DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Democrat Rita Hart announced plans Tuesday to file a notice of contest with the U.S. House of Representatives in Iowa’s District 2 election against Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks. Hart’s campaign says the notice details 22 ballots she believes were unlawfully excluded from the certified election results. A final recount on Nov. 30 resulted in Miller-Meeks winning the election by six votes. WEST BRANCH, IA (IRN) – Three people died after a crash on Interstate 80 just after 4:30 a.m. Monday near West Branch. 20-year-old Eric Nunez, of Plano, Illinois, was driving the wrong way, heading eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-80 when he collided head-on with a vehicle driven by 70-year-old Robert Larson, of West Liberty. Larson’s passenger, 68-year-old Teresa Larson, of West Liberty, also died at the scene. USA (IRN) – A number of Republican lawmakers who downplayed concerns about the coronavirus pandemic or ignored public health advice are now facing a wave of backlash for being among the first to receive a vaccine. This includes Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst. Her early vaccination drew swift condemnation, with many pointing to comments she had made in September suggesting that healthcare workers were inflating Covid-19 death numbers for profit. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Events in downtown Des Moines draw thousands of people to local hotels, shops and restaurants, but COVID-19 cancelations cost the metro economy millions of dollars in 2020. Estimates are the hundreds of cancelations cost the metro over $300 million in revenue. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The University of Iowa Hawkeye football program has suspended all in-person activities due to an increase in COVID-19 cases among the team and staff. While their first priority is the health and safety of their players and staff, their goal is to play and compete against Missouri in the Music City Bowl in Nashville on Dec. 30.

IOWA (IRN) – Republican U.S. Rep.-elect Randy Feenstra said he is not yet ready to acknowledge Joe Biden as the nation’s president-elect, preferring to wait until Congress meets in early January to receive the results of the election. Electors made Biden’s win official last week as they awarded 306 electoral votes to Biden and 232 to President Donald Trump. A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the presidency. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man charged with shooting and injuring a teen at the Iowa State Capitol Complex after a rally supporting President Donald Trump told police he was protecting himself. Michael McKinney, 25, of St. Charles, was arrested and charged with attempted murder after shooting a 15-year-old girl in a leg. McKinney said he feared for his safety. WASHINGTON, D.C. (IRN) – Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst has received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. There’s no information on whether Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley has received the vaccination. He was confirmed positive for the virus in November but has recovered. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The University of Iowa Hawkeyes are headed to the Music City Bowl. On Dec. 30. No. 15 Iowa will play Missouri in Nashville. AMES, IA (IRN) – No. 10 Iowa State will play No. 25 Oregon on January 2 at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa has gone a second day without reporting any additional COVID-19 deaths. The Iowa Department of Public Health on Saturday reported 1,871 new COVID-19 cases. The state-reported number of deaths stands at 3,451 for a second day. DES MOINES, IA (IR) – A Des Moines Public Library employee who died in April wrongly charged more than $28,000 to a library credit card primarily at Hy-Vee, Walmart and Walgreens, according to auditors hired by the city. The report concludes that Bekki Kirkland, who worked as an office manager at the time of her death, made 159 fraudulent transactions — a third of them to purchase unauthorized prepaid VISA cards — from 2016 to 2020. ARLINGTON, TX (IRN) – The Iowa State Cyclones lost to the Oklahoma Sooners 21-27 in the Big 12 Championship game. It is the Sooners’ sixth conference championship in a row. SIOUX FALLS, SD (IRN) – Jalen Suggs scored 18 of his career-high 27 points in the first half and No. 1 Gonzaga held off a late rally to beat No. 3 Iowa 99-88 on Saturday.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A Des Moines man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his mother. Christopher Thompson, 33, was convicted after a three-day trial in November of first-degree murder after police say he beat Paula Thompson to death with a crowbar in March and remained in her home with the body for five days before contacting authorities. Paula Thompson had been trying to get Christopher to move out of her home and had confided to friends and on social media that she was frightened of him. FAIRFAX, IA (IRN) – A late night fire in the Linn County town of Fairfax killed a man and displaced several others. Emergency personnel discovered heavy smoke and flames coming from the six apartment building structure. One male was found in an upstairs apartment and pronounced deceased. The American Red Cross has been contacted for those displaced. ARLINGTON, TX (IRN) – The Iowa State Cyclones lost to the Oklahoma Sooners 21-27 in the Big 12 Championship game. It is the Sooners’ sixth conference championship in a row. SIOUX FALLS, SD (IRN) – Jalen Suggs scored 18 of his career-high 27 points in the first half and No. 1 Gonzaga held off a late rally to beat No. 3 Iowa 99-88 on Saturday.

IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – The University of Iowa confirmed Friday that head Hawkeye football coach Kirk Ferentz tested positive for COVID-19. Ferentz is reportedly asymptomatic and will remain in quarantine until Dec. 27. IOWA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Public Health says they were told Iowa’s allocations of COVID-19 vaccines would be cut 30%. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says they’re wrong. There will be 19,500 Pfizer vaccines and 53,800 Moderna vaccines arriving Sunday, Dec. 20. An additional 19,500 Pfizer vaccines and 19,500 Moderna vaccines are expected to arrive on Sunday, Dec. 27. Earlier this week 26,000 Pfizer vaccines arrived and were administered to health care providers. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand sharply criticized Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Thursday for not calling the Legislature into an emergency session to approve spending of at least a portion of the $1 billion the state has accumulated in reserve and emergency funds. Sand, a Democrat, says that restaurants and bars will lose $1.4 billion and roughly 1,000 could close due to the pandemic. He said hospitals in the state have lost $443 million and many are at risk of closure. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – N Linn Street in Iowa City has been closed to traffic since the summer, giving restaurants and customers room to spread out during the pandemic. Now, to adapt for winter, the city is experimenting with holiday lights and warming huts for diners. AMES, IA (IRN) – The awards and accolades continue for the Iowa State Cyclones football team. On Thursday the Cyclones swept the major categories as Big 12 Coaches announced their all-conference teams. Running back Breece Hall was named Offensive Player of the Year, Mike Rose was named Defensive Player of the Year and Matt Campbell was named Coach of the Year. Twenty-two Cyclones were chosen for All-Big 12 teams, including nine on the first team.