Iowa
Tourist from Iowa, last person to see Sudiksha Konanki alive, gives 3 versions of the story to cops. What he said he saw
A 24-year-old tourist from Iowa, who was the last person to see University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki alive, gave three versions to the police of what happened. Joshua Stevem Ribe, a fellow guest at the Caribbean resort from tiny Rock Rapids, suggested that he passed out drunk on the beach, and when he woke up, Konanki was missing.
Konanki, 20, an Indian-origin woman, vanished while on a spring break holiday in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. She was last spotted at the Riu Republica Resort beach on March 6 around 4:50 am.
What did Joshua Stevem Ribe reveal?
Dominican media outlet Noticias SIN reported that Konanki and her friends were caught on surveillance video partying at a disco at Riu Republica Resort at 3 am. The group left around 4 am and headed out to the beach, staying there until 5:50 am. They left Konanki and Ribe alone on the beach.
Ribe has provided three versions of what happened next, according to the outlet. He first told police that he threw up from the rough surf and went back to shore, but also asked Konanki if she was ok. He said in the second version that he felt sick to his stomach and left the water, and last saw Konanki in knee-deep water in the surf before he passed out. In the final version, he said he saw Konanki walking along the shore before he fell asleep.
Police said Ribe is cooperating with authorities. They have not said if they suspect foul play in Konanki’s disappearance.
Konanki’s family, however, fears that she may have become the victim of a crime. Although local authorities suggested she may have drowned after jumping in the ocean, a complaint seeking to intensify search efforts made a more sinister suggestion, stating that “while it is possible that Sudiksha drowned, there is a growing suspicion that there may be a crime, specifically the possibility of kidnapping,” WTOP reported.
“It’s four days, and if she was in water, she would likely have been strewn to shore,” Konanki’s father, Subbarayudu Konanki, said. “She’s not found, so we’re asking them to investigate multiple options, like kidnapping or abduction.”
Iowa
‘By no means was I intentionally being racist’: Iowa child services worker speaks out after firing
CHARLOTTE, Iowa (IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH) – A child-services worker alleges she was fired from her job and accused of racist behavior after playing “cowboys and Indians” with the children in her care.
State records indicate that in 2025, Lisa Bartels of Charlotte worked with autistic children on their social and behavioral skills while employed as a registered behavior technician for Beyond Behavior Applied Behavior Analysis, an organization that provides support services for families throughout Iowa.
The records indicate that on July 3, 2025, Bartels was disciplined for playing the game “cowboys and Indians” with the children at Beyond Behavior. On Aug. 14, 2025, Bartels was allegedly disciplined a second time, in that instance for singing the nursery rhyme “One Little, Two Little, Three Little Indians” with the children.
According to Bartels, her superiors at Beyond Behavior considered the game and the nursery rhyme to be “racist” in nature, presumably because the word “Indian” was being used to describe Native Americans.
On Oct. 13, 2025, Bartels was having a private conversation with a co-worker about their pets when she referred to her own dog as “retarded.” An employee allegedly complained to management about Bartels’ use of the word, and Bartels was fired two days later for violating the organization’s code of conduct by using unprofessional language.
Bartels applied for unemployment benefits, which led to a Feb. 3, 2026, hearing before Administrative Law Judge Stephanie Adkisson.
In a recent ruling, Adkisson concluded Bartels was disqualified from collecting benefits due to job-related misconduct, in part for having “used an offensive word” in describing her dog.
“Given the type of work she performed, she knew or should have known that the use of the word is unacceptable,” Adkisson stated in her ruling. “The fact that (she) did not use the word to refer to a person does not change that fact that she should have been aware it was a word that others would find offensive.”
Adkisson observed that Bartels “had received two prior warnings regarding using offensive words. (Bartels) knew she needed to be aware of her use of language and that her job was in jeopardy. Despite these warnings, (she) continued to engage in the use of offensive language.”
Bartels said Wednesday her actions last summer weren’t motivated by racism.
“By no means was I intentionally being racist,” she said. “My daughter has American Indian blood running through her. Her father was part American Indian and the man I’m dating now is American Indian. He has a tattoo of Sitting Bull on his right arm.”
Describing herself as a Christian conservative, she said that after the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last fall, she wore red to work in honor of Kirk, but added that she “would not dare share that with my place of employment for fear of being reprimanded for it.”
No one from Beyond Behavior participated in Bartels’ unemployment hearing, and Alyssa Hennings, the organization’s CEO, declined to comment on the case Wednesday. She referred the Iowa Capital Dispatch to the organization’s human resources department. No one who identified themselves as being from the department responded to the news organization’s inquiry Wednesday afternoon.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
KANSAS CITY – What would it look like, if you closed your eyes and let your imagination soar, for Iowa State to play its best basketball?
The defense would be electric, connected and furious. Joshua Jefferson would be dictating and dominating offensively. Tamin Lipsey would make every critical play. The bigs would be tough, active and productive. Loose balls and tough plays would both go in the Cyclones’ direction. There would be contributions up and down the rotation.
It would look a lot like what happened at T-Mobile Center on Thursday, March 12.
The seventh-ranked Cyclones unleashed perhaps their best and most complete performance of the season in their 75-53 smackdown of No. 14 Texas Tech to advance to the Big 12 Tournament semifinals.
“Against that caliber of opponent,” said Iowa State senior Nate Heise, “that’s probably our best game. That’s always what you want to be able to do at the end of the year and be able to stack it – yesterday to today and hopefully tomorrow.
“It was fun to watch how everyone stepped up today.”
It was fun to watch an excellent team play excellently, truth be told. These Cyclones have touched their ceiling before, but those wins against Kansas and Houston are now nearly a month old. When these Cyclones get going, there are only a handful of teams that can stop them.
The Red Raiders weren’t one of them.
“You can tell,” Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said, “they had an edge and had the right edge in order to win this basketball game.”
There was lots to love for Iowa State. Between Lipsey’s 20 points (and four made 3s), Heise’s tip dunk, Jamarion Batemon’s timely shooting and the physical, Killyan Toure’s never-say-die hustle and the efficient play of centers Blake Buchanan and Dom Pleta, Iowa State’s play was a symphony.
Most impressive of it all was how Jefferson directed the music.
Iowa State’s All-American was at the absolute height of his powers. The 6-foot-9, 240-pound power forward wasn’t so much playing basketball as he was controlling everything around him. And I mean everything. I’m not ruling out that space and time were under his direction.
His 18 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal only hint at the extent to which he influenced the game, but Jefferson’s command was exquisite. It seemed, at times, that whatever unfolded on the court was doing so only with his permission and at his instruction.
“I think that was huge,” Jefferson said of his play and feel for the game. “Playing on the fly and playing with freedom and playing with confidence is the biggest thing for us.
“That’s when we’re at our best – when I’m more vocal and leading that way. Sometimes I can fall away from that if I’m not confident in myself. If I’m being confident in myself, that’s going to feed the team.”
And Iowa State ate well.
Iowa State basketball beats Texas Tech, advances to Big 12 semifinals
Iowa State basketball beats Texas Tech, advances to Big 12 semifinals
The Cyclones shot 53.6% from the field and 38.9% from 3-point range. They committed just 10 turnovers and led by as many as 24, which is impressive, sure, but when you consider the Cyclones trailed by 12 after the first six minutes, it’s incredible.
Texas Tech shot 33.9% from the floor, 31% from deep and saw the Cyclones just steamroll right into the semis where a rematch with No. 2 Arizona awaits.
The Wildcats dispatched the Cyclones with ease, 73-57, in Tucson last week, but this looked like a different Iowa State squad playing at an entirely different level than what happened at the McKale Center.
“We all believe it’s sustainable,” Lipsey said. “We’re playing our best basketball of the year. That’s exactly what you want to do this point in the year.
“We can play like this moving forward.”
If they can and if they do, the Cyclones are going to be push right against their ceiling and, maybe, push themselves into the Final Four.
“We played well today,” said Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger. “Was it our best? I think our best is still in front of us.”
After a day like this one, it’s not hard to imagine what that might look like and where it could take them.
Iowa State columnist Travis Hines has covered the Cyclones for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune since 2012. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or (515) 284-8000. Follow him on X at @TravisHines21.
AccuWeather’s 2026 severe weather season forecast
Find out what areas of the United States are most at risk for severe weather and tornadoes this spring.
Stormy weather may be ahead, folks.
Over the past two years, Iowa has seen the two extremes of tornado season. A record-setting 125 tornadoes occurred in 2024. But in 2025, just 32 tornadoes were recorded, a number well below average.
Iowa typically averages around 50 tornadoes a year, according to a National Weather Service summary by meteorologist Brooke Hagenhoff.
Here’s what to expect for 2026’s tornado season.
What’s the forecast for tornadoes in Iowa in 2026?
The atmosphere in Iowa will favor thunderstorms more than tornadoes due to the quick exit of La Niña, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.
“Cooler air will likely limit severe weather farther in the northern Plains and Midwest until late April and May,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Duffus.
But as spring progresses, tornado activity will increase in Iowa and surrounding states.
Long-range forecasters predict 1,050 to 1,250 tornadoes across the United States this year, which would be in line with historical averages.
When is tornado season in Iowa?
Tornado season usually peaks in June or July in the upper Midwest, including Iowa, the Dakotas, Nebraska and Minnesota, according to the National Weather Service.
AccuWeather’s forecast calls for the highest tornadic activity in Iowa to occur in April and May.
For Iowa, July 2025 was the busiest time of year for tornadoes, surpassing April and May.
Even though tornadoes can happen any time of the year or at any time of day, they often occur between 4 and 9 p.m.
How many tornadoes hit Iowa in 2025?
Iowa saw 32 tornadoes in 2025. The state saw the most tornadoes in a day on July 11, when 12 tornadoes occurred.
How many tornadoes hit Iowa in 2024?
In contrast to 2025, Iowa saw 125 tornadoes in 2024, making it a record year. In April and May alone, there were 98 tornadoes recorded.
On April 16, there were 18 tornadoes in a single day across the state. April 2024 saw 49 tornadoes. This beat the previous record set in 2001 of 40 tornadoes in April.
How do you stay safe during a tornado?
What you need to know to stay safe during a tornado
Advice from the National Weather Service on how to stay safe during a tornado
During a tornado, the National Weather Service recommends:
- Get as low as possible. A basement below ground level or the lowest floor of a building offers the greatest safety.
- Put as many walls between yourself and the outside as possible.
- Avoid windows.
Remember, tornadoes can move across hills and even bodies of water, so always seek shelter if one is nearby – your elevation or proximity to water are not natural sources of protection.
Stay informed. Get weather alerts via text.
Lucia Cheng is a service and trending reporter at the Des Moines Register. Contact her at lcheng@gannett.com or 515-284-8132.
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