Iowa AG’s Office Concludes Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting Was Justified
(Wapello County, IA) — A deadly, officer-involved shooting in Wapello County has been declared justified by the State. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation found that on June 10th, officers attempted to arrest Michael Zurek at an apartment. They announced their arrival and ordered Zurek to come out of the apartment. When he refused, officers used a key from the person Zurek was staying with to open the door. Zurek charged officers with a knife, and Deputy U.S. Marshal Branden Brown shot Zurek twice in response. Officers attempted life-saving measures, but Zurek was later pronounced dead at the scene.
>>Winner In Iowa Election Tie Declared After His Name Was Drawn Out Of A Hat
(Runnells, IA) — A city council race in Iowa has been officially decided by drawing a name out of a hat. The winner of the Runnells race was decided at Tuesday morning’s Polk County Board of Supervisors meeting. Jacob Dingman’s name was picked as the winner. He and his opponent, Corey Walker-Zepeda, had been tied with 37 votes each. Iowa law says, in the event of a tie, the next step is drawing the winner’s name from a hat.
>>Iowa State Fair Announces Top Three New Foods For 2026
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa State Fair is one step closer to crowning its next Best New Food. Judges tasted and picked their favorites Tuesday afternoon. The three finalists are, in no particular order, Minneapple Pie, Porky Parm Gnocchi and the All-American Scrambled Egg Roll. There are 83 new foods this year. The fair begins August 13th.
>>Patient From Iowa First In The U.S. To Receive Quadruple Organ Transplant Including Lungs
(Chicago, IL) — A patient from Iowa has become the first in the country to receive a quadruple organ transplant, including retransplanted lungs. Northwestern Medicine says 36-year-old Elizabeth Wehrle [[ WURL-ee ]] of Montezuma received two donor lungs, a liver, and a kidney. The transplants are related to complications from cystic fibrosis and chronic rejection of a previous lung transplant. Northwestern says re-do lung transplants are one of the most complex procedures in medicine.
>>Researchers Say Iowa Soil Is Perfect For A New Superfood
(Ames, IA) — A small berry is gaining attention in Iowa as a possible new crop for growers and superfood for consumers. Honeyberries are similar to a blueberry. Randall Vos, a crop specialist at Iowa State University, says the berries do well in Iowa because they don’t need highly acidic soil like blueberries do. They are packed with nutrients and may have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits and taste like a mix between blueberries and candy.
>>Brackets Released For 2026 State High School Baseball, Softball Tournaments
(Undated) — The brackets are out for 2026 State High School baseball and softball tournaments. Both tournaments will take place next week from July 20-24. The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union says this year’s softball tournament will be double-elimination style for the first time. All softball tournament games will be played in Fort Dodge. As for the baseball tournament, all Class 1A and 2A games will be played at Merchants Park in Carroll. Class 3A and 4A teams will qualify during games today and will play at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids next week.
