Category: State News

DES MOINES – Iowa House Republicans released their property tax proposal on Thursday. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports House File 2745 was meant to close the gap in policy discussions with the Iowa Senate as lawmakers attempt to overhaul the state’s levies on residential and commercial properties. The amendment keeps a hard cap on revenue growth for cities and counties, which differs from the Iowa Senate version that kept some exemptions for inflation. Senate File 2471 passed earlier this month with bipartisan support, and differs greatly from the Iowa House proposal.

DEWITT – The driver of a person who died when a vehicle crashed in eastern Iowa has been identified. WQAD reports 46-year-old Trisha Brookins of Dubuque had a medical emergency that caused her vehicle to crash in rural DeWitt on Wednesday. Both the car and the house she hit became fully engulfed in the incident.

AMES – Iowa State University announced the addition of Women’s Wrestling to its Division I offerings on Thursday. The program was added in the wake of dropping Gymnastics earlier this spring, and also features a reorganization of coaching staff, according to the Des Moines Register. Women’s wrestling will start in Ames in the 2027-28 school year with a roster of 30. Alli St. John, a former women’s silver medalist, is the new head coach. Current Men’s Wrestling Coach Kevin Dresser is being promoted to director of wrestling at the school and will oversee both genders’ programs.

DEWITT – One person has died in a crash that resulted in a house fire near DeWitt. The Iowa State Patrol reports the driver of a Chrysler Pacifica had a medical event and lost control of the vehicle. It drove through a field and collided with a house. Both the car and the structure became fully engulfed. Several nearby emergency agencies responded from DeWitt and surrounding Clinton County communities. The driver died, and the name is not being released pending the investigation and notification of family.

IOWA – A special traffic enforcement project held related to the new Iowa hands-free driving law generated 900 statewide violations. The Des Moines Register reports the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau led the effort April 6th through the 10th as part of Distracted Driving Month. Iowa implemented a hands-free driving law on July 1st, 2025. Of the violations, 551 resulted in citations for drivers. A separate effort by the Ankeny Police Department had 131 violations in one day on April 10th.

IOWA – Another potential severe weather outbreak returns to the forecast on Friday. Nearly half of the state is under an enhanced risk for strong thunderstorms from the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center. A widespread wind event is possible, especially east of Interstate 35. Tornadoes and large hail are possible, as is flash flooding in the same locations after repeated rounds of thunderstorms this month.

IOWA – One day after multiple thunderstorms caused damage in northern Iowa, Tuesday was active across much of the state. According to the National Weather Service, damage was reported from a tornado near Eldora, and dozens of reports of wind and hail impacted several communities in northern and eastern Iowa. Additional chances for severe weather return yet again this evening and more likely on Friday.

DES MOINES – With time running down on the Iowa Legislative session, House Republicans are making a push to restrict abortion medications in the state. The Des Moines Register reports House File 2563 passed out of a House appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday, moving it there to keep it alive after the second funnel deadline on March 20th. The bill allows only doctors to dispense abortion medications after performing an exam on a patient.

DALLAS COUNTY – The legal defense team for a Dallas County woman accused of killing Ashley Okland in 2011 claims that evidence connected to the case is missing. WHO-13 reports 53-year-old Kristin Ramsey faces a first degree murder charge following an arrest earlier this year. Her attorney filed a motion this week that claims that law enforcement has either lost or destroyed evidence related to the case. The initial trail date for the case is January 11th, 2027.

ALGONA – Severe thunderstorms swept through the northern tier of counties in Iowa on Monday night. KCCI-TV reports a tornado was spotted near Gillet Grove and hail was reported near Sandborn. Additional chances for severe weather will likely impact the eastern half of Iowa today, with more chances later this week, according to the National Weather Service.

BENTON COUNTY – A Norway man died in a two vehicle crash in Benton County on Monday evening. The Iowa State Patrol reports 33-year-old George Daniel Martin lost control of his Chevy Silverado on Highway 151 and collided with a semi in the other lanes of traffic. Martin died from his injuries and the other driver was not injured.

MARSHALLTOWN – Two people were rescued from an abandoned hospital in Marshalltown on Sunday morning. The Des Moines Register reports firefighters responded to a call for a gas leak and found two people inside a boiler-type container unresponsive but alive. Responders ventilated the space with fresh air and both individuals regained consciousness.

IOWA – Just over $64 million in federal money has been given to the state to repair bridges and culverts. WHO-13 reports the Iowa Department of Transportation will allocated the funds provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. A total of 67 projects in 40 counties will be funded by the effort.

DANBURY – An Iowa farmer who defrauded federal taxpayers out of more than $1.7 million in agricultural subsidies, stole multiple identities, and stalked a witness, was sentenced last week to 13 years in federal prison. Tanner James Seuntjens from Danbury received the prison term after pleading guilty on September 19, 2025, to one count of theft of government funds, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of crop insurance fraud, and one count of stalking. Evidence in Seuntjens’ cases established that, between June 2020 and June 2021, he defrauded the United States Department of Agriculture out of more than $1.5 million in Coronavirus Food Assistance Program grants.

IOWA – An active weather month is set to continue this week across the state of Iowa. According to the National Weather Service, a slight risk of severe weather returns to northern Iowa tonight and southern and eastern Iowa on Tuesday. High temperatures will jump into the mid-80s during the two-day stretch. This comes after multiple rounds of at-times heavy rain impacted Iowans over the past week.

DES MIONES – Iowa’s unemployment rate remained steady in January, according to the most recent update from Iowa Workforce Development. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, which had been revised downward to 3.4 percent for December, held steady at that level in January. The U.S. unemployment rate decreased to 4.3 percent in January.