DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds announced on Monday she has appointed Chris Cournoyer as Lieutenant Governor of Iowa. Cournoyer, a resident of LeClaire, was elected to the Iowa Senate in 2018. She chaired the inaugural Technology committee, from which position she wrote and managed the legislation that made Iowa the sixth state in the nation to protect consumer data in law. She was also Chair of the Education Budget Committee, Vice Chair of the State Government committee and sat on the Education, Natural Resources and Environment, Transportation, and Ways and Means committees. WATERLOO – The Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office has requested assistance from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation for a male who died while in the custody. Following an initial car chase by Waterloo Police on Sunday evening, the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office found the same vehicle twenty minutes after the city department called the pursuit off following a crash. Deputies chased the vehicle, operated by Willie Earl Washington, for approximately nine miles at speeds over 90 mph before it struck stop sticks. Washington was removed from the car by deputies and handcuffed, but then became unresponsive while in custody. Deputies were unable to revive the man despite life-saving efforts. An autopsy is scheduled for December 17th at the Office of the Iowa State Medical Examiner. IOWA – The Iowa State Patrol reported to 258 calls for service during this past weekend’s ice storm. WHO-13 details that among those, 93 were crashes — 78 of which property damage with 14 injuries and one fatality. There were also 138 motorist assists. The department urges travelers to avoid hitting the roads with such extensive ice and freezing rain.

IOWA – Widespread freezing rain over the weekend brought slick conditions and power outages to most of central and eastern Iowa. Many reports of ice amounts over a quarter of an inch were reported to the National Weather Service, with the highest totals observed near the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City metros. Many accidents occurred with multiple jackknifed semis reported on Interstate 80, along with numerous power outages in southeast Iowa. Two-thirds of an inch of ice was recorded in Cedar Rapids in the highest report. KELLOGG – A Lynnville woman was killed in a crash with a semi truck on Saturday afternoon just south of Kellogg. The Iowa State Patrol reports an International MV607 operated by Leticia Penate De Rodriguez of Des Moines was traveling southbound on County Highway T-22 near the I-80 interchange when it went off the edge of the road. The driver overcorrected to the left and crossed the centerline. A 2021 Chevorlet Silverado driven by 56-year-old Gerry Lee Van Dyke was traveling northbound on T-22 and collided head on with the semi. The passenger in the Silverado, identified as 51-year-old Jill Christine Van Dyke, died at the scene. IOWA – Three years ago this past Sunday, Iowa was hit with a rare weather phenomenon for the state of Iowa, and the nation. The National Weather Service described the December 15th, 2021 derecho as the only time in recorded weather history that the wind-based thunderstorm complex impacted any part of the United States in the final month of the year. Officially, it set the new record for most tornadoes in Iowa and the most EF-2/F-2 or stronger tornadoes in a single day since 1950. After the line of storms had passed, numerous strong, non-thunderstorm wind gusts over 70 mph occurred overnight — including what was the highest in over 50 years at the Des Moines Airport.

IOWA – Many Iowans woke up this morning to a blanket of ice as widespread freezing rain impacted the state overnight. An Ice Storm Warning was issued over concerns that accumulations would top two-tenths of an inch in many locations, which not only causes travel concerns, but also potential power outages. Most of the state will warm to above freezing following the weather event, which should allow melting, although travel concerns may continue for many into Sunday, especially in northern Iowa, where the National Weather Service indicates air temperatures may not climb above 32 degrees Fahrenheit during that time.IOWA – Dozens of Iowa families now face criminal prosecution for school attendance issues. WHO-13 reports a new truancy law signed in the previous Legislative Session that parents of students who miss more than 20 percent of classes in a given grading period are subject to truancy court. In Polk County, the attorney’s office reports 15 parents who now face criminal charges over their children’s school attendance. This comes after state-mandated meetings with school administration to attempt to increase the amount of classes these students are attending. DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds indicates she is prepared to deploy the National Guard to support President-Elect Donald Trump’s plan to deport illegal immigrants. The Des Moines Register reports Reynolds made a joint statement about the topic with Republican state governors across the country. This comes after the Iowa Legislature passed Senate File 2340 this past spring that allowed Iowa law enforcement to arrest undocumented people for illegal reentry into the state. The law is currently held under injunction by a federal court.

DES MOINES – The first of two budget estimates that determine how much Iowa lawmakers can spend from its coffers was released on Thursday. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports the Revenue Estimating Conference predicts revenue will drop by nearly $600 million from the current fiscal year heading into the next. The non-partisan panel says a strong economic situation overall in the state is not enough to pull revenue into the black, citing deep tax cuts approved by the Iowa Legislature earlier this year. Governor Kim Reynolds issued a statement claiming the cuts were a positive change, citing a large budget surplus and a growing taxpayer relief fund that can be used to pay down tax reduction legislation. Reynolds and the Republican supermajority in both state chambers intend to cut property taxes in the session that begins in January. IOWA – Another taste of winter is coming to the state’s residents later today, this time, in the form of freezing rain and sleet. According to the National Weather Service, anywhere from a trace to up to a quarter-inch of ice is possible across most of Iowa, starting in the evening hours and continuing into Saturday morning. The first ice storm warning of the 2024-25 winter season has been issued from near Marshalltown to the Interstate 380 corridor. The National Weather Service indicates even a small glaze of ice can cause travel hazards. IOWA CITY – It’s a winter CyHawk split as the state’s two biggest schools clashed in basketball this week. The Iowa State Cyclones men pulled away late after coming back from behind to defeat the Iowa Hawkeye’s basketball team 89-80 late Thursday. This came a day after the Hawkeye women pulled a similar move against their rivals to win 75-69 on Wednesday at Carver Hawkeye Arena.

IOWA – A former U.S. Representative for the state of Iowa for three decades has died. The Des Moines Register reports 82-year-old James Leach passed away on Wednesday. Leach served eastern Iowa in the House from 1976 to 2006 as a Republican, co-founding the Congressional Humanities Caucus. The Davenport-native then worked in the Obama Administration as the Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Leach also was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003. DES MOINES – While it feels about as far away as possible weather-wise, the Iowa State Fair has started to roll out announcements for the 2025 entertainment lineup this coming August. Among the early headline entertainers coming to perform at the Iowa State Fairgrounds are Forrest Frank and Megan Moroney on August 7th and 9th respectively. The fair board is expected to continue rolling out announcements of performing acts in the coming weeks. AMES – After leading the Iowa State football program to its first 10-win season in the program’s 133-year history and its seventh bowl game in nine seasons, three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year Matt Campbell has agreed to a new eight-year contract that will keep him on the Cyclone sideline through the 2032 season. The announcement was made by ISU President Dr. Wendy Wintersteen and Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard. Campbell’s Cyclones roared to the program’s best start since 1938 (7-0) and its first-ever 4-0 start in Big 12 play en route to a 10-3 regular-season record.