Category: State News

ANKENY – Nearly a foot-and-a-half of rainfall in northern Polk County has flooded several farming operations and caused crop loss. KCCI-TV reports several farmers are reporting extensive crop damage after some estimates show 16-18 inches of rain has fallen since the beginning of July. The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings north of the Des Moines metro twice this month for extreme rainfall events.

ROCKWELL CITY – A Rockwell City man faces a murder charge following a fatal collision in April involving a truck and a UTV. WHO-13 reports the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office arrested 21-year-old Jaxyn Stone Blum and charged him with first degree murder and attempted murder. A pickup truck struck a UTV on April 12th, with 19-year-old Kyle Rath and 21-year-old Roger King occupying the smaller vehicle. Rath died from his injuries. Blum is accused of intentionally hitting the UTV with his Chevy Silverado.

LINN COUNTY – The son of former Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart received deferred judgement this week after pleading guilty to first degree theft. KWWL-TV reports Quenden Hart was sentenced on Tuesday, which includes probation, and a suspension of restitution as well in the case. Hart was accused of stealing $10,000 from a Marion man last December.

PALO – A city council in an Iowa community approved a data center ordinance this week, one that residents of that town say didn’t go far enough. KCRG-TV reports the Palo City Council approved an ordinance that sets guidelines for data centers, which have become a hot-button issue at several local meetings across the state. Google is considering a data center in Palo after Linn County added more restrictions to their policies. A development agreement would be the next step in the process.

IOWA – The National Weather Service issued a storm summary from Monday’s activity, which included flash flooding, wind damage, and large hail. Severe supercell-like thunderstorms formed across northern Iowa on July 20th and moved south across the state. These produced straight-line wind damage across portions of central Iowa. Large hail also fell in a swath from Hamilton County to northern Story County. When storms arrived to Des Moines, heavy rainfall led to flash flooding across the metro, with Huxley and Slater both recording more than seven inches of precipitation.

WASHINGTON D.C. – The United States Senate this week confirmed Kara Marie Westercamp, a Cedar Rapids native and University of Iowa graduate, to a lifetime appointment as a Judge on the United States Court of International Trade, by a vote of 50-48. The Senate Judiciary Committee – chaired by Senator Chuck Grassley – held a nominations hearing to consider Westercamp on March 25,, and advanced her nomination to the full Senate on April 30 by a vote of 12-10. Westercamp received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Iowa and clerked for Judge John Jarvey on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa before transitioning into private practice and public service.

IOWA – Multiple rounds of severe weather caused tree and power line damage in the Des Moines metro and near Centerville on Monday night, also bringing heavy rain again to areas impacted by flash flooding earlier this month. Several locations received 3-5 inches of rain as part of the storms, especially in northern Polk County, which near the 4th of July recording nearly a foot of rainfall. Much cooler conditions settle into the region through the work week, according to the National Weather Service.

POLK COUNTY – A Florida man was found dead inside of a vehicle that crashed in to a pond in Polk County. KCCI-TV reports the Polk County Sheriff’s Office identified 69-year-old Timothy Rohde as the individual who died in the incident. Several emergency crews responded to the incident on Sunday afternoon in eastern Polk County.

IOWA – There were nearly seven days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 19, according to the USDA’s weekly update. The report released in coordination with the Iowa Department of Agriculture showed topsoil moisture condition rated 7 percent very short, 26 percent short, 63 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus. Eight percent of Iowa’s corn crop reached the dough stage, which is eight percentage points behind last year. Corn condition rated 80 percent good to excellent.

POLK COUNTY – One person was found dead after a vehicle crashed into a pond in Polk County. KCCI-TV reports a vehicle traveling on Hubbell Avenue was seen veering into a ditch on Sunday afternoon. Several Polk County agencies responded after the vehicle was found in a retention pond. An investigation is ongoing.

CRAWFORD COUNTY – One person died and multiple others were injured when a train struck an SUV in Crawford County. WHO-13 reports the collision occurred at 1 a.m. Sunday as a Jeep Grand Cherokee was struck at a railroad crossing near Highway 30. The vehicle had five occupants inside, with 24-year-old Sandra Factor Pano of Omaha dying in the collision.

DES MOINES – Another hot day could give way to severe weather for many in the state this evening. A heat advisory has been issued across most of Iowa, with peak heat index values topping 105 degrees. The Storm Prediction Center has highlighted most of northeast Iowa and parts of central Iowa under an enhanced risk (level 3 of 5) for severe storms.

DES MOINES – A federal jury in Des Moines convicted a former central Iowa radio host this week for 11 counts of wire fraud, following a four-day trial. According to public court documents, 65-year-old Martin James Tirrell ran a scheme to defraud multiple individuals between February 2024 and January 2025, obtaining money from individuals that he claimed would be used to buy tickets to high-demand sports and concert events and resold at a profit. Instead, Tirrell used most of the funds for gambling and personal expenses, repaying loans, and paying other investors for earlier payments. In total, investors provided Tirrell several million dollars and the victim investors sustained a combined loss exceeding $1.5 million. Tirrell was on federal supervised release for a 2019 mail fraud conviction. Tirrell was released from his 41-month prison sentence in January 2023.

ALBIA – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a release of manure from a vacated storage basin at an animal feeding operation six miles south of Albia in Monroe County. The DNR received multiple reports of the release Friday morning. The animal feeding operation had been vacant, but manure mixed with rainwater remained in the basin. The discharge has stopped, emptying most of the contents from the basin into Soap Creek, a tributary of the Des Moines River. While the stream was dry at the point of entry, it now contains a mixture of water and manure.

DES MOINES – Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 3.2 percent in June, down from a jobless rate of 3.5 percent one year ago. The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 4.2 percent in June. The total number of unemployed Iowans decreased to 55,200 in June from 56,100 in May.