Iowa

Ex-Iowa police chief gets 60-month sentence in illegal firearms case – UPI.com

Published

1 year ago

July 4, 2024

Ex-Iowa police chief gets 60-month sentence in illegal firearms case – UPI.com

July 3 (UPI) — A police chief in a small Iowa town has been slapped with a 60-month federal prison sentence for illegally possessing a machine gun and making false statements to authorities, prosecutors announced Wednesday.

Bradley Eugene Wendt, former chief of police in Adair, Iowa, and owner of a firearms supply business in nearby Denison, Iowa, was found guilty by a jury of one count of conspiracy to make false statements to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and eight counts of making a false statement to the ATF, federal prosecutors in Des Moines said in a statement.

Authorities accused Wendt of buying machine guns for the Adair Police Department but later reselling the weapons via his gun dealership at a personal profit of nearly $80,000 by falsely using “demonstration law letters.”

Among the weapons he illegally obtained was a .50 caliber machine gun called a “Ma Deuce,” which prosecutors say he “immediately mounted to his personally owned armored Humvee.”

Wendt also personally possessed a belt-fed, M60 machine gun registered to the Adair Police Department, which authorities said he allowed members of public to shoot for a fee during an event held in April 2022.

During his trial, Wendt insisted he had talked with ATF officials and was under the impression all of his transactions were legal, but prosecutors countered there was no plausible reason for a town of fewer than 1,000 people to acquire such heavy weaponry, the Des Moines Register reported.

They also pointed to texts and emails sent by Wendt to friends bragging about how he was using his post as police chief to obtain and sell firearms.

“We expect law enforcement officers to uphold their oath to protect and serve our communities. Instead, Brad Wendt broke the law and betrayed the community by unlawfully obtaining and selling firearms for his own personal profit,” said FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel. “The FBI remains steadfast in aggressively investigating and bringing to justice those who misuse their authority for personal gain.”

The former police chief was fined $50,000 and will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon completion of his 60-month prison sentence.

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Iowa

How much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals

Published

10 minutes ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

How much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals

A winter storm warning remains in effect until 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, for a large swath of the state, from northwest Iowa to much of central Iowa and southeast Iowa.

Drivers should expect slippery conditions.

Snow fell through the morning with accumulations of 2 to 3 inches across most of Iowa, according to the National Weather Service. The light, fluffy snow will taper off in the afternoon.

The weather service advises that snow-covered roads will make travel slick and more difficult and to use caution.

The counties affected include Pocahontas, Sac, Calhoun, Webster, Hamilton, Crawford, Carroll, Greene, Boone, Story, Marshall, Guthrie, Dallas, Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Warren, Marion, Mahaska, Monroe, Wapello and Davis.

Where did snow fall the most in Iowa?

Southern Iowa felt the brunt of the snow Saturday morning, with some areas experiencing nearly five inches of accumulation. Here are the highest totals so far in Iowa:

Milton: 4.5 inches
Parnell: 4.5 inches
Norwalk: 3.8 inches
Badger: 3.5 inches
Bloomfield: 3.3 inches
Carroll: 3.2 inches
Buffalo: 3.2 inches
North English: 3 inches
Winterset: 2.6 inches

How much snow has fallen in Des Moines?

The Des Moines International Airport reported 1.2 inches of snow as of 6 a.m. Saturday. Norwalk, just south of Des Moines, reported 3.8 inches of snow by 10:30 a.m. Clive reported 2.7 inches of snow at 10 a.m.

How much snow did Iowa City get?

North Liberty, just north of Iowa City, reported three inches of snow as of 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Tiffin, which is to the northwest of Iowa City, reported 2.7 inches of snow at 10 a.m.

Roads across the state are covered in snow

The Iowa DOT reported that, as of 11 a.m., many of central Iowa’s highways and interstates were completely covered with snow. The organization said travel on I-80 from central Iowa to the Illinois border is not advised.

“Visibility and road conditions are deteriorating rapidly, causing multiple crashes and closing lanes,” the DOT said in a social media post around 11 a.m.

More snow followed by frigid temps

A cold weather advisory is in effect for much of northern, central and southeastern Iowa into Sunday morning. In the Des Moines area, wind chill values could drop to as low as -15. Wind chills across the state are expected between -20 and -30 starting at 6 p.m. Saturday.

(This article has been updated to include new information.)

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Iowa

Iowa man charged in connection to horse-drawn buggy crash that killed teen

Published

12 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Iowa man charged in connection to horse-drawn buggy crash that killed teen

CLARKE COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa man was charged Friday in connection to a deadly horse-drawn buggy crash that killed a teenager last month.

Jacob Wright, 41, of Grand River, is facing charges including involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of a deadly accident.

The crash happened in Clarke County on November 12. According to the crash report, Wright’s car hit the back of the buggy and ran it into a ditch.

Elmer Borntrager, 16, was thrown from the buggy and died at the scene.

Police found Wright’s damaged vehicle days later about five miles from the crash scene.

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Iowa

How much snow did we get? See Iowa snowfall totals from Thursday.

Published

1 day ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

How much snow did we get? See Iowa snowfall totals from Thursday.

Another round of snow swept through Iowa, leaving more than 3 inches in some parts of the state.

Flurries began falling in Des Moines around noon on Thursday, Dec. 11, and persisted until late in the evening.

Here’s a look at the highest snowfall totals in Iowa as of 8 a.m. Friday, Dec. 12, according to the National Weather Service.

What were the highest Iowa snowfall totals?

West Burlington: 4 inches
Parnell: 3.8 inches
Salem: 3.8 inches
Mooar: 3.6 inches
Webster City: 3.5 inches
Muscatine: 3 inches
Yarmouth: 3 inches
Williamstown: 3 inches
New London: 2.8 inches
Riverside: 2.8 inches
Ottumwa: 2.8 inches

How much snow did Des Moines get?

Over an inch of snow fell at the Des Moines International Airport, with the National Weather Service reporting 1.1 inches as of 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11.

Grimes reported 1.3 inches of snow and other reports from the Des Moines area were around 1 inch.

Nevada in Story County reported 0.5 inches

How much snow did Iowa City get?

No reports were received from Iowa City, according to the National Weather Service. Nearby University Heights reported 1.5 inches. Oakdale reported 2 inches and North Liberty reported 1.3 inches of snow.

When is the next chance for snowfall in Des Moines?

Another round of snow is expected to begin Friday night and continue into Saturday, Dec. 13, in the afternoon.

Des Moines is projected to receive between 2 and 4 inches of snow during this time. A winter weather advisory is in effect for Des Moines from 12 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The advisory is also in effect in cities spanning from Sioux City to Davenport.

Temperatures are also expected to drop during the weekend, with daytime highs of 9 degrees on Saturday and Sunday, and lows of 10 degrees below zero on Saturday and 1 degree below zero on Sunday.

Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.

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