The Iowa Democratic Party trying to get back first in the nation caucuses. The Democratic National Committee took the historic first-caucus status away from Iowa in 2023. Iowa Democratic Chair Rita Hart says a delegation is going to Washington D.C. this week to pitch the DNC to put Iowa Caucuses first in the nation again for the 2028 Presidential election cycle. Iowa Republicans still have their party's first-in-the-nation caucuses.
Nitrate levels in Central Iowa rivers are rising. The Raccoon River in Van Meter monitoring sensor shows the nitrate level at 18-point-four milligrams. That's nearly double from almost a week ago. The Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue station measured eleven-point-three milligrams Tuesday. A week ago it was at nine-point-seven. The EPA says safe drinking water can have no more than ten milligrams. Central Iowa Water Works says the drinking water is filtered and is safe to drink. Six-hundred-thousand Iowans get their drinking water from the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers.
Alternative nicotine products such as vapes and nicotine pouches will be taxed a nickel more in Iowa. Under a bill signed into law today by Governor Kim Reynolds, the first three-million dollars generated by the tax is being earmarked for pediatric cancer research at the University of Iowa. The remainder of the funding will go to a Medicaid fund.
An effort is underway to place a smaller replica of the Statue of Liberty at an Omaha park. Organizers of the effort hope to raise 350-thousand-dollars to place a bronze Statue of Liberty replica south of the U.S. flag is at Turner Park. Scouting America is raising money for the effort through a coin drive.
University of Nebraska-Omaha softball coach Mike Heard is staying with the program. Heard, who is the 2026 Summit League Coach of the Year, has agreed to a contract extension through the end of the 2030 season. Heard took over the program in 2022, and he has led the Mavericks to conference tournament championships in 2023, 2024, and 2025 and conference regular season titles in 2025 and 2026.
A member of the University of Nebraska softball team is receiving national honors. Husker two-way player and captain Jordy Frahm has been named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. Frahm led the Huskers this year with 19 home runs, and she has won 20 games and earned 12 saves as a pitcher.