Small Bits of News

Hiawatha Iowa man accused of impersonating officer
A Hiawatha man who police said tried to pull a motorist over using his dome light as an overhead flasher was arrested on charges of impersonating a police officer late Monday night. The motorist called police around 11:30 p.m. after a man driving a Ford Crown Victoria that looks similar to Hiawatha police cruisers tried to stop the motorist on the side of Robins Road, Hiawatha police reported. He was not wearing a police officer uniform and appeared to be intoxicated when he got out of the vehicle, the motorist told police.
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11-year-old brought BB gun, knives to school
IOWA CITY - An 11-year-old boy is accused of fifth-degree criminal mischief after allegedly bringing a BB gun and three knives to his elementary school here Tuesday. Logan R. Maddox, a sixth grader at Mark Twain Elementary, 1355 Deforest Ave., Iowa City, is also accused of violating a city gun ordinance that prohibits carrying toy guns that can shoot "leaden or other dangerous missiles." Police don't think Maddox, of 936 Spring Ridge Dr., Iowa City, threatened anyone with the BB gun or any of the knives he allegedly had in his backpack. Other students saw the weapons and alerted teachers.
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Woman Stops Alleged Burglar With Scraper
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) - Cedar Rapids police say a woman chased down a burglar, bagged him with an ice scraper and then made him pick up the stolen loot he dropped when he fled.
Police were called to Derdre Rodriguez's home on Monday where they found her holding 16-year-old Jake Merfeld at bay with the ice scraper.
She told officers that when she came home, she heard someone jump out of a back window. She saw the teen running across the yard, carrying jewelry, cell phones and a video game.
Rodriguez chased the suspect, who started dropping the items. When she caught him, she hit him on top of the head with the ice scraper and he surrendered. Rodriguez made Merfeld pick up the property he dropped when he tried to escape.