OSAGE – A Republican is retiring from the Iowa Senate just weeks after winning a primary to put himself on the November ballot. The Des Moines Register reports Senator Waylon Brown gave no reason as to why he’s leaving his seat, effective Wednesday. Brown served as the Majority Whip and represented Worth, Mitchell, and Cerro Gordo counties. The senator won his primary by just a few points over challenger Doug Campbell. ALTOONA – The process begins soon for a potential new casino in Cedar Rapids. KCRG reports the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission is expected to review an application by the Linn County Gaming Association and Peninsula Pacific Entertainment. The new casino, if approved, would provide 8% of revenue to local non-profits. The joint applicants updated a 2021 application after previous attempts failed. ANKENY – A juvenile was killed in a two-vehicle crash in Ankeny Sunday. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office reports the head-on crash led to the death of the teen. All three individuals in both vehicles were minors.  

DICKINSON COUNTY – The Iowa State Patrol reported two fatalities over the weekend on Iowa’s roadways. The first occurred Saturday evening in Cedar County. A Mazda CX-9 was northbound on Cedar Valley Road and crossed the center line, colliding with a Polaris Off-Road Vehicle heading south. One person has died, and was not identified by police. Two others were injured. The second crash was reported later Saturday in Dickinson County. A Kia Stinger operated by 18-year-old Teagan Vos of Sheldon left a curve on a rural road and overturned. A passenger identified as 19-year-old Edith Lupercio-Lopez of Sioux Center died and Vos was critically injured. PLEASANT HILL – A lawsuit has been filed for more than $300,000 a contractor believes its owed by the Southeast Polk School District for work on a new football stadium. The Des Moines Register reports Central Iowa Dirtworks alleges both the school district and main contractor Graphic Construction Group breached a mutual contract. CID received a $2.7 million contract to work as a subcontractor in June 2021. The school district countered, saying their board has yet to formally approve the final project and that the funds will be released upon that motion. MADISON COUNTY – Police are investigating three separate crashes in Madison County that all occurred on Saturday night. KCCI-TV reports two of the incidents occurred at the same time. Two people were injured, and one incident was a hit-and-run, according to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.

IOWA – Voter registration numbers show Republicans are gaining in terms of new participants. KCRG-TV reports the GOP has 782,177 listed in their party, an increase of just over 33,000. Democrats have dropped from 672,490 to 650,112. At this point last year, Democrats had a registration edge in three of the four congressional districts, but Republicans now have that same edge statewide in each. IOWA – The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that low-income Iowa residents recovering from the impact of flooding beginning June 16th could be eligible for a helping hand from the USDA’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program . Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said that approximately 4,000 households that may not normally be eligible under regular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program rules may qualify for D-SNAP – if they meet certain criteria, including the disaster income limits and have qualifying disaster-related expenses. DES MOINES – Fireworks season has not been kind to parks in Iowa’s capital. KCCI-TV reports Des Moines Parks and Recreation has found damage due to Independence Day celebrations in 19 parks, with more expected to be discovered. Des Moines Police reported more than 700 fireworks-related complaints from July 1st through the 5th. COUNCIL BLUFFS – Google announced plans to spend $1 billion in Council Bluffs. Radio Iowa reports Google opened a data center in 2009 and another four years later. The corporation announced plans to expand to Cedar Rapids this past spring.  

CLEARFIELD – A Bedford man is in custody following an early morning shooting and death on the 4th of July. The Taylor County 911 Communication Center began to receive several calls for a shooting that occurred on Broadway Street in Clearfield early Thursday. When deputies arrived, they found one male dead from a gunshot wound. The victim has been identified as 19-year-old Colby Nelson. A forensic autopsy will be performed by the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny. Deputies took 37-year-old Alan Schultz into custody without incident. Schultz has been charged with Murder in the First Degree. SPENCER – The city of Spencer, along with so many others in northwest Iowa, are now in recovery mode after historic floods damaged thousands of buildings in the region. KCCI-TV reports 80 homes in the community collapsed and just over 2,000 structures total in the town have damage. The city reports that doesn’t include those who had flooded out basements. There are more than 200 residents who remain displaced as state and federal aid arrives.

NORWALK – A Norwalk woman charged with murder for the death of her newborn son last year has entered a guilty plea. WHO-13 reports Megan Staude is now guilty of 2nd degree murder. The 26-year-old and her father Rodney are accused of killing a newborn after she gave birth to the child in February of 2023. Police say the two placed the newborn in a box and neglected him for two days, despite the baby’s crying. The two then allegedly placed the baby in a trash bag and left him to die on the side of a road. COUNCIL BLUFFS – While some roads are reopening due to flooding, the same can’t be said for uses at Iowa waterways. The Des Moines Register reports Interstate 29 and 680 near Council Bluffs have partially reopened as flood waters begin to recede in western Iowa. Several U.S. Highways in northern Iowa are still closed. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have closed several boat ramps at Sailorville Lake in Polk County and beaches at Lake Red Rock near Pella.