(Rural Clarke County, IA) — A southern Iowa man has changed his plea to guilty on two charges related to a November 2025 hit-and-run crash between a car and a horse-drawn buggy, that killed a teenager from Murray. On March 12, the date of 41-year-old Jacob Wright’s pretrial hearing, he appeared in court and changed his plea to guilty. Court records state he pleaded to Knowingly Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Death/Serious Injury and Failure to Assist.

Wright’s car hit the buggy from behind on November 12, 2025, resulting in the death of 16-year-old Elmer Borntrager. Authorities had reported the car fled from the scene following the crash, leaving behind parts that were identified as belonging to a Chevy Cavalier. Wright was arrested following an investigation that lasted for nearly a month.

Wright was initially charged with Involuntary Manslaughter and Knowingly Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Death/Serious Injury. An additional charge of Failure to Assist Resulting in Death was later filed. In late January 28, Wright entered a plea of not guilty to all three charges. His jury trial had been set to take place March 30^th.

On hearing on his case is now set to occur March 26^th. Wright remains in the Clarke County Jail, pending sentencing.

(Taylor County, IA) – A collision between an SUV and a semi tractor-trailer resulted in at least three people being transported to the hospital. Officials with the Lenox Fire Department report rescue crews were dispatched at 3:31-p.m. Thursday to the intersection of Highway 148 and 130th Street, west of Lenox and north of Gravity, for a two vehicle accident with injuries. Dispatch reports at the time indicated an adult female and two children were injured when the SUV rear-ended the semi. (Photos are from the Lenox Fire Department’s Facebook page)

Photos from the scene provided by Lenox Fire on their social media page, showed an SUV with a crushed front and a semi, along with images of grain/corn and debris being cleared from the road. Officials say Highway 148 had to be shut down for a while as investigators worked and clean-up crews cleared the roads.

Authorities said agencies assisting at the scene included: The Taylor County Ambulance, and Sheriff’s Office; Corning Fire Department; the Iowa State Patrol and Shepherd’s Towing.

(Radio Iowa) – A political operative who’s worked on presidential and U.S. senate campaigns in the past has submitted the paperwork to put her own name on ballots for the Iowa’s Democratic Primary for governor. Julie Stauch of West Des Moines says she submitted about four-thousand signatures on her nominating petitions.  “I didn’t go out and collect all of those, but in several situations I was the one who could go get the and so I did,” Stauch said. “Yesterday was my last stop and one of the ladies said: ‘You know what? I’ve never had a candidate ask me to sign their petition before. I like this.'”

Iowa law requires statewide candidates to submit at least 35-hundred signatures and they must have collected at least 100 signatures in 19 different counties. “It’s probably a little more overwrought than it needs to be in terms of people participating in democracy. When I ran Mazie Hirono’s campaign in Hawaii…25 signatures was all you needed to get on the ballot, so we had 10 people in that primary,” Stauch said, laughing. “It was an adventure.”

Stauch says changing Iowa’s ballot access rules isn’t among her priority issues. “Water, public schools and those health care fights,” Stauch said. “That’s a lot to get done and a lot to move the needle on.” Stauch says Iowa’s cancer rate, nursing home care and access to O-B G-Y-Ns are all concerns voters raise about Iowa’s health care system as she has campaigned around the state.  “I don’t have my own agenda,” Stauch said. “I’m just finding out what they want done and I’m going to go to work on it.”

Stauch is running against State Auditor Rob Sand, who announced his campaign for governor last spring and submitted nearly 28-thousand signatures on his nominating petitions earlier this week.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has passed a bill that supporters say attacks the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. The bill would require radon mitigation systems in newly constructed homes in Iowa. Representative Hans Wilz of Ottumwa says many home builders already install the systems.

“Radon is estimated to cause nearly 400 deaths annually in the State of Iowa,” Wilz said. “And all 99 counties in the State of Iowa have been identified as a Zone One — the highest risk category by the EPA.” Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that seeps into homes through cracks in the foundation.

Representative Austin Baeth of Des Moines — a doctor of internal medicine — says it’s not everyday that legislators pass bills that will directly save lives. “I’ve too many times diagnosed people with cancer who were not smokers,” Baeth said, “and it was because of their exposure to radon.”

The House unanimously passed the same bill two years ago, but it stalled in the senate.

(Radio Iowa) – U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek of Council Bluffs says he’s battle tested and ready to go after submitting nearly 10-thousand signatures on nominating petitions to secure his spot on the Democratic Party’s 2026 Primary ballot. Turek is currently a member of the Iowa House, running against State Senator Zach Wahls, a Democrat from Coralville.

“I’m the only one in this race that has ever run against a Republican. I represent the reddest district,” Turek said. “Two communities that I represent in the Iowa legislature — Trump won Carter Lake by 18 points (and) won Council Bluffs, my hometown, by 10 points. I’ve been able to outperform by 50% more than any other Democrat in the state. I think that’s what this is about. It’s about electability.”

Turek says he got more votes within his Iowa House district in 2024 than Kamala Harris did.  “I said when I started this campaign that I wanted this to look and feel and sound different than your usual senate campaign,” Turek said, “and I knew some of that was going to be by the very nature of being 20 years younger than the average United States senator and also having a visible disability.”

Turek is a Paralympian who won four gold medals on Team U-S-A’s wheelchair basketball team. He’s seeking the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Joni Ernst, who announced six months ago she would not seek reelection. Turek says Iowa Democrats have a once in a lifetime change to win back the U.S. Senate seat Ernst won in 2014 when Democrat Tom Harkin retired.

“Traveling around the state the thing that I hear the most from people is that they are struggling, that they’re hurting and that they need change,” Turek said. “…I’m a common sense prairie populist like Senator Harkin was.” Turek says he’s focusing on things like a livable wage, affordable housing and health care, and boosting small businesses and small family farms. “We are winning rooms all over the state and I think that Iowans are hungry for genuineness and authenticity and also someone who can win this election,” Turek said. “…I’m battle tested and I’m ready to go.”

The June 2nd Primary is 81 days away and the winner of this Democratic Primary is likely to face Republican Ashley Hinson in the General Election. Federal candidates and candidates for state office have until 5 p.m. today (Friday) to submit enough petition signatures to qualify for the Republican and Democratic Party Primaries.

(Greenfield, IA) – The Adair County 2026 Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. Polls will be open from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm. The last day to file nomination papers for County Supervisor (District 2NE & 4SE), County Treasurer, County Recorder, and County Attorney, is Friday, March 20, 2026, at 5:00 pm (office will be open until 5). You may pick up paperwork from the Auditor’s office within the Adair County Courthouse, or print them, at the following link https://sos.iowa.gov/voters/candidates. This paperwork must be filed at the Adair County Auditor’s office.

Any person wanting to formally object to a candidate’s filed paperwork, has until Friday, March 27, 2026 at 4:30 pm. Voters may file an absentee ballot request form with the Adair County Auditor’s Office beginning Tuesday, March 24, 2026 Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 5:00 pm is the satellite petition deadline in the Adair County Auditor’s office. Open until 5:00 pm. Wednesday, May 13, 2026, is the first date to mail requested absentee ballots. This date is also the first date for in person absentee voting at the Adair County Auditor’s Office.

Monday, May 18, 2026, at 5:00 pm, is the deadline for requesting a mailed absentee ballot as well as the voter pre-registration deadline. Open until 5:00 pm. Any MAILED voter registration forms postmarked on or before this date will be considered on time. Monday, May 25, 2026, offices closed in observance of Memorial Day. Friday, May 29, 2026, at 5:00 pm, is deadline to submit a formal challenge to the qualifications of an absentee voter.

The Adair County Auditor’s Office is open until 5:00 pm Saturday, May 30, 2026, Auditor Office open 8 hours from 7 am to 3 pm for absentee voting and other office business including passports. Monday, June 1, 2026, is the last day to vote in person absentee at the Adair County Auditor’s office.

A list of candidates who have filed & remaining important dates, as well as Official Notice of election, will follow at a later date.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, Thursday (today), said a man from Emerson man was sentenced on March 10, 2026, to 218 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography.

According to public court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip that a social media account, later determined to be associated with Andrew Joseph Branigan, 37, uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material. In October 2024, law enforcement seized Branigan’s cell phone during a search of his Emerson residence. A forensic examination of the seized cell phone showed that Branigan used the device to receive and possess approximately 600 images and 50 videos containing child sexual abuse material. Branigan admitted he sent and received child sexual abuse material with other users on social media applications.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Branigan will be required to serve a 15-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Branigan was also ordered to pay $18,000 in restitution.

United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Criminal Investigation-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Child Exploitation Task Force, and the Mills County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

(Radio Iowa) – State officials have reduced their prediction of state tax revenue for the current budgeting year by 46 MILLION dollars, but the governor’s budget director says there is no need to cut state spending plans for the next three months. Iowa Department of Management Director Kraig Paulsen says officials have reserves to cover the gap.

“The money’s there to meet those needs,” Paulsen said. Since July 1st, there’s been a more than eight percent declined in the amount of taxes paid to the State of Iowa. The drop is due to the state income tax cut Republican lawmakers approved in 2024, along with federal tax cuts for corporations and for individuals who earn tips and overtime pay.Those changes were automatically triggered in Iowa’s tax code.

“The state has $5.6 billion cash on hand,” Paulsen said, “…The reserve funds are full and the Taxpayer Relief Fund has a balance of $4 billion.” House Democratic Leader Brian Meyer says it’s wrong for Republicans to cover that deficit by making withdrawals from the Taxpayer Relief Fund. “That fund should be used to lower property taxes in the state and other taxes in the state,” Meyer said, “but they’re just raiding it to cover their budget mess.”

The State Revenue Estimating Conference has reduced its overall prediction for tax collections for the next state budgeting year. Jennifer Acton is director of the Fiscal Services Division in the Legislative Services Agency — and is a member of the panel that makes that tax prediction. She says most economic indicators in Iowa are positive, but gas prices are up considerably due to what’s happening in the Middle East and tariffs continue to be drag on the manufacturing and ag sectors.

“We believe it is prudent to be cautious as we look to the future,” Acton said. In January, Governor Reynolds proposed a nearly nine-point-six BILLION dollar budget for the next state fiscal year — a nearly two percent increase. Legislators are starting to work on their own budget plans.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill under consideration in the Iowa House would make it a felony to intentionally disrupt a religious service. Republican Representative Carter Nordman of Dallas Center says filed the bill after a protest inside a Minnesota church where a pastor works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Everyone has a right to protest. Everyone has their first amendments protected,” Nordman said, “but we’re not going to have you intimidating children and women in church services to try to get your point across. It’s inappropriate.” Making people at a religious service feel unsafe, blocking entrances or creating persistent or unreasonable noise would be a state crime if the bill becomes law.

A person convicted of interference with a religious service could be sentenced to up to five years in prison. Representative Monica Kurth, a Democrat from Davenport, voted against the bill. She says current law allows a wide range of penalties for a church disturbance.”A judge could use his or her discretion in determining the penalty,” Kurth said, “so I think that’s adequate.”

The U-S Justice Department has filed charges against over 30 people accused of disrupting the Minnesota church service in January.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced on March 12, 2026, to 170 months in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a felon.

According to public court documents, Diamonte Eugene Thomas, 27, discharged a firearm three times from a vehicle toward two individuals entering a Davenport apartment building in October 2023. There were three children in the car with Thomas when he fired the gun. Law enforcement collected three spent shell casings Thomas fired from the scene. Thomas is prohibited from possessing ammunition because he is felon, including a 2023 conviction for unlawful possession with intent to deliver cannabis in the Illinois Circuit Court for Rock Island County.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Thomas will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.