IOWA – Another dry week across most of the state has drought expanding. The latest national report now shows 10% of the state is in moderate conditions, up from 4% last week. Some heavier rain over the southern part of Iowa dropped off some abnormally dry, but at least 94% of the state remains short on moisture. An extended stretch of dry conditions is expected to last well into October, according to the National Weather Service. JOHNSTON – What could be one of the closest U.S. House races in the nation will have a debate before election day. Iowa PBS will host Iowa Press Debates: 1st Congressional District on Monday, October 21 at 8 p.m. at their studio in Johnston. Hosted by Iowa Press moderator Kay Henderson, candidates Christina Bohannan and U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks will answer questions from reporters and discuss their platforms, concerns and future plans. Henderson will moderate the debate with two Iowa political reporters.

FANHAMVILLE – Police identified the missing teenager found dead Monday in Farnhamville. The Iowa Department of Public Safety indicated 17-year-old Michele “Luna” Jackson was discovered in the early morning hours after a report she was gone on Sunday. Twenty-one year old Nathaniel Bevers-McGivney has now been charged with first degree murder and other related crimes in relation to Jackson’s death.PLYMOUTH COUNTY – A Hinton woman died in a crash at the intersection of U.S. 75 and County Road C70 in Plymouth County Wednesday morning. The Iowa State Patrol reports that a Chrysler Voyager driven by 64-year-old Joann Martin pulled in front of a semi to make a turn. Both vehicles crossed into the median and the semi was overturned. Martin was pronounced dead on scene. IOWA – Hawkeyes or Cyclones? While that’s annually settled on the athletic fields and courts each year, so too are the schools’ academic standing. The Des Moines Register reports U.S. News selected the University of Iowa in its top 100 colleges, while Iowa State University finds itself on a similar list published by the Wall Street Journal. Iowa was compared to schools in its region on the U.S. News list, where it places 98th. ISU is at 121 in for 2025.

DES MOINES – A former Des Moines City Council member has been nominated to the Iowa Board of Regents. The Des Moines Register reports Christine Hensley will begin serving in the role, subject to Iowa Senate confirmation. She is the longest serving member of the Des Moines City Council, serving 24 years in the role. GUTHRIE CENTER – A federal lawsuit has been filed claiming that several Guthrie County officials coordinated to attack a candidate for sheriff. WHO-13 reports Guthrie County Deputy Matt Harmann is the Republican candidate in the race and he’s accusing current Sheriff Marty Arganbright, Chief Deputy Jeremy Bennett, and County Attorney Dana Minteer in spreading negative information about him. He claims the three exchanged emails about Harmann’s candidacy and worked to investigate his work as a deputy. The suit also claims the current sheriff released confidential information about Harmann. The three county officials have not responded to comment. NORTH LIBERTY – One woman faces charges after an accusation she threatened a school administrator in North Liberty. KCRG-TV reports 41-year-old Melody Peer is charged with first degree harassment for an incident police say occurred on September 13th. She allegedly escalated with a principal after confronting staff about an issue her daughter and another student were having. The school then went into safety protocols, worried she’d return and attempt to harm the administrator.

IOWA – A poll that highlighted tightening public opinion about politics in the state shows a growing number of Iowans disapproving of Governor Kim Reynolds. The Des Moines Register’s Iowa Poll shows Governor Kim Reynolds underwater in terms of a approval, with 45% of Iowans supporting her efforts and 50% against, the highest in her seven years on Capitol Hill. Reynolds was approved by 59% of Iowans in February. This comes immediately after the Iowa Supreme Court allowed an abortion ban signed by Reynolds to go into effect and proposals that stripped funding from Area Education Agencies this past session. Auditor Rob Sand stands at 53% approval and Attorney General Brenna Bird — a possible candidate for governor if Reynolds choses not to run, is at 39%. JASPER COUNTY – Two people died in a head-on collision in western Jasper County late Monday night. The Iowa State Patrol reports a Hyundai Elantra driven by 21-year-old Blonca Saint-Louis of Des Moines was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of Highway 330 near Baxter. It collided with a Infiniti G37 operated by Mackenzie Guilliams of Clinton head-on. Both drivers died on impact. IOWA – Gov. Kim Reynolds has returned from her 10-day trade mission to India. Over the course of the trip, Reynolds met with U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti, Indian Minister for Food Processing Chirag Paswan, Indian Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal, and Indian Secretary of Agriculture Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi to discuss future partnerships with Iowa’s agriculture and food processing industries. She also met with Indian Minister of Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi.

FARNHAMVILLE – One man is in custody after police found a missing juvenile dead in Farnhamville. The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office reports a teenager was reported missing on Sunday, and after they responded to the area, placed one person in custody. Police found the body of the juvenile early Monday morning. WHO-13 reports a Gowrie man has been arrested in connection to the death. Twenty-one year old Nathaniel Bevers-McGivney is charged with abuse of a corpse. Police say they found him with the victim’s possessions and covered in blood. Additional charges are expected. IOWA – Details continue to be released from a poll that has been predictive of recent elections in Iowa. The Des Moines Register reports that 52% of Iowans prefer Republicans in congress to 44% for Democrats. This is larger than the margin of lead for former President Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris of four points from the same poll conducted September 8th through the 11th, before the ABC debate between the two. Democrats have a three-point lead in Iowa District 1, between Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks and former State Representative Christina Bohannan, which has been rated as among the most competitive in the nation by several national polling experts. MITCHELLVILLE – A world record belongs to a Saylorville man. WHO-13 reports John Loghry is in possession of the fastest motorized wheelbarrow, which is now a Guinness World Record. Loghry had to work not only on the machine, but for approval from the organization. John worked with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to find a place to safely test the speed, which included a rural road near Mitchellville.