Butler County News

Butler County Sheriff Jason Johnson says in a statement that he asked the county's central point coordinator on mental health to notify him when Mark Becker would be released from a psychiatric evaluation, but that didn't happen.

Mark D. Becker Mark Becker was formally charged with first-degree murder Tuesday afternoon for the death of Aplington-Parkersburg football coach Ed Thomas.

Hospitals are limited by privacy rules when it comes to notifying law enforcement about a patient's release, even when the patient has been brought in by an officer.

We'll update this page with our newest information as the day goes on. Check back to see what more we've learned today.

New developments today in the Iowa High School shooting that left a long time coach dead.

UPDATE: A former student and football player is accused of killing Aplington-Parkersburg football coach Ed Thomas at the school's weight room this morning.

A Butler County mental health official says he's not to blame for the release of a man who later is accused of killing a Parkersburg football coach.

Law enforcement officials in Parkersburg provided updates this afternoon on the investigation into the death of Ed Thomas.

Click Here to hear an early statement from Butler County Auditor Holly Fokkena before news of Ed Thomas' death.

The Department of Criminal Investigation says the man who shot and killed Aplington-Parkersburg football coach Ed Thomas, was a former student and football player of Thomas'. Twenty-four-year-old Mark Becker has been charged with first degree murder in Thomas' death.

Ed Thomas was a well-known football coach who'd served in Butler County, Iowa, for approximately 30 years , winning almost 300 games and training four players who later went into the NFL.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 1:57 p.m. IOWA -- The following is a press release from U.S. Senator ChuckA Grassley of Iowa: Unless youa ve survived a natural disaster, ita s hard to imagine the devastation and despair that 500-year-flood waters last summer have brought to Eastern Iowa residents, neighborhoods and businesses.

For one town, the flood was the second of a one-two punch from Mother Nature. First, a tornado slammed New Hartford killing two people.

Two Parkersburg residents were killed and an infant injured after their vehicle went into a ditch and rolled into standing water on Thursday.

A Clarksville teenager is injured after attempting to pass another vehicle in Butler County.

A community is heartbroken after a deadly crash in Parkersburg. An entire family was killed.

Two people are dead and another was taken from the scene with serious injuries after a crash near Parkersburg.

Parkersburg, Ia. - A bell rang at 4:59 p.m. Monday, one year to the minute since an EF5 tornado ripped through and changed this town.

This Memorial Day is bringing added meaning for those living in and around Parkersburg.

A former Cedar Falls art teacher created a tribute to area tornado victims. Bill Close created the painting "EF5" out of actual storm debris collected right after the storm.