IOWA – A powerful blizzard swept through Iowa on Sunday into this morning, halting travel for many. The Iowa DOT shut down nearly all of Interstate 80 overnight for powerful winds of up to 65 MPH. The Iowa State Patrol responded to dozens of crashes before the worst of the gusts started to impact a wide range of the state. It came after severe thunderstorms were reported in eastern Iowa before the onset of snow. Travel conditions are expected to remain difficult to nearly impossible in some parts of the state, as bitter cold has settled in. Wind chill values as low as 30 below zero are possible in the northern part of the state through Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. ANKENY – Ankeny Police released more details about an apparent homicide that occurred on Saturday. WHO-13 reports that officers arrived early Saturday morning after dispatch received information about a dispute involving a possible murder-suicide. An adult victim was found with a stab wound and a second individual believed to be the suspect, who was injured in an apparent suicide attempt. Criminal charges are pending the medical recovery and investigation, according to the Polk County Attorney’s Office. IOWA – Several basketball programs officially learned they are dancing into March Madness and the NCAA Men’s and Women’s tournaments later this week. KCCI-TV reports the Iowa Hawkeyes men are the No. 8 seed and take on Clemson this Friday at 5:50 p.m. The Iowa State Cyclones are the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region, and take on No. 15 Tennessee State on Friday at 1:50 p.m. The University of Northern Iowa men are the No. 12 seed in the East Region, and take on No. 5 St. John’s Friday at 6:10 p.m. The Iowa Hawkeyes women are the No. 2 seed and host 15th seeded Fairleigh Dickinson, and the No. 8 seeded Iowa State Cyclones open against Syracuse.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) was notified by the Illinois Department of Public Health that an Illinois resident with confirmed measles traveled to Iowa during their infectious period. Iowa HHS is notifying the public of potential exposure locations, which including the Comfort Inn and Suites in Independence from March 4th through the 5th. A total of 1,281 confirmed measles cases have been reported in the United States in 2026. Of these, 93% were unvaccinated. In Iowa, nine measles cases were identified in 2025. To date, no measles cases have been identified among Iowa residents in 2026. GRIMES – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office reports that a child declared missing in Grimes on Friday morning has died. WHO-13 reports that police were searching for a five-year-old boy with autism, and that nearly an hour after the missing report, he was found unresponsive at a nearby intersection. Despite life-saving efforts, the child died. The sheriff’s office reports that an initial investigation has found nothing suspicious related to the fatality. DES MOINES – With a $9.67 billion budget proposed in the ongoing legislative session, the state will spend more than a billion than it will take in for a second year in a row. The Des Moines Register reports the revised Revenue Estimate Conference projection shows $8.47 billion in revenue for the current fiscal year. Iowa Republicans are using the state’s Taxpayer Relief Fund to pay the difference, with that balance currently at roughly $4 billion.

DES MOINES – The state’s Revenue Estimating Conference projected an additional decrease in funding for the current fiscal year. Iowa Capital Dispatch shows that funds coming into the state will drop by an additional $46 million, driven by both state and federal tax cuts. The budget projections are part of the puzzle for Iowa Lawmakers in the final weeks of the Legislative Session as the dollars are allocated ahead of the November elections. IOWA – March’s weather roller coaster continues this weekend with a potential late-season winter storm. According to the National Weather Service, blustery winds up to 50 MPH, coupled with accumulating snow, may cause travel issues heading into spring break for many schools on Sunday night into Monday, especially in northern Iowa. This comes in a week where tornadoes and baseball sized were officially reported in the southern and eastern portions of the state, as well as record temperatures on Monday. COUNCIL BLUFFS – An Emerson man was sentenced this week to just over 18 years in federal prison for receiving child pornography. According to public court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip that a social media account, later determined to be associated with 37-year-old Andrew Joseph Branigan, uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material. Branigan admitted he sent and received child sexual abuse material with other users on social media applications. After completing his term of imprisonment, Branigan will be required to serve a 15-year term of supervised release.

IOWA – The first tornadoes of 2026 were confirmed by the National Weather Service. KCCI-TV reports that damage surveys conducted on Wednesday confirmed the EF1 tornadoes touched down in southeast Iowa, both in Lee County. Last year’s first tornado occurred Wilton in March 2025. Only 32 were reported last year, well below the typical season. DES MOINES – A bill passed in the Iowa Senate Ways and Means Committee would create a one-time tax increase on health maintenance organizations to address a budget shortfall in the state’s Medicaid fund. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports Senate File 2464 was approved 10-6 and moves to the full Senate floor. It increases taxes on HMOs for nine months this year before reverting the rate back to a lower amount. The move would create $173 million in one-time funding and an additional $61 million annually after. Supporters argue it’s needed as Iowa’s Medicaid program is $200 million short; opponents argue it would increase healthcare costs across the state. DES MOINES – The treatment and prevention of cancer was the focus of a group named after a former U.S. Senator in Iowa. WHO-13 reports the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement hosted its annual Wellness Symposium this week. This comes as Iowa has the fastest growing cancer rates in the United States and second-highest overall rate among states for a third consecutive year. The symposium focused on recent research and data trends. Iowa Lawmakers heard an update from a $1 million study on Wednesday, highlighting concerns surrounding prostate, breast, melanoma, lung, and colorectal cancer.

DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill on Tuesday that prohibits local municipalities from enacting civil rights protections to groups not protected under state law. KCCI-TV reports Senate File 579 prevents cities and counties from enacting ordinances that protect groups not already covered in the Iowa Civil Rights Act. Last year, Iowa became the first state in the nation to remove gender identity as a protected class. Seven central Iowa communities have those protections in place. DECORAH – A Decorah woman is accused of lacing lasagna with oxycodone in an apparent attempt to cause a miscarriage in another woman. The Des Moines Register reports that 36-year-old Amber Snow was charged with multiple felonies, including two counts of administering harmful substances to an adult and two to a juvenile. The Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office is investigating, and was made aware of the incident in January. Snow shares custody of her minor child with a member of the victim’s family, according to court records. IOWA – Reports of baseball sized hail and a possible tornado in far southeastern Iowa were part of a larger system that prompted several warnings across the Midwest on Tuesday evening. According to the National Weather Service, hail pummeled areas near West Branch and Keokuk, with possible tornado damage also being investigated. After two consecutive days of unusual warmth, much cooler air returns this week, and even colder temperatures are forecast by Sunday and Monday. AMES – Two-time All-American basketball player Georges (George) Niang headlined the Iowa State University Hall of Fame class announced on Tuesday. The Iowa State Letterwinners Club unveiled the group that includes former Cyclone athletes. They will be inducted into the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame on Sept. 25. Niang has the second-most career points of any Cyclone men’s basketball player.