MARSHALLTOWN – Police arrested the suspect in an apparent double homicide in Marshalltown. On Friday morning, police found 28-year-old Mario Murillo and 33-year-old Frances Tillie Gasca dead, with foul play suspected. The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation both investigated, and 29-year-old Ilias Julian Lasley has been charged with two counts of Murder in the 1st Degree. He was arrested without incident on Saturday.

POLK COUNTY – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating an accident involving an off-road motorcycle that resulted in the death of a minor. It was reported that two juveniles were riding separate motorcycles in the area and one of them had been involved in a crash near Elkhart. Deputies and Medics with the Maxwell Fire Department arrived on the scene and located a juvenile male who was involved in the accident and had sustained critical injuries, which he died from. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victim in this accident as Zachary Brennecke (16) of Des Moines.

PANORA – The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union has named Erin Gerlich as its next executive director, succeeding Jean Berger. Gerlich brings more than 15 years of experience in athletics and leadership to her new role, having most recently served as associate director and sport administrator within the IGHSAU. Erin is a native of Panora. Gerlich will officially assume the role of Executive Director of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union on June 8th.

DES MOINES – The final gavel fell on the Iowa Legislative Session early this morning as lawmakers wrapped up a two-year general assembly. Several priorities of Republicans and Governor Kim Reynolds passed in the last few hours, including a 3.8% flat income tax, a bill that authorizes school employees to be issued professional permits to carry weapons, and an additional $32.5 million cut to Area Education Agencies.

IOWA – Iowa’s Congressional delegation and Governor Kim Reynolds announced their support of the Environmental Protection Agency granting a waiver for year-round E-15 sales Friday. The group were all critical of the EPA and what they felt were unnecessary delays in the process. Earlier this year, a full waiver had been granted for E-15 starting in 2025, and the group of Iowa’s congressional representatives and senators had called for that move a year sooner.

IOWA – The National Weather Service reports eight confirmed tornadoes formed on Tuesday. A strong low pressure system brought several warnings to many communities across the state. Among the locations with storm damage were Adams County, Anita, Minburn, Rockwell City, and three tornadoes in Pocahontas County. At least ten Iowa communities also reported win gusts greater than 50 MPH outside of the severe storms.

BOONE – Daisy Brand, the largest manufacturer of sour cream and cottage cheese in the nation, has announced a $626.5 million expansion in Boone. The Iowa Economic Development Authority reports 255 new jobs are being created with construction of a 750,000 square foot facility.

IOWA – Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 2.9 percent in March from a revised February rate of 3.0 percent. The state’s labor force participation rate fell to 67 percent from 67.2 percent in February. Meanwhile, the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent in March. The number of unemployed Iowans decreased to 48,700 in March from 50,200 in February. The total number of working Iowans fell to 1,648,200 in March. This figure is 2,500 lower than February and 17,400 lower than one year ago.

DES MOINES – A final piece of major legislation seems to be on its way to passage before the end of the 2024 session. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports additional income and property tax reductions have been proposed in both chambers through companion bills. The legislation accelerates tax cuts first approved in 2022, dropping the rate to 3.8% in 2025, and lowers the threshold for cities and counties to use growth funding to reduce their general fund levies.

DES MOINES – The Des Moines International Airport will receive $2.2 million from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Terminals Program to fund the construction of new terminal areas. The Airport Terminals Program was established in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This Airport Terminals Program grant is separate from other awards announced over the past several years. It will support DSM’s construction of several common use terminal areas to improve accessibility and efficiency.

IOWA CITY – A custodian with Iowa City High School received national recognition for an act of heroism. KCRG-TV reports Wegayewu Faris was fishing in the Iowa River when he saw a young boy start to drown. While Faris was able to get the boy to safety in 2022, he himself drowned. The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission awarded Faris with the Carnegie Medal of Heroism.

POLK COUNTY – One man was found dead following a single vehicle crash in Polk County. WHO-13 reports the Polk County Sheriff’s Office found the driver unresponsive after receiving a report of a crash in a rural part of the county. The GMC Yukon left the road and entered a ditch before stopping in a field.

WATERLOO – A northeast Iowa firefighter died in a motorcycle collision in Waterloo. The Waterloo Courier reports 26-year-old Riley Gilbert was killed when he hit a curb and spun out Tuesday night. Gilbert was a member of the Hudson Volunteer Fire Department.

JOHNSTON – Nearly 10% of the staff at Area Education Agencies in Iowa have resigned. The Des Moines Register reports 341 employees have resigned from all AEAs after the Governor’s proposal to overhaul the agencies and the now official Republican overhaul of the groups responsible for supplementing services at all Iowa public and private schools. House File 2612 didn’t technically reduce the funding for the organizations in the first year, but would take the majority of their media and educational services and may them on a fee-based schedule, as opposed to the current guaranteed model.