Police continue to investigate after a large law enforcement and emergency medical presence was called to Perry High School on Thursday morning.
LIVE UPDATES: Police confirm Perry High School shooting
Here’s what we know about Perry, Iowa and the Perry Community School District.
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Where is Perry, Iowa? How close is it to Des Moines?
Perry is located in Dallas County. It’s about 40 miles northwest of downtown Des Moines.
What time do classes start at Perry High School?
Thursday, Jan. 4 was the first day of the second semester at Perry High School. Classes were scheduled to start at 7:55 a.m. Police calls were first reported at 7:37 a.m.
More: A history of Iowa school shootings
How many students attend Perry schools?
There are about 1,800 students in the Perry school district.
Are classes still in session at Perry schools?
No. Classes have been canceled at all Perry Community School District Schools for Thursday, Jan. 4. Students were evacuated from all buildings and reunited with families. An announcement from the district’s communication system said that all staff have been released to go home and have been advised not to return to the building.
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How is Perry Community School District connected to recent school lawsuits in Iowa?
Perry Community School District librarian Mari Butler-Abry is one of the named plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed by the Iowa State Education Association, Penguin Random House and four authors — Laurie Halse Anderson; John Green; Malinda Lo; and Jodi Picoult —in federal court in the Southern District of Iowa which challenges parts of a new, sweeping education law. Educators Alyson Browder and Daniel Gutmann are also named.
The law, Senate File 496, bars most books which depict sex acts in schools. Additionally, the law forbids curriculum or teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity through sixth grade and requires school district officials to inform parents and/or caregivers if a student asks to use different pronouns or name at school.
The school district is not a named plaintiff in the lawsuit.
The Perry Chief’s Allison Ullman and The Des Moines Register’s Samantha Hernandez contributed to this report.
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Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her atvreynarodriguez@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter@VictoriaReynaR.
Iowa Realtors Association data shows the number of Iowa home sales in May jumped 17.3% compared to April.
Iowa Realtors President Erik Melloy says Iowa’s housing market was active and balanced in May. Homes were on the market for about 10 days, compared to 12 days in April. The median sales price for a home in May was $260,000. That’s 5.1% higher than April.
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The number of pending home sales was up 4.1% in May compared to the same month a year ago. The Realtors report tracks the sale of Iowa condos and townhomes, too, and shows both a reduction in the median time on the market and an increase in the number of closed sales of condos and townhomes in May.
The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team has been on fire on the recruiting trail in recent weeks, putting together one of the top-ranked recruiting classes in the country.
T.J. Otzelberger has three players who have committed to the program in the Class of 2027. First, it was Josiah Harrington, who committed in September 2024 and has not wavered. Next, it was Donovan Davis, who committed on May 6, and then Jack Kohnen, who committed on June 13.
Those are three high-upside players who are all four-star recruits ranked inside the top 100 in the Class of 2027. Recently, 247Sports updated its player rankings, and all three Iowa State commits saw their rankings change.
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Davis is no longer the highest-ranked player in the Cyclones class. He was previously ranked No. 44 but slipped slightly to No. 47. Securing his commitment was an impressive feat because the lead recruiter, JR Blount, accepted the head coaching position with the San Diego Toreros in the middle of it.
Iowa State commits see rankings change
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Freedom High School’s Donovan Davis (24) shoots the ball against Milwaukee Academy of Science during the WIAA Division 3 state championship game on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. Milwaukee Academy of Science won the game, 57-54. | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Alas, that didn’t stop Otzelberger from sealing the deal. He was involved in the recruitment along with Nate Schmidt and Thomas Pollard. New assistant coaches Tim Buckley and Allan Hanson helped get things over the finish line as well.
The highest-ranked recruit in this class for the Cyclones is now Harrington. He was No. 48 previously and has moved up to No. 43. The in-state recruit has been performing at a high level for Brad Beal Elite in the Nike EYBL this year.
A product of North Scott, he is making a great impression with his defensive impact in the Nike EYBL. When playing with his high school team, he showcases incredible offensive ability, capable of scoring at all three levels.
Jack Kohnen sees biggest jump in rankings
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Slinger’s Jack Kohnen (3) dunks during the WIAA D2 sectional semifinal game against Port Washington at Cedarburg High School in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, March 12, 2026. Slinger won the game, 62-33. | Scott Ash / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Last but not least is Kohnen, who experienced the biggest jump in the rankings. He was ranked No. 81 previously but jumped all the way to No. 64 in the latest update. An elite shooter, Kohnen has an advanced offensive game.
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He is an excellent spot-up shooter but has some great shotmaking ability in his game off the dribble as well. His playmaking is what makes his game so intriguing on that end of the floor because he operates as the point guard on his high school team at Slinger.
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With a game developed well beyond his years, Kohnen has some real upside as an offensive hub. He has the size to see over defenses and advanced reads that make him very difficult to gameplan against.
An Iowa TV anchor choked up on air as he quit his job, and announced he was leaving journalism – before blasting his station for spewing “saturated” news that makes local viewers “uncomfortable.”
Dustin Nolan, morning anchor for NBC-affiliate KWQC-TV 6 in Davenport, delivered the dramatic on-air resignation Friday, repeatedly pausing while fighting back tears before issuing a stinging rebuke of the news station.
“I have chosen to step away from the news industry,” said Nolan, who has worked at KWQC since 2022.
Dustin Nolan, morning anchor for NBC-affiliate KWQC-TV 6, delivered the dramatic on-air resignation Friday. KWQC TV6
“Before I say goodbye, I just want to say, I hope every one of you that’s allowed me to be a part of your mornings just how important that I have taken this job, how much it means to me that you’ve trusted me these past few years to bring you the news in the morning.”
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The distraught broadcaster stressed that he has “given everything” to serving up transparent, fact-driven news coverage to the Quad Cities, calling it a “public service.”
Nolan said all he has ever wanted was to report on the “issues that really matter.”
“I’ve always believed that we as a local news station owe you, the viewers, the best that we can do, because without you, none of us would be able to do this job,” Nolan added.
“I also believe that we, as a local news station, have to be more than trends or sanitized news, because it makes people feel uncomfortable,” he continued.
“That’s why the facts matter, and that’s why we do what we do here. We have to take people out of their bubbles and comfort zones and make them think about the world we all live in.”
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Nolan shared his tearful farewell before blasting the station for spewing “saturated” news that makes local viewers “uncomfortable.” KWQC TV6
@kwqc.news
KWQC TV6 morning anchor Dustin Nolan announced on-air Friday that he’s leaving the station and stepping away from the news industry. Nolan thanked viewers for welcoming him into their mornings and said he’s worked to be transparent and deliver the facts, calling local news a public service to the Quad Cities. He also reflected on the importance of covering issues that matter, even when uncomfortable, and credited his wife Jenna—his co-anchor on the desk and “co-anchor in life”—along with other colleagues for their support. Nolan closed with a final sign-off to viewers: “Good day and goodbye.” quadcities iowanews anchorsignoff emotionalgoodbye kwqc local news dustinnolan gooddayandgoodbye
♬ original sound – KWQC News – KWQC News
The tearful anchor went on to praise his co-anchor — his wife Jenna — as the “greatest co-anchor in life.”
Nolan has worked at the Gray Media-owned station since November 2022, according to his LinkedIn.
The tearful anchor went on to praise his co-anchor — his wife Jenna — as the “greatest co-anchor in life.” KWQC TV6
After graduating from Catholic St. Ambrose University in Iowa, he began his career reporting sports in Wyoming for seven months before moving to Illinois, where he worked as a sports reporter at WQAD for nearly two years.
He later rose to a morning news anchor role at WFBF in Illinois, where he spent three years before joining KWQC.
