From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
Former Keokuk County Sheriff’s deputy David Heady, Jr. is guilty of 13 counts of child endangerment. A Mahaska County jury reached the verdict after he helped organize a hayride in 2023 that ended in a crash where 29 children were thrown from the trailer. Heady was a passenger in the truck pulling the trailer and prosecutors say he tried to cover up what happened. The driver, Dan Brubaker, pleaded guilty in the case and is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday.
More than 200 people rallied outside the Cedar Rapids ICE offices yesterday morning, as three people were detained during regular immigration check-ins. Police and Homeland Security agents surrounded the offices just off 33rd Ave Southwest in Cedar Rapids. Escucha Mi Voz says the group will mobilize support for those who were jailed so they don’t face ICE actions alone.
Iowa U.S. Senator Joni Ernst confirmed reports she will not run for reelection next year, saying she wants to spend more time with her family. Hours later, Iowa U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson announced she’s running for the seat. Hinson represents Iowa’s second congressional district, which covers cities like Cedar Rapids, Dubuque and Waterloo. She says she’s running to fight alongside President Donald Trump and deliver on the America First Agenda.
The Archdiocese of Dubuque is merging parishes and considering three different options. Archbishop Thomas Zinkula says the number of people attending mass across the Archdiocese of Dubuque has decreased by 47 percent since 2006. He proposes merging parishes to form what are called pastorates–but that means some masses will no longer be held in people’s home parish. The Archdiocese of Dubuque is taking feedback and will use that input to form the official mergers in the spring, with eventual implementation next summer.
And Iowa’s statewide pheasant population is at a 20 year high thanks to last year’s mild winter. The 2025 survey counted more pheasants, quail, cottontail rabbits and partridge than last year. That could be good news for hunters. The statewide average of 28 birds per route is the highest since 2005. Regionally, the northeast region saw its highest numbers since 1998; east central, highest since 2007; and southeast, highest since 2020.
