Author: Iowa Radio News

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.

DES MOINES – State Auditor Rob Sand and Governor Kim Reynolds traded public comments criticizing each other on Tuesday, with the state’s only elected Democrat in a state administrative role claiming his attempts to audit Education Savings Accounts have been blocked. Sand made the claims on Tuesday, according to the Des Moines Register, that he’s been blocked by state officials in trying to obtain details about the program expected to cost $314 million next fiscal year. Governor Reynolds criticized Sand as politically motivated and biased against the program.

DES MOINES – Civil lawsuits may be brought directly against school districts and superintendents under a proposal in the Iowa Senate. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports Senate File 178 would allow county attorneys to bring lawsuits against public schools for not complying with state laws. There is an existing appeals process through the Iowa Department of Education, but Republicans argue it hasn’t been effective in preventing schools from violating the law. The Iowa Association of School Boards counters that schools are complying and that the current appeals process allows for remediation without costing schools thousands of dollars in legal fees.

IOWA – Dangerous wind chills are expected to continue into Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Values as cold as 30 below zero are expected in northern Iowa after some records were broken around the state earlier this week. A dramatic shift into mild territory starts this weekend, as some Iowa communities will reach temperatures into the 50s above zero by next Monday.