CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart pressured a non-profit to cancel an event featuring one of his two opponents for the upcoming mayoral election. Hart suggested CSPS Hall, a non-profit involved in the arts, could lose funding from the city’s hotel-motel tax because it appears the non-profit is endorsing a candidate. Hart sits on a committee that recommends which non-profits should receive funds from the city’s hotel-motel tax. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines has been at capacity or close to capacity every day for the last several weeks, according to hospital officials. They say this is a result of an increase in children being treated for COVID-19, RSV and other illnesses. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Polk County hopes to get over 70% of its residents vaccinated against COVID-19 before the start of the next school year. After paying $150,000 over the last few weeks in a series of vaccine lotteries — Polk County said it’s slowly risen to a 64% vaccination rate. Officials say the recent increase in vaccinations could be attributed to the rise of the delta variant. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Dubuque city council members voted unanimously to use federal money from the recent stimulus package, the American Rescue Plan, to help people behind on paying utility bills due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The city is currently reporting more than 900 delinquent accounts. IOWA COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A man piloting a crop duster survived a crash into a cornfield when the plane had trouble taking off Monday afternoon. The Iowa County Sheriff’s Office says Robert Garrett, 45, was able to walk away from the crash uninjured. The plane lost power as Garrett was attempting to take off at the Amana Airport.

FORT DODGE, IA (IRN) – Fort Dodge is home to the Iowa State High School Softball Tournament and it has been for more than 50 years. That partnership isn’t ending anytime soon. Fort Dodge recently extended its partnership with the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union for the next five years. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – A Dubuque man twice convicted of killing his girlfriend was sentenced to 50 years in prison Thursday. Fontae Buelow, now 29, was arrested after Samantha Link, 21, died in March 2017 from three stab wounds. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – Dubuque Police have arrested a 15-year-old boy for allegedly shooting and killing an 18-year-old Saturday. Officers found the victim with a gunshot wound to the chest. Investigators used city traffic cameras, which captured the shooting, to track and capture the suspect. CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Falls rescue crews say there was no hope in saving two people killed when a barn collapsed onto them Friday. Investigators determined that the two were killed instantly. BAGLEY, IA (IRN) – Residents of the Guthrie County town of Bagley can now drink their tap water again, more than two years after authorities deemed it unsafe, thanks to the completion of a $1.2 million project. Residents had complained of brown, mucky water that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources found to be caused by levels of the element manganese high enough to render the water undrinkable.

IOWA CITY, IOWA (IRN) – An appeal from Cristhian Bahena Rivera’s attorney’s for the prosecution to produce any evidence it may have regarding a sex trafficking operation they claim may have exonerating evidence has been denied. Sentencing earlier this week was delayed by Judge Joel Yates to hear the arguments from defense attorney’s, but the claim was deemed to be too broad. Rivera is facing life in prison for his conviction of first degree murder for killing Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts. DES MOINES, IOWA (KCCI) – President Joe Biden has nominated former Iowa Governor Chet Culver to the board of the Federal Agriculture Mortgage Corp, which works to ensure rural areas have access to credit. According to KCCI News in Des Moines, the position must be confirmed by the Senate, and will be Culver’s second term on the board after serving from 2012 to 2019. DES MOINES, IOWA (IRN) – The National Weather Service has updated the number of tornadoes produced earlier this week, with preliminary data showing approximately 26 dropped down across the state. The NWS states Wednesday had the third most tornadoes to ever touch down in Iowa in a single day, with the most taking place in August of 2014 with 35 were reported across the state. IOWA CITY, IOWA (KCRG) – A federal appeals court has upheld a 2019 ruling against the University of Iowa, stating the university discriminated against a Christian club by stripping it and other clubs of their registered status. According to KCRG News in Cedar Rapids, A three-judge panel of the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeal on Friday found that a lower federal court correctly ruled that the university can’t selectively deregister student organizations. The appeals court said Friday that the university selectively enforced its policy requiring all clubs to offer equal opportunity and access.

DES MOINES, IOWA (IRN) – The National Weather Service has declared the Lake City tornado that touched down on Wednesday was an EF3, with winds between 136 mph and 145 mph and traveled approximately 10 miles, while four tornadoes were rated EF1, and at least 12 tornadoes touched down across the state. IOWA CITY, IOWA (IRN) – A hearing was held Thursday regarding the sentencing of Cristhian Bahena Rivera, the man convicted in the killing of Mollie Tibbetts. Rivera’s sentencing was delayed following claims from the defense regarding a confession to Tibbetts’ murder and an alleged sex trafficking ring as well as what the defense states as new evidence, two unconnected people have each come forward to say that the same man, Gavin Jones, admitted that he killed Mollie Tibbetts. DUBUQUE, IOWA (KCRG) – Dubuque is no longer being considered as dropping its metropolitan status, a designation from the Office of Management and Budget. According to KCRG News, a proposal suggested dropping 144 cities from metropolitan status since they don’t have a population of at least 100,000, but the OMG announced the current threshold will remain at 50,000. DYERSVILLE, IOWA (IRN) – Iowans wishing to attend the Field of Dreams game can apply for the lottery beginning today. Public registration for the lottery takes place until July 23. Fans must have an Iowa ZIP code and can only register once and must be 18-years-old. Winners of the lottery will be selected in a random drawing.

DES MOINES, IOWA (IRN) – Severe weather struck central Iowa Wednesday evening, causing widespread damage with wind and rain. The National Weather Service confirmed multiple tornadoes touched down across the state, with severe weather and flash flood warnings and as much as nearly 6 inches of rain falling in some places. First responding agencies across Iowa are checking their areas for damage. CARROLL, IOWA (KCCI) – The cause of a small plance crash in a field south of Carroll has been released by the Federal Aviation Administration. According to KCCI Des Moines, the plane lost crashed due to the loss of the engine, with the pilot alive without serious injury, however the plane is likely a total loss. IOWA CITY, IOWA (IRN) – The sentencing of Cristhian Bahena Rivera, the man convicted in the killing of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts, has been delayed. Judge Joel Yates delayed the sentencing after defense lawyers stated they needed more time to investigate new information pointing to other potential suspects. Rivera is facing a sentence of life in prison without parole. QUAD CITIES, IOWA (KWQC) – The Quad Cities area has been listed as one of the least expensive places to live in the country according to US News and World Report. According to KWQC News in Davenport, the Quad Cities area ranks as the third cheapest location in the country, while Des Moines was only two spots behind in 5th place. The Quad Cities landed at 86th in the “best places to live” rankings and 129th in “best places to retire”.