Category: State News

IOWA CITY – A University of Iowa student died Tuesday after collapsing at the Hawkeye’s debut football game this past Saturday. KCRG-TV reports the family of Derek Phillips confirmed the Hawkeye Marching Band member was taken off of life support after suffering from a heat stroke. Phillips collapsed in the excessive heat and suffered a sudden cardiac arrest event.

IOWA – Several strong thunderstorms knocked out power for thousands of Iowans on Tuesday night. WHO-13 reports several roadways in Polk County and the Des Moines metro were flooded and some farm buildings in Mitchellville were damaged as part of a line of thunderstorms that prompted warnings from central Iowa to eastern Iowa. Wind speeds over 70 MPH were reported in several locations.

DES MOINES – A Des Moines man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for receiving and possessing child pornography. According to public court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip that an account, later determined to be associated with 31-year-old Jacob Adam Toler, uploaded and distributed files containing child sexual abuse material. . A forensic examination of the seized electronic devices showed that Toler used them to receive and possess more than 125 videos.

STUART – A woman has been charged with arson and attempted murder over the weekend for setting fire to a camper in Stuart. KCCI-TV reports that Candie Kingery is accused of intentionally setting fire to a camper early Sunday morning, knowing it would spread to a nearby home. That structure and the vehicle were destroyed, according to the Stuart Fire Department. The person inside the home was able to escape safely.

IOWA – Several healthcare professionals fired from their jobs were awarded unemployment benefits this year, with many of those claims approved by judges for lack of evidence submitted for their alleged misconduct. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports that among them were a WesleyLife employee that failed to responded to call lights of elderly residents more than a dozen times, and throwing one of those lights onto a resident’s chest in frustration. Another was let go from Terrace Hill Healthcare for complaints about comments made about residents, and another was fired from Covenant Medical Center for filing complaints about supervisors.

DES MOINES – A cool front is expected to slowly traverse through Iowa from northwest to southeast during the day today, according to the National Weather Service. Ahead of the front, temperatures will be hot with heat indices peaking near 100 degrees in parts of southern and western Iowa. Showers and thunderstorms will develop along the front through the day. The main hazards will be hail, gusty winds, and locally heavy rainfall.

MARSHALLTOWN – Two Marshalltown men were charged with attempted murder and other felony charges after a shooting incident over the weekend. WHO-13 reports 20-year-old Tyree Letrell Rudolph and 21-year-old Jeremiah James McMullen were both charged with attempted murder, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, and tampering with a witness. Police responded to a possible drive-by shooting Saturday morning, and said the suspects fled the area and were located on Sunday.

CORNING – A southwest Iowa farmer and chair of the Iowa Conservative Energy Forum died in a farming accident over the weekend. The Des Moines Register reports 73-year-old Ray Gaesser died as a result of an incident on Saturday. Several elected officials responded to his death, citing his impact on the state’s agriculture industry as both a farmer and advocate.

WINNESHIEK COUNTY – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating the cause of murky water in Dry Branch Creek that resulted in the deaths of several fish. Iowa Capital Dispatch reports that the department was notified on Thursday of a strong smell of manure and several dead fish near Ossian. The water tested positive for ammonia, according to the Iowa DNR, and an investigation into the source is ongoing.

BLACK HAWK COUNTY – A farm belonging to the Lt. Governor’s candidate for the Republican Party has been placed in receivership over questions related to unpaid debts. The Des Moines Register reports Derek Wulf owns Shallow Creek Land and Livestock, and has faced at least five lawsuits related to the property. Court documents indicate the legal action relates to unpaid debts, with all but one reaching settlement agreements. The Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office confirmed an ongoing investigation into possible criminal charges. The Zach Lahn for Governor campaign claims that Wulf has paid his debts related to the lawsuits.

BOONE – Two people found dead in Boone died in an apparent murder-suicide incident. WHO-13 reports the Boone Police Department responded on Monday to a home for reports of a dead individual. Gregory Evenson and Ronette Bonnell were both found, with investigators finding that the Bonnell died by homicide and claimed that Evenson died by suicide.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services this week confirmed three new cases of measles in the state. KCRG-TV reports that brings the number in 2026 to 22 total incidents, mainly in southern Iowa. Among those, three of them were under the age of five, 10 total were school age, and nine cases involved people 20 and older. Also, 20 of the 22 cases in Iowa involved unvaccinated individuals.

IOWA – Excessive heat is in the forecast through parks of the Labor Day weekend for most Iowans. Heat advisories and warnings have been issued by the National Weather Service and extended this week for daytime temperatures in the 90s and heat index values well above 100 degrees in the afternoon hours. Those conditions will continue through at least Saturday afternoon for most in the state.

PLEASANT HILL – A Pleasant Hill woman is accused of attempting to murder a person after allegedly stabbing that individual multiple times. WHO-13 reports the Ankeny Police Department responded to a 911 call on Wednesday in which a woman claimed she was going to kill two other people before hanging up. Police claim they saw 45-year-old Dawn Lynn Hatfield stabbing a victim in the chest. She was charged with attempted murder and willful injury.

IOWA – A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by an Iowa man who was denied the status of being the “Professor of Pokémon.” Iowa Capital Dispatch reports 34-year-old Kyle Owens of Laurens sued Nintendo and an affiliate company in the U.S. District Court of Southern Iowa, claiming federal antitrust actions violate the Sherman Act. He was seeking a court order that would grant him $341,000 in damages and award him Pokémon Professor Certification. A prior arrest warrant was found during a background check, and Owens was denied in an application. U.S. District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand called the lawsuit frivolous and a complete waste of his and the court’s time.