Category: State News

DES MOINES – Gov. Reynolds ordered all flags in Iowa to be lowered to half-staff and remain at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, October 25, honoring Iowa Senator Claire Celsi on the day a ceremony will be held to celebrate her life. Celsi was elected to three terms in the Iowa Senate, representing Central Iowans in the greater Des Moines metro area. She died following an illness and a stay in hospice care.

OTTUMWA – An Ottumwa woman faces more than 40 criminal charges for alleged animal cruelty. WHO-13 reports 77-year-old Suzette Kay Stocker was arrested on Wednesday after authorities removed 43 cats from a home on October 2nd. Court records indicate the house emitted a foul odor that could be detected from the roadway, with the home covered in bugs and animal feces and urine. Stocker is accused of four other incidents of animal cruelty, dating back to 2008.

KEOKUK – A former deputy with the Keokuk County Sheriff’s Office has been sentenced for his role in a hay rack ride that injured several children. KCCI-TV reports David Heady received up to 10 years in prison and he and Daniel Brubaker hosed a Halloween party and hay rack ride in 2023. Both men were drinking before offering rides to children, who were injured in a crash that followed. Investigators say Heady, who was working as a deputy at the time, worked to cover up the incident. Brubaker faces 15 years in prison, as he was driving the vehicle.

CARROLL – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a hog manure release into a tributary of Elk Run Creek in Carroll County. On October 14, the DNR Field Office in Atlantic was notified by Eric Baumhover, manager of B&B Custom Pumping, a certified manure applicator business, of a manure spill which occurred in the evening hours on October 13. Staff from the DNR Field Office in Atlantic responded to the incident. Further investigation revealed that approximately 5,000 gallons of manure was spilled when a hose blew while land-applying manure. The department will determine if further enforcement action is warranted.

WINTERSET – The recently elected auditor in Madison County made note of several concerns following a year filled with several changes to leadership. WHO-13 reports Michele Brant found that multiple libraries in the county had not received funding since January, VPN access was given to non-county employees, several wages were overpaid, and budget data was deleted and re-uploaded on a county server. Madison County Attorney Stephen Swanson also asked the board of supervisors about outside legal counsel hired for what appears to be no litigation, but has been paid anyways.

DES MOINES – State Auditor Rob Sand announced his office has now received the proper request to re-investigate the Des Moines Public School District. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports Sand had denied a request by lawmakers to look into issues raised following the arrest of former Superintendent Ian Roberts by immigration officials. Sand had cited that a direct request was required before his office could investigate.

GREENE COUNTY – The actions of police in an officer-involved shooting in Greene County were legally justified by the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. WHO-113 reports Officer Marshall Moore in Boone attempted to pull over Camryn Stonehocker, who proceeded to lead police on a chase, including at multiple points, into oncoming traffic. Police alleged that he pointed a knife at one of the officers once the pursuit had ended, with Moore shooting Stonehocker, who died from his injuries.

DES MOINES – Iowa lawmakers are pressing the Iowa Board of Regents to sign onto an educational compact with eight rules to maintain federal funding. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports Representatives Taylor Collins and Lynn Evans wrote a letter to ask the three schools to join the Trump Administration’s Compact for Excellence in Higher Education. The rules impact admissions, hiring, finances, and political discourse on campus. Colleges that participate would have to freeze tuition for five years, cap the number of students who come in with visas, and define specific genders to align with the administration’s viewpoint.

IOWA – A former U.S. representative attempting to reclaim his seat has dropped out of the race less than a month after announcing his intent to run. The Des Moines Register reports Rod Blum is suspending his bid for the now-open 2nd Congressional District race. Blum announced his intent to run to replace Ashley Hinson on September 18th — Hinson is running for the open U.S. Senate seat following the impending retirement of Senator Joni Ernst at the end of her term.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services is announcing upcoming changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. These changes will take effect on January 1st. Under the new guidelines, eligible SNAP purchases are determined by the state’s non-taxable food items list, as well as some prepared foods, seeds for food-producing plants, and food-producing plants. As part of the updated rules, certain items will no longer be eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits, including soda and sugary beverages containing less than 50% fruit or vegetable juice, candy and items coated in candy, and some in-store prepared foods.

HUMBOLDT – The Humboldt Community School District faces a lawsuit from parents the allege a cover-up related to sexual abuse committed by a middle school teacher. KCCI-TV reports parents claim the school district knew about the abusive actions of Samantha Meyer-Davis, who pled guilty to sexual exploitation for incidents in 2022 and 2023. Meyer-Davis was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison.

DES MOINES – Members of the Des Moines School Board have not shared any details about what they knew about former Superintendent Ian Roberts’s qualifications before his hire. The Des Moines Register reports that Roberts claimed he had a doctorate, but the firm the district hired for background checks found that he did not obtain a degree from a school he attended for five years. The board voted unanimously to hire Roberts after he fixed a resume following discovery of the omission. The report did not detail whether or not the board members knew about the change.

DES MOINES – Three Republican state senators have called on the State Auditor to investigate the Des Moines Public School District. KCCI-TV reports Jesse Green, Kerry Gruenhagen, and Lynn Evans sent a letter to Rob Sand to look into the district following the federal immigration arrest of Ian Roberts, the now former superintendent. Sand says he needs the district itself to request the audit. The letter appears to be political in nature, according to the report, as it criticizes Sand’s efforts to investigate the state’s Education Savings Account plan.

CRESTON – A high school English teacher in Creston has sued the Creston Community School District for its attempt to fire her following comments she made about the killing of Charlie Kirk. The Des Moines Register reports Melissa Crook claims the board is violating her own First Amendment rights, citing social media posts made by Superintendent Deron Stender and School Board President Don Gee that encouraged political activism. Stender and Gee did not comment on the report or the allegations.

ATLANTIC – The former director of the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce face several felony charges for alleged misallocation of organization funds. WHO-13 reports 33-year-old Bailey Lynn Smith is accused of ongoing criminal conduct, 1st degree fraudulent practice, 1st degree theft, and unauthorized use of a credit card. For more than five years as director, Smith is accused of making 761 personal transactions with chamber funds, resulting in nearly $27,000 in losses. Additionally, she allegedly made 47 bank transfers among the different accounts for the chamber totaling $76,000.