Category: State News

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) was notified by the Illinois Department of Public Health that an Illinois resident with confirmed measles traveled to Iowa during their infectious period. Iowa HHS is notifying the public of potential exposure locations, which including the Comfort Inn and Suites in Independence from March 4th through the 5th. A total of 1,281 confirmed measles cases have been reported in the United States in 2026. Of these, 93% were unvaccinated. In Iowa, nine measles cases were identified in 2025. To date, no measles cases have been identified among Iowa residents in 2026.

GRIMES – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office reports that a child declared missing in Grimes on Friday morning has died. WHO-13 reports that police were searching for a five-year-old boy with autism, and that nearly an hour after the missing report, he was found unresponsive at a nearby intersection. Despite life-saving efforts, the child died. The sheriff’s office reports that an initial investigation has found nothing suspicious related to the fatality.

DES MOINES – With a $9.67 billion budget proposed in the ongoing legislative session, the state will spend more than a billion than it will take in for a second year in a row. The Des Moines Register reports the revised Revenue Estimate Conference projection shows $8.47 billion in revenue for the current fiscal year. Iowa Republicans are using the state’s Taxpayer Relief Fund to pay the difference, with that balance currently at roughly $4 billion.

DES MOINES – The state’s Revenue Estimating Conference projected an additional decrease in funding for the current fiscal year. Iowa Capital Dispatch shows that funds coming into the state will drop by an additional $46 million, driven by both state and federal tax cuts. The budget projections are part of the puzzle for Iowa Lawmakers in the final weeks of the Legislative Session as the dollars are allocated ahead of the November elections.

IOWA – March’s weather roller coaster continues this weekend with a potential late-season winter storm. According to the National Weather Service, blustery winds up to 50 MPH, coupled with accumulating snow, may cause travel issues heading into spring break for many schools on Sunday night into Monday, especially in northern Iowa. This comes in a week where tornadoes and baseball sized were officially reported in the southern and eastern portions of the state, as well as record temperatures on Monday.

COUNCIL BLUFFS – An Emerson man was sentenced this week to just over 18 years in federal prison for receiving child pornography. According to public court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip that a social media account, later determined to be associated with 37-year-old Andrew Joseph Branigan, uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material. Branigan admitted he sent and received child sexual abuse material with other users on social media applications. After completing his term of imprisonment, Branigan will be required to serve a 15-year term of supervised release.

IOWA – The first tornadoes of 2026 were confirmed by the National Weather Service. KCCI-TV reports that damage surveys conducted on Wednesday confirmed the EF1 tornadoes touched down in southeast Iowa, both in Lee County. Last year’s first tornado occurred Wilton in March 2025. Only 32 were reported last year, well below the typical season.

DES MOINES – A bill passed in the Iowa Senate Ways and Means Committee would create a one-time tax increase on health maintenance organizations to address a budget shortfall in the state’s Medicaid fund. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports Senate File 2464 was approved 10-6 and moves to the full Senate floor. It increases taxes on HMOs for nine months this year before reverting the rate back to a lower amount. The move would create $173 million in one-time funding and an additional $61 million annually after. Supporters argue it’s needed as Iowa’s Medicaid program is $200 million short; opponents argue it would increase healthcare costs across the state.

DES MOINES – The treatment and prevention of cancer was the focus of a group named after a former U.S. Senator in Iowa. WHO-13 reports the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement hosted its annual Wellness Symposium this week. This comes as Iowa has the fastest growing cancer rates in the United States and second-highest overall rate among states for a third consecutive year. The symposium focused on recent research and data trends. Iowa Lawmakers heard an update from a $1 million study on Wednesday, highlighting concerns surrounding prostate, breast, melanoma, lung, and colorectal cancer.

DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill on Tuesday that prohibits local municipalities from enacting civil rights protections to groups not protected under state law. KCCI-TV reports Senate File 579 prevents cities and counties from enacting ordinances that protect groups not already covered in the Iowa Civil Rights Act. Last year, Iowa became the first state in the nation to remove gender identity as a protected class. Seven central Iowa communities have those protections in place.

DECORAH – A Decorah woman is accused of lacing lasagna with oxycodone in an apparent attempt to cause a miscarriage in another woman. The Des Moines Register reports that 36-year-old Amber Snow was charged with multiple felonies, including two counts of administering harmful substances to an adult and two to a juvenile. The Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office is investigating, and was made aware of the incident in January. Snow shares custody of her minor child with a member of the victim’s family, according to court records.

IOWA – Reports of baseball sized hail and a possible tornado in far southeastern Iowa were part of a larger system that prompted several warnings across the Midwest on Tuesday evening. According to the National Weather Service, hail pummeled areas near West Branch and Keokuk, with possible tornado damage also being investigated. After two consecutive days of unusual warmth, much cooler air returns this week, and even colder temperatures are forecast by Sunday and Monday.

AMES – Two-time All-American basketball player Georges (George) Niang headlined the Iowa State University Hall of Fame class announced on Tuesday. The Iowa State Letterwinners Club unveiled the group that includes former Cyclone athletes. They will be inducted into the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame on Sept. 25. Niang has the second-most career points of any Cyclone men’s basketball player.

MARION – The Iowa Attorney General’s Office found an officer-involved shooting in Marion was justified. WHO-13 reports on February 4th, Marion Officer Spenser Hartman responded to a 911 call to assist with an issue with 18-year-old Saber Jonathan Bernard. Police attempted to speak with the teenager, and at one point, Bernard pulled out a machete. Despite deploying a taser after several commands to drop the weapon, Bernard was accused of advancing at police. He was shot once and later died from his injuries.

ATLANTIC – An Atlantic man who plead guilty to child endangerment resulting in death was sentenced on Monday. KJAN Radio reports that 26-year-old Corbin Loudermilk will face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and was ordered to pay $150,000. The plea comes after Loudermilk was charged in relation to the death of a one-month-old child in 2025.

MITCHELLVILLE – The mayor of Mitchellville removed the community’s fire chief from his role following a months-long dispute. The Des Moines Register reports that Chief Mike Twohey was fired late last week, and a special city council meeting was held Monday to discuss the move. The move comes after several issues in Mitchellville in the last several months, which has included an overhaul of its city council and the resignation of it’s former police chief following criminal charges related to improper pay.

DES MOINES – Record high temperatures on Monday will soon give way to possible thunderstorms overnight tonight and colder air that follows. KCCI-TV reports the high of 76 in Des Moines on Monday afternoon broke the previous record of 72. This is the fourth record high broken so far in 2026 in the state’s capital. A risk for scattered severe thunderstorms exists early Wednesday morning, primarily between midnight and 6am. The primary threats are large hail and damaging wind gusts, especially in southeast Iowa.