Peosta Business Fire

Officials are investigating a fire that occurred at a Peosta business Sunday. At approximately 5:05pm Peosta Police Department and Centralia-Peosta Fire Department responded to the Dollar General at 8436 NICC Drive for a report of a fire inside of the northeast corner of the building. The fire was immediately extinguished by employees and the responding officer. The fire is deemed suspicious at this time and is under investigation by the Iowa Fire Marshal’s Division and Peosta Police Department. No injuries were reported and the amount of damage is not available at this time, pending the investigation.

Cheese Producer Fined

A large cheese producer in far northeast Iowa has been fined for improperly treating it's wastewater. According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Prairie Farms near Luana, repeatedly failed for years to properly treat its wastewater that flows into creeks that feed the Turkey River. The Illinois based company recently agreed to pay a $10,000 fine for the ongoing violations and to upgrade its wastewater treatment system by 2030. DNR records show that the wastewater expelled by the facility has routinely violated limits for ammonia nitrogen, bacteria, suspended solids, chlorine and pollutants, dating back to 2018. Tests of the treated wastewater in March 2022 showed bacteria levels that were more than 40 times a limit set by the DNR. Tests in August and September 2023 showed ammonia levels that were more than three times the limit. Under an agreement with the state, Prairie Farms agreed to pay the fine and install $1.4 million worth of new emissions equipment.

New Trial Date Set for Delaware County Man

A new trial date has been set for a Delaware County man accused of shooting at his girlfriend. The TH reports 38-year-old Christopher Wuchter of Earlville, is charged in Iowa District Court of Delaware County with attempted murder, child endangerment, assault by use or display of a dangerous weapon and assault causing bodily injury. Wuchter’s trial now is set to start Jan. 31 at the Delaware County Courthouse. It previously was scheduled to begin Wednesday, Dec. 6. Delaware County authorities learned of a shooting that occurred at Wuchter’s residence on August 22nd, 2022, while investigating another incident Jan. 9. On August 22nd Wuchter became angry with his live-in girlfriend, Kayla M. Pritchard, and was “pushing (Pritchard) around.” When Pritchard’s teenage son told Wuchter to stop, Wuchter held the teen by the throat and pushed him against a door, causing an injury to the teen’s back. Wuchter then pushed Pritchard over a bed before grabbing her and pushing her into her son. Pritchard left the residence with her 9-year-old daughter, and Wuchter pointed a “black long gun” at Pritchard through an open window of the house, court documents state. The girlfriend of Pritchard’s teenage son saw Wuchter fire three shots toward Pritchard, documents state. Pritchard told authorities she and her daughter ran down the road to a neighbor’s property and hid in some trees after Wuchter fired the shots.

Dubuque County Single-Vehicle Crash

One person was injured in a one-vehicle crash Saturday in Dubuque County. A crash report states that 39-year-old Brett Burlage of Independence was driving west on Highway 20 at Olde Castle Road around 1:15 p.m. Saturday when he fell asleep. The vehicle drifted off the roadway, struck a traffic sign, traveled across Olde Castle Road and became airborne. The vehicle then traveled through a ditch before coming to a stop. According to the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Department, Burlage was transported by ambulance to MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center for treatment of his injuries. Burlage was cited with failure to maintain control.

Manchester Vote Recount

The city of Manchester has announced the results of recounts from the November election. William Scherbring remains the winner of Manchester’s Ward 3 council seat following a recount. Unofficial results showed Scherbring leading challenger Ron Mortenson, 179-173, following election night. The recount confirmed the vote totals of each candidate. Dean Sherman was the winner of the District 4 director’s seat for Northeast Iowa Community College. Sherman received 277 votes running as a write-in candidate.

Human Remains Found Near Manchester

Human remains have been found near Manchester and authorities believe they may belong to a man who went missing nearly a decade ago. CBS-2 reports the Delaware County Sheriff's Office confirms the human remains were found in a field west of Manchester by pheasant hunters on Nov. 5th. The remains were found about a mile south of 1381 180th St., which was the home address of Brian Burns who was last seen there on Dec. 23rd 2013. Officials removed the remains from the scene to be identified and autopsied by the Iowa State Medical Examiner's Office. The Delaware County Sheriff's Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are still investigating. Anyone with information about Burns is asked to contact the sheriff's office at 563-927-3135.

Man Arrested for Threat of Terrorism

A Clinton man was arrested after he made threats against a child support recovery office in Dubuque. The TH reports that 38-year-old Zachary Shepherd of Clinton, left three voicemails Monday with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Child Support Recovery office in Dubuque after the office put a $700 hold on his bank account for failure to pay child support. Shepherd’s voicemails, all received within one hour of each other, contained several threatening messages against the office, documents state, including threats to go “postal” and kill “as many people as he could.” Sheppard was arrested Wednesday at the Dubuque Law Enforcement Center on a warrant charging one count of threat of terrorism. When reached by Dubuque officers by phone, Shepherd said he was “very upset about his money and wanted it back.”