DES MOINES – An Iowa House subcommittee and committee both advanced a bill removing gender identity as a protected class. WHO-13 reports House Study Bill 242 was approved at both levels by party-line vote, with Republicans in favor of the changes and Democrats opposed. The Iowa Capitol was filled with protestors during both sessions. An advocacy group claims Iowa would become the first state in the nation to roll back civil rights protections after they had already been passed. NORWAY – An arrest was made after an hours-long standoff in eastern Iowa Monday. KCRG-TV reports the Benton County’s Sheriff’s Office was called to a house in Norway, confirming gunshots were fired in the residence. After just over 15 hours, deputies and a SWAT team conducted a search warrant and arrested Nathan Varese. He faces several charges related to drugs, firearms, and interference with official acts.URBANDALE – As the Iowa Legislature debates how the two bodies that govern high school athletes sort out organizing conferences, one school has decided to stay put in their own league. Urbandale High School voted narrowly 3-4 to reject a bid to join the Little Hawkeye Conference, and instead stay in the Central Iowa Metro League on Monday. Urbandale is the smallest school in their current conference, competing regularly against both Waukee schools, both Ankeny Schools, Valley, Johnston, and Dowling — seven of the ten largest enrollments in Iowa. The school board’s ongoing process prompted several other schools to consider how conferences are formed around the state.

NEW MARKET – A teenager was killed in a fiery crash in southwest Iowa early Sunday morning. The Iowa State Patrol reports 19-year-old Jase Michael Wilmes of New Market was traveling on a rural road and lost control of a Ford F350. The report details the truck struck multiple trees and vaulted, and then overturned and caught fire. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.IOWA CITY – An Iowa City woman was killed when she was hit by a fire truck Sunday morning. An Iowa State Patrol report indicates a Pierce Fire Engine was leaving a medical call and struck 99-year-old Evelyn Bothmer. The pedestrian was declared dead at the scene. Several Iowa City agencies assisted with the response. IOWA CITY – A U.S. Senator touring Iowa partially blames the state’s Democratic party for losing its first-in-the-nation status with the Iowa Caucuses. The Des Moines Register reports former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders told a crowd in Iowa City that the way the state’s party leaders handled the results of the 2020 caucus was one of the factors in losing the opportunity to select a presidential preference before the other 49 states. Sanders and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg were nearly even in the results, but issues with reporting prevented a call from happening soon after the vote count.

ANKENY – Another round of layoffs is set to impact an agriculture manufacturer in Iowa. KCCI-TV reports John Deere informed 119 employees at its Ankeny location that they would be let go over a series of layoffs in the near future. The company claims orders are down, as are forecasts from the USDA. Just under 600 employees were let go from John Deere in 2024. DES MOINES – A bill is circulating through the Iowa Statehouse that would remove civil rights protections for transgender Iowans. KRCG-TV Reports House Study Bill 242 defines sex and gender in Iowa law as either male or female and what’s assigned at birth. Sponsor of the bill Steve Holt of Denison says the measure allows other Republican efforts to ban minors from sex reassignment surgery, preventing students from using restrooms that align with gender identity, and to block transgender girls from competing in sports. Opponents argue it would allow for discrimination against transgender individuals. DES MOINES – A Mexican citizen was sentenced this week to two years in federal prison for illegally returning to the United States after being deported. According to public court documents, 40 year old Juan Carlos Solis Roan had previously been deported from the United States four times between 2008 and 2020. Solis Roan had been convicted twice of illegal reentry, including in 2019 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. In January 2024, law enforcement encountered Solis Roan, and in March 2024, Solis Roan was convicted in the Iowa District Court for Polk County of contempt for violating his probation for a 2006 drug conviction.

LEE COUNTY – A member of a county board of supervisors in southeast Iowa resigned after he allegedly attended a meeting while intoxicated. WGEM reports Tom Schulz was cited for public intoxication following a meeting this week of the Lee County Board of Supervisors. Schulz claims he was exhausted and dehydrated, but left the board to avoid distracting from the group’s work. OXFORD – The cause of death has been released for a water buffalo that broke loose from captivity near Pleasant Hill this past summer. KCCI-TV reports that Phill died from complications of a bullet he was shot with by police. The water buffalo died from sepsis late last week. The animal breaking free last August prompted more than 30 people to join the search. Owner Parem Nepal was charged with one count of animal at large. IOWA – Following multiple weeks of snow and bitter cold, a welcome change to the forecast arrives for many starting this weekend. According to the National Weather Service, high temperatures will jump into the 40s and 50s by Sunday and continue well into next week. This comes after several days with wind chill values that dropped to near 40 below zero in some Iowa communities.

DUBUQUE – Dubuque Police are investigating the cause of death for a woman found unresponsive in the snow on Wednesday morning. KCRG-TV reports 29-year-old Alexandria Brown was exposed to the elements for several hours prior to life-saving efforts upon her discovery. The Dubuque Police Department is awaiting an autopsy to make an official determination for cause of death. MITCHELLVILLE – The Southeast Polk School District has been providing counseling services at Mitchellville Elementary after a parent died from an apparent medical issue in the school pick-up line. WHO-13 reports that an adult died while waiting after school on Tuesday. A child had notified an adult nearby of the unresponsive person, and two Mitchellville Volunteer Firefighters were already on scene to assist. DES MOINES – An Iowa House Subcommittee has passed a bill that could have implications on drag shows and other art in the state. KCCI-TV reports the legislation would charge any adult who knowingly brings a minor to a drag show performance at a business with a Class D felony, and the owner of any establishment who knowingly allows kids to attend those performances with a felony as well. Opponents to the bill say it’s far to vague and could impact a wide range of art performances and free speech. Republicans in favor say the bill is open for amendments to narrow the scope of intent.