Category: State News

DES MOINES – The National Weather Service confirmed at least 25 tornadoes impacted the state during an active stretch of severe weather this past weekend. KCCI-TV reports damage surveys released on Wednesday highlighted 23 of those on Sunday night, mostly in northwestern Iowa. None of the storms rated higher than an EF-1, and the amount confirmed this weekend has brought the 2026 total to 51 so far this year.

DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for Emmet, Hancock, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Winnebago, Woodbury, and Worth Counties in response to severe weather that occurred on May 15th Governor Reynolds’ proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather and activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program and the Disaster Case Advocacy Program for those counties. The proclamation is effective immediately and will remain in effect for 30 days unless terminated or extended.

GILBERT – U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attended a bill signing by Governor Reynolds on Wednesday. The legislation known as Iowa’s Make America Healthy Again bill was officially made law at Gilbert Elementary, which allows ivermectin to be purchased over-the-counter, and forces the state to obtain waivers from the federal government to establish its own guidelines for SNAP benefit purchases.

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.