Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen is issuing another emergency declaration in response to destructive events. The most recent declaration is for the South Fork Fire in Sioux County. The fire had burned more than 16-thousand acres as of yesterday. The declaration provides state resources to impacted communities.
A new state audit is raising questions about prescription drug costs in Iowa Medicaid. State Auditor Rob Sand says a company that manages prescription drug benefits received about 100-million dollars in back-end payments over 3 years through a pricing system that may have increased costs for taxpayers and pharmacies. Sand is calling for stricter oversight and greater transparency in how those payments are handled.
Governor Kim Reynolds has appointed Colonel Charles Lampe as deputy adjutant general-Army for the Iowa National Guard. Lampe will help lead more than seven-thousand Iowa Army National Guard soldiers and oversee readiness, response operations and personnel development. Lampe has served with the Iowa Guard since 1995 and has more than three-thousand flight hours as a Master Army Aviator.
A new animal protection ordinance is approved in Council Bluffs. The measure prohibits people convicted of serious animal abuse crimes from owning cats or dogs. Officials say the law applies to residents convicted of animal abuse, animal neglect, animal torture, or dogfighting at the level of a serious misdemeanor or above. Supporters call the ordinance a common-sense way to protect animals.
All eight baseball teams are in Omaha for the 2026 College World Series. Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas, Troy, and West Virginia make up the field of the teams trying to take home a national championship. The games start tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. when Troy takes on West Virginia.
The Creighton University baseball team may not be taking part in the 2026 College World Series, but they are celebrating a milestone. The university hosted a dedication ceremony yesterday morning to celebrate the opening of their new baseball practice field. Construction on the field began in June 2025, and the project cost about 65-million-dollars.