Author: Iowa Radio News

DEEP RIVER – The first fatal crash of 2026 reported to the Iowa Department of Transportation occurred on Monday. According to the Iowa State Patrol, a Ford Escape traveling near Deep River on Highway 85 left the roadway on a curve due to icy conditions, overturning several times. Kara Westhpal of Deep River was pronounced dead on the scene and was the lone occupant in the vehicle that rolled.

CLAYTON COUNTY – A farm equipment accident resulted in the death of a northeast Iowa man just before the end of 2025. WHO-13 reports the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office indicates that a victim was working on a farm before he became entrapped in a piece of agricultural gear. The victim’s identity and further details about the cause remain unreleased to the public.

DES MOINES— Governor Kim Reynolds signed an executive order establishing the Iowa Nuclear Energy Task Force to advise her, the General Assembly, and relevant state agencies on the development and advancement of nuclear energy technologies and infrastructure in the state. The governor has appointed Iowa native Dr. Mark Nutt, Director of Nuclear Energy Programs at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, to serve as chair of the task force which will include at least 11 members who represent utilities, power production companies, local government, academia, the Iowa Utilities Commission, and the General Assembly.

VENTURA – A Ventura firefighter was injured while directing traffic at the scene of another crash in Cerro Gordo County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 53-year-old Charles Shropshire was transported to a nearby hospital by Clear Lake’s Fire and Rescue Team. The Ventura firefighter was directing traffic when a Ford Escape driven by 66-year-old Kevin Berry of Britt collied with the first responder after entering the emergency scene.

IOWA – Funeral services have been set for two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed on duty in Syria earlier this month. KCCI-TV reports the life of Staff Sgt. Nate Howard will be remembered on Saturday at Marshalltown High School, while Staff Sgt. Edgar Torres-Tovar will be honored by a visitation on Sunday in Des Moines, before a funeral on Monday. Both will be recognized with military honors.

MONONA COUNTY – Fog was likely a factor in a crash that killed a woman on Christmas Day. WHO-13 reports the Iowa State Patrol and several emergency agencies in Monona and Crawford Counties responded to a two-vehicle crash on a rural road near Mapleton. A Ford Escape operated by 75-year-old Rosemary Barber was attempting to turn around before it was struck by a GMC Sierra. Visibility was limited by fog at the time, according to the report. Barber died from her injuries.

WASHINGTON D.C. – The bodies of two Iowa soldiers killed overseas earlier this month were returned to Iowa this week. KCCI-TV reports the Iowa National Guard has indicated an airplane carrying Sgt. Edgar Torres-Tovar and Sgt. Nate Howard arrived at Des Moines International Airport with an honorable transfer on Wednesday. Both men were killed in an ambush in Syria on December 13th.

APPANOOSE COUNTY – An eight-year-old child who fell through the ice at a pond in Appanoose County has died. WHO-13 reports several emergency crews responded to a possible drowning on Monday near Moravia. An eight-year-old had been fishing, but when parents when to find him, he was missing. The Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office attempted life saving efforts, but reported the child did not survive.

IOWA – After nearly no reports of a White Christmas for most Iowans on a near-record breaking day of warmth, cooler days may be ahead. According to the National Weather Service, it was rare in a year where most of the state has already received more than a foot of snow to not have that frozen precipitation on the ground for Christmas Day. Temperatures will drop to near normal by Sunday after warmer days continue through Saturday.

DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds appointed two new Iowa Board of Regents members. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports former media executive Steve Lacy and former state lawmaker Peter Cownie will serve on the group overseeing Iowa’s three public universities. Lacy served as the CFO and CEO of Meredith in Des Moines, while Cownie served as a Republican member of the Iowa House of Representatives in West Des Moines.

DES MOINES— Governor Reynolds and Iowa Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the state will participate in the federal SUN Bucks program beginning in 2026 after being notified Friday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture had approved the state’s waiver. Iowa is one of a few states to request permission from the USDA to align allowable SUN Bucks purchases with the state’s new Healthy SNAP guidelines, which go into effect January 1st. SNAP and SUN Bucks participants will be able to use the benefits to purchase healthy foods like grains, fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy to supplement families’ nutritional needs. Iowa’s guidelines will exclude the purchase of taxable foods such as candy, soda and some store prepared foods.

BONDURANT – A Bondurant woman has been arrested in relation to the death of a toddler over the summer. WHO-13 reports 41-year-old Tiffani R. Huff Holmes has been charged with child endangerment resulting in death. The investigation started in June, when medics were called to a Bondurant home for an unresponsive three-year-old child.

DES MOINES – Des Moines water works employees have found an invasive species known for clogging water systems. KCCI-TV reports zebra mussels have been found in the river close to Birdland Marina. According to the Iowa DNR, the mussels can harm other local species and lay up to one-million eggs per year. The were first found in the Great Lakes and then Mississippi River in the 1990s.

WASHINGTON D.C. – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a counter-strike operation in Syria following the death of three Americans in the country. Two of those were Iowa National Guard Soldiers, according to WHO-13, including 25-year-old Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres and 29-year-old Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard. White House officials are calling the moves direct retaliation for the alleged attack by a member of ISIS.

EARLHAM – An infant from Earlham was injured in a crash in DeSoto on Saturday night. The Iowa State Patrol reports a Chevy Suburban attempted to pass another in a no passing zone on Highway 169 over a hill, hitting a Chevy Silverado head-on. An eight-month old was injured in the collision and taken to a nearby hospital with injuries.

VINTON – An Iowa lottery ticket hit a large jackpot as the Powerball continues to grow. KCCI-TV reports a ticket purchased in Vinton matched five white balls in the most recent drawing. Seven other tickets across the country did the same. The Powerball has climbed to $1.6 billion. A ticket purchased in Norwalk in a November Mega Millions drawing remains unclaimed, and is valued at $3 million.