MAQUOKETA, Iowa (AP) — The eastern Iowa state park where police say a man killed three people and himself is set to reopen. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says in a news release that Maquoketa Caves State Park will reopen for day use Thursday morning. The park has been closed since Friday when a gunman shot and killed a Cedar Falls couple and their young daughter inside their tent. Police later found 23-year-old Anthony Sherwin, of La Vista, Nebraska, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police say Sherwin killed Tyler and Sarah Schmidt, both age 42, and their 6-year-old daughter, Lula Schmidt. The couple’s 9-year-old son, Arlo, wasn’t injured. Police say they have no motive for the killings.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds has named David May to the Iowa Supreme Court, making her fifth appointment to the seven-member court. Reynolds chose May from among three finalists for a position that became vacant with the retirement of Justice Brent Appel. May had been a member of the Iowa Court of Appeals since 2019 and had served as a district judge. He received his law degree from Drake University Law School in Des Moines and his undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. The appointment of May means that all members of the court now have been named by Republican governors. Besides Reynolds’ five appointments, former Gov. Terry Branstad appointed two of the justices.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is asking residents to keep an eye out for the spotted laternfly after confirming the finding of two of the invasive insects in Dallas County earlier this month. As a young nymph, it is a black weevil-like bug with white spots but adds patches of bright red as it develops into a flying insect. The department says it’s native to China, India, and Vietnam, and was accidentally introduced into Pennsylvania in 2014. It has since been confirmed in 11 states in the US and threatens the country’s grape, orchard, nursery, and logging industries.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Now that the Mega Millions lottery jackpot has topped $1 billion, plenty of people who rarely play the game are considering risking $2 or joining an office pool in hopes of an immense payoff. It’s only the fourth time a lottery game has reached such heights. Buying a ticket is easy, but it’s easy to be confused about the odds, how the prizes are set and how the winnings will eventually be paid out. Keep in mind that your chances of winning the jackpot always remain one in 302.5 million, regardless of the value of the prize. You do increase your odds of winning if you buy more tickets but however many you purchase, your odds remain exceedingly small.
