Category: State News

DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds signed a measure into law that restricts access to abortion-inducing medications through telehealth and mail-order services. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports House File 2788 will take effect on July 1st and centers on mifepristone. The drug had been briefly restricted by federal courts as ongoing litigation continues about its ability to be sent through mail. The Iowa law requires the pill to be prescribed in person.

FORT DODGE – A Fort Dodge man faces up to 60 years in prison after being convicted of over a dozen charges of physical abuse to a child. WHO-13 reports 25-year-old Austin Prewitt was accused of hitting a child under the age of two with objects for nearly a year. He was arrested last September. Prewitt was convicted on 27 charges, including assault, neglect, and child endangerment.

ALGONA – More than two years after his death, the family of Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram is working to keep his memory alive through a scholarship. KCCI-TV reports the project is providing two local students with $5,000 toward an education in agriculture. The family says the officer loved his farm and hopes that students will find that same joy. They are working to make the scholarship gift a regular project.

MISSOURI VALLEY, Iowa – A Missouri Valley man faces murder charges in connection to a person who went missing nearly three years ago. On Monday, agents with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation arrested and charged 52-year-old Joseph Langford of Missouri Valley for Murder in the First Degree and for the Abuse of a Corpse. On June 29, 2023, 35-year-old Jesse George of Missouri Valley was reported as a missing person to the Missouri Valley Police Department. In April 2026, Law Enforcement searched a rural location four miles northwest of Missouri Valley and located human remains, identified as George.

DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed an overhaul to the state’s property tax system into law. KCCI-TV reports Senate File 2472 will limit most local governments to tax revenue increases of two percent annual, with some exceptions. It also increases the homestead credit for most homeowners and creates savings accounts for first-time homebuyers.

OTTUMWA – An Ottumwa High School senior was killed in a crash on Sunday night. WHO-13 reports 18-year-old Ashlin Knuth was traveling on a rural road and was hit on the driver’s side of her vehicle by another. Knuth just graduated as part of the Class of 2026 at Ottumwa High School.

BUFFALO CENTER – Iowa’s longest-serving governor took a trip home on a road named in his honor. Governor Terry Branstad traveled to his hometown of Leland along Highway 9, along a 36-mile section of the road named after him. KCCI-TV reports the 36 miles reflects his 36 years serving in public service. He was governor for 22 years, retiring to work in the first Trump Administration.

DES MOINES – The CEO of Iowa Public Employees Retirement System has resigned. WHO-13 reports that Greg Samorajski’s resignation was submitted to Governor Kim Reynolds on May 1st, following more than a month on paid leave. He resigned following allegations of misconduct in March. Officials with the IPERs system believe the situation does not risk the pension plan’s investment portfolio.

DYERSVILLE — The Field of Dreams Movie Site announced a partnership with the Northwoods League, bringing a permanent tenant baseball team to the Field of Dreams Ballpark beginning with the 2027 season. The Field of Dreams Ballpark opens in June of 2026. The Northwoods League is the largest organized collegiate baseball league in history. Now in its 33rd season, the league features 26 teams and has established itself as the premier development circuit for elite college baseball players.

DES MOINES – The state’s first care center for sexual assault survivors is expected to open this fall. KCCI-TV reports the Sexual Assault Forensic Exam Center, or SAFE Center, is expected to open in October. It will be inside Des Moines University’s clinic tower after lawmakers approved $1.5 million to support the effort. The project is still roughly $700,000 short of its final goal.

DES MOINES – A welcome home ceremony will be held next week for 140 soldiers returning back to the United States. The Iowa National Guard reports members of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team and 34th Infantry Division are scheduled to return to Des Moines soon. They have been serving as part of operations in Iraq and Syria. An additional 200 soldiers remain overseas from the Iowa units.

MADISON COUNTY – An Iowa inmate serving life in prison for the death of a Des Moines man died in prison. KCRG-TV reports 47-year-old Gerald Parker of Creston was found guilty of first-degree murder for the incident in 2020 and sentenced in 2021. Parker shot Jonathan Hoffman to death. A cause of death has not been released.

PELLA – Big crowds are expected again in Pella for the 91st annual Tulip Time celebration. The annual tradition features parades, Dutch dancing, traditional Dutch foods, and more. Due to the warm spring, very few flowers remain, but several activities will bring in visitors from across the Midwest.

DES MOINES – Vice President J.D. Vance made a stop in Iowa to campaign for fellow Republicans ahead of the June primary and November mid-term election. Vance was stopping on behalf of Congressman Zach Nunn in Iowa’s 3rd district. The event was held at Ex-Guard Industries in Des Moines.

DES MOINES – Voter registration data from Iowans is now available to the U.S. Department of Justice. KCCI-TV reports Secretary of State Paul Pate was legally obligated to provide the information. The Justice Department requested voting records in 2025 and is suing 30 states for not providing the complete, unredacted details.

WAPELLO COUNTY – One person has died in a house fire in Wapello County. WHO-13 reports the county sheriff’s office responded Monday night, along with crews from Eldon, Agency, Batavia, and Ottumwa. Those firefighters spent several hours trying to fight the flames. One person has died in the incident.

JEFFERSON COUNTY – The Iowa Supreme Court ruled settled a case between a county attorney and sheriff for how law enforcement is held accountable following accusations of misconduct. KCRG-TV reports the court favored Jefferson County Sheriff Bart Richmond, after Jefferson County Attorney Chauncy Moulding placed him on the Brady/Giglio list for not complying with a use-of-force investigation. The court ruled that the prosecutor did not provide ample evidence that the sheriff acted in an unfair or illegal manner.