Category: State News

IOWA – After a stretch of record temperatures had it feeling like the middle of spring for many in the state, winter roars back today. A Winter Weather Advisory is in place for the majority of Iowans as accumulating snow is expected through Friday morning. Some of the same locations of the state that recorded near 70 degree temperatures early this week could receive two-to-five inches of snowfall, according to the National Weather Service.

DES MOINES – The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University announced the death of the former first lady of Iowa. WHO-13 reports Billie Lee Ray died at age 97 on Wednesday morning. Her husband Robert D. Ray was elected in 1968 and left office in 1983. Ray helped found Character Counts in 1997. Governor Ray died in 2018.

IOWA CITY – A video from University of Iowa Campus Police details why a fraternity house in Iowa City was suspended for five years. KCCI-TV reports the footage released on Wednesday is from a 2024 incident at the Alpha Delta Phi house, showing 56 male pledges blindfolded in a basement. First responders were called to the scene for a fire alarm and found college students covered in food and alcohol.

DES MOINES – The temperature has climbed above 60 degrees at Des Moines yet again on Wednesday, marking the fifth day in a row, and sixth day this month to hit 60+. Forecasters with the National Weather Service anticipate it will happen again, which will be the seventh day this month (February 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18). That has happened in only four other years in the month of February: 1930, 1981, and 2024 (7 days each) and 2017 (8 days). The only other years in which there were six or more consecutive days of 60+ in February were 1930 and 2017. With the warm air, strong winds, and low humidity expected today, an elevated burning risk is a cause for concern.

DES MOINES – State Auditor Rob Sand claims that delays from Governor Kim Reynolds administration prevented a full audit of education savings accounts. The Des Moines Register reports Sand held a news conference Tuesday to say the Iowa Department of Education delayed information related to the program before releasing the information in late November. The audit came up with no issues, but Sand was concerned something was potentially missed because of the six month delay. Governor Reynolds claimed there were no issues to find, and that Sand was politically motivated.

MITCHELVILLE – Voters filled three at-large vacancies on the Mitchellville City Council in a special election on Tuesday. ABC-5 reports Morgan Lunn won a four-year term and Steve Zook and Dean Brand won two year seats. Mitchellville has not had a city council meeting for several weeks because previous members of the council resigned and there was no quorum. The community also remains without police after its entire force resigned in late 2025.

DES MOINES – Iowa House Republicans have proposed a slightly higher increase to school funding than their counterparts in the Senate, although it remains well below what education advocates are requested. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports that a 2.25% increase to state supplemental aid, as well as a few other offsets to reduce property taxes for districts on the budget guarantee, passed a House committee on Monday. The Iowa Senate proposed an increase of 1.75%, and the Governor requested 2% in her budget. Public school advocates and Democrats argue that’s not adequate and doesn’t meet current inflation rates.

CEDAR FALLS – A UNI Football player collapsed at practice two days before he died. KCCI-TV reports an official cause of death has not been released yet for 18-year-old Parker Sutherland, an Iowa City Native who was the subject of a press conference by his head coach Todd Stepsis on Monday. Sutherland collapsed during a warm-up at practice last Thursday. Iowa City High School is hosting a celebration of life later this week.

DES MOINES – Another series of record high temperatures were recorded on Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Weather stations in Waterloo, Ottumwa, and Des Moines all hit high marks in the upper 60s, and even 70 at the home of the Bulldogs. Overnight low temperature records were also shattered by several degrees in those locations. Elevated fire risk continues with warm air through Wednesday, before a cool down heading into the weekend.

IOWA – A candidate for U.S. Senate has dropped out of the race. Former Knoxville Chamber of Commerce Director and Democrat Nathan Sage announced he has suspended his campaign as of Sunday, citing a lack of necessary resources to continue competing. He was the first Democrat to announce his intention to run for the seat Joni Ernst is leaving at the end of her current term. The Gazette reports State Representatives Zach Wahls and Josh Turek are the two remaining candidates in the field to challenge Republicans U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson or Former State Legislator Jim Carlin.

CEDAR FALLS – The University of Northern Iowa and the Iowa City High School community are mourning the loss of a Panthers freshman football player. WHO-13 reports 18-year-old Parker Sutherland died on Saturday. The cause of death was not immediately released. Sutherland was a tight end on the UNI Panthers football team this past fall after graduating from Iowa City High School in 2025. His death came just days after 19-year-old Carter Johnson of the Iowa Lakes Community College baseball team died in a crash that injured dozens of his teammates.

IOWA – Well above average temperatures will continue in a spring-like surge past mid-February. According to the National Weather Service, afternoon highs will remain 20 to 25 degrees above the normal for this time of year, when highs in the mid-to-upper 30s are typical. Some records may also be broken, as previous high marks for many Iowa communities are in the low-to-mid 60s. The extra warm stretch is expected to last through Wednesday evening, before a slight cool down arrives by Thursday morning.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Court of Appeals overturned the murder conviction of an Iowa man this week. KCRG-TV reports the three-judge panel overturned a first-degree murder verdict against Duval Walker, Jr., ruling that one of the jurors was biased and should have been removed from the case. The appeals court has ordered a new trial, saying one of the jurors saw a new headline about Walker pleading guilty to one of the charges related to the same incident.

DES MOINES – A bill proposed in the Iowa House would require everyone riding in a vehicle to wear a seatbelt, including those in the backseat. WHO-13 reports House File 2179 has been proposed by Representative Megan Jones. The legislation would mandate seatbelts for everyone, as the current law only requires front seat drivers and passengers to do so.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Supreme Court overturned a jury verdict of $2.8 million that was awarded to the family of the man who was crushed to death at an Iowa quarry. The Des Moines Register reports that Wendling Quarries and its employees could not be held liable for the death of Michael Griffith in January 2020. His family and estate sued several employees, accusing them of failing to properly train Griffith before sending him onto a machine lacking key safety equipment. The court ruled that the actions of the company fell short of gross negligence.