https://www.radioiowa.com/ Iowa's Radio News Network Fri, 19 Jun 2026 20:14:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://cdn.radioiowa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/LEARFIELD_FAVICON-150x150.png https://www.radioiowa.com/ 32 32 https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/19/iowa-supreme-court-rules-in-human-trafficking-case/ Fri, 19 Jun 2026 20:14:32 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180828 The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a lower court opinion dismissing a human trafficking charge against a Polk County man. Kevin Lind was charged with human trafficking after police say he negotiated with an undercover police officer to have sex with her and what he thought was her underage daughter. He was shown fake photos […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/19/outgoing-iowa-governor-shares-opinion-of-annual-gas-tax-increases/ Fri, 19 Jun 2026 18:05:40 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180823 Governor Kim Reynolds says state gas tax revenue isn’t keeping up with what’s needed to build and maintain Iowa’s roads and bridges and it may be time to have regular increases in the gas tax that are tied to inflation. “We have to be careful about that because of how you decide what it is,” […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/19/iowa-home-sales-up-17-3-in-may/ Fri, 19 Jun 2026 16:31:54 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180819 Iowa Realtors Association data shows the number of Iowa home sales in May jumped 17.3% compared to April. Iowa Realtors President Erik Melloy says Iowa’s housing market was active and balanced in May. Homes were on the market for about 10 days, compared to 12 days in April. The median sales price for a home […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/19/iowas-rural-mainstreet-index-up-eight-points-this-month/ Fri, 19 Jun 2026 16:09:10 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180816 A monthly survey of rural bank CEOs in the Midwest finds nearly 58% see stable or modest growth in the small businesses in their area. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said that and other survey responses pushed the “Rural Mainstreet Index” to its highest level in three years. “It’s not just the farming and ranching […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/19/juneteenth-celebrations-planned-across-iowa/ Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:41:34 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180814 Juneteenth celebrations are planned across the state today marking the end of slavery in 1865. The Black Hawk County NAACP has celebrated since the 1990s, though it has only been a federal holiday for five years. The group’s president Latanya Graves says “unity” is their theme for 2026. “With everything that’s going on in the […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/19/investigation-underway-after-woman-shot-by-red-oak-police-officer/ Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:35:53 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180811 The Iowa DCI is investigating the shooting of a woman by Red Oak police officer. Red Oak Police Chief Justin Ramey says officers it started Wednesday evening when officers were called out on a welfare check. He says they were attempting to talk to the occupant of the house. “That occupant exited the house, and […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/18/iowa-unemployment-rate-drops-in-may/ Thu, 18 Jun 2026 21:05:42 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180804 Iowa Workforce Development director Beth Townsend says the May unemployment rate dropped down slightly from the 3.3% in April. “Went down to 3.2% and was down from 3.6% a year ago. We gained 3,400 jobs between April and May, which was a good sign,” she says. Townsend says job growth is slowly moving up. “We […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/18/uncle-of-teen-found-dead-in-south-dakota-indicted-in-iowa/ Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:01:55 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180794 The uncle of a 14-year-old girl who was found dead in South Dakota three months ago has been indicted in Iowa in connection with her death. Fourteen-year-old McKenna Wendel of Sioux Falls was found dead in Brookings, South Dakota on March 19. U-S Attorney Leif Olson announced the federal indictments during a news conference today […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/18/iowa-board-of-ed-approves-rules-to-allow-eighth-graders-in-all-sports/ Thu, 18 Jun 2026 18:44:05 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180790 The State Board of Education approved emergency rules today for the new law that allows eighth graders to play in any high school sport. The Board’s attorney Thomas Mayes says the rules create the power to allow eighth graders to play, but the decision is still up to the schools. “So local interscholastic athletics locally […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/18/new-iowa-rule-would-ban-trail-cameras-on-state-managed-land/ Thu, 18 Jun 2026 18:34:07 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180788 The Iowa Natural Resource Commission is moving forward with the process to create new rules to ban all trail cameras in state game management areas. The background information from the NRC says the proliferation of trail cameras has generated numerous concerns and complaints from the public. The DNR’s Chris Ensminger says modern devices that can […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/18/governor-iowans-data-protected-as-private-sector-takes-over-state-it-services/ Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:26:42 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180784 Governor Kim Reynolds says the two companies she’s hired to manage state government computer networks will not have access to Iowans’ personal data. Iowans provide their Social Security numbers, for example, when they file their state income taxes and voter registration forms require birthdates and other identification, like a driver’s license number. During taping of […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/18/sand-kicks-off-town-hall-tour-with-100-iowa-stops/ Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:19:29 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180782 Rob Sand, the Democratic Party’s nominee for governor, has kicked off a series of 100 town halls heading into the General Election. Last night, in his hometown of Decorah, Sand told the crowd he doesn’t really like political parties. “I think our democracy is run by two private clubs, and they’re not very interested in solving […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/18/council-bluffs-city-council-rejects-data-center-moratorium/ Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:11:39 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180780 The Council Bluffs City Council has rejected a year-long pause on approving data center projects within city limits. Council Bluffs Councilman Doug Rew said it would have sent the wrong signal to developers. “They see a red stop sign,” Rew said, “…and I’m not sure that’s the message that we would want to send right now, […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/18/iowa-dnr-is-ordered-to-gauge-water-quality-of-bloody-run-creek/ Thu, 18 Jun 2026 11:00:49 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180754 The Iowa Court of Appeals is ordering the Department of Natural Resources to investigate the water quality of a stream in northeast Iowa, siding with a citizens’ group, the Driftless Water Defenders. For years, they watched nitrate levels rise in Bloody Run Creek, and claim the pollution comes from a cattle operation first approved by […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/17/iowa-native-identified-as-one-of-8-killed-in-california-b-52-crash/ Wed, 17 Jun 2026 21:26:18 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180777 The Pentagon has announced an Iowa native is among the eight people killed in Monday’s B-52 plane crash at an Air Force base in California. U.S. Air Force Major Brad Hovey, who was born in Algona, was a pilot with a Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert. Hovey graduated from […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/17/sand-releases-report-on-iowa-education-savings-account-program/ Wed, 17 Jun 2026 20:19:29 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180771 State Auditor Rob Sand says it appears the State of Iowa spent nearly $260 million this past school year to cover tuition costs for K-12 students who would have attended a private school without the state subsidy. Sand, a Democrat running for governor, and current Republican Governor Kim Reynolds have sparred over access to information […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/17/cost-estimate-for-outsourcing-state-govt-it-services-419-7-million/ Wed, 17 Jun 2026 20:02:45 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180769 Documents obtained by The Cedar Rapids Gazette show Governor Reynolds has signed contracts to pay two companies almost $420 million over the next decade to manage the computers and digital data in state government. Reynolds announced last week IT services would be outsourced to Cognizant Government Solutions and Amazon Web Services would manage all computer […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/17/iowa-soccer-lovers-need-to-look-before-leaping-into-buying-world-cup-tix/ Wed, 17 Jun 2026 18:00:04 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180752 With World Cup soccer underway in Kansas City, Iowans who hope to head south and see a game are being warned about multiple scams. Khesha Duncan, with the Better Business Bureau, says there are a couple of areas where soccer fans should be especially careful. “Sports memorabilia and also ticket scams are two to be […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/17/iowa-house-leader-blasts-carlins-call-for-gop-voter-boycott-of-hinson/ Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:34:17 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180764 Republican Jim Carlin says he “cannot in good conscience” ask his supporters to vote for U.S. Senate nominee Ashley Hinson, who finished 48 points ahead of Carlin in this month’s GOP Primary. In an statement to supporters, Carlin suggested it’s time for conservatives to use their leverage, withhold their votes, and let Hinson lose. Two […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/06/17/much-of-iowa-will-see-storms-at-some-point-today/ Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:41:30 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=180745 Storms have been moving into Iowa overnight and this morning. National Weather Service meteorologist Kristy Carter says it’s the first round, with more to come. “We’re looking at some possible redevelopment in the afternoon hours that could happen in portions of central Iowa, but it’s really the eastern half of Iowa with southeast Iowa in […]]]>