MANCHESTER, Iowa (KCRG) – A now-former University of Dubuque professor has been arrested in connection to an undercover grooming operation. Manchester Police have charged Nathan Hough with grooming and dissemination of obscene material to a minor. According to the university’s website, Hough was an associate professor of psychology at the school. Manchester police say Hough traveled to Manchester to engage in sex acts with an undercover officer portraying a minor. They say he also sent explicit pictures to the officer and requested the minor urinate on him. The University of Dubuque said Hough is no longer employed at the school as of Monday afternoon.
WATERLOO, Iowa (KCRG) – Families facing financial hardship, housing instability, or other challenges often need help from multiple resources at once. A new initiative in Black Hawk County aims to make that support easier to access. Local leaders are launching a program called Thrive Iowa, designed to connect families in crisis with community resources through a coordinated approach. Organizers say the idea is to simplify the process of finding help, since many families struggle to navigate multiple systems on their own. Families can apply to participate in the program. Once they do, organizers will assess their situations using a set of indicators that measure overall stability. To qualify, families must meet eligibility requirements for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, including having incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level. As part of the program, organizers plan to hire two “navigators” who will work directly with families to help them connect with services such as housing assistance, food programs and medical care. The goal is to intervene early when families begin facing multiple challenges at once. Organizers also plan to bring local agencies together regularly to identify gaps in services and coordinate how they respond to families in need. County leaders say the effort is intended to create a stronger network of support that helps families move from crisis toward stability.
MARION, Iowa (KCRG) – Prosecutors submitted closing arguments to a judge Monday, arguing that a Marion father’s killing of his 5-year-old son was intentional, willful, and premeditated. Matthew Schleier faces a charge of first-degree murder in the death of his son, Jack, who died in October 2024. Schleier is pursuing an insanity defense. The case is being heard as a bench trial, meaning a judge — not a jury — will decide Schleier’s verdict. In their closing arguments, prosecutors wrote that Schleier wanted peace and relief from the stress caused by Jack’s food allergies; this, they argued, motivated him to kill his son. Prosecutors also said Schleier had considered killing his children for weeks. He weighed using knives before choosing to strangle his son, which prosecutors said he determined was more humane and quieter. Although Schleier shared his struggles with his sister, wife, and mental health professionals, prosecutors said he did not disclose his homicidal thoughts to them. The defense is expected to file its closing arguments before a judge issues a verdict.
DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) – An Iowa Senate subcommittee stopped a bill Monday that would have removed grant funding from private universities with diversity, equity and inclusion offices. House File 2488 would have banned DEI offices at private colleges that receive Iowa Tuition Grant funding. The grant provides in-state students up to $8,500 in taxpayer money to attend private schools. According to the state, 28 private universities participated in the program last school year. All three lawmakers on the subcommittee said grant funding should not be used as a weapon and that the bill would ultimately harm students more than the universities. Two Republicans and one Democrat agreed not to move the bill forward.
