WAPELLO COUNTY, Ia.- On Sunday at approximately 11:28 a.m. the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a motor vehicle accident involving an ATV and a pickup truck in the 16000 block of 15th Street, southwest of Ottumwa.

A Deputy responded to the scene and discovered medical personnel attending to two male juveniles, ages 7 and 12, who had been riding the ATV at the time of the accident. Both juveniles sustained injuries, and two air ambulances were dispatched to the scene.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado, driven by Louis Joseph Testa Jr., age 55, of Ottumwa, was traveling eastbound on 15th Street. The ATV entered the roadway from a farm driveway, crossing into the path of the eastbound pickup truck. Both juveniles were ejected from the ATV upon impact.
The injured juveniles were airlifted from the scene by Mercy One Air Med. At the time of this report, the extent of their injuries remains unknown.

The Wapello County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by Wapello Rural Fire, ORMICS, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

SCHUYLER COUNTY, Mo.- A Memphis man has been charged in connection with a fire at a local convenience store that occurred on Thursday, March 6^th, in Downing. 

Court documents indicate that Irvin Martin Huber has been charged with a Class B felony of 1^st Degree Arson and a Class E felony of Commission of a Fraudulent Insurance Act.  The charges stem from a fire that significantly damaged The Cheese Post.  Huber is registered with the Missouri Secretary of State’s office as the owner of the business.

According to investigators with the Missouri Division of Fire Safety, the Downing Fire Department was called to the scene of a reported structural fire at The Cheese Post just after 7:30 pm on the evening of March 6^th.  Upon arrival, firefighters discovered heavy smoke and moderate fire inside the store.  Residents of a nearby home had to be evacuated as fire fighters battled the blaze due to the proximity of an above-ground fuel tank located behind the business.  

After the fire was extinguished, Fire Chief Brett Hayden requested assistance from the Missouri Division of Fire Safety to investigate the origin and cause of the fire.  The investigation revealed that the origin of the fire was in a central office area.  The cause was determined to be the lighting of combustible material in that area by a human with an open flame. 

Following the state investigation, an electrical engineer with the involved insurance company examined the structural wiring in the area of the fire’s origin, as well as the electrical components of the refrigerator located near the origin of the fire.  It was determined that neither the wiring nor the refrigerator were the cause of the fire.

During the investigation, security video was reviewed.  That video captured Huber leaving and locking the front door of the store at approximately 7:30 pm the evening of the fire.  About 35 seconds later, the video captures smoke visibly coming from the office area.  During the original on-scene interview, Huber was asked by investigators if he had noticed any odd smells or anything out of the ordinary.  He answered that he did not.

The arson charge carries a penalty ranging from a minimum of five years to a maximum of 15 years in prison, while the fraud charge carries a penalty ranging from one to four years in prison or a fine not to exceed $10,000, or a combination thereof.

A summons was issued to Huber on Friday.  He is scheduled for an initial appearance in Schuyler County Associate Circuit Court on Wednesday at 1:30 pm.  Judge Kelly Lovekamp will preside.

Irvin M. Huber of Memphis is charged with 1st Degree Arson and Commission of a Fraudulent Insurance Act in connection with a fire at the Cheese Post in Downing on March 6th.

(Photo from Huber's public Facebook page)

MARION CO., Mo.- The Missouri State Highway Patrol is seeking the public’s help to identify the driver of a vehicle involved in a fatal hit-and-run on Tuesday night.

The patrol reports that a 21-year-old male from Yaba City, California, was struck in the Ayerco Gas Station parking lot off Route MM west of Hannibal around 9:30 pm.  The driver of the tractor-trailer unit stopped, backed up and then left the scene. 

The pedestrian was taken by Marion County Ambulance to Hannibal Regional Hospital.  They were pronounced dead at the hospital at 10:25 pm that night.  The patrol was assisted at the scene by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Marion County Ambulance.

Seargent Justin Dunn with the Missouri State Highway Patrol told KMEM News Wednesday morning that they have confirmed that the tractor-trailer unit left the scene headed westbound on US Highway 36.  The patrol has been unsuccessful in locating that vehicle.  They are asking the public to look at the pictures accompanying this story.  If anyone has information regarding the incident or knows the whereabouts of the vehicle they are asked to contact Troop B Headquarters at 660-385-2132.

MEMPHIS, Mo.-  An investigation has led to the arrest of a Memphis man for 10 counts of sexual offenses involving a minor who was less than 12 years old at the time. 

The Scotland County Sheriff’s Office reports that 47-year old Michael B. Martin of Memphis was arrested Monday morning at 10:15 am.  The arrest is in connection with an ongoing investigation by the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team, or STAT, a unit which is dedicated to investigating crimes against children. 

Court documents state that on April 21, 2024, the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office requested investigative assistance from the Missouri STAT team regarding allegations that Martin was sexually assaulting a juvenile female under the age of 12 in Memphis.  The victim stated that Martin was residing in her family’s home at the time, and that the abuse occurred in the home.  Documents state that the alleged offenses occurred between March 1, 2023 and July 31, 2024. 

Martin is charged with six counts of 1^st Degree Statutory Sodomy, an unclassified felony.  He is additionally charged with one count each of: 2^nd Degree Child Molestation, a class B felony; Sexual Misconduct Involving a Child, a class E felony; Furnishing Pornographic Materials to a Minor, a class A misdemeanor; and 1^st Degree Endagering the Welfare of a Child, a class D felony.

Martin was taken into custody by officers with the Missouri STAT team, Memphis Police Department, Scotland County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol Fugitive Apprehension Division of Drug and Crime Control without incident.  He is being held in the Scotland County Jail on a $150,000 cash-only bond warrant.