DES MOINES – Lawmakers are one step closer to passing a bill aiming to shore up losses incurred by rural pharmacies. WHO-13 reports that the measure passed in the Iowa Senate will require pharmacy benefit managers to reimburse pharmacies for the full cost based on national averages and additional dispensing fees. Some Democrats opposed the measure, concerned the insurance companies would pass on those costs to consumers. SCOTT COUNTY – The Iowa Board of Nursing granted a license to a woman convicted for involvement in a $2.9 million scam. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports Chelsea Gless of Princeton has received permission to work as a nurse after initially denying the request in October due to the felony charges. Gless pled guilty to felony mail fraud and served nearly three years in prison before earning a nursing degree in 2024. She’s guilty of defrauding more than 70 clients of Royal Medals Group, mainly older, retired people. The Iowa Board of Nursing has placed Gless on probationary status for three years and barred her from working at retirement communities. IOWA – Periodic rains throughout the week resulted in just over two days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending April 27th, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. While needed, the precipitation slowed or stopped fieldwork and cool temperatures hampered crop emergence.Topsoil moisture condition rated 3 percent very short, 11 percent short, 75 percent adequate and 11 percent surplus. Corn planted reached 34 percent, two days ahead of the five-year average. Statewide, corn emerged was two percent. Twenty-five percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted, one day ahead of last year and four days ahead of the five-year average.

IOWA – A severe weather system could bring large hail and tornadoes to many across the state today. The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has issued a moderate risk, or 4 out of 5 on its scale, for areas mainly north of Highway 20. The rest of Iowa is under a conditional enhanced risk, meaning storms will be very scattered or may not develop at all, but if they do, they could have a strong tornado and hail in excess of two inches in diameter. The threat is expected mainly in the late afternoon into the evening.CRAWFORD COUNTY – The Iowa DNR estimates hundreds of gallons of wastewater entered the Boyer River in Crawford County over the weekend. WHO-13 reports a valve malfunction at Smithfield Fresh Meats Corporation in Denison is the cause. In total, more than 500 gallons of wastewater made it to the stream, according to the DNR. Clean up efforts were under way shortly after the incident on Sunday.DES MOINES – The final day of the 115th running of the Drake Relays had some of the oldest records in recent history being broken and Olympic gold medalists competing at Drake Stadium. Ten records were set Saturday, pushing the three-day total to 21 and highlighted by a 64-year mark falling in the men’s long jump, done by Minnesota sophomore Charles Godfred. Olympic gold medalist Tara Davis-Woodhall made her Drake Relays debut and broke the Relays record in the WACT women’s invitational long jump. Clear Lake’s Reese Brownlee and Western Dubuque’s Quentin Naumann both became the second high school athlete in their respective genders to win in three events in the same weekend.

DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds is suing the Des Moines Register, claiming their requests for certain emails violates her “executive privilege.” The governor contends her emails with senior staff members are exempt from public eyes in matters of policy. The Des Moines Register reports they were seeking those detailed conversations following her testimony in Washington D.C. in February. The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Governor’s Office for a separate case, in which a satanic display during a Christmas event at the capitol was ultimately rejected by state staff. IOWA – Numerous rounds of severe weather are becoming more likely across the vast majority of the state and upper Midwest on Monday. An enhanced risk for hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes are still included in the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center outlook. Multiple rounds of severe weather are a possibility Monday evening, according to the forecast. Iowa has had another active spring in 2025, although not currently near some of the record breaking events in 2024 related to flooding and tornadoes. DES MOINES – Five records were set in the high school division of the Drake Relays on Friday. Quentin Nauman from Western Dubuque tied the record in the boys 800 and Clear Lake’s Reese Brownlee equaled the meet record in the girls 400. Dowling Catholic set a boys meet record in the 1600 medley relay in 3:25.35, while Ankeny Centennial set a mark in the 4×200 relay in 1:26.55. West Des Moines senior Emma Havighurst established a record in the high school girls 100 hurdles of 13.82. The final day of the 2025 Drake Relays is today.

IOWA – A potential severe weather outbreak is brewing across most of the state early next week. The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has a 30 percent chance for a strong storm system to impact the vast majority of Iowans on Monday. The weather service rarely issues that level of threat so far in advance, according to their outlooks, and while meteorologists stress the forecast could still change, most people in the state should prepare for major impacts related to possible severe weather Monday afternoon and evening.DES MOINES – Hy-Vee is closing two large-scale food production facilities it opened seven years ago. WHO-13 reports production will be returned back to stores and away from The Fresh Commissary in Ankeny. The move could impact 461 employees. The grocery store chain indicated there would still be work going on at the facility.DES MOINES – The world’s best athletes wasted little time making their presence known on the first day of the 115th running of the Drake Relays. It took only 20 minutes into Thursday’s opening session for American record holder Rudy Winkler to set both a Drake Relays and Drake Stadium record in the men’s hammer throw, the second-best mark in the world this spring. Nebraska junior Till Steinforth repeated his decathlon championship with a meet record that lifted him to the No. 1 spot in the world this year. Western Dubuque junior Quentin Nauman put the hammer down on the backstretch of the final lap and sped to a Relays record in the high school boys 3200 meters race.

DES MOINES – A Nevada, Iowa man made his initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge Thursday for alleged threats against a current student and the upcoming Iowa State University graduation. According to allegations in the criminal complaint, between January and April 2025, 28-year-old Tanner Dean Bandy engaged in a pattern of threatening conduct against a former romantic partner through text messages and voicemails. Two days prior to his arrest, Bandy left a voicemail message discussing his intention to conduct a mass shooting at an Iowa State University commencement ceremony. Law enforcement searched Bandy’s residence and vehicle and located two firearms and ammunition. Bandy will remain detained in federal custody pending further proceedings. INDIANOLA – The Indianola Police Department has charged a woman with murder for the death of an infant. Following a joint investigation with the department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Warren County Attorney’s Office, 51-year-old Melissa Hancock of Indianola has been accused of first-degree murder in connection with the October 12th, 2024, death of a four-month-old who was in her care. The investigation and medical examinations revealed both “new and healing” injuries consistent with a “pattern” of child abuse caused by Hancock.IOWA – The Iowa DNR is looking into multiple spills into waterways across the state this week. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports several hundred gallons of red dye were found in Prairie Creek and untreated wastewater flowed into Saylor Creek. A 330 gallon tote of red dye was punctured while on a truck in Maquoketa, according to the DNR. A broken main caused a spill of untreated water in Ankeny.