The Des Moines Register
‘ICE are doing a GREAT job’
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump overturned an order to suspend most immigration-related traffic stops one day after administration officials announced the pause following the deadly shootings of two people in Maine and Texas by federal agents, a...
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A political shift
With several high-profile Republican incumbents opting not to run for reelection in November’s midterm elections, including Gov. Kim Reynolds and U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, Democrats in the state are hoping to break the GOP’s hold on deep-red Iowa. But the...
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Balloons paint downtown skies
The skies over downtown Des Moines had a pop of color the morning of July 13 thanks to the annual Flight over Des Moines. Expect to see more balloons in the weeks ahead as Indianola hosts the National Balloon Classic from July 31 to Aug. 8.
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Downtown Des Moines permit denied for Hyper Energy Bar
Plans to build a Hyper Energy Bar with a drive-thru in downtown Des Moines have hit a roadblock after the city’s Plan and Zoning Commission denied the proposal in a narrow vote. First reported by the Register, the energy drink and coffee bar chain...
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Hannah-Jones to host Waterloo read-in featuring banned authors
Authors whose work has been removed from schools around America, including Iowa, will headline the 1619 Freedom School Read-in at Waterloo West High School on July 18. The free event — now in its second year — will feature award-winning authors Jason...
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‘Once a Cyclone, always a Cyclone’
Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard, the longest-tenured athletics director in school history, is retiring after more than two decades at the helm. The 61-year-old plans to leave the role on June 30, 2027, or sooner if Iowa State hires his...
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Skyline changes as 515 Walnut tops out
After climbing up Des Moines’ skyline for nearly a year and a half, Des Moines and Iowa’s tallest residential tower has topped out. Construction crews on Thursday, July 9, stood atop the 347-foot-tall building, paying little attention to the vistas...
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Harvest festival coming to Iowa Capitol grounds
Iowa will host a fall festival spanning the State Capitol grounds in Des Moines as its signature event to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced. The “America’s Harvest Festival,”...
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Democratic Party to Platner: Drop out or be defunded
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, and New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, the head of Senate Democrats’ midterm operation, told Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine, to immediately withdraw after a woman said he...
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‘Where do I put my stuff, where do I go?’
Eight years after Fourmile Creek flooded his Parkside East apartment and sent him to sleep on a cot inside Hoyt Middle School, Stanislaus Sesay was back in the same room, displaced again from the same Des Moines apartment complex. Sesay, 39, lives on...
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Kum & Go brand lives on through apparel
Dylan Lampe, in the fashion of born-and-raised Iowans, loves Kum & Go, the former Des Moines-based convenience store chain that leaned into online fun with its name. h “People grew up with the brand,” said Lampe, 41, a longtime Des Moines resident....
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Action that led to bald eagle recovery is a ‘story of hope’
MILWAUKEE – Big, powerful and beautiful, they would have drawn the attention of the first humans to set foot in the area we now call the United States. They attained spiritual significance as Native American cultures developed over the following...
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Rain totals as holiday enters
Finally, some rain to beat down the heat — just in time for what could be a stormy holiday weekend. How much rain did Des Moines get? Des Moines saw 3.56 inches from 9 a.m. July 2 to 9 a.m. July 3. Most of that rain — 3.42 inches — fell between 9...
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Celebrating the 4th of July with a bang
It’s nearly time for fireworks to fill the air in celebration of Independence Day. This year comes with the celebration of America’s 250th birthday, adding even more flair. While cities across the Des Moines metro and the rest of Iowa are celebrating...
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TENANTS TAP OUT
A renovated, century-old building that has contributed to the Highland Park neighborhood’s revitalization is losing tenants over a landlord-tenant dispute publicized by one of the building’s small businesses. Nicole Nayima, owner of the Black Sheep...
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Top court rejects citizenship curbs
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump called on Congress to take action ending birthright citizenship after the Supreme Court on June 30 rejected his attempt to redefine who is born American, a centerpiece of his hard-line approach to immigration. “The...
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FAST LANE
For the first time in decades, Iowa is taking the brakes off its 55 mph speed limit. Gov. Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 378 into law on June 1, effectively raising the default speed limit in areas where no speed limit is posted to 60 miles an...
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NEW LAWS, BIG CHANGES
Higher speed limits, steeper criminal penalties and restrictions on abortion medication are a few of the new Iowa laws taking effect July 1. h The Iowa Legislature passed 206 bills this year, and 200 of those became law – Gov. Kim Reynolds vetoed five...
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Pentagon reinstates some flu shot mandates
Some military personnel are once again required to receive flu vaccines in the wake of an outbreak, two months after Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth did away with the 80-year-old mandate. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told USA TODAY in a statement...
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Sounds of summer
The Pork Tornadoes (with Zachary Freedom) performed Thursday evening, June 25, as part of Jasper Winery’s 2026 Summer Concert Series, held Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. The Nadas are set to perform next week, followed by Pianopalooza Band the week after.
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More than 160 killed in Venezuela quakes
Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodrı́guez said an initial fund of $200 million would be created using resources from the International Monetary Fund dedicated to rebuilding infrastructure, after back-to-back major earthquakes struck the country’s...
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ORGANIC FARMERS TURN BACK TIME
WARE – Once Andrew Hopkins and his family plant organic corn and soybean seeds, they’re in a battle with weeds that they can no longer rely on chemicals to kill. “The clock starts ticking,” Hopkins told three representatives of House Foods Group who...
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CARP-E DIEM
Cody Doornenbal watches the Des Moines River for carp as he bow fishes from shore on June 22, in Johnston. Logan Rasko draws his bow as he fishes for carp at the Saylorville Dam.
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Post Kum & Go, Krause leads Boys & Girls Club
Leading the C-suite of a convenience store corporation may not seem like relevant work experience for taking the helm at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa, but, please, let Tanner Krause explain. Yes, the scale is different. Kum & Go, the...
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Pleasant Hill pauses tax breaks after law change
One of Des Moines’ suburbs has indefinitely paused its tax incentive program due to changes in state law. The Pleasant Hill City Council voted to discontinue applications for the program, which provided a property tax deferment on the incremental...
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Kennedy: $700M set for mental health, addiction
DETROIT – Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced more than $700 million in funding for mental health, addiction and homelessness after a roundtable discussion June 17 with leaders at the Easterseals MORC in Clinton...
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Rare marine species make splash at DMPS
Rare, ornate sea dragons have joined the students at Des Moines Public Schools’ marine biology program. The sea creatures were donated to the Central Campus aquarium for students to study and learn from this year. They’re a welcome addition to the...
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Des Moines increases ambulance fees 20%
From treatment to transport, the Des Moines Fire Department is increasing its fees for ambulance services to align with other regional departments. The new costs for emergency medical services and fire prevention services will be increased effective...
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EDUCAT SAVIN ACCOU Immigration status costs Iowa family ESA funding
For two years, a northwest Iowa couple applied for and received an education savings account to send their two children to private school. The couple, who are legal Iowa residents but not U.S. citizens, used the taxpayer-funded program to help pay to...
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Libertarian hopefuls kicked off the ballot
A state panel voted to remove Libertarian candidates for governor and Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District from the Nov. 3 general election ballot — and the candidates are vowing to appeal the decision in court. Republican voters, strategists and...
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DMPS gives families assurances on FOCUS
For decades, Des Moines Public Schools families have seen the FOCUS program as a lifeline to ensure their children with disabilities receive a quality education and help them navigate sometimes complicated mental health conditions. Landon Wheeler, a...
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GOAL! Des Moines fans cheer U.S. opening win
The U.S. Men's National Team opened their World Cup bid outside of Los Angeles on June 12 against Paraguay, winning their first game in Group D by a final score of 4-1. The United States next plays in Group D action on June 19 against Australia. That...
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Documents outline Trump arch planning
The Trump administration aims to finish the “Triumphal Arch” within the next two to three years, according to National Park Service documents. The “Arc de Trump,” as it has been dubbed, is a 250foot structure similar to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris....
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THE FIFTH: CASE CLOSED
The city of Des Moines owes the developers of a failed skyscraper project nearly $6 million, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled, while mostly upholding a lower court’s verdict. The Friday, June 12, decision finally resolves the yearslong litigation over The...
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Who has the edge in Iowa governor’s race?
Iowa politicos are resetting their expectations for a governor’s race they say will remain highly competitive, even as the contours shift significantly in the wake of Republican Zach Lahn’s upset primary victory over Randy Feenstra. Lahn rode a wave...
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VA employees: Vets wait months for care
When Daphne Quinn, a registered nurse at the Des Moines VA Medical Center, recounts a story of a veteran leaving the hospital against medical advice, she has to pause several times to compose herself. “He checked himself out because within a few hours...
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Family’s futile fight ends in separation
When the Beamans bottomed out: Third in a series MENLO – The long haul began in January 2025 when, early each weekday, Todd and Bonnie Beaman drove two of their adult children from their home in Menlo, picked up two more and a sonin-law 45 minutes...
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Consequences mount for family amid ebbing help
When the Beamans bottomed out: Second in a series. AUDUBON – Todd and Bonnie Beaman settled into the courtroom, anxious to tell the judge their side of the story. Despite what others would say in judgment of what the Beamans had done, the Menlo couple...
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Study: Mosquitoes can outsmart key repellent
The world’s deadliest animal could be outsmarting people. In a new study, researchers discovered mosquitoes can learn to associate the smell of DEET with food − potentially weakening the world’s most widely used insect repellent. “If mosquitoes are...
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Nebraska chain buys 21 Fast & Fresh stores
Hy-Vee is selling its 21 standalone Fast & Fresh-branded convenience stores, opening the door for a 78-yearold family-owned, Nebraska company to expand to Iowa. Bosselman Enterprises, which operates six brands in the travel-service sector, will...
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LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
Lying on their stomachs on Moulton Elementary School’s grassy lawn, two students grappled in a friendly arm wrestling competition to the cheers of other students before the morning bell rings one last time. Surrounding the competitors, other students...
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Lahn vs. Sand for governor
Republican businessman Zach Lahn, who entered the Iowa primary race for governor as a virtual unknown, has stunned presumed favorite U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra to win the party’s nomination. Although Republican President Donald Trump endorsed Feenstra...
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Abuse, wait times both up amid dire caregiver crisis
Iowa has a caregiver crisis that is escalating even faster than its population is graying: Cases of dependent adult abuse, increasing for decades, have skyrocketed in the last five years, with a growing number of people found by the state to be abusive...
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Des Moines Register’s voters’ primary guide
Iowa’s Primary Election Day has arrived, and we’re here to help you vote. Iowa voters can cast their ballots for a host of federal, state and local primary races that will determine who can be on the Nov. 3 general election. Don’t know what’s on your...
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Breaking down Iowa’s $9.6 billion state budget
Iowa’s state spending will increase slightly in the coming year as revenues remain low because of GOPbacked tax cuts – leaving a $1.2 billion gap that lawmakers plan to fill using the state’s budget surplus and the Taxpayer Relief Fund. The state’s...
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IF IT’S LOCAL YOU WANT, WE’VE GOT IT.
Our Sunday refresh offers more local news and sports, as well as “Weekend Exclusive” content to help you navigate your lives.
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American Equity’s new HQ boosts DM
Downtown Des Moines is taking another step toward recovery from its post-pandemic funk as American Equity Life Insurance Co. dedicates its new headquarters in the Western Gateway. One of Iowa’s largest life insurance companies, American Equity cut the...
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State Dems don’t rule out a break with DNC
Iowa Democrats said they plan to “work in good faith” with the national party as it sets its 2028 presidential primary calendar, but they didn’t rule out holding a rogue first-in-the-nation caucus if Iowa gets squeezed out of a top spot. “Iowa law...
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Neighbors’ opposition stalls townhome plan
In less than a decade, the median home price in the Des Moines metro has shot up more than $100,000 to $315,000, a surge that’s made finding starter homes increasingly difficult. But in Valley Junction, a historic enclave of homes, shops, small...
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IOWA’S HEALTH HITS GOP RACE
Climbing cancer rates, renewed water quality concerns and an ascendant Make America Healthy Again movement have collided in Iowa — a unique confluence of factors spilling into the Republican campaign trail for governor this year. Iowa’s GOP voters...
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515 Walnut reshapes downtown skyline
A strong breeze gusts through the chain-link barrier enclosing the 28th floor of what will soon be Iowa’s tallest residential building. It’s a reminder of how far above the building-buffered streets of downtown Des Moines 515 Walnut will soon...
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Rural hospitals close in increasing numbers
Some Pennsylvania hospitals are being pushed beyond the brink of closure. Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park closed in April 2025, Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland closed in May 2025, and Heritage Valley Kennedy Hospital, formerly the Ohio Valley...
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If it’s local you want, we’ve got it.
Our Sunday refresh offers more local news and sports, as well as “Weekend Exclusive” content to help you navigate your lives. So enjoy your Sunday reading filled with stories that will inspire, educate, inform and entertain you.
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Council Bluffs man gets 50 years for cold-case murder
Almost 40 years after the disappearance of a west Iowa woman, her exboyfriend has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for her murder. Barbara Lenz, 31, of Woodbine, Iowa, was last seen alive on May 6, 1989. Her remains have never been found. She left...
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Raising a glass to grunts like Madsen
History doesn’t lack for revered figures of war. Emperors. Conquistadors. Four-star generals. The sort that wear racks of medals and tassels and epaulettes — bravery and import stitched in the language of fashion. They have genius (sometimes). They...
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Reynolds signs Iowa ‘MAHA’ law
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joined Gov. Kim Reynolds as she signed a law reshaping food assistance, school meals, screen time and ivermectin access in Iowa — embracing Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again”...
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Automotive survivors set to be auctioned off
Nearly a century’s worth of automotive history will soon go to the auction block in Greenfield. More than 30 cars ranging from a 1902 curved-dash Oldsmobile Runabout to a 2000 Corvette roadster are heading to auction Saturday, June 13. The Schildberg...
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Special stories from 12 outstanding grads
This month, thousands of Iowa high school students are switching their mortarboard tassels from right to left and officially stepping into adulthood. h The Des Moines Register asked staff at 15 metro-area schools to each nominate a standout graduate...
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Bill to improve towing protections awaiting signature
A bill the Iowa Legislature passed will add several new consumer protections for the owners of towed vehicles, require a tighter deadline for tow notices to be sent to owners and lien holders and give them more time to reclaim their wheels before they...
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Primary primer
One of Iowa’s most eagerly anticipated midterm primaries in a decade features open seats for Iowa governor and U.S. Senate as well as races for U.S. House seats, statewide offices and the Legislature. Find out what you need to know before you vote.
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$10M gift boosts new Field of Dreams park
If you build it, they will come – so goes a cliched adaptation of the most famous line from the 1989 film “Field of Dreams.” On Thursday, May 14, as part of a Bring it Home campaign to ensure that dream comes true, the nonprofit Field of Dreams Movie...
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U.S. HOUSE CLEARS YEAR-ROUND E15
After months of uncertainty, yearround access to E15, gasoline blended with 15% ethanol, has cleared the U.S. House. But it still faces an uphill battle to become law. The House’s Wednesday, May 13, vote to allow year-round E15 is a significant win...
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Early voting begins in Iowa
May 13 marked the start of early voting, when Iowans can cast their ballots in key races ahead of the June 2 primary. Voters will be making choices in statewide, congressional and many legislative or local races. 2A
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Grassley renews request for FTC probe of wedding site The Knot
An email from an Iowa vendor to wedding planning website The Knot is both succinct and expressive. “I don’t want a phone call. I don’t want to talk through it. I’m drowning in bills from your company for leads that were promised but never received....
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Honey Creek Resort set to reopen in June
The kitchen appliances are polished and gleaming. The guest rooms have been meticulously prepared. The golf course is groomed to a green luster under blue spring skies. The only thing missing at Honey Creek Resort is the guests. But Mark Campbell,...
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Federal water aid request sparks Dallas Center rift
On the heels of its mayor’s abrupt resignation, Dallas Center leaders say the city is at a crossroads, grappling with internal conflict stymieing progress and risking spiraling out of control – as it has in other central Iowa towns. The issues center...
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German town braces for U.S. troop pullout
VILSECK, Germany – The picturesque Bavarian town of Vilseck has hosted U.S. forces since the end of World War II and could bear the brunt of President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw at least 5,000 troops from Germany. Although details of the units...
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Fuzzy white bison calf charms Iowa visitors
Baby fever has brought a stampede of interest to a quiet stretch of prairie east of Des Moines. What’s causing the surge? A fuzzy, “one-in-amillion” white bison calf born at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. The rare calf is drawing droves to...
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Charting his own path
It’s been nearly 1,000 years since King Henry IV stood barefoot in the Italian snow to beg forgiveness after clashes with Pope Gregory VII, and over two centuries since Napoleon imprisoned Pope Pius VII in France. Now, a battle is underway between a...
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Dem candidates spar on immigration, campaigns
Iowa’s Democratic U.S. Senate candidates in a closely watched primary race sparred over outside spending and immigration policy during the first televised debate of the election. Josh Turek, a state representative from Council Bluffs, and Zach Wahls,...
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RUNNING UP FEES
Anthony Arroyo, 27, had just started to walk again after rupturing his Achilles tendon in fall 2021 when his friend, Nico Robinson, suggested they should train for the Des Moines Marathon. The following summer, Arroyo found himself trotting...
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Lawmakers pass key items, stall on pipeline
The contours of Iowa’s 2026 legislative session were clear from the outset. Property tax cuts would be lawmakers’ top priority, while eminent domain, the state budget, immigration and criminal justice would occupy significant legislative time. But...
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Some DMPS schools to share or lose teachers
Moore Elementary on April 30 in Des Moines. For more than a month, Cameron Cooley’s music teacher at Moore Elementary has spent 15 minutes before school each Tuesday showing the fifth-grader where to place his hands on the keyboard and other beginner...
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If it’s local you want, we’ve got it.
Our Sunday refresh offers more local news and sports, as well as “Weekend Exclusive” content to help you navigate your lives. So enjoy your Sunday reading filled with stories that will inspire, educate, inform and entertain you.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Reynolds announces water funding revamp
Iowa will direct $25 million to Central Iowa Water Works to upgrade its nitrate removal facilities as part of a statewide overhaul of Iowa’s water quality funding. The funding package will also boost the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ water...
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