WINTERSET – One person was died after she was hit by a vehicle while walking onto Interstate 80 in Madison County on Thursday morning. The Iowa State Patrol reports 45-year0old Mandy Wendlend of Omaha was a pedestrian walking along the interstate before entering the travel portion of the roadway. She was struck by a Ford Transit. She was pronounced dead on scene.

IOWA – Drought continues to spread across the state as a prolonged dry spell continues deep into the fall. The latest national report shows 83% of the state is now at least in moderate drought, and all 99 counties are at least abnormally dry. The severe drought rating in the state is now nearly 1/5th of Iowa’s land. After spotty showers and thunderstorms impacted some Iowans this week, additional rain may be coming by the middle of next week, according to the National Weather Service. Mainly communities near Iowa City and Cedar Rapids received 1-2″ of rainfall late Thursday.

DES MOINES – Casey’s General Stores is paying just over $18 million for the naming rights to the new “Casey’s Center.” The current Wells Fargo Arena will be renamed by July 1st, 2025. Casey’s will pay $18.3 million over 10 years, according to the Des Moines Register. The contract was approved this week by the Polk County Board of Supervisors.