OTTUMWA – Two people were arrested on a warrant this week in Ottumwa for allegedly staging a robbery at a Des Moines Git N Go. Thirty-five year old Blake Allen Christy and 38-year-old Samantha Lynn Buchman communicated ahead of a call for an armed robbery on July 6th. Christy is accused of pointing a gun at Buchman at the Git N Go, and she emptied the cash register and safe and gave the cash over. Christy then fled on foot, threatened self harm, and left the cash behind. Both Christy and Buchman were seen on video the night before at the store. The man was charged with first degree robbery and felon in possession of a firearm, and Christy was also wanted in Dubuque County on the Iowa Sex Offender Most Wanted List. LE MARS – A northwest Iowa school district will no longer allow events held by religious organizations of any kind. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports the Le Mars Community School District will no longer allow those types of events after a complaint the district received about partnering with an organization for the national day of prayer. Le Mars partnered with a Side by Side Ministries and shared photos of adult employees with members of the group on social media. Adults not working for the school also advocated for students to participate in praying.

ESTHERVILLE – Two riders on the RAGBRAI route this week have died. KCCI-TV reports a cyclist was found unconscious Tuesday morning in Estherville, and transported to a nearby hospital. The unidentified individual was pronounced dead there and transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny for a cause of death. On Monday, a cyclist died when crossing over into Minnesota. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call after the rider had collapsed. A doctor and other medical personnel responded immediately, but 54-year-old Kelly Paul of Texas was later pronounced dead. ANKENY – A mother and son were both arrested for their alleged involvement in a home invasion earlier this month in Ankeny. WHO-13 reports 45-year-old Merrelita Kintz and 27-year-old Gemiere Goodwin are both charged with attempted murder, burglary and robbery in the 1st degree, willful injury, and 2nd degree theft. Ankeny Police claim the pair beat and strangled an elderly victim, stealing cash, a gun, and other documents during the incident. IOWA – Another day, another chance for heavy rain across the state. An active summer is set to continue through Saturday for many Iowans, according to the National Weather Service, with another 1-3 inches of precipitation possible. Some Iowa communities have received over a foot of rainfall in the last month. However, only one flood warning was active for a river in Iowa just west of the Iowa City metro. FORT DODGE – State Champions will be crowned today and tomorrow as the Iowa High School sports year comes to an end. The boys and girls of summer of Iowa will be competing in championship games in Fort Dodge for softball today and tomorrow and in Carroll and Sioux City for baseball squads. Following this game, a family week with no activities schedule returns before fall sports practices begin in early August.

IOWA – The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has confirmed a case of measles in an adult resident of Western Iowa and is notifying the public of potential exposure locations. The individual is fully vaccinated and has no known link to the previous measles cases in Iowa, nor any recent travel outside the state. Iowa has a total of eight confirmed measles cases in 2025. As of July 15th, a total of 1,309 confirmed measles cases have been reported in the United States. Of these, 1,204 (92%) were unvaccinated, and 105 (8%) had received at least one dose of MMR vaccine. Breakthrough cases typically experience milder illness and are less likely to spread the virus to others.DES MOINES – Portions of a new state law aimed at regulating Pharmacy Benefit Managers have been partially blocked. KCCI-TV reports U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie Rose decided to block the impacts of the law for the businesses involve din the suit, which includes six parties as plaintiffs. They argue Senate File 383 goes too far and does lot align with existing federal law. IOWA – Hot and humid conditions are expected across Iowa today, with temperatures expected to reach into the low to mid 90s, and heat indices reaching up to 100-105 degrees. Residents and visitors spending time outdoors should drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks in air conditioning to lessen the potential for heat illness.

IOWA – Three weeks into a new law that curtails electronic device use while driving, the Iowa DOT has reported several warnings have been issued statewide. KCCI-TV reports more than 1,400 traffic stops have been made in that time related to using a device while driving. Warnings will continue until the end of this year for anyone not using hands-free technology while operating a vehicle, with few exceptions. MINNESOTA – RAGBRAI made its first trip out-of-state in 52 years of the event on Monday. The Des Moines Register reports riders traveled 15 minutes into Minnesota upon departing from Milford. RAGBRAI Director Matt Phippen says he was inspired by the Tour de France, which sometimes starts outside of its namesake country. Thousands of bike riders are taking the northern Iowa trek this week through the state on bikes. IOWA – A bout of summer-time excessive heat is set to blast most of the state through Wednesday. According to the National Weather Service, daytime highs into the 90s, coupled with high humidity, will have heat index values topping 100 degrees for most Iowans. The extra punch of humidity comes from 8-12″ of rain that has fallen over most of the state since mid-June and the corn crop remaining in strong condition across Iowa.

BREMER COUNTY – A civil lawsuit accuses Iowa State Patrol troopers of bullying citizens and conducting illegal searches. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports Dominic Tangen of Black Hawk County is suing Bryce Bilharz and Michelle Beck. Tangen in particular alleges Bilharz of misconduct performed during and following a July 2023 traffic stop. Tangen says he tested negative for any blood alcohol and did not perform well during a field sobriety test due to sciatica in his legs, of which he informed troopers about. His charges were dismissed in September of 2023. The lawsuit alleges Bilharz of bullying behavior in two other traffic stops. IOWA – More rounds of thunderstorms over the weekend prompted additional flash flood and flood warnings in the state. According to the National Weather Service, many communities received an additional 2-4 inches of rainfall over the weekend, and tornado warnings were prompted in Ames and Ankeny Saturday morning. This comes during a particularly wet month in Iowa, as some locations have now accumulated over a foot of precipitation since mid-June. Drier, but hot and humid conditions, return this week. SIOUX CITY – The 2024-25 academic year of athletics ends this week for Iowa High School students with the state baseball and softball tournaments. The girls of summer compete this week across five classes at the Harlan Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge, while the small schools boys teams are at Merchant’s Park in Carroll. For one year only, the Class 3A and 4A baseball teams are at Lewis & Clark Park in Sioux City. Following this week, a no-contact family week returns before fall sports teams begin practices on August 4th. New this upcoming season, Iowa High School girls tennis begins competitions in August, moving from the spring.