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AMES, Iowa – In a quiet Ames neighborhood, the morning of October 29 began with a routine welfare check that quickly turned into a homicide scene. Kristen Stone, 47, was found dead inside the family’s Ontario Street home after her mother called the police, worried something was wrong. Officers described trauma to her body that the autopsy later confirmed came from strangulation and blunt force. There were no prior domestic calls to the house, and no public record of trouble. By the next day, investigators had enough to charge her husband, 47-year-old Iowa State associate professor Richard Stone, with first-degree murder. Stone, a longtime Story County Sheriff’s Office reserve deputy and rescue diver who co-founded the university’s ATHENA Lab, had already slipped out of town. Police tracked his black 2006 Toyota Land Cruiser with license-plate cameras across Ames and Des Moines, then pulled him over around 3:40 PM on Toronto Street. He stopped for the officers, and then shot himself in the head inside the vehicle. Stone was airlifted to a Des Moines-area hospital in critical condition and was alive for over a week. Ames police confirmed his death on November 7, and said the murder warrant would now be closed. The couple left behind 3 young daughters now living with relatives, while friends of Kristen, who worked at a Story City nursing home and was remembered as a warm, animal-loving mother, organized a fundraiser that quickly raised tens of thousands of dollars. Donate Here: supportnow.org/kristen-stone… Authorities have stated they still do not know what led up to the killing, what triggered the violence, or what Kristen might have done or said in the moments before. As of now, no motive has been released. The whole sequence still feels unreal to people who knew them. It leaves investigators trying to piece together the final hours of a case that, from the outside, looked like an ordinary family, until it suddenly wasn’t. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: SupportNow - Kristen (Shrader) Stone's Daughters

DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa government officials are rightly taking their fight against the Satanic Temple of Iowa all the way to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after a radical federal judge from Des Moines forced the state to approve yet another of the group’s holiday display requests for the Capitol rotunda. For the 3rd time this year, the Department of Administrative Services denied the application, citing obvious and legitimate concerns that the event, featuring a Satanic Krampus costume contest and other elements, could disrupt the Statehouse and harm or frighten the many children who visit during the holidays. Instead of respecting the state’s authority to keep the Capitol a Christian, family-friendly space, Chief U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Iowa, Stephanie Rose, issued a temporary injunction last week ordering approval by November 9. The Attorney General’s Office and DAS immediately appealed, correctly refusing to surrender the people’s Capitol to a fringe group whose previous 2023 display was already vandalized amid public outrage. This is exactly what happens when courts and the ACLU treat every provocative stunt as sacred “free speech” or “religious exercise” that must be given equal space alongside traditional Christian, White holiday displays. The Satanic Temple has pushed the same request year after year since 2023, and state leaders have stood firm against turning the rotunda into a platform for imagery many Iowans find offensive and inappropriate for children. Iowa’s government is doing the right thing by challenging the injunction rather than folding. Cases like this expose how current interpretations of freedom of religion have been stretched far beyond what most people ever intended, forcing public spaces to accommodate groups that many view as actively hostile to the values of the community. The appeals court now has the chance to correct course, and let the state protect its Capitol. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: @AFpost via X (Twitter)

DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig proudly announced a major $10 million boost from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service that will expand the state’s proven Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Program. Announced in Cedar Rapids on October 26, the 5-year investment through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program will help more cattle producers and farmers turn underperforming or highly erodible cropland into productive pasture and hay ground. This approach keeps land in agriculture while cutting soil erosion, improving water quality, and creating additional grazing opportunities that support growth of Iowa’s cattle herd. Naig has long championed the program, which started as a modest pilot in Taylor County in 2016, and has since grown into a model other states can follow. The results already speak for themselves. More than 1,800 participants have converted over 20,000 acres of marginal cropland and planted more than 300,000 acres of cover crops. Demand remains exceptionally strong, as state funding from the Farm to Faucet package was fully obligated within days of a recent expansion, prompting additional support. Partnering with the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance, Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, and Ducks Unlimited, this new federal commitment gives Naig and his team the resources to reach more counties and more producers. It’s a clear win for Iowa farmers, rural communities, and the environment, and it reflects the kind of election-winning leadership Naig has brought to the Department of Agriculture. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: Carolien Van Oijen via Unsplash

AMES, Iowa – In a big win for Second Amendment rights, CyRide has lifted its long-standing ban on firearms aboard Ames city buses after Iowa State University student Natalie Gibson took the City of Ames to court. Gibson, a junior studying animal science who holds a valid Iowa nonprofessional permit to carry, filed suit on October 13 in Story County District Court, arguing the policy that had been in place since at least 2011 violated Iowa’s strong preemption law under Code section 724.28. That statute prohibits cities from regulating the lawful carrying or transportation of firearms, and it allows for statutory damages of up to $25,000 for knowing violations after notice. The Iowa Firearms Coalition had already warned Ames about the illegal ban back in October 2025, yet the city kept enforcing it until Gibson’s lawsuit forced the issue. Just 23 days later, on November 5, the Ames Transit Board voted unanimously to scrap the prohibition, effective immediately. Under the new policy, riders may now carry firearms openly or concealed in accordance with state law, and CyRide staff have been instructed that lawful possession alone is never a reason to deny service, remove a passenger, demand to see a permit, or call the police. A simple notice now reminds passengers that campus restrictions at Iowa State University campus still apply once they step off the bus, but the buses themselves are no longer a gun-free zone. This quick course-correction shows both the power of a determined individual lawsuit, and CyRide’s willingness to finally align with Iowa law instead of fighting it. For law-abiding gun owners across the state, it’s a solid step forward that reinforces the principle that local governments cannot invent their own firearm rules on top of what the legislature has already settled. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: @CyRide via X (Twitter)

OTTUMWA, Iowa – For the second time in a month, former Ottumwa City councilman Matthew Dalbey has caused controversy for standing at the podium on November 3 and opening an Ottumwa City Council meeting with another Satanic invocation that ended in 3 defiant shouts of “Hail Satan.” A Christian resident immediately answered by reciting the Lord’s Prayer, only to be escorted out by police while Dalbey and his Satanic Temple supporters were allowed to stay put, which caused even more disagreements on top of the prayer. Outside, protesters from the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property held a prayer rally of reparation, making clear that many locals see this repeated spectacle as an insult to the city’s Christian foundations. Watch the Full Video Here: xitter.twitterapi.xyz/IowaFirstMedia/status/… This was no surprise after the October 6 meeting, when the same man, who’s a real member of the Satanic Temple of Iowa, addressed a “dark father,” celebrated the “Luciferian impulse,” and first polluted the chambers with the same blasphemous closing statement. Rick Bick, pastor of the New Life Center Foursquare Church in the city, called the first prayer a curse on Ottumwa. Surprisingly, the council still refuses to ban these performances, or limit invocations to real religions like Christianity. Instead of protecting the faith that actually built this community, they cling to their “freedom of religion,” open-door policy and let the mockery continue. The council’s cowardice has left many residents convinced the only “solution” left is to kill the invocations entirely, silencing Christian voices right along with the Satanists. That is exactly why so-called freedom of religion has become so dangerous, as it forces towns like Ottumwa to treat an appeal to darkness as equal to a prayer to God, and when the resulting outrage grows too loud, the easiest path is to erase every expression of faith rather than simply defend the one that belongs here. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: Ottumwa Iowa (Official) via YouTube

🚨WATCH: Chaos unfolds again as the Ottumwa City Council opens their 11/3/26 meeting with yet another Satanic prayer led by former member Matt Dalbey, while a Christian resident recites the Lord’s Prayer in response. “Hail Ottumwa. Hail Iowa. Hail the United States of America. Hail Satan. Hail Satan. Hail Satan.” 📸SOURCE: Ottumwa Iowa (Official) via YouTube

DES MOINES, Iowa – Rob Sand recently announced his so-called “tripartisan” transition team, and is nothing more than a thin coat of paint over the same radical Democratic agenda that is trying to actively subvert Iowa’s traditional values. His incoming chief of staff, Abe Rakov, is an openly gay man from California, who lives with his husband and spent years as executive director of the far-left End Citizens United, while managing Democrat Jason Kander’s U.S. Senate campaign. Independent co-chair Brian Lohse, who quit the Republican Party after losing his primary, voted against Iowa’s 2023 school bathroom bill that required facilities to match biological sex, and later opposed the 2025 measure defining sex and gender in statute. Republican co-chair Mike Mahaffey, a former state party chairman, carried a record in the 1990s that included support for abortion rights and gay-rights measures according to contemporary candidate guides. Sand, who brands himself a Christian, has chosen this lineup to “serve all Iowans,” yet the appointments reveal a clear preference for those who reject biblical standards on marriage, sexuality, and the protection of children in schools. Many Iowans believe this to be a calculated farce designed to soften the image of a Democratic takeover while installing people whose records and personal lives advance the very cultural radicalism many Iowans rejected, and didn’t elect him for. This forms a team that mirrors Sand’s own progressive church ties rather than the conservative heartland he claimed to represent. By elevating an openly homosexual chief of staff and lawmakers who sided against biological truth, Sand is signaling that his administration will push Democrat priorities on sexuality and religious liberty, instead of defending the faith he publicly professes. Behind the “tripartisan” label is the same agenda Iowans have seen before, in one that prioritizes dangerous, deceptive ideology over the interests of families, faith, and common sense. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: @RobSandIA via X (Twitter)

DES MOINES, Iowa – Des Moines Public Schools and Texas-based JG Consulting quietly settled the lawsuit the district filed after former Superintendent Ian Roberts was arrested by ICE in September 2025, with neither side disclosing the amount or terms of the agreement. Court filings show the parties notified the federal court of the settlement on November 9, with formal closing documents due December 9, but the figure remains hidden. Roberts, an illegal immigrant from Guyana hired in 2023 after JG Consulting led the national search, resigned following his arrest and is now serving a 2-year prison sentence on immigration and firearm charges, and is to be deported afterwards. The district had accused the firm of failing to properly vet him, pointing to resume discrepancies that included a claimed doctorate from Morgan State University, which the school later confirmed he never obtained, along with years of working in the U.S. without authorization. JG Consulting denied any fault, countersued for defamation, and claimed the district simply wanted a scapegoat to avoid its own responsibility in selecting and employing him. The undisclosed settlement lets both sides walk away without a trial, a public accounting of the cost, or any finding on who failed to catch the red flags that should have kept Roberts out of the job. Then-board chair Jackie Norris once said he should never have been a finalist, yet the resolution shifts all criminal responsibility onto Roberts, while shielding the district and the firm from further scrutiny. As of right now, there will be no school board members, administrators, or JG Consulting employees who face consequences for a hiring process that overlooked his obvious signs of concern. The outcome does nothing to prevent similar failures in future job searches, and leaves the public with no clear answer on why basic vetting standards were not met in the first place. Many people are outraged as details unravel that confirm pretty much everybody involved will be getting away with it. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: Sasun Bughdaryan via Unsplash

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The College Republicans club at the University of Iowa issued a public statement this week congratulating Governor-elect Rob Sand and Lieutenant Governor-elect Dave Muhlbauer after the Democrats swept most of Iowa’s statewide races and flipped several congressional seats in the midterms. The group, led by President Drake Riddle, praised the incoming administration’s emphasis on fairness, moderation, and bipartisanship, while saying that the challenges facing Iowa will require thoughtful leadership and common-sense solutions. See the Full Statement Here: instagram.com/p/Dff1fiPH4Lm/… The statement encouraged the new administration to govern for all Iowans regardless of political affiliation, and expressed hope that common ground could be found even amid ongoing disagreements on policy and political philosophy. It also reaffirmed that the College Republicans will continue advocating for conservative values, serving their communities, and working toward a stronger Iowa. The chapter’s next meeting is scheduled to hold a midterm recap, legislative preview, and Q&A session with Iowa State Representative Judd Lawler on Wednesday, November 11, at 6 PM in IMU 343 Herky Room. Admission is free for any conservative who would like to join. As Sand prepares to take office, the College Republicans indicated they will keep pushing their priorities, even as they extend a welcome to the new administration, with the upcoming event offering members a chance to discuss the results and the path ahead with Lawler. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: @amyklobuchar via X (Twitter)

DES MOINES, Iowa – #2 Dowling Catholic punched its ticket to the UNI-Dome with a 42-14 win over #5 Cedar Falls on Friday night in a Class 5A quarterfinal at Mediacom Stadium. The Maroons improved to 10-1 and advanced to the state semifinals behind a generational performance from junior running back Henry Smid, who carried 41 times for 226 yards and scored 5 of Dowling’s touchdowns. Senior quarterback Ethan La Cava completed 3/12 passes for 28 yards, while wide receiver Gabe Lawson caught 2 passes for 18 yards. On defense, Carlos Blount Jr. recorded 5 tackles. Cedar Falls managed just 106 passing yards from junior quarterback Baylor Petrie (10/24, 1 touchdown) who also managed 54 rushing yards on 9 carries. Taylor Carter caught 3 passes for 41 yards and a touchdown, and Brayden Hanks led the Tigers with 15 tackles. The Tigers finished the season 8-3 after scoring once in the 1st quarter and once in the 3rd, but failing to keep pace with Dowling’s persistent ground game. Dowling scored 21 points in the 1st quarter and added a touchdown in each of the final 3 quarters to pull away early and control the rest of the game. Smid proved himself to be the clear standout, carrying Dowling’s offensive attack and giving the Maroons the consistent production they needed to overwhelm Cedar Falls at home. With the win, Dowling Catholic booked its ticket to the UNI-Dome, where it will face Southeast Polk in a Class 5A semifinal on Saturday at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. The result sends the defending champions back to the familiar postseason stage with another shot at a state title. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: @ReinaGarciaTV via X (Twitter)

PLEASANT HILL, Iowa – #3 Southeast Polk punched its ticket to the UNI-Dome with a 38-28 home win over #6 Cedar Rapids Prairie on Friday night in a Class 5A quarterfinal that stayed closer than most expected. The Rams improved to 10-1 and advanced to the state semifinals behind a remarkable performance by senior running back Stanley Cooper, who carried 19 times for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns. Rams quarterback Boston Bailey completed just 6/7 passes for 41 yards, while wide receiver Brennan Swanson caught 3 of those passes for 21 yards. On defense, defensive back Cody Winegar recorded 9 tackles. Prairie kept the pressure on throughout, with senior quarterback Cael Kongshaug completing 15/23 passes for 187 yards and 2 touchdowns. Running back Dawson Kahl rushed 25 times for 101 yards and a score, and wide receiver Tae Alexander caught 7 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. Andenn Moses led the Fighting Hawks with 8.5 tackles. Prairie finished the season 8-3 after scoring 14 points in the 4th quarter to make the final margin tighter than the Rams preferred. Southeast Polk scored in every quarter and pulled away with 14 points in the 3rd and another touchdown in the 4th, but Prairie refused to go away after matching the Rams early and mounting a late push. Stanley Cooper proved to be the real difference, delivering the big runs that gave the Rams the control they needed when the game threatened to become tighter. With the win, Southeast Polk booked its ticket to the UNI-Dome, where it will face Dowling Catholic in a Class 5A semifinal on Saturday at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. The result sends the Rams back to the familiar postseason stage with another shot at a state title after Prairie made them earn every point. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: Abby Vedder (@shotby_.abby) via Instagram

JOHNSTON, Iowa – #1 Johnston punched its ticket to the UNI-Dome with a 21-7 win over #8 West Des Moines Valley on Friday night in a Class 5A quarterfinal at Dragon Stadium. The Dragons improved to 9-2 and advanced to the state semifinals behind a dominant ground game led by senior running back Emri Jones, who carried 21 times for 119 yards and scored all 3 of Johnston’s touchdowns in an incredible performance. Johnston quarterback Trevin Helming completed 13/15 passes for 171 yards, while wide receiver Bryce Beachem caught seven passes for 96 yards. On defense, Owen Hupfer recorded 8.5 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Valley took an early 7-0 lead on a first-quarter touchdown, but the Tigers managed just 88 passing yards from Jack Tracy (10/15, 1 touchdown) and 86 rushing yards from running back Blake Dorenkamp on 22 carries for the rest of the way. Wide receiver Owen Woods had seven catches for 88 yards, and Alec McClinton led Valley with 6.5 tackles. The Tigers finished the season 7-4 after failing to score in the final 3 quarters. Johnston answered with a touchdown in each of the final 3 quarters to pull away and shut down Valley’s offense after the opening score. Emri Jones proved to be the clear standout, carrying Johnston’s scoring game and giving the Dragons the consistent production they needed to control the game at home. With the win, Johnston booked its ticket to the UNI-Dome, where it will face Ankeny in a Class 5A semifinal on Friday at 4 PM in Cedar Falls. The result sends the top-ranked Dragons back to the familiar postseason stage with another shot at a state title. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: @IAfootball_ via X (Twitter)

ANKENY, Iowa – #4 Ankeny punched its ticket to the UNI-Dome with a 51-29 win over #9 Iowa City Liberty on Friday night in a Class 5A quarterfinal at Ankeny Stadium, but the night was marked by a frightening moment late in the 4th quarter. Assistant coach Greg Schoon, the defensive line coach and a former Iowa State player, collapsed on the sidelines with about 5 minutes remaining. Police officers and athletic trainers from both teams performed CPR and used a defibrillator before he was loaded into an ambulance. He was able to give a fist pump as he was taken away, and Ankeny head coach Jeff Bauer later visited him in the hospital, where Schoon was talking normally with good vitals and expected to remain hospitalized at least through Monday. The Hawks improved to 9-2 and advanced behind senior quarterback Mason Machan, who completed 9/13 passes for 185 yards and 4 touchdowns, while rushing 10 times for 77 yards and another touchdown. Tight end Garrett Bauer caught 2 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown, and linebacker Dawson Whitinger led the defense with 8.5 tackles. Iowa City Liberty quarterback Emerson Berner finished 26/47 for 309 yards and 3 touchdowns, while throwing 4 interceptions. Running back Brody Beaver carried 22 times for 134 yards and a touchdown, while wide receiver Pryor Reiners had 7 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. The Lightning finished the season 7-4. After the game, Ankeny players and coaches went to the hospital to visit Schoon, who was recovering after the emergency, and posted a group photo of themselves on social media. Machan’s dual-threat production helped the team pull away and secure the win that sent them back to the Dome. Ankeny will face Johnston in a Class 5A semifinal on Friday at 4 PM at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. The result gives the Hawks another shot at the state finals, while the program hopes for a full recovery for their coach. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: @chris_meglio via X (Twitter)

EVANSTON, Illinois – #19 Iowa comfortably defeated Northwestern 24-10 on Saturday night at Ryan Field in Evanston, improving to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten, while handing the Wildcats their first loss in their lavishly renovated, modern stadium. Hank Brown accounted for both of Iowa’s early touchdowns, scoring on a 21-yard run to open the game, and later hitting Tony Diaz for a 24-yard touchdown on a 97-yard drive. L.J. Phillips Jr. carried 21 times for 128 yards, and the Hawkeyes piled up 170 rushing yards, while recording 6 sacks and holding Northwestern to 1/11 on 3rd downs. The Wildcats managed just 10 points against a defense that has allowed only 2 touchdowns over the past 3 games, and they did not reach the end zone until a late 2-yard score with under 2 minutes remaining. Freshman Braeden Jackson, out of Ankeny Centennial, provided the biggest moment of the night by returning a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter. This was his second kick-return touchdown of the season, and it pushed the lead to 21-3, taking the air out of Northwestern’s home crowd. The win extended Iowa’s streak against Northwestern to 5 straight and kept the Hawkeyes in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot as they sit tied for 3rd in the Big Ten. Northwestern, now 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten, looked subpar without their star quarterback Aidan Chiles, who was out with an injury, and never generated consistent offense against Iowa’s elite defense. The Wildcats go on the road next Saturday to face #21 Ohio State in Columbus, while Iowa returns home to Kinnick Stadium to host Purdue. Iowa will travel to Illinois the following week, and they will close the regular season with an annual Black Friday matchup against Nebraska in Iowa City. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: @webcentrick via X (Twitter)

DES MOINES, Iowa – Actor Jim Caviezel is headlining the Pulse Life Advocates Christmas Gala on November 21, 2026, at Iowa Events Center Hall B in Des Moines, with doors opening at 5:00 PM. The longtime Iowa pro-life organization is bringing in the actor best known for portraying Jesus in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ and Tim Ballard in Sound of Freedom, giving the annual fundraiser a high-profile keynote speaker. Pulse has positioned the evening as a major gathering for its supporters, with individual tickets listed at $150 and tables of 10 available, along with higher-level sponsorship packages. The Iowa Liberty Network is inviting its members to sit at their tables for a discounted $100 seat, a $50 savings, as part of the larger event focused on life and faith issues. Before the gala, the Iowa Liberty Network is also hosting a complimentary pre-gala reception from 3:30 to 4:30 PM. in Room 101 at the same Iowa Events Center location, with General Michael Flynn recently added as a special guest. All ILN supporters are welcome, whether or not they plan to attend the main event, for light snacks and time with fellow patriots. Chairman Leo Kelly has helped steer the Christian grassroots group as it works to recruit and support constitutional conservatives for the Iowa Legislature, while informing residents on bills and liberty issues. The combination of Caviezel’s headline for Pulse and Flynn’s appearance at the ILN reception makes the November 21 schedule a notable one for organizations that have spent years building support around traditional principles and conservative values in the state. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: Genevieve via Wikimedia Commons

OTTUMWA, Iowa – John Deere is once again selling out Iowa communities by announcing plans to close its Ottumwa Works and Clarion Hagie plants over the next few years. The company will move windrower production from the historic Ottumwa site, its first Iowa factory, dating back to 1911, to the Des Moines Works by the end of fiscal 2027, followed by round baler production by the end of fiscal 2028, after which the plant will shut. Hagie STS sprayer manufacturing is shifting from Clarion to Thibodaux, Louisiana, with that facility expected to close by fiscal 2029. Small planter work is also moving from Moline to Paton, Iowa. These decisions come after years of the company shipping Iowa jobs to Mexico, including the 2022 relocation of mower-conditioner production from Ottumwa to Monterrey. At normal volumes, the latest closures would affect roughly 300 workers, though Deere is currently running well below capacity amid weak farm demand. Plant shutdowns still hit hard in towns that have relied on these factories for generations. The company continues to treat Iowa as a place it can leave whenever it wants rather than a state it should prioritize. However, offering a glimmer of hope, Deere also announced over the summer that it plans to hire more than 400 people across its factories and call back more than 275 previously laid-off workers at its Waterloo operations in the coming months, bringing total recalls since 2024 to around 1,000. All employees previously laid off in Waterloo, the Quad Cities, Ottumwa, and Dubuque have now been asked to return, with additional hiring planned at other Iowa sites. Bringing those workers back is a major step in the right direction. Nonetheless, the company is still failing to fully put Iowa first, showing the same pattern of treating the state as optional whenever costs or demand shift. The John Deere Foundation has affirmed nearly $1 million in support for the affected communities, but that does not change the fact that another round of Iowa factories is being shut down. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: Samuel Solcan via Unsplash

ANKENY, Iowa – Hassan Ali Mohamed, 25, was arrested by Ankeny police roughly an hour after a Thursday night shooting at the McDonald’s on SE Delaware Avenue, in which he allegedly fired multiple shots through the drive-thru window following a dispute over an incorrectly filled order. One employee was shot in the arm and taken to a hospital, where he is expected to survive. A second employee was grazed by a bullet and treated at the scene. Neither worker knew Mohamed. Police used security footage and automated license plate readers to identify the vehicle and locate him at a nearby WoodSpring Suites, where he was taken into custody without incident with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. He faces 2 counts of attempted murder, 2 counts of intimidation with a dangerous weapon, and additional willful injury charges. Local outlets including KCCI and KCRG repeatedly described him only as a “Des Moines man,” omitting any mention of his background despite the extreme nature of opening fire on low-wage workers over fast food. According to a report citing Department of Homeland Security confirmation, Mohamed is a Somali citizen who entered the United States from Kenya in 2014 and was granted U.S. citizenship in 2021 under the Biden administration. The fact that a naturalized citizen from Somalia would allegedly respond to a wrong order by shooting two Americans through a restaurant window exposes the immeasurable failures of current immigration and naturalization standards. Many online are making the case that if Iowa’s ruling class truly cared about the safety of their people, they wouldn’t bring these people here to begin with. Media outlets that soften the story by labeling him a generic “Des Moines man” while ignoring his foreign origin and the path that brought him here are doing their audience a disservice. It is only a matter of time before Iowans reach their breaking point over the changes taking place in the state their families have called home for generations. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: Jurij Kenda from Unsplash

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – Jacob Hall, the founder and owner of The Iowa Standard, announced with a heavy heart on Friday that he is closing the independent Iowa media outlet after 8 years. The site, which covered state politics, the Legislature, education, elections, and government issues from a conservative point of view, grew into a significant presence with roughly 71,000 Facebook followers and millions of annual page views. See His Full Statement Here: facebook.com/share/p/1E5BycG… Hall launched it in late 2018 while still working in sports journalism, later going full-time to provide a perspective he felt was underrepresented in Iowa media. He regularly attended the Capitol during legislative sessions, livestreamed committee and subcommittee meetings, and published reporting and commentary that built a loyal readership among Iowans looking for that viewpoint. The work demanded long hours and personal sacrifice, but Hall has described it as both a duty and a rewarding effort focused on traditional values and state-level issues. It marks the closing of a significant chapter in this corner of the media landscape that will be hard to replace. In his announcement, Hall said a new professional opportunity will allow him to stay involved in work he cares about, while offering greater stability and security for his family, and that after careful consideration, he believes it is the right step. He thanked readers who followed the site, shared stories, sent tips, or supported it financially, noting that their backing made the operation possible. All recurring contributions have been canceled. For those who want to continue tracking Iowa government activity, Hall pointed to LegisHawk, an app focused on bills, legislators, and legislative process. If you ever sent Jacob Hall a tip, shared a lead, or helped The Iowa Standard write an article, that work is continuing here at Iowa First Media. Please send them to us now, and we’ll keep covering the stories and perspectives that matter in the state of Iowa. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: Spencer Daily Reporter

NEW HARTFORD, Iowa – U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, 93, has rejected all calls from Iowa conservatives to resign before Republican Governor Kim Reynolds leaves office in January, which would have allowed her to appoint a successor rather than Democratic Governor-elect Rob Sand if Grassley were to have debilitating health complications in office. Grassley’s office said Thursday that he is not resigning and remains committed to serving the remainder of the 6-year term voters gave him in 2022, which runs through early 2029. The pressure followed catastrophic midterm results for the Iowa GOP that led to major Democratic gains across the state. Grassley himself had raised the succession issue in September, telling a Republican audience, “I don’t plan on dying in office, but if I did, I don’t want a Democratic governor choosing my successor.” Under Iowa law, the sitting governor has the authority to appoint a temporary replacement to a vacant U.S. Senate seat until the next general election. Once Sand takes office, that appointment power would rest with him if a vacancy occurs before the 2028 election. Grassley has also maintained Federal Election Commission paperwork associated with a potential 2028 reelection bid, though he has said the filing is required for fundraising and does not mean he has decided to run. He has repeatedly stated that he will wait until next year to decide whether to seek another term, citing his focus on the recent midterms and personal considerations about whether he can continue to do the job. At 93, he is the oldest current member of Congress, and would be 95 during the 2028 campaign and 101 by the end of another full term. His office’s statement that he intends to serve out his current term leaves open the possibility that, should he leave office after Sand is sworn in and before the next election, the Democratic governor would name the interim replacement, and that replacement would likely be one who aligns with Sand himself, not Grassley. Business inquiries, corrections, story leads, or contributor requests? Email us at newsroom@iowafirstmedia.com. Photo: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ