'Last year a dog won' | Kid-led 'straightest stick' contest brings smiles to Minnesota village
Siblings Setona and Soren Mahoney hosted their second annual straightest stick competition in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota.
Iowa
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Law enforcement protects and serves—and should inform, too
Randy Evans is executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes openness and transparency in Iowa’s state and local governments. He can be reached at [email protected]. This essay first appeared on his Substack newsletter, Stray Thoughts. The…
Brewers-Rays will produce a first-time champion, and maybe the first all-indoor World Series
The Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays will face off in the first World Series between title-less teams since the Phillies defeated the Kansas City Royals in 1980.
Des Moines pushes back discussions on expected future budget shortfall
The city is projected to have a $4.5 million budget shortfall for fiscal year 2029 due to the state legislature implementing a 2% cap on property taxes.
Did anyone win Powerball's $607M jackpot? Here are the winning numbers for Oct. 19
A $607 million jackpot was up for grabs in Monday's Powerball drawing. Here are the winning numbers.
Iowa coach who allegedly watched baseball while driving team in school van gets child endangerment charges
Diagonal coach Jesse Cox allegedly watched baseball while driving a team of seven student-athletes to and from a match in Bussey, Iowa.
Japan launches spacecraft to mysterious moons of Mars in a bold mission to bring home soil samples
Five of the world's space agencies have joined forces for the five-year mission that will attempt to land a robotic prospector plus a rover on Mars' moon Phobos.
Meet the candidates running for Iowa Attorney General
DES MOINES, Iowa — Attorney General Brenna Bird is the first Republican to serve in that office since 1979 and she is defending her seat this November against Democratic challenger Nate Willems. Both candidates running for Iowa's top law enforcement position say they're the best candidate for the job. While Willems…
Meet the candidates running for Iowa Attorney General
DES MOINES, Iowa — Attorney General Brenna Bird is the first Republican to serve in that office since 1979 and she is defending her seat this November against Democratic challenger Nate Willems. Both candidates running for Iowa's top law enforcement position say they're the best candidate for the job. While Willems…
Man who took Peachy the flamingo from Las Vegas hotel exhibit found guilty of animal cruelty
A jury convicted a Canadian tourist of animal cruelty charges for snatching a flamingo named Peachy at a Las Vegas hotel.
Rob Sand withdraws from Wednesday debate after brother-in-law’s death
Rob Sand, the Democratic nominee for governor, has withdrawn from a debate scheduled for Wednesday with Republican candidate Zach Lahn following the death of his brother-in-law. Sand and Lahn were scheduled to meet for a debate on “Iowa Press” on Iowa PBS Oct. 21, the third of four planned debates between the two…
Video shows Arizona mother fighting off home intruder; suspect claims role-play setup
An Arizona woman claimed the man assaulted her and her 1-year-old daughter after entering her home uninvited.
Center for Intellectual Freedom head accuses officials of unlawful obstruction
The interim director of the Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa alleged in a report to lawmakers that university and Iowa Board of Regents officials broke the law in attempts to obstruct the center’s development. The 409-page report details more than a year of tug-of-war between center staff and…
Fake "hide and seek from police" flyer makes rounds on social media
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Polk County Sheriff’s Office wants people to be aware of a false flyer making rounds on social media. PCSO says the "Hide and Seek from the Police" event making rounds on social media is part of a nationwide hoax and is not affiliated with the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Deputies
With 2 weeks until midterms, analysts say Dems still on track to win US House majority
Democrats have used President Donald Trump’s unpopularity to expand the midterm map, and analysts project the party carries momentum heading into the final two weeks of the election cycle, even as Democrats are expected to flip fewer U.S. House seats than wave elections this century. The Cook Political Report with Amy…
As Iowa harvest picks up, state officials urge farmers to vote early
Corn and soybean harvest in Iowa is about 20 percentage points behind the five-year average pace, but is progressing after a wet September that stalled field work. Officials urged farmers Monday to fit voting into their busy harvest-season schedules. According to the latest crop progress and conditions report from the…
U.S. Department of Agriculture argues it’s not required to enforce Animal Welfare Act
Less than two weeks after the head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the agency was stepping up enforcement of the federal Animal Welfare Act, the USDA’s lawyers are arguing in court that it’s not required to enforce that law. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals filed a lawsuit…
Enrollment-calculation trapdoor will squeeze Iowa’s public schools
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 2201, the school funding bill, into law on Feb. 26. The 2% increase in per-pupil funding for the 2026-27 school year works out to $160 more per student. When the decline in public enrollment is taken into account, it’s a statewide increase of $17 million from last year’s
Voters in Warren County receive guidance after ballot error
WARREN COUNTY, Iowa — According to the Warren County Auditor's Office, more than one ballot has been mailed to over 600 voters, but election officials say Iowa's election results won't be impacted. On Friday, Warren County Auditor Kimberly Sheets identified 613 voters who received two ballots in the mail, instead of…
Iowa revokes the license of fired nursing home worker over drug issues
State regulators have revoked the license of a nurse who allegedly confessed to a drug addiction after leaving a bag full of used needles at the nursing home where she worked. According to the Iowa Board of Nursing, Ranae Fallis of West Des Moines was working at an unspecified nursing home on Dec. 18, 2025,
Medicare open enrollment period begins; what's changing next year
IOWA -- The Medicare open enrollment period is now open for 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription plans, and thousands of Iowans could see changes in the new year. Plans for more than 87,000 Iowans are being cancelled or discontinued, which means they'll have to find a new plan. Kristin Griffith with the Iowa
Governor’s husband, Kevin Reynolds, diagnosed with cancer recurrence
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ husband, Kevin Reynolds, is recovering from a surgery to remove a brain tumor after being diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer, the governor’s office announced Monday. The governor’s husband, 68, was first diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023. The governor said that year Kevin was in treatment…
Look WHO's Talking: Entrepreneur R.J. Hernandez
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Local entrepreneur R.J. Hernandez joined WHO 13's Samantha Mesa to talk about his family's history, as well as the history of Mexicans making their way to Iowa and the important role they played in building the railroads across the state. They continued their conversation, diving deeper into the…
Iowa State men's basketball earns a spot in AP's Top 25 preseason poll
The Iowa State Cyclone men's basketball team has landed in the AP's Preseason Top 25. The poll was released Monday and lists Iowa State at No. 18. The Cyclones ended the 2024-2025 season with a 25-10 overall record and went 13-7 in the Big 12. Postseason play proved to be a disappointment after Iowa State,
Iowa's First Gentleman being treated for recurrence of cancer
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa's First Gentleman, Kevin Reynolds, has been diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer. The announcement came Monday morning from Governor Reynolds and her husband. The news release issued by the governor's office said Mr. Reynolds was recovering from brain surgery during which a tumor was removed…
Amendment 1: A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad idea
Bruce Lear lives in Sioux City and has been connected to Iowa’s public schools for 38 years. He taught for eleven years and represented educators as an Iowa State Education Association regional director for 27 years until retiring. He can be reached at [email protected] When I think about Amendment 1 on Iowa’s…
Iowa projected to collect more revenue, but billion-dollar budget deficit remains
Robin Opsahl covers the state legislature and politics for Iowa Capital Dispatch, where this article first appeared. Iowa is expected to spend over $1 billion more than it raises in revenues in the current fiscal year, the Revenue Estimating Conference found on October 16 — but Iowa Department of Management Director…
How Brenna Bird has left Iowa’s environment defenseless
Ric Zarwell, John A. Lundell, and Kevin W. Techau co-authored this column. Zarwell is a lifelong Allamakee County conservationist, birder, and former president of the Allamakee County Protectors, known for advocating for the land and water of the Driftless Area. Lundell is a former mayor of Coralville (2013 – 2021)…
The Iowa Democratic Party’s 2026 platform: Democracy in Action
Brian McLain is a co-chair of the Iowa Democratic Party’s Platform Committee and former chair of the party’s Progressive Caucus. Every two years, hundreds of Iowa Democratic Party members come together to determine the direction they want the Party to go. It is a long process requiring hours of meetings, debate, and…
Iowa wildflower Wednesday: Great Plains’ Ladies Tresses
Nature nerd Emily Bredthauer took the pictures enclosed below in August and September. (It’s better not to be too specific about the location of rare wildflowers.) I am of the opinion that Indigenous people should be celebrated every day. I am constantly full of gratitude for the people who have cared for the earth…
When Zach Lahn warned Montanans against clean air and water rules
Phil Montag is a Des Moines area activist and serves on the board of the Iowa Unity Coalition. Listening to Zach Lahn on the Iowa gubernatorial campaign trail for the past year has been quite a show. To his credit, from the beginning he has put ecology, sustainable agriculture, and water quality front and center in
Highest and lowest-rated judges on Iowa’s 2026 ballot
Iowans will decide this November whether to allow three Iowa Court of Appeals judges and 85 trial court judges to remain on the bench. Since our state adopted the current judicial selection system in 1962, each judge must periodically go on the ballot—every eight years for Iowa Supreme Court justices, every six years…