CEDAR RAPIDS – Two Linn County residents found dead on Sunday afternoon have been identified. KCRG-TV reports the Linn County Sheriff’s Office that 69-year-old Robert Richmond and 67-year old Janice Richmond died from apparent gunshot wounds. An investigation into the nature of the incident continues as both were transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office. DALLAS COUNTY – One of the closest elections in the state of Iowa has been officially certified. WHO-13 reports that Democrat incumbent Sarah Trone Garriott won by 29 votes in Iowa Senate District 14 over Republican Challenger Mark Hanson. The results will be re-canvassed at the next Dallas County Board of Supervisors Meeting. IOWA – Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Grant Menke and a 16-member delegation have just returned from a trade mission to Taiwan and Japan. The mission, coordinated by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), included representation from Iowa’s meat production, grain, and meat processing industries. The purpose of the mission was to encourage trade development, bolster partnerships and identify opportunities to expand export markets. Taiwan and Japan were both ranked in the top 10 U.S. agricultural export markets in 2023

DES MOINES – Police identified the victim in a Des Moines homicide investigation that started this past Thursday. WHO-13 reports that 65-year-old Bruce Murray was found dead at an apartment by Des Moines Police. The incident is being investigated as the 15th homicide of 2024 in the city. IOWA – A bitter burst of winter air is expected by Thanksgiving. Temperatures statewide are expected to drop below freezing by the holiday during the day and into the teens overnight. Wind chill values in the single digits and approaching zero are possible some mornings in the upcoming weekend. Spotty rain and snow showers are possible, according to the National Weather Service, especially late Wednesday for those commuting for the holiday. IOWA – Several Iowa school districts are struggling to implement new absenteeism rules passed by the Iowa Legislature aimed to cut down on truancy. KCCI-TV spoke with several leaders who are “frustrated” by an unfunded mandate. The Iowa Department of Education implemented rules based on the legislation that passed, which considered a student who missed 10% of class during a grade period as chronically absent, the 15% requires a family meeting, and 20% or more could result in criminal charges. Some large districts in Iowa have seen improvement, according to the report.

IOWA – As Iowa’s democrats watched the number of elected seats they hold drop yet again, they selected new leadership in the Iowa Senate. The Des Moines Register reports Janice Weiner will spearhead efforts by the minority that holds just 15 seats in the upper chamber of the Iowa Statehouse. She was elected to her seat in 2022 following time on the Iowa City City Council and with the U.S. State Department. IOWA – Governor Kim Reynolds is proposing the Republican supermajority in the Iowa Statehouse to consider restricting cell phone use in Iowa’s public schools. KCRG-TV reports the governor is working with staff to draft potential legislation as many districts continue to see issues with distractions and bullying in classrooms. Several Iowa public and private school districts have already moved to restrict or outright ban devices in class. IOWA CITY – While he started the season as Iowa’s quarterback and lost that role in the last few weeks, he hasn’t ended his career in Iowa City despite several rumors claiming that was the case. Cade McNamara will not play for the Hawkeyes this Saturday, according to WHO-13, but intends to play before the season ends as he deals with post-concussion symptoms. Several reports indicated McNamara had left the team in frustration, but instead, he himself has contradicted those sources, saying he wants to be ready to compete against Nebraska next week.

IOWA – A report by the Des Moines Register indicates that abortions in Iowa have dropped by close to forty percent since the state’s new six week ban went into effect earlier this year. Estimates show Iowa averaged 400 clinician provided abortions through the first six months of 2024, and that has dropped to 250. Iowa’s fetal heartbeat law bans the procedure once cardiac activity is detected in a pregnancy, with few exceptions. A Des Moines Register poll in September showed 59% of Iowans disapproved of the new restrictions. JOHNSON COUNTY – A Nashville, Tennessee man died in a single vehicle crash on Interstate 80 in Johnson County early Wednesday morning. The Iowa State Patrol reports that 25-year-old Jeremy Rogers was driving a Volvo Truck near mile marker 245 and left the roadway before striking a bridge guardrail. Rogers was not wearing a seatbelt at the time. PELLA – The teenager accused of attacking multiple students at Pella Middle School with a knife before class Wednesday morning faces felony charges for the incident. The Pella Police Department charged a 14-year-old male with three counts of attempted murder and two counts of felony assault with intent for the alleged incident. The department says the student lunged a kitchen knife at three other students before school started in the cafeteria. A majority of students returned to class with mental health services provided on Thursday.

PELLA – One student was arrested after assaulting multiple other students with a knife at Pella Middle School on Wednesday morning. The Pella Police Department responded at 7:41 a.m. to the incident and with the help of staff, apprehended the alleged attacker shortly after he assaulted at least two other students, who suffered minor injuries. The building was on lockdown before classes began. The student arrested had faced a prior assault charge in February for attacking a school counselor. DAVENPORT – Two eastern Iowa men were sentenced for federal crimes related to child pornography on Wednesday. Thirty-seven-year-old Bob Arthur Phillips of Davenport received 192 months and 48-year-old Brent Michael Fisher of Clinton was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison for distribution and receipt of child pornography. According to court documents, Phillips uploaded the child sexual abuse material to the digital storage account. Following multiple residential search warrants at Phillips’ residence, law enforcement seized numerous electronic devices belonging to Phillips, found to contain evidence of distributing and receiving child sexual assault material. Fisher possessed fifteen devices that contained child sexual abuse material, including cell phones and memory cards. WASHINGTON D.C. – A former acting Attorney General and Iowa native has been chosen as the next ambassador to NATO. The Des Moines Register reports Matthew Whitaker has been nominated by President-Elect Donald Trump ahead of his second term on January 20th. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was organized to defend Europe against Russian advances. Whitaker is from Ankeny and holds several degrees from the University of Iowa, and was a former Hawkeyes football player.