Emergency crews responded to a natural gas pipeline explosion and fire in southeast Iowa on Saturday.

According to Washington County Emergency Management, the rupture happened Saturday morning near Brighton, located about 20 miles north of Fairfield. No one was injured and no other structures were damaged. First responders had the fire contained by 1 p.m.

The cause of the explosion has not yet been determined.

The pipeline is owned by Mid America Pipeline Company, a subsidiary of Texas-based Enterprise Products Partners.

A proposed federal ruling would limit which waters and wetlands are protected under the Clean Water Act. Conservation advocates argue the revision is much too narrow, while farm groups support the change.

A wave of letters signed by environmental advocacy groups across the country say the new definition of what is considered protected ignores science and leaves the vast majority of remaining American wetlands unprotected.

Nancy Stoner, a senior attorney at the Environmental Law and Policy Center, said when lawmakers wrote the Clean Water Act over 50 years ago, they intentionally made it broad so it could protect more water resources.

“They thought they were fixing the problem,” Stoner said. “If you went back to the members of Congress from 1972 and you said, ‘We just decided most of the waters in the United States are actually not protected by the Clean Water Act,’ I think they would be appalled.”

Some farm advocacy groups, like the American Farm Bureau Federation, have praised the redefinition, saying it offers needed clarity to farmers about whether parts of their fields should be considered protected wetlands.

Read more from Harvest Public Media.

Sheila Brummer

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Iowa Public Radio

A trial date has been set for a lawsuit filed by the contractor who built the new Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center in Sioux City. 

Hausmann Construction, of Lincoln, Neb., filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Woodbury County and others involved with the project. The company claims that it wasn’t paid almost $6 million, and its image was unfairly tarnished.

The jail was scheduled to open in the spring of 2023, but because of delays, it did not start housing inmates until a year and a half later.

County officials have said they will vigorously defend the lawsuit, including filing counterclaims against Hausmann.  

The trial is set for May 2027.  

Nick Loomis

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The Midwest Newsroom

The City of Burlington is replacing a bridge that has been closed for almost 20 years with the help of federal funding. Iowa’s 1^st District Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks was in the southeast Iowa town Friday to celebrate securing $6 million in funding for the project. 

Miller-Meeks said she fought hard to include the $6 million in a spending package passed by Congress earlier this month. 

“This doesn't happen by accident,” she said. “As we recall, from when we talked about this down at the Cascade Bridge, and people thought it just accidentally happened. Community project funding isn’t handed out. It’s earned.” 

Some Burlington residents accused the congresswoman of being disingenuous for putting in requests for the funding when she had previously voted against a 2021 infrastructure law. During her visit to the district, protesters gathered outside Burlington City Hall, where Miller-Meeks celebrated the funding announcement. 

Iowa’s entire congressional delegation has sponsored legislation to name two Veterans Affairs facilities after the two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed in Syria.

Sen. Chuck Grassley said the VA facility in Des Moines would be named after Staff Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, and the VA outpatient clinic in Marshalltown would be named after Staff Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard. The facilities are in the hometowns of the two soldiers.

Torres-Tovar, 25, and Howard, 29, were shot and killed by a lone ISIS gunman while deployed in Palmyra, Syria, on Dec. 13, 2025.

“We’re forever indebted to them for their dedication and service to Iowa and protecting our country,” Grassley said. “Our legislation ensures their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

Sen. Joni Ernst said she’s “honored to lead this effort and tell the stories of their service” so their legacy lives on for generations.

The legislation is named the Iowa National Guard Heroes Commemoration Act.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order quadrupling beef imports from Argentina, despite objections from some of his biggest supporters — U.S. cattle ranchers.

Bill Bullard, CEO of the rancher advocacy group R-CALF USA, said the bump in low-tariff imports will only help the meat packing industry, not ranchers.

“Increased imports do effectively lower cattle prices, but they do not lower beef prices,” Bullard explained. “Instead, what the increased imports do is provide greater margins for the meat packers and importers at the expense of producers on one end of the supply chain and consumers on the other.”

At the same time, the Trump administration is pressuring ranchers to produce more cattle. Bullard said ranchers are trying to rebuild their cattle herds, which are at their lowest level since the 1950s. But he said the import bump will have the opposite effect.

The Iowa Court of Appeals has denied Walmart’s effort to cut millions in property taxes for its store in Marshalltown.

The Walmart store in Marshalltown sits on a nearly 25 acre site. The main store is around 214,000 square feet, with a 6,000 square foot garden center. The Marshall County Assessor appraised the store at $13,323,780 in January of 2023. Walmart contested the property tax assessment, saying it should be $8,332,680.

Walmart argued the county assessment was not proper because it was based on the building being leased and not owner-occupied. The Iowa Court of Appeals ruled that the methods the county expert used in the appraisal were more credible than Walmart’s appraiser.

Iowa DOT

More people than ever flew out of Iowa’s commercial airports in 2025.

Stuart Anderson, with the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), said December numbers resumed the upward trend after a drop in November. 

“We ended the year up 4.8% over calendar year 2024,” he said. “So, for the first time ever, more than 5 million passengers flew out of Iowa’s eight commercial service airports.”

Anderson said the drop in November travel was due in part to the government shutdown. The state’s top two airports in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids each saw record use in 2025.

Iowa roadway travel

December highway travel was down, but overall travel was up slightly in 2025, according to the DOT.

“Of course, we did have some weather towards the end of the month, which probably impacted that a bit,” Anderson said.

Iowa traffic deaths were at a record low of 259 in 2025. But Anderson said January started the new year with 24 traffic deaths — 7 more than last January. 

“This month, we saw more fatalities in younger and older drivers, and we had at least one multi-fatality incident,” he said.

Anderson made his comments this week during a report to the Transportation Commission.

Officials with Iowa Lakes Community College said they are heartbroken over the death of a baseball player during a bus crash Wednesday in northwest Iowa.

They said 19-year-old Carter Johnson of Rapid City, South Dakota, was killed when the bus left a curve in the road and flipped into a ditch on Highway 4 in Calhoun County. The accident happened about 110 miles northwest of Des Moines.

“Carter was a great teammate, a friend and a valued member of our athletic community,” said Troy Larson, Iowa Lakes’ athletic director. “In his time here, he really impacted our campus, both within our halls and the classrooms, as well as on the playing field.”

There were 32 others injured in the crash. A spokesperson for the Iowa State Patrol said three players who were flown to Des Moines for treatment are in stable condition, but because of the violent crash, it will take time to recover. The accident is still under investigation.

The Atlantic school board voted to terminate the employment of the district’s high school counselor Jesse McCann during a brief meeting Wednesday. Their action was based on a recommendation by Superintendent Beth Johnsen.

Prior to the vote, the board heard from Atlantic High School student Liam Spencer, who was an advocate for a recent student protest. Spencer represented a group of students who were unhappy with the district’s handling of allegations against McCann alleging inappropriate behavior with students.

“In light of recent events, will the employment process be stricter in order to ensure the safety of students and staff alike?” Spencer asked the board during public comment. “There should be plans set in place in order to prevent another situation in the future. We don’t want this happening to us again or another school, obviously.”

More than 40 people attended the meeting, and at least 118 people watched the meeting via YouTube.

The Atlantic Community School District released a statement Thursday regarding its ongoing investigation into the allegation.

“The matter remains under investigation by Iowa Board of Educational Examiners and the Atlantic Police Department,” the statement read. “Because this is an ongoing investigation and a personnel matter, the district is limited in the information it can share at this time.  Under Iowa law, certain records are confidential and not subject to public disclosure.”
The district said additional information will be shared as appropriate and when permitted by law.

No charges have been filed against McCann in connection to the allegations.

Even though the Midwest is far from any oceans, the marine industry came up multiple times at one of the largest biofuels policy conferences in the U.S. last week.

Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, which organizes the annual conference, sees the shipping industry as a golden goose for ethanol and soy-based biodiesel.

“There are massive new markets out there that are looking for the very solutions that renewable fuels have to offer,” Shaw said. “The marine industry represents an 80-billion-gallon-a-year opportunity.”

Shaw said renewable fuels have been “stuck in neutral,” pointing to three years of stagnant ethanol production in Iowa, along with a 10-year low for biodiesel.

Iowa, the top-producing state for both biofuels, also leads in corn bushels and comes in second for soybeans after Illinois. But most farmers who grow these crops have production costs outpacing commodity prices.

A recent study prepared for the Iowa Corn Growers Association and Iowa Renewable Fuels Association predicts the gap will continue growing unless farmers and processors can access new and emerging markets.

Read the full story from Harvest Public Media.

Emergency management officials in northwest Iowa said all the people treated for their injuries after Wednesday’s deadly bus crash involving the Iowa Lakes Community College baseball team are in stable condition. The crash left one player dead.

The team was on its way to play North Arkansas College when the bus left the road and flipped into a ditch west of Twin Lakes, located about 110 miles northwest of Des Moines. There were 33 people on board the bus.

Richard Hall, the emergency management coordinator in Calhoun County, said three people were airlifted to a Des Moines hospital, and all the injured people are in stable condition.

“This was the first large mass casualty incident that our county has experienced in a very long time that people can remember. In total, we had 32 individuals that were triaged and transported to area hospitals,” Hall said. “I can confirm that all those patients were accounted for, treated and transported within one hour of the first 911 phone call.”

Students at Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville held a private vigil Wednesday night.

Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a social media post that she is “heartbroken by the horrible news” and is praying for everyone affected by the deadly bus crash.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate plans to settle a lawsuit from civil rights groups over a flawed list used to challenge voter eligibility before the 2024 election. 

Two weeks before Election Day, the state said around 2,000 Iowans must file provisional ballots because driver’s license records indicated they may not be citizens. 
 
But the vast majority of people flagged by Pate’s office were actually citizens.   

The ACLU of Iowa said under the proposed agreement, the state would no longer use the 2024 list or rely on Department of Transportation data to challenge voters. The Iowa Attorney General’s Office said that’s not a concern because the state can now check voter rolls against a federal citizenship database. 

One person is dead, and several others are injured after a bus crashed in northwest Iowa on Wednesday morning. The Iowa State Patrol is investigating the crash involving the Iowa Lakes Community College baseball team.

The team was on their way to a game in Arkansas when their bus went off the road and flipped over into a ditch near Twin Lakes in Calhoun County. There were 33 people on board.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety reported that the injured were either taken by ambulance or flown to area hospitals.

A statement released by Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville asked for “privacy and compassion for all those affected.”

Iowa’s 2nd District Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson accused Democrats of using agencies within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as political pawns.

The federal government faces a partial shutdown if Congress can’t agree on a spending bill to fund DHS by Friday, but Democrats are demanding new restrictions on the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Republicans like Hinson say they are holding critical funding hostage.

“What we've told our colleagues is that ICE and CBP [Customs and Border Protection], they’re good on money. They’re funded through reconciliation. We already took care of that,” Hinson said. “So, this is just political showmanship by those on the left at the expense of American safety across the board for the homeland.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement received $75 billion in multi-year funding through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last year. If Congress doesn’t pass a new spending bill by the end of the week, DHS agencies providing disaster relief and airport security will shut down indefinitely.

Welcome ceremonies are scheduled Wednesday afternoon for almost 250 members of the Iowa National Guard.

The soldiers worked alongside coalition forces to help reduce the impact of ISIS in Iraq and Syria. They’re returning to their family and friends after being deployed for almost a year.

Two events are planned in the afternoon in Sioux City and Des Moines for the soldiers.

A spokesperson for the Iowa National Guard said other service members who took part in the mission in the Middle East will return later. This includes the cavalry regiment of the two guard members who were shot and killed by an ISIS militant in Syria in December.

Iowa’s 2nd District Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson expressed some concerns over the president’s deal with Argentina to import more beef to the U.S. to offset high prices.

Hinson said it’s important to lower food costs as the price of beef has risen, but she is also focused on protecting American cattle producers. She also acknowledged that they have faced tough market conditions in recent years. 

“I do have real concerns about this policy leading to more uncertainty and more instability for our farmers,” Hinson said. “So, I guess what I would say is, I think it’s the wrong policy at the wrong time right now.” 

Some American cattle producers have accused the Trump administration of favoring Argentinian farmers and have said importing beef from Argentina will hurt their bottom line. 

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley said retaliatory tariffs on American goods have had an impact on farm inputs and hurt U.S. farmers.

James Kelley

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Iowa Public Radio

The Coralville City Council is considering revisiting its contract with Flock Safety, a company that operates controversial Automated License Plate Readers in the area. It comes after the city received a letter from the Iowa Attorney General’s Office that states part of its policy prohibiting the cameras from being used for immigration enforcement does not comply with state law.

Council member Mike Knudson supports reviewing the city’s contract for the Flock cameras after seeing the extent of federal immigration enforcement efforts that have taken place since the council approved its policy last September. 

“At that time, last fall, I had no idea how far it would go,” Knudsen said. “I would say it’s far exceeded, maybe, my worst thoughts about how far it would go with that, in terms of shooting people in the streets.” 

The Attorney General’s Office sent the letter to the City of Coralville after receiving a complaint about its policy not complying with state and federal laws. 

Read more.

Rachel Cramer

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Iowa Public Radio

The Ames City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing and education based on an individual’s gender identity. It comes about a year after the state removed gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act, which sparked some cities to adopt resolutions affirming local protections.

Ames City Council members approved the local ordinance in a 5-1 vote. The lone dissenter was council member Tim Gartin, who raised concerns about a bill that an Iowa House subcommittee advanced Monday.  

The bill (HSB 664), which was proposed by the governor, would ban local governments like the City of Ames from adopting broader protections than the state law outlines.  

Council member Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen said she does not want to bend to what she sees as bullying behavior from lawmakers.

“I think, as we face a state government that is increasingly inserting its control of our every move, I believe that it is important to make Ames’ stance on this issue clear,” Beatty-Hansen said.

The city’s new ordinance goes into effect Saturday. First-time violations are set at $750, with $1,000 for repeat offenses. 

Read more.

The Food & Water Watch and the Iowa Environmental Council plan to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unless it returns seven Iowa waterways to the state’s impaired waters list.

The EPA removed the waterways from the list in 2025, reversing an earlier decision by the agency that said segments of the Cedar, Des Moines, Iowa and South Skunk rivers exceeded safe drinking water standards for nitrate. 

Every two years, states must submit a list of every impaired waterbody or river segment to the EPA. The causes for impairment include fish-killing fertilizer spills, E. coli and high nutrient levels. 

The state works with the EPA to set a target to reduce pollutants and create a restoration plan.

Naomi Delkamiller / The Midwest Newsroom

The flow of immigrants into Iowa in 2025 was about half of what it was in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. If the trend continues, it could have consequences for the state’s population growth. 

Census data shows that between 2020 and 2025, more than 90% of Iowa’s population growth was due to new arrivals from other countries. 

David Peters, an agriculture and rural policy professor at Iowa State University, said immigrants have been a lifeline for some rural communities, where growth stalled after the pandemic.

“It’s addressed workforce shortages that we have all across the state,” Peters said. “They buy homes, they spend their money in the community, they keep the schools running. It keeps the state revenues relatively robust.”

Iowa’s population growth rate is about 4%. Without immigrants, Peters said it would be about 1%.

Read more from Holly Edgell with The Midwest Newsroom.

Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City is on Billboard magazine’s 2026 list of top music venues, alongside sites such as The Sphere in Las Vegas and Preservation Hall in New Orleans.

Billboard calls Hancher “a quiet powerhouse for indie touring in the Midwest,” and cites its acoustics, sightlines and technical capabilities.

Hancher is located on the University of Iowa campus. It opened its current building in 2016 after the original auditorium was destroyed in the 2008 flood.

A bipartisan group of ag leaders and former government officials sent a letter to Congress last week warning that President Donald Trump’s economic policies could cause the “widespread collapse of American agriculture.”

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley agrees that Trump’s tariffs on farm inputs and retaliatory tariffs imposed on U.S. ag exports are hurting U.S. farmers. He said Congress has ceded power to impose tariffs to the president over many decades, and they should pass legislation to take that power back. But he admitted such a bill faces long odds.

“I think any president's going to veto power that they have today,” Grassley said. “If we pass the law, then you have to have two-thirds to override the veto. I don't think that's going to happen, but that's what should happen.”

The New York Times reported the group signing the letter includes former heads of associations representing corn and soybean farmers and officials from the Bush and Reagan administrations. The group said farmer bankruptcies have doubled, barely half of all farms will be profitable this year and the U.S. is running a historic agriculture trade deficit.

The Cedar Rapids school board has agreed to explore two options for consolidating many of the district’s schools as it tries to cut costs.

The first proposed model would group fifth and sixth graders into intermediate schools. The second proposed model involves creating kindergarten through fourth grade elementary schools and fifth through eighth grade middle schools. Both options aim to reduce the number of elementary school buildings. 

Superintendent Tawana Lannin said the board’s vote gives her a clear directive. 

“Tonight, we saw the power of what the next phase of this work will bring,” she said. “While there were no final decisions that were made, we know that this requires deeper study, deeper voice and deeper engagement.” 

The school board is set to make a final decision on the consolidations in April. It comes after the district approved nearly $13 million in cuts to next year's budget. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said a man arrested by federal agents in Sioux City on Feb. 4 has an extensive criminal record. Raul Torres Olivares, 46, was arrested last week after running his vehicle into an ICE vehicle before attempting to flee from officers.

In addition to pending felony charges for forgery and defying an order of removal in 2023, ICE is pursuing additional charges against Olivares for assaulting officers and resisting arrest.

Federal court documents show he pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection to the death of his girlfriend’s baby in 2003. After serving his sentence, Olivares was deported in 2011 and removed from the U.S. three additional times before his most recent arrest.

MidAmerican Energy called the Des Moines Police Department (DMPD) Sunday morning to report an injured trespasser who had damaged equipment at a power substation, knocking out power to over 5,000 customers.

DMPD said its investigation indicated that around 5:45 a.m., a man climbed over a fence at the substation that provides electricity to downtown Des Moines. KCCI TV reported when first responders arrived, they found a man who was naked. Police said the man had burns that covered about 20% of his body. He was taken to a Des Moines hospital for treatment.

Power was restored in the area by 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Sheila Brummer

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Iowa Public Radio

Iowa’s dry start to the new year is affecting some winter activities and raising concerns about the ecosystem.

The National Weather Service reported that since meteorological winter began on Dec. 1, most of the state has experienced below-normal snowfall. This includes Sioux City, home of the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center.

Theresa Kruid, education director at the western Iowa nature preserve, said a snow drought has forced the cancellation of snowshoeing activities.

“It's been a roller coaster,” Kruid said. “I think it's been warm and then really cold. It was kind of weird, with lots of snow in December and not very much since then.”

Kruid is also worried about the impact on plants and hibernating animals. She said plants can sprout too early, and animals burn through their fat reserves too quickly if they are forced to wake up more frequently due to weather conditions.

A Fairfield High School teacher has been placed on administrative leave after being accused of making inappropriate contact with a student.

Vannen Crabtree, 57, of Richland, has been charged with sexual exploitation by a school employee, grooming and lascivious acts with a minor. The Fairfield Community School District’s website shows Crabtree is an industrial arts teacher.

KCRG reported authorities began investigating Crabtree on Jan. 28 after a parent notified police that Crabtree had communicated with their teenage daughter through social media.

Sheila Brummer

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Iowa Public Radio

Former Iowa House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl has dropped out of the race for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District. The Republican from Missouri Valley said after recent developments in the race, it became clear that staying in would not best serve the people of the district.

Last Thursday, President Donald Trump endorsed Republican candidate Chris McGowan, who leads all candidates in fundraising. McGowan is the president of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce.

Windschitl is now backing McGowan in the Republican primary on June 2.

Two other Republicans are still in the race: Iowa Tea Party Founder Ryan Rhodes of Ames and software consultant and farmer Christian Schlaefer of Lakota.

Democratic candidates include: former state Rep. Dave Dawson of Lawton, Ashley WolfTornabane of Storm Lake and Stephanie Steiner of Sutherland.

Current 4th District Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra is running for governor of Iowa.

Iowa per-pupil spending has grown, on average, by 2% per year since 2012. At the same time, the state has expanded school choice programs in recent years, like Education Savings Accounts, and enrollment at Iowa’s public schools has dipped.

Former Ankeny High School social studies teacher Nick Covington said public schools are now being asked to do more with fewer resources.

“I saw enriching course offerings cut and students in special education failing to have their needs met,” Covington said. “All the while, elected representatives scolded us to do more and more with less and less.”

Joshua Brown, president of the Iowa State Education Association, said one reason school districts across the state are cutting staff and programs is a growing interest in Education Savings Accounts pushed by Republican lawmakers.

“And now our status has shifted from a top tier academic performer to one in which private school vouchers define excellence and our traditional academic rankings have slipped to the middle of the pack,” Brown said.

A state Senate subcommittee recently advanced a proposal to increase state aid by 1.75%, which would put per-pupil funding at around $8,100. Gov. Kim Reynolds is suggesting a 2% per-pupil funding increase. Both proposals are below current inflation rates.

Lawmakers are nearing a self-imposed deadline to decide on a school funding plan by Thursday.

New federal dietary guidelines endorse whole-fat dairy products, ending a longstanding recommendation for low and nonfat alternatives. Nutrition experts say the science behind which is healthiest is a little less clear cut.

Saturated fat is known to raise a person's cholesterol level and increase their risk of heart disease, which is why nutritionists have recommended low- and nonfat dairy products for decades. But in recent years, a growing number of studies have found people who consume whole milk and full-fat yogurt are not more likely to develop heart disease.

Sander Kersten, director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, said so far researchers can't explain why these products are different than other sources of saturated fat.

“This is such a complex subject, and you can weigh the evidence very differently," Kersten said.

That's why he thinks sticking mostly to low-fat dairy is still the healthiest choice.

Mario Kratz, a former academic researcher who has studied dairy's impact on heart health, said there’s still more research to be done.

"If we don't have clear data to suggest that one form of dairy is better than the other, maybe we should just leave the choice to the consumer,” he said.

But Kratz says the guidelines go too far in recommending butter as a healthy fat. He said research has clearly shown that butter raises cholesterol levels, therefore increasing a person's risk for heart disease.

Alpha-gal syndrome, a tickborne allergy to red meat and diary, affects nearly half a million Americans, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For farmers and ranchers, who are in close contact with livestock everyday, the allergy can be especially challenging to navigate – and is pushing some to leave the industry altogether.

Most people with alpha-gal syndrome experience allergic reactions after ingesting meat – such as beef, pork or venison, while some also have reactions to dairy or gelatin products.

But others have severe anaphylactic reactions when they come into physical contact with livestock – whether through blood or amniotic fluid or dander in the air. Experts aren’t sure whether these reactions are truly alpha-gal syndrome or if this immune system hyperreactivity is triggered by the condition.

“I think there's not great data,” said Dr. Scott Commins, an allergist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and one of the leading alpha-gal researchers in the U.S. “I think it is an area where you could certainly say that there's uncertainty because patients are saying one thing and giving us reports of symptoms and reactions and, on the scientific side, we don't really have great research to say, “Yes, fumes and yes, fluids.”

A national survey of farmers and ranchers diagnosed with alpha-gal found that 69% of respondents reported they had to modify work tasks due to their diagnosis, while 57% said they experience signs and symptoms associated with the allergy daily.

Shaun Cross, a researcher at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, behind the survey, said they heard from people who’ve had to hire more help, stop raising livestock or leave farming altogether.

Read more from Harvest Public Media.

The Iowa Poison Control Center has seen an uptick in calls about carbon monoxide poisoning as people are spending most of their time indoors.

Janna Day, a poison center spokeswoman and licensed practical nurse, said she hasn’t heard of any carbon monoxide deaths in the state this winter, but there have been plenty of poisoning cases.

“Carbon monoxide is actually known as the silent killer because it is invisible and it’s odorless and it’s tasteless,” Day said. “You don’t know that it exists in your home unless you have a carbon monoxide detector.”

Day said several home appliances are the most common causes of carbon monoxide poisonings, such as water heaters, furnaces, fireplaces and stoves.

“When fuels like gasoline or natural gas are burned, we get carbon monoxide as a byproduct,” Day explained. “If those appliances in your home aren’t well maintained, you might get a carbon monoxide leak.”

Day warned that some appliances, like generators, should never be used inside. If your house loses power, position the generator at least 20 feet away from your home.

Another big risk Day pointed to comes from something many Iowans do frequently during the winter: warming up your car.

“You would want to make sure that your car is outside of your garage because that carbon monoxide can come into your home,” she said.

She said warming up a snow blower in the garage could create the same risk.

Day recommended getting annual check-ups on your furnace and having at least one carbon monoxide detector in your home, and better yet, at least one on each level.

The Sioux City-based Iowa Poison Control Center responds to more than 23,000 cases each year and makes more than 50,000 follow-up calls to ensure patients remain safe. More than half of all cases involve children under the age of 19.

A northwest lowa man has died in a grain bin accident.

Crawford County Emergency Management reported that Robert Kroll, 83, was killed Thursday morning after he was trapped in a grain bin outside of Charter Oak.

First responders from 10 different communities were called in to try to save Kroll. They used a grain vacuum and cut access holes into the side of the grain bin. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Natalie Krebs

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Iowa Public Radio

University of Iowa researchers are about a fourth of the way through a state-funded research project looking into what’s driving Iowa’s high cancer rates. 

The state has invested $1 million into the project, which is being led by the University of Iowa College of Public Health.  

Initial modeling for breast and prostate cancer shows the number of excessive cases drop overall when comparing Iowa’s rates to similar states and controlling for some demographic and behavioral factors, according to researchers.

However, Jacob Oleson, with the University of Iowa, said some counties do continue to have higher than expected rates. 

“These would be counties that, in the next phases, might be of interest to look into some of the other factors that we want to look at,” Oleson said.

Researchers said they will next extend the modeling to other common types of cancer and will start looking into genetic and environmental factors. 

Read more.

A man was arrested by a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unit after a chase and car crash Wednesday in Sioux City.

Raul Torres Olivares, 46, is currently being held at the Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center after the incident Wednesday morning. Authorities said federal agents tried to stop Olivares before his car hit an SUV driven by a DHS officer. 

A spokesperson for the Sioux City Police Department said he isn’t sure of the size or scope of any federal operation in Sioux City.

In a statement to the Sioux City Journal, the police chief said his department will respond to calls for service within city limits, but they are not actively involved with any DHS investigations.

The Linn County Board of Supervisors has approved the first of three readings of an ordinance addressing large data center development in unincorporated parts of the county. Some residents raised concerns that the proposed ordinance doesn’t draw a clear enough line between which developers may be approved and which won’t.

Supervisor Brandy Meisheid said if the ordinance feels broad, it’s to allow the county to address specifics that can vary widely based on the developer. 

“We have to make sure that the ordinance that we’re writing not only protects our residents but also is broad enough that it captures anybody wanting to come,” Meisheid said. “Then we can dive down into those specifics to make sure we have further protections based upon how they operate.” 

The board of supervisors will consider adding amendments addressing decommissioning, light pollution and residential well protection at their next meeting on Feb. 9. The third and final reading is scheduled for later next week.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is looking into an officer-involved shooting that happened in Marion Wednesday morning.

Police said an 18-year-old man approached two officers with a machete and wouldn't listen to their verbal commands for him to drop the weapon. They used an electric taser, but said he continued to move toward them.

An officer then fired one shot at the man, who quickly became unresponsive and was later pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital.

The officers have been placed on leave while Iowa DCI, the Linn County Attorney’s Office and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office conduct a review of the incident. 

Heart disease is the number one killer in Iowa, claiming more than 7,000 lives each year. As part of American Heart Month, Cara Whipple, with the American Heart Association, is urging Iowans to learn CPR.

Whipple said if people know how to help, they can do more than just call for assistance if someone is having a heart attack.

“Rates of cardiac arrest outside of the hospital, it’s around 70%,” she said. “When that happens, nine out of 10 times when they don’t have cardiac arrest in a hospital, they do not survive.”

Whipple attributes the low survival rate for heart attacks outside a hospital to a lack of bystander action.

The American Heart Association said more than 417,000 Americans die from cardiac arrest every year. Whipple said it’s vital that anyone can step in as a first responder until the real first responders arrive.

“We really need folks to understand that cardiac arrest can happen anywhere. It could be the grocery store or a school event or perhaps while you’re at the gym,” Whipple said. “Our EMS providers in this state are fantastic, but we have a lot of volunteer responders and response times can be long.”

The American Heart Association routinely offers free CPR courses, both in the classroom and virtually. Whipple encourages everyone — even younger people — to start thinking about heart health because it could save a life.

An arrest has been made in a string of arson fires in western Iowa. The Monona County Sheriff's Office charged David Ira Bryan, 43, with arson in the second degree.

Fire severely damaged the grandstand at the Monona County Fairgrounds in Onawa on Jan. 28, causing an estimated $750,000 in damages. The grandstand was more than 100 years old and a local landmark.

Authorities said the suspect was seen on video surveillance footage near the grandstand.

Investigators said two other fires were deliberately set two days earlier.

A western Iowa school board has refused to accept the resignation of a high school counselor under investigation by local police.

The resignation was expected to happen during a special school board meeting Wednesday morning in Atlantic. The meeting didn’t take place as scheduled, but a roomful of parents still expressed their outrage.

The Atlantic Police Department said it's aware of an incident involving a school staff member and students and takes the safety of children and the community very seriously. A spokesperson told IPR News that no other information will be released at this time.

Josie Fischels

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Iowa Public Radio

Under the Trump administration, rising visa costs and stricter immigration enforcement are keeping more international artists and musicians from coming to the U.S.

To perform or share their art in the country legally, international artists must apply for specialized visas, most commonly the P-3 visa for culturally unique groups, or the O-1 visa for individuals with extraordinary ability.

Arts organizers across the Midwest have said a variety of challenges, including long visa processing delays and mounting visa fees and travel costs, are making it harder for international artists to participate in short-term U.S. engagements, and increasingly determining whether international artists perform in the U.S. at all.

For Midwestern presenters, especially in rural communities, the result can mean lost revenue and fewer opportunities for cultural exchange.

In recent months, an Austrian guitarist canceled his entire U.S. tour, including a stop in Missouri, citing the country’s “social and political climate” and the rising costs of visa processing. In Iowa, a mural commissioned from a Colombian artist had to be creatively constructed and unveiled without her after she was denied entry into the U.S.

Read the full story from the Midwest Newsroom.

The 2026 Iowa caucuses are history. Monday night’s gatherings gave activists from both major parties a chance to talk about their party platforms, and voters got to hear from some candidates.

Iowa’s 4th District Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra, who’s running for governor, spoke to several precincts in the Des Moines area — including 16 precincts meeting together in a West Des Moines school cafeteria.

Feenstra told reporters “hundreds” of volunteers spoke on his behalf at other caucuses around the state.

“This is the time the Republican Party gets together, talks about policy and talks about how we are going to make sure that we keep this state red,” Feenstra said. “This is the grassroots. These are the people who door knock, put out the signs and everything like that.”

Other Republican candidates for governor organized on caucus night, too. According to social media posts, Zach Lahn of Belle Plaine spoke at three different precinct sites in Scott County, and Adam Steen’s campaign had over 450 people sign up online to speak at their local precinct gatherings.

State Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat who’s running for governor, spoke to voters in his own precinct in Des Moines.

A report from the State Auditor’s Office found financial irregularities in Tama County with nearly a quarter million dollars spent by a former county official. 

Tama County officials requested the special investigation following the firing of former Human Resources Manager Tamara Wise in February 2025. The report found Wise made thousands of dollars of questionable, improper and unsupported purchases using county funds for more than five years. 

State Auditor Rob Sand said the investigation shows Wise did not have enough oversight when making county purchases. 

“Credit card statements weren’t getting reviewed on a regular basis. They should be. Purchases were not getting pre-approved. They should be,” Sand said. “And they did not have a formal policy in place for a lot of different things.”

Sand said his office is going to leave it up to state and county prosecutors to determine if they will file charges.

Samantha J. Photography

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U.S. Speedskating

Zach Stoppelmoor is on his way to the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy. The 26-year-old from West Des Moines is the first Iowan to make the U.S. Speedskating team at the Olympics.

Stoppelmoor started playing roller hockey around the age of 6 after he saw a flyer from school. He said the coach was quickly impressed by his skating skills.

“He was like, ‘Hey, you're pretty fast. You should try out speed skating.' And I was like, ‘OK, I'll give it a chance,’” Stoppelmoor said.

That chance roughly two decades ago has resulted in a speed skating world record and has earned him a spot on Team USA at the Winter Olympics.

“The goal as a kid was just always go to the Olympics, try to win a Olympic medal,” Stoppelmoor said, adding that he set that goal when he was around 8 years old.

The Valley High School graduate practiced inline speed skating at Skate South in Des Moines. At 19 years old, he moved to Utah to pursue speed skating on ice.

Stoppelmoor is set to compete in the Men’s 500m race on Feb. 14.

Listen to his conversation with IPR’s Morning Edition Host Meghan McKinney.

The temporary paper licenses on newly purchased vehicles in Iowa are now digitized.

The paper cards hang inside the back window of a vehicle, indicating that the vehicle’s new owner has submitted the paperwork to the Iowa Department of Transportation to register the vehicle as their own. As of Jan. 1, auto dealers have been providing cards that can be scanned by law enforcement officers.

Jazmine Sneller, general manager of Ver Hoef Automotive in Sioux Center, said each card has an embedded number from the Iowa DOT, so the driver can confirm they own the vehicle.

“So, if you get pulled over, they can run that number and it will automatically show up in your name,” Sneller said.

Sneller said the change is providing reassurance to customers who’ve been wary of leaving the dealership with the temporary tag in the rear window.

“If they had to cross state lines, they were worried about getting pulled over and not being able to provide enough documentation,” Sneller added.

Dealers issue the temporary tags for a vehicle after tax, title and license fees are paid. Now, all paperwork is handled electronically. Iowa DOT officials say the updated system makes it easier to verify legitimate vehicle registrations.

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley said he’s leaning toward voting for a controversial bill that would impose new voter ID requirements.

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act — known as the SAVE Act — mandates documentation proving citizenship in order to register to vote in the U.S. The bill has already passed the U.S. House.

Several groups, including the League of Women Voters, are urging the Senate to reject the bill, saying it would disenfranchise tens of millions of U.S. citizens who can’t produce documents like a birth certificate or passport. Grassley said the Senate can address some of these concerns, and said the bill is a needed step toward securing elections.

“I think that I'm going to vote for the bill because I think I want to make it very clear to Iowans that if you aren't a citizen of the United States, you shouldn't vote, and we ought to have that certainty that comes with it,” he said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X Monday that the SAVE Act would be “dead on arrival” in the Senate and likened it to Jim Crow voting laws.

Grassley said noncitizen voting was a “problem” in the 2024 election. He pointed to an audit by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate that found of the nearly 1.7 million ballots cast in the state in 2024, 35 were by noncitizens.

James Kelley

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Iowa Public Radio

Large crowds are continuing to accompany immigrants to their check-in appointments at a federal immigration office in Cedar Rapids. Organizers are trying to build a broader network to respond quickly to situations involving immigration enforcement. 

Escucha Mi Voz, Indivisible and 50501 are just some of the organizing groups whose members are showing up at the weekly demonstrations. 

NellMari Barrios, with the Justice and Liberation Coalition and Advocates for Social Justice, said organizers have been working on building a broader coalition over the past few months. 

"Since everything exploded in Minneapolis, we’ve had groups from Johnson County and Marion reaching out, saying ‘Hey, can we all just make a network and connect? Because this is getting serious,’” Barrios said. “So, right now, we are in the process of taking notes from Minneapolis.” 

Organizers have also held legal observer trainings aimed at educating people on how to act when witnessing immigration enforcement officers conducting their operations. 

Courtesy of Norwood for Iowa

John Norwood, a Democrat from West Des Moines, has entered the 2026 race for Iowa state treasurer. He pledges to safeguard Iowa’s financial future as he challenges Republican incumbent Roby Smith, who announced his reelection bid in December.

Norwood said he will fiercely protect the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System, known as IPERS, which includes around 400,000 people.

“It's foundational to the Iowa economy because it helps the state recruit and retain workers and then provide, through their working careers, the form of a pension when they retire,” Norwood said.

He said he also wants to expand retirement options for other Iowans.

Norwood previously served as the Polk County soil and water commissioner before running for Iowa secretary of agriculture in 2022. The Yale graduate started his own consulting firm and helps small businesses through a program with Goldman Sachs.

Read more.

Sheila Brummer

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Iowa Public Radio

Charges will not be dismissed for a Sioux City artist known as the “Manhole Michelangelo.” 

Brandon Bradshaw gained notoriety for painting flowers on manhole covers. In November, police arrested him for fourth-degree criminal mischief and drinking alcohol in a public place.  

Last month, he asked a judge to drop the charges, but that motion was denied. His next court proceeding is scheduled for next month. 

Nearly 600 people gathered in Cedar Rapids over the weekend to learn how to respond to ICE activity. The legal observer training was hosted by the immigrants’ rights group Escucha Mi Voz at St. Paul’s Methodist Church and included a simulation with actors dressed as ICE officers conducting a mock arrest. 

The Rev. Jonathan Heifner said people told him they felt more informed about their rights after the training. 

“I think the biggest learning was in the debrief after the first simulation,” Heifner said. “We asked, like, ‘Pay attention to your behavior. What is it that you did in these moments, and then consider who you want to be in these moments. And let’s dive into that the second time.’” 

One attendee said she feels tremendous empathy for Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti, two Minnesota residents who were shot and killed by federal immigration officers last month.

Videos of the training circulating online have prompted calls from conservative social media influencers for the church to lose its tax-exempt status. Heifner said nothing in the training threatened the church’s status. 

The training comes after weeks of protests across the country in response to the Trump administration’s heightened immigration crackdown. 

Robin Opsahl

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Iowa Capital Dispatch

Iowa Democrats were approved to present their case to national Democrats on why the state’s Democratic caucuses should go in the early presidential nominating window in 2028.

At the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Rules and Bylaws Committee (RBC) meeting Saturday in San Juan, Puerto Rico, members reviewed the applications from 12 states that submitted waivers to hold their presidential nominating contests ahead of Super Tuesday.

All 12 state parties that submitted requests for early contest waivers to the DNC — Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia — were approved to present at later RBC meetings.

Iowa Democrats are competing against Michigan and Illinois to become the Midwestern state to hold an early contest in 2028. Iowa submitted its application to return to an early state spot Jan. 16, telling members of the RBC in the proposal that “no other state has the knowledge, infrastructure and history of giving long-shot presidential candidates a fair chance.”

Read more from the Iowa Capital Dispatch.

President Donald Trump told a crowd in Clive last week that he supports E15 gasoline sales year round across the country.

E15 includes up to 15% ethanol, which is made from corn.

Farmers and biofuel leaders have long advocated to remove regulations on E15. But U.S. House lawmakers left the provision out of a recent budget bill.

Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw said E-15 could create consistent demand for U.S. corn farmers who are facing a tough market.

"You take prices from where a lot of farmers are not making money to where every corn farmer would be making money,” Shaw explained. “So, this is literally the one bright light at the end of a very dark tunnel that we're in right now, for farmers."

Shaw said price and demand changes won’t happen right away, so he hopes the president’s comments turn into quick action from Congress.

Stargazers can help document Midwest light pollution by looking at the constellation Orion and reporting what they see.

Globe At Night, a citizen science project that helped scientists figure out that U.S. skies are getting 10% brighter per year, turns 20 this month. But the project has a lot of gaps in its data because relatively few participants in rural areas and states like Iowa submit data.

This month, you can help by scoping out Orion and comparing it to several star charts on the Globe At Night website. When you pick the chart that matches what you see, it helps scientists know whether light pollution is blocking stars from your view.

Read more about the project from Harvest Public Media.

James Kelley

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Iowa Public Radio

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is sharing concerns raised by manufactured home residents in the area after years of reported problems. The supervisors met with representatives from Havenpark Communities, a private equity firm that owns three manufactured home parks in Johnson County.

Residents have reported steep lot rent increases, poor water quality and communication issues with the park owners. 

County Supervisor Rod Sullivan said he will follow up with residents in the coming months about whether improvements are being made. 

“We hope that this was a productive meeting,” he said. “It was cordial, and although we ultimately had some areas of disagreement, hopefully things will get better for folks that live there. That’s the ultimate goal.” 

Members of the Iowa Manufactured Home Residents Network are planning a lobby day at the state Capitol on Thursday. Organizers say state laws have prevented local regulators from being able to stop private equity firms like Havenpark from sharply increasing lot rent prices.
 

The latest round of federal campaign finance data shows Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ashley Hinson received the most in campaign contributions in 2025.

U.S. Rep. Hinson received nearly $4 million in contributions, according to the most recent campaign finance filings from the Federal Election Commission. She’s followed by Democratic state Sen. Zach Wahls, who raised just over $2 million. 

Wahls’ Democratic opponents, state Rep. Josh Turek and former Knoxville Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Nathan Sage, reported receiving $1.7 million and $1.3 million, respectively. 

Republican former state Sen. Jim Carlin reported contributions far behind the other candidates, at just under $60,000. 

Candidates are competing for Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst’s open seat, as she is not seeking a third term. Primary elections are set for June 2. 

Madeleine Charis King

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Iowa Public Radio

There's a growing mental health crisis gripping Americans in all corners of the country, and Iowa’s farmers are facing unique challenges. From economic shifts to generational pride, the stress of it all can take a toll — not only on their livelihood, but on their mental well-being.

For Doug Fuller, running his family’s 1,000-acre farm became too much as he dealt with depression and the death of his beloved cat, Ellie.

“I just went downhill, really bad,” he said. “I was able to help put the crop in that spring. But by fall, I didn’t even work. I was just incapable of doing much of anything.”

Fuller said that painful experience, coupled with the pandemic, launched him into a long bout with severe depression. He ended up spending two months in the hospital.

“I was very suicidal,” he said. “It didn’t happen, but it was on my [mind] all the time. And I can’t tell you how many goodbye notes that I wrote.”

Fuller shared the farm with his brother. The two were the fourth in their family line to inherit the farm. A few years after Fuller’s battle with depression, his brother died by suicide.

The brothers are not alone in their mental health struggles. Farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population, according to the Rural Health Association.

Keep reading more from IPR’s James Kelley.

Sheila Brummer

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Iowa Public Radio

Even though it’s not a presidential election year, the Iowa caucuses will be held Monday night. Both parties will pick central committee members, local delegates and discuss their platforms.

Republicans and Democrats will meet at their precinct locations at 7 p.m.

Ryan Akerberg, chair of the Woodbury County Democrats, said the election this fall is just as important as a presidential election year.

“These are the times of gathering, facilitating the necessary steps to make sure that we're a strong enough party to where we can make a difference in those ultra important years, and frankly, we have midterms coming up this year,” he said.

Iowa Democrats have applied to restore the state’s position as holding the party’s first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses. Iowa is expected to hold the first Republican caucuses in 2028.

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This story was corrected to state that party members meet at different places, not one location.