IOWA – Timely rains, while needed, limited Iowa farmers to 3.8 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 25, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Corn and soybean planting continued, but some producers are waiting for warmer and drier conditions to start spraying. Topsoil moisture condition rated 4 percent very short, 15 percent short, 76 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus. Corn planted reached 95 percent and emerged reached 76 percent, six days ahead of last year’s pace and two days ahead of normal.ALGONA – An Iowa native has been convicted of abusing children in the Haitian orphanage four decades ago. The Des Moines Register reports 73-year-old Michael Karl Geilenfeld has been sentenced to 210 years of prison for sexual, physical, and emotional attacks of children at St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in the Caribbean. Geilenfeld is originally from Algona. Prosecutors say he used his orphanage to gain access to vulnerable children and had them travel with him to and from the country. IOWA – A nursing home has been re-added to a federal government watch list of the worst care facilities in the country. Iowa Capitol Dispatch reports Correctionville Specialty Care is back on the Special-Focus Facilities published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. A worker allegedly raped a resident in October of 2023. Since the beginning of 2022, Correctionville has been cited 93 times for state and federal violations.

IOWA – An Iowa law that allows ATV and UTVs on highways appears to have led to an increase in fatal crashes related to those vehicles. The Iowa State Patrol told KCCI-TV that they’ve seen an uptick in collisions involving those smaller vehicles, which has also led to more deaths. They remind everyone operating ATVs and UTVs on highways to wear proper safety gear, follow traffic laws, and drive sober. Operates must be at least 18-year-old and follow the 35 MPH speed rule. EDDYVILLE – Crews made it to a second day in the search for a missing boater in Mahaska County. WHO-13 reports the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office received a report Sunday morning of two individuals thrown rom a boat on the Des Moines River. One of those people was found safely, but an adult male who was also on the vessel was not located. GLENWOOD – Five former employees at a now-closed resource center have lost their appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court. The Des Moines Register reports the facility in Glenwood was closed in 2024. The space was meant for people with severe developmental disabilities. The facility, led by Dr. Jerry Rea, conducted several unauthorized experiments on patients. Five former employees claim the state fired or forced them to resign after they objected to the wrongdoing of Rea. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled the lawsuit was not specific enough to meet a wrongful discharge violation.

BENCLOE – A search occurred following reports of a missing person near a boat collision in northwest Iowa. KTIV reports the Monona County Sheriff’s Office was seeking an individual who may have jumped from the craft before it collided with a barge on Saturday. The department did not update the status of that missing individual. IOWA – The Iowa DNR reminds all visitors to state campgrounds to do so responsibly as the 2025 summer season begins this Memorial Day Weekend. They encourage anyone out on waterways to have their boat checked first and to wear a life jacket. Thousands of visitors are currently at local, state, and federal parks this weekend to begin the camping and outdoor activity season in Iowa.IOWA – The Iowa State Patrol reminds drivers to be safe this holiday season and throughout the summer on the state’s roadways. According to the state’s police force, the most active driving season every year starts Memorial Day weekend. As a reminder, several motorists are also slowed more frequently by construction, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other outdoor events. The Iowa State Patrol encourages all drivers to observe posted laws, wear a seatbelt, and avoid driving while distracted.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services is reporting a confirmed case of measles in central Iowa in an unvaccinated adult. The case tested positive through the State Hygienic Laboratory and is the first confirmed case of measles in Iowa this year, and the first since 2019. Iowa is among 31 other United States jurisdictions in an evolving measles outbreak that has been responsible for 1,024 confirmed measles cases and 3 deaths this year. A thorough investigation has been completed. Public health officials will be reaching out to identified contacts, and no widespread public exposure is anticipated. Currently 84% of 2-year-olds in Iowa are vaccinated, which is below the 95% threshold required to prevent outbreaks. CEDAR RAPIDS – Planned Parenthood announced the closures of four Iowa-based facilities this week. KGAN-TV reports locations in Cedar Rapids, Ames, Sioux City, and Urbandale are no longer open. This comes after three others were closed in 2023 following a near-total abortion ban standing in the Iowa Supreme Court. The Iowa City Planned Parenthood site is the only one available in the eastern half of the state.

DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds announced a waiver to restrict food eligible to be purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program dollars was approved. WHO-13 reports the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services requested that certain items including candy, soda, and most taxable groceries are ineligible for SNAP benefits. The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the move, which is being considered in at least six other states.STATE CENTER – A UTV driver has died after he was flown by a helicopter to a hospital following a crash on Wednesday in Marshall County. KCCI-TV reports 78-year-old Jeffrey Larson was killed while attempting a u-turn on a rural road. While attempting the move, he pulled out in front of an SUV. The driver of that vehicle was unharmed. IOWA – Heavy rain that fell across much the state Monday into Tuesday put a dent into drought conditions. Abnormally dry conditions in south central Iowa were lifted as many communities received 2-4″ of precipitation following a multiple-week dry spell. Light showers are possible over the next several days into the Memorial Day holiday, according to the National Weather Service.