News Headlines for July 29, 2026

SAC CITY, IOWA — A late-night domestic assault investigation that began June 30, 2026, in Sac City has escalated into a first-degree kidnapping case carrying the most serious felony classification available under Iowa law.

A man accused of domestic abuse allegedly returned to the victim’s residence just hours after leaving jail with a court order directing him to stay away, triggering a second arrest and landing an alleged accomplice behind bars.

MASON CITY — A violent Iowa felon with a record of arson, burglary, assault, domestic abuse, harassment, theft, fleeing police and repeatedly violating probation allegedly added two more offenses to his criminal résumé during a July 24 encounter with police in Mason City.

Christopher Maurice Kessler, 35, was arrested after Mason City police responded at 7:28 a.m. Friday, July 24, 2026, to a trespassing complaint at an apartment building at 819 North Delaware Avenue.

OSAGE — An Osage man faces four criminal charges after police arrested him early Saturday morning in connection with an alleged domestic assault involving a weapon.

MASON CITY — A 21-year-old Mason City woman allegedly drove intoxicated with a young relative inside her vehicle before wandering off the roadway and striking a mailbox – and now faces serious charges.

MASON CITY — A 61-year-old Mason City man was arrested after police say he was allegedly caught masturbating inside a truck parked at Georgia Hanford Park while children were playing nearby.

CLEAR LAKE — Nearly nine months after a Clear Lake couple was hauled to jail on felony accusations involving sexually explicit images of children, neither suspect has gone to trial—and their cases have now been postponed yet again.

Vicki Sue Colombo, then 65, and John Joseph Colombo, then 68, were arrested by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office on October 23, 2025, after Clear Lake police investigated alleged offenses dating to November 2024.

OSAGE — A Charles City woman previously convicted of drunk driving was nabbed by police in Osage earlier this month and now faces an aggravated-misdemeanor charge for allegedly operating while intoxicated for the second time.

An Iowa man who admitted neglecting 11 emaciated dogs and puppies found trapped inside a filthy pickup truck earlier this year is back behind bars, now accused of felony drug possession and driving while barred.

Officers found two dogs and nine puppies living amid feces and urine throughout the truck’s cab. Every animal was emaciated, according to police.

Officers and Animal Control workers removed the animals and rushed them to an animal refuge for evaluation and treatment.

Veterinary personnel rated the animals a 2 on a body-condition scale ranging from 0 to 9, confirming they were severely underweight, malnourished and had not received proper care.

A 16-year-old Northern Iowa suspect has been charged as an adult after he allegedly shot and killed another teenager with a shotgun inside a mobile home, according to police and court records.

Under Iowa law, certain serious felony cases involving defendants age 16 or older begin in adult district court, although the defendant may ask a judge to transfer the case back to juvenile court.