Iowa

Trump maintains lead, Haley snags second in final poll before Iowa caucuses

Published

2 years ago

January 13, 2024

Trump maintains lead, Haley snags second in final poll before Iowa caucuses

DES MOINES, Iowa — Former President Trump, the current frontrunner in the GOP presidential primary, maintained his lead in the final Iowa poll before Monday’s GOP caucuses. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley snagged the second spot, slightly overtaking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who heavily centered his campaigning on the Hawkeye State.

The former president solidified his status as a favorite in Iowa by holding a nearly 30-point lead in the final NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll released Saturday. Trump has the backing of the most committed caucusgoers, an important factor considering that Iowa is dealing with freezing temperatures and blizzards that could affect turnout on Monday.

According to the poll, Trump amassed first-choice support from 48 percent of likely Republican caucusgoers, holding a 28-point lead over Haley, who slightly narrowed the gap from the last time the same poll was conducted. DeSantis came at 16 percent while Ramaswamy, whom Trump seemed to turn against days before the opening contest, is at 8 percent.

Trump’s lead is barely lower than the previous poll in December where he had a 32-point cushion.

“He is still in a commanding position, but there is slippage,” J. Ann Selzer, the Iowa pollster who conducted the survey, said about Trump. “The game appears to be for second place, without a real challenger on the horizon.”

Haley’s second place in the poll represents a 4-point jump after garnering 16 percent of support in December. The former South Carolina governor has seen a surge nationally, particularly in New Hampshire, the state that is second on the GOP election schedule. Haley performed well with independents and those with college diplomas, according to the poll. Thirty-three percent of independents picked her as their nominee.

DeSantis, whose standing slipped by three points since the December poll, did best with evangelicals with 22 percent picking him as their nominee.

Ehtuasiam of Trump supporters is also dominant, with around 49 percent saying they are “extremely enthusiastic” about Trump. A significant gap compared to DeSantis and Haley, his biggest competitors in the state.

Twenty-three percent of DeSantis backers are extremely enthusiastic about the Florida governor, while nine percent of Haley backers showed the same vigor.

The poll of 705 likely Republican caucusgoers was done between Jan. 7 and 12. Overall, it has a margin of error of plus-minus 3.7 percent.

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Iowa

Vinton family loses home, pets in fire on Christmas Eve

Published

9 hours ago

December 25, 2025

Press Room

Vinton family loses home, pets in fire on Christmas Eve

VINTON, Iowa (Iowa’s News Now) — A family in Vinton lost their home in a fire on Christmas Eve.

The fire happened in the 1000 block of 8th Street on Wednesday evening.

The family told Iowa’s News Now that they lost everything in the fire, including family pets and all Christmas gifts.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help with expenses. Information listed on the site says the family has three young boys, ages 7, 9 and 11.

If you would like to donate, click here.

We did reach out to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, and they told us more information will be released later today.

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Iowa

Former Iowa High School Football Standouts Enter Transfer Portal

Published

22 hours ago

December 25, 2025

Press Room

Former Iowa High School Football Standouts Enter Transfer Portal

The mass exodus of Iowa State football players from within the program now includes a number of former Iowa high school football standouts.

Gabe Burkle from Cedar Rapids Prairie High School, Will Tompkins from Cedar Falls High School and Caleb Bacon of Lake Mills High School have joined the likes of Rocco Becht, Carson Hanson, Jontez Williams, Jeremiah Cooper and Ben Brahmer in the transfer portal.

All of this started when Matt Campbell left as head coach of the Cyclones for the same position at Penn State.

Burkle, a 6-foot-6 redshirt junior tight end, was a three-star recruit coming out of high school who picked Iowa State over offers from Kansas State, Michigan State and Indiana. He was an all-stater, catching 23 passes for 324 yards as a senior.

He is coming off a season in which he caught 26 passes for 302 yards with a touchdown for the Cyclones, including a four-catch, 85-yard performance vs. South Dakota where he scored his lone touchdown of the season.

Tompkins, a 6-foot-6 freshman offensive lineman, was ranked as the No. 34 offensive tackle in his class coming out of high school, making all-state honors while helping block for a Cedar Falls offense that had over 1,900 yards rushing and 1,600 yards passing.

Tennessee, Nebraska, Wisconsin, USC, MInnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State and even Penn State offered Tompkins, but he selected Campbell and the Cyclones.

Bacon, a redshirt senior linebacker, was a two-time all-state selection at Lake Mills and a two-time district player of the year. He led all of Class A in Iowa high school football as a senior with 103 tackles, including 90 solo stops.

This past fall, Bacon, who was a walk-on to the Cyclones, recorded 68 tackles with 9.5 for loss.

Iowa State has received confirmation of players returning to the program under new head coach Jimmy Rogers, including a handful of former Iowa high school football standouts.

Connor Moberly, who led Southeast Polk High School to multiple Class 5A state football championships, has confirmed he will return to the Cyclones as a quarterback candidate in 2026. Kicker Kyle Konrardy of Dubuque Senior has done the same, along with Jack Limbaugh from Algona High School.

Moberly has been a backup behind Becht while Konrardy has been a multi-time Big 12 Conference Special Teams Player of the Week selection. He has kicked several game-winners for Iowa State. Limbaugh was a true freshman this past fall.

Bryce Anderson, who played at West Des Moines Valley High School, has announced he is entering the transfer portal following the season at Memphis.

Anderson, a 6-foot-5 redshirt sophomore tight end, played at Iowa Central Community College where he caught 29 passes for 303 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games.

He had 12 catches for 101 yards for the Tigers this past season, including six receptions in his final three games.

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Iowa

Funeral services announced for fallen Iowa National Guard members

Published

1 day ago

December 24, 2025

Press Room

Funeral services announced for fallen Iowa National Guard members

Funeral arrangements have been announced for the two Iowa National Guard members killed earlier this month while on duty in Syria.

Staff Sgts. William Nathaniel “Nate” Howard, Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar and a civilian interpreter, Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Michigan, were killed Dec. 13 by an attacker who targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead. The Associated Press reported the gunman stormed a meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials in Palmyra, Syria, and opened fire after clashing with Syrian guards.

Their bodies arrived back in Iowa at 1 p.m. Dec. 24 in a private ceremony. Blue Star Mothers of America – Iowa Chapter asked supporters to line Fleur Drive from the Des Moines International Airport to Interstate 235 to welcome the soldiers home.

The soldiers’ funerals are open to the public.

When is Sgt. Nate Howard’s funeral?

Visitation and funeral services for Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, will be Saturday, Dec. 27 at the Marshalltown High School Roundhouse, 1602 S. Second Ave., with visitation beginning at 9 a.m.

Further details on funeral services is available on the Mitchell Family Funeral Home website.

After arriving in Des Moines on Wednesday, a procession carrying Howard’s body will go through Des Moines on Fleur Drive to Interstate 235 and north to Interstate 35 to Ames. From there, the procession will head east on U.S. Highway 30 to Marshalltown then north on Center Street/Highway 14 to Iowa Avenue and on to the funeral home.

The procession will be led by the Des Moines Police Department, Iowa State Highway Patrol, Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, Meskwaki police and the Tama Police Department.

Howard is survived by his wife, Arianna Howard; his father, Brian and wife, Andrea; his mother, Misty Bunn and husband, Jeff; his brother, SSgt James Roelsgard; stepbrothers, Josh Bunn and wife, Modestie, and Travis Bunn; as well as his grandparents: William Eugene and Pat Neville, Vicki Brindle, and Martin and Ruth Roelsgard.

When is Sgt. Edgar Torres-Tovar’s funeral?

Visitation for Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines will be Sunday, Dec. 28 with funeral services and burial on Monday, Dec. 29. Final arrangements will be announced by Hamilton’s Southtown Funeral Home.

Torres-Tovar is survived by his parents, Hugo Torres and Isabel Tovar; brothers, Samuel Torres and Daniel Torres; sister, Krystal Torres and her children, Castiel and Christopher; paternal grandparents, Jose Torres and Rita Garcia; girlfriend, Yareli Duran; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at kbaskins@registermedia.com.

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