Author: Iowa Radio News

ANKENY – Layoffs are expected at the John Deere facility in Ankeny. WHO-13 reports 150 production employees were notified late last week about a two-month removal from their positions. The facility has nearly 1,700 employees, about two-thirds of whom are in the production and maintenance side of the industry.

AMES – Ames police are investigating the theft of guns from a Theisen’s store in the community. KCCI-TV reports the incident occurred early Tuesday morning, with several firearms missing when employees arrived. Police have not disclosed how many guns were taken, nor did they have any immediate details made public about potential suspects.

DES MOINES – Lawmakers will learn if the revenue that’s available for the upcoming fiscal year will be at its December projection or lower. The Revenue Estimating Conference meets on Friday to review the state’s tax receipts and project economic forecasts into what would be available for state finances. The latest estimate made just before the session showed up to $9.64 billion was available for the Iowa House and Senate to use for programs.

PELLA – A record-breaking warm winter and continued above average conditions will have Pella’s favorite flower showing earlier than usual. Organizers for the annual Tulip Time festival are encouraging a visit to the Tulip City during mid-April if they want to see peak bloom, and then a return trip for the heritage celebration May 2nd through the 4th. Pella’s City Parks Department and Historical Museums plant more than 200,000 bulbs in the fall — and leaders from both groups say the flower’s bloom and staying power is largely driven by weather conditions. The annual festival attracts more than 150,000 visitors over three days, and several hundred in the weeks leading up.

PERRY *NOT FOR RACCOON VALLEY* – The jobs of more than 1200 Iowans are in jeopardy a major meat class closes. Raccoon Valley Radio reports the Tyson Meats facility in Perry is closing by mid-summer. The plant slaughters nearly 9,000 pigs per day, which accounts for just under two percent of pork production in the nation.

CLARKSVILLE – A Parkersburg man died in a two vehicle collision near Clarksville late Monday. The Iowa State Patrol reports 31 year old Brady Lee Cashatt was operating a Dodge Dart and failed to stop at an intersection along Highway 3. Cashatt pulled in front of a Windstar Express semi operated by 57 year old Mark John Behrens of Carroll. Cashatt died from his injuries and was not wearing a seat belt as his vehicle rolled and ended upright in the middle of the highway.

IOWA – Despite a four-year ongoing drought, some communities in Iowa have yet to consider stricter conservation measures as the growing season begins soon. The Des Moines Register reports Osceola plans to open its aquatic center and water its local golf course despite depleted reservoirs. The Iowa DNR has tentative approved a request from the community to move four million gallons of water from other sources to fill West Lak, which is seven feet below normal.

FORT DODGE – Educators in the Fort Dodge School District are receiving a surprise from administration and the school board. Due to vacancies and the money saved from those, current staff is receiving bonuses for the current academic year, according to KCCI-TV. Nearly 500 employees are receiving scaling bonuses by March 20th.

MASON CITY – Repairs are underway on the existing Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’. The bridge was closed on Feb. 25 after it was discovered that two of the bridge piers shifted, making it unsafe for traffic. During the repair process, portions of the bridge deck will be removed, leaving large gaps in the surface. The repairs are expected to be complete by late April. Construction continues on the new bridge adjacent to the existing bridge. Project completion is anticipated in 2026..

IOWA – The majority of Iowa’s K-12 schools and colleges have hit spring break, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be heading out of state for the week. According to AAA, just under one-fourth of Iowa’s families had planned a vacation. Among those, 21% planned on a beach getaway and 28% were headed to a large city or metro area. However, the same survey conducted by the group shows nearly 80 percent of Iowans will take some form of out-of-state vacation this year.

MINNEAPOLIS – It was championship Saturday for many NCAA collegiate athletes from the teams in Iowa. The Iowa Hawkeyes Women’s Basketball team pulled off a comeback in Minneapolis, winning 94-89 in Overtime against Nebraska to win their third consecutive Big Ten Tournament Championship. Just a few hours later, the Drake Bulldogs Men’s Basketball team earned an NCAA tournament bid at Arch Madness, holding off Indiana State 84-80 to win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament title. Late into the evening, the Iowa State Cyclones wrestling team fended off Oklahoma State to win the Big 12 wrestling crown and send eight individuals to the NCAA bracket. UNI had Parker Keckeisen and Ryder Downey win individual gold and earn their way to the final tournament of the season as well.

DES MOINES – A bill passed in the Iowa House this week with bipartisan support could require more parental involvement for minors in social media. House File 2523 passed by an 88-6 margin, which if it gets through the Iowa Senate and Governor’s signature, would require a written statement signed by parents or guardians for anyone under the age of 18 to create a social media account. It would require the companies to verify that information and provide access to those adults of any private messages or other account activity.

DES MOINES – Four state boys basketball champions were crowned on Friday, with a lot of familiar faces winning the top prize in their respective classes. North Linn in 1A, Western Christian in 2A, Davenport Assumption in 3A, and Valley in 4A won their respective brackets this week at Wells Fargo Arena. All four schools have won multiple championships in their programs’ histories.

MINNEAPOLIS – Another special milestone was knocked down by the country’s best collegiate basketball player, this time during the Big Ten tournament opener against Penn State Friday. Caitlin Clark broke the NCAA all-time three pointers made mark held by future NBA Hall of Famer Steph Curry, hitting her 163rd from downtown during Iowa’s 95-62 win over the Nittany Lions. Clark and the #2 seed Hawkeyes are the top remaining team in the final four of the bracket, after several first and second round upsets.

DES MOINES – Iowa House Republicans approved legislation Thursday that criminalizes the death of an unborn person, over objections from Democrats that this would cause issues related to in vitro fertilization. WHO-13 reports current Iowa Code outlines penalties for serious injury or termination of a human pregnancy. The goal is to expand legal protections for embryos and fetuses, part of a larger nationwide conservative movement to get closer to outright abortion bans in many states following the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court.

IOWA – Nearly 100% of Iowans remain in abnormally dry conditions or worse, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor Report. More than half of the state is in severe drought or worse following the warmest winter on record, according to the National Weather Service. Many in the state today could see close to an inch in their rain gauges, but dry conditions are expected to follow again well into next week.

DES MOINES – A nearly unanimous bill was approved out of the Iowa House of Representatives to increase minimum starting teacher salaries in Iowa. KCCI-TV reports House File 2630 the new educators across the state would make a baseline $47,500 per year next fiscal year, and $50,000 after July of 2025. It would also establish a minimum wage of $15 per hour for education support personnel, paid for with state funds.