felony. The law includes online grooming, where predators target children for sexual abuse. Manchester police arrested five people earlier this month in the operation. Police say all of those men traveled to Manchester with the intent to meet someone they thought was 15 years old. In the last week, police arrested a sixth person from another state. Davis said without Iowa’s child grooming law, the sixth person could not have been arrested. Before the law, a predator could plan a meetup with a child and send sexually explicit texts, but police couldn’t charge them unless they committed a separate crime. The new law changes that approach. Davis said Manchester police will not necessarily pursue charges for all 140 people who sent explicit messages to undercover officers in the sting operation. He said to expect more charges and arrests in the coming weeks. Davis said the department will continue to dedicate time and resources to its child grooming sting operations as long as they are catching predatory behavior. Manchester police also plan to present online safety classes to schools in the area.
