Iowa

Iowa bill looks to ‘sever’ state’s remaining ties to greyhound racing

Published

5 months ago

January 21, 2026

Iowa bill looks to ‘sever’ state’s remaining ties to greyhound racing

Iowa’s licensed casinos would be banned from allowing simulcast greyhound races under a bill moving forward in the Iowa Senate, potentially ending the state’s remaining ties to the almost-extinct industry.

The bill, Senate Study Bill 3002, would remove the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission’s authority to issue licenses permitting facilities to allow simulcast dog races starting July 1, 2027. It advanced in a Senate subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

The state’s last surviving greyhound racing track, the Iowa Greyhound Park at Q Casino in Dubuque, closed in 2022. It was among the last remaining live racing tracks in the nation. West Virginia is now the only state that has any live tracks, and dog racing is illegal in 44 states.

The closure of Iowa Greyhound Park followed many others around the country, as animal-welfare activists have raised objections to the treatment of racing dogs. The number of Iowa breeders had dwindled and a few had been in legal trouble.

Florida voters moved to ban greyhound racing by 2021, though the state had the most live racing tracks in the country at the time — accelerating the industry’s decline.

Only Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona, the Wild Rose Casino and Resort in Clinton and Horseshoe Council Bluffs operated by Caesars Entertainment offer simulcast dog racing. In 2024, the most recent data available, those facilities recorded $2.4 million combined bet on simulcast dog racing.

In 2014, former Gov. Terry Branstad signed a law that allowed two Iowa casinos to get out of greyhound racing as casinos had complained they were subsidizing a dying business. It shuttered the Bluffs Run track in Council Bluffs in 2015 and shifted management of the Greyhound Park in Dubuque from the casino to the Iowa Greyhound Association.

Sen. Ken Rozenboom, R-Pella, said he only recently learned that legislation didn’t entirely erase ties to dog racing at Iowa’s casinos.

“The dog racing industry has fallen in disfavor around the country,” Rozenboom told the Des Moines Register. “It’s clearly not a popular thing anymore. And in my view, it’s time to, at the state of Iowa, completely sever any relationship we have with greyhound racing.”

As written, lobbyists representing casino operators that simulcast dog racing believe the bill would only affect the Clinton casino, which is governed under a different code section than the other two facilities.

Rozenboom said he would look to tweak the bill’s language to reflect his intention to implement a ban of simulcast dog racing at all of Iowa’s licensed casinos.

Animal welfare advocates say industry is not ‘forward looking’

Animal welfare advocacy groups including Humane World for Animals, Animal Rescue League Iowa and GREY2K USA Worldwide supported the legislation.

Carey Thiel, executive director of GREY2K USA Worldwide, which advocates to end dog racing, said Iowa lawmakers should advance the proposal because of the dog racing industry’s animal welfare problems. He said greyhounds sustain injuries that are sometimes fatal, are confined in small cages and use live rabbits for training.

He said Iowa’s 2014 bill signaled this industry should not be supported and thought that allowing simulcast dog races was a “loophole” left in the law.

U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, a Republican who represents south-central Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District including Des Moines, introduced a federal bill that looks to close such loopholes. It would implement a national ban on greyhound racing, prohibit gambling on live and simulcast greyhound races and outlaw the export of American greyhounds for racing abroad.

“This is not an industry that is a forward-looking industry,” Thiel said. “… This is an industry that’s going to go away.”

Some casino operators push to preserve simulcast dog racing revenue

Lobbyists for the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association, Wild Rose Entertainment and Caesars opposed the legislation. Prairie Meadows is registered as undecided because the way the bill is written doesn’t affect the facility.

Jon Moss, executive director of the Iowa Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, disputed that this allowance was a “loophole.”

He raised concerns about the thousands of dollars in revenue that would no longer flow to West Virginia’s remaining two live dog racing tracks or to the Horsemen of Iowa Simulcasting Association. The association, which is its own standalone entity launched in 2023 as simulcasting waned at brick-and-mortar-facilities, has an agreement only with the Clinton facility.

“It’s not just a little hit or slap on the wrist to the operations of West Virginia,” Moss said. “It’s a death knell to the simulcasting operation operating currently.”

Jeff Boeyink, a lobbyist representing Wild Rose, said the Clinton facility has received lots of traffic from Dubuque since its casino ended simulcast dog racing.

“Contrary to popular belief, not all casino businesses in Iowa are robust and have large margins, particularly in places like Clinton,” Boeyink said. “Margins tend to be relatively thin, and so every amenity that you have that brings patrons into the business is meaningful to you.”

Senator has ‘goal to get this over the finish line’

Rozenboom, who fundamentally opposes gambling and is chair of the Senate State Government Committee taking up this bill, said that revenue is money “out of Iowans’ pockets, some whom probably can’t afford it.”

“I will be sensitive to concerns expressed, but I certainly have a goal to get this over the finish line,” Rozenboom said.

Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, wanted more information but supported advancing the measure out of subcommittee but said “that’s not a promise of support going forward.”

Sen. Catelin Drey, D-Sioux City, did not sign off on the measure because she wanted to better understand the proposal’s impact.

The legislation heads to the full Senate State Government Committee for further consideration.

Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@registermedia.com. Follow her on X at @marissajpayne.

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Iowa

Iowa High School Baseball Stats: Leaders On The Diamond This Summer

Published

5 hours ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

Iowa High School Baseball Stats: Leaders On The Diamond This Summer

As we work through the month of June, things are starting to heat up on the diamond around Iowa high school baseball.

With the start of postseason play just around the corner in July, teams are working to get prepared for the stretch run.

High School On SI Iowa has a Top 25 state power ranking while the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association releases weekly class-by-class rankings.

Here are leaders as of June 17, 2026 for several major hitting and pitching categories. Stats are from those uploaded to the Bound website.

Iowa High School Baseball Leaders

Home Runs

Tru McBride, Fort Dodge, 9
Colton Roemmich, West Des Moines Valley, 9
Brandon Bea, Davenport North, 8
Kamden Jorgensen, Saydel, 8
Gabe Blanshan, Urbandale, 7

Running Batted In

Callan Koch, Sioux City East, 38
West Cole, Mason City Newman Catholic, 37
Tru McBride, Fort Dodge, 36
Chance Georgius, Roland-Story, 34
Ty Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 34

Stolen Bases

Aiden Ferry, Roland-Story, 38
Tate Garman, Algona, 33
Titan Foster, Nodaway Valley, 32
Tate Moulton, Grand View Christian, 30
Cael Wishman, Baxter, 29

Runs Scored

Cal Jepsen, Sioux City East, 45
Aiden Frey, Roland-Story, 43
Cal Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 41
Kolton Schiltz, Fort Dodge, 40
Colton Wight, Martensdale-St. Marys, 39

Hits

Colton Wight, Martensdale-St. Marys, 39
Cal Jepsen, Sioux City East, 38
Callan Koch, Sioux City East, 36
Ty Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 35
Lucas Kelley, Des Moines Roosevelt, 34

Doubles

Joe Nilles, Sioux City North, 13
Colton Wight, Martensdale-St. Marys, 13
Lucas Kelley, Des Moines Roosevelt, 12
Brett Harris, Western Dubuque, 12
Brooks Bond, Lewis Central, 11

Triples

Callan Koch, Sioux City East, 7
Will Nesler, Ankeny Centennial, 5
Jacob Pierro, Dubuque Wahlert Catholic, 5
Lucas Kelley, Des Moines Roosevelt, 5
Cal Jepsen, Sioux City East, 4

Total Bases

Colton Wight, Martensdale-St. Marys, 68
Tru McBride, Fort Dodge, 68
Bryce Pauly, Davenport North, 67
Cal Jepsen, Sioux City East, 65
Ty Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 62

Pitching Wins

Tyler Etten, Urbandale, 9
Chase White, Dyersville Beckman Catholic, 7
Colton Moffit, Baxter, 7
Connor Mullenbach, Saint Ansgar, 6
Aidan Nielsen, Don Bosco, 6

Earned Run Average (min. 18 innings pitched)

Connor Mullenbach, Saint Ansgar, 0.00
Luke Vestal, Pleasantville, 0.00
Ryan Stedman, West Des Moines Valley, 0.24
Will Litton, Iowa City Regina Catholic, 0.25
Judd Jirovsky, Grundy Center, 0.26

Strikeouts

Colton Moffit, Baxter, 85
Brody Wangsness, North Butler, 75
Lincoln Roethler, Denver, 71
Owen Klocksiem, Louisa-Muscatine, 67
Cooper Chizek, Emmetsburg, 65

Opponents Batting Average Against (min. 18 innings pitched)

Macklin Loftus, Logan-Magnolia, .017
Jack Wedemeier, Waverly-Shell Rock, .065
Teagan Brunk, Shenandoah, .069
Ryan Stedman, West Des Moines Valley, .072
Bronx Siebersma, MVAOCOU, .075

Saves

Beckham Simon, West Liberty, 4
Deacon Kucera, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 4
Graham Rima, Pleasant Valley, 4
Gavin de Jesus, Waukee, 4
Easton Goodwin, Waterloo Columbus Catholic, 3

Innings Pitched

Colton Moffit, Baxter, 43
Tyler Etten, Urbandale, 38.2
Owen Galvin, Denison-Schleswig, 38
Tallon Crandall, Carroll, 37.1
Austin Remster, Melcher-Dallas, 37.1

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Iowa

Rain brings second week of relief in Iowa drought monitor map

Published

15 hours ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

Rain brings second week of relief in Iowa drought monitor map

Drought conditions in Iowa improved for a second consecutive week, though areas of moderate drought expanded in parts of the state.

The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday. What are the current drought conditions in Iowa?

U.S. Drought Monitor map: How much of Iowa is in a drought?

The latest Drought Monitor report, released on Thursday, June 18, showed about 46% of Iowa experiencing some form of drought. This continues the streak of conditions improving week to week in Iowa. The previous report, released on June 11, showed that 63% of the state was experiencing some form of drought.

The most recent report reflects conditions as of 8 a.m. June 16, right as storms were sweeping through Iowa, with parts of eastern Iowa seeing more than 2 inches of rainfall. Light rainfall on June 17 led to areas like Iowa City and Burlington reporting around an inch of rain.

Here is the breakdown of current drought conditions in Iowa:

61% of the state of Iowa is experiencing no drought conditions
39% of Iowa is experiencing abnormally dry conditions
7% of Iowa is experiencing moderate drought conditions
0% of Iowa is experiencing severe drought conditions

Even though drought conditions have improved overall in Iowa, the area experiencing moderate drought increased from the week of June 11, particularly in northern Iowa. Much of Cerro Gordo, Hancock and Kossuth counties are under D1 conditions, with nearby Palo Alto, Winnebago, Floyd and Mitchell also in moderate drought.

Pockets of moderate drought also persist along the northwest edge of Iowa in Lyon, Sioux and Plymouth counties. In eastern Iowa, Jackson, Clinton and Scott counties saw their moderate drought status ease week to week.

Most of the U.S. is facing drought conditions

About 73% of the U.S. is experiencing some level of drought, a 2-percentage-point improvement from the prior week. Some of the most intense drought conditions are in the southeast and the mountain west.

Iowa Drought Monitor tracks conditions weekly

The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday.

The intensity levels range from abnormally dry, or D0, to exceptional drought, or D4.

Typically with D0 conditions, corn can show drought stress. Pond levels start to decline under moderate drought conditions and soybeans abort pods, according to the Drought Monitor. The Drought Monitor also has a look-back chart that compares drought conditions from 3 months ago up to 1 year ago.

Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.

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Tornadoes reported in Illinois, Iowa as severe weather roils Midwest

Published

1 day ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

Tornadoes reported in Illinois, Iowa as severe weather roils Midwest

Confirmed tornadoes were reported in Illinois and Iowa Wednesday night as severe weather descended on a large swath of the Midwest.

According to the National Weather Service, a confirmed tornado was reported near the small northeast Iowa community of Harpers Ferry at 5:10 p.m., while a second confirmed tornado rolled through Charleston in central Illinois at about 6:40 p.m. local time.

Both tornadoes were flagged by the weather service as a “particularly dangerous situation,” a rare designation used by the weather service for environments in which “strong and violent tornadoes” are possible.

Photos and videos obtained by CBS News showed extensive damage in Charleston, with downed trees and power lines. Hail that measured 2.75 inches was also reported in the Charleston area, according to the weather service.

“There are a large number of trees blocking roadways throughout Charleston at this time,” Charleston police said in a Facebook post. “Unless it is an absolute emergency, do not drive or attempt to go anywhere.”

The city of Charleston later declared a local state of emergency.

Damage after a tornado struck Charleston, Illinois, on June 17, 2026.

Cameron Craig

One cell phone video captured the terrifying moments what appeared to be a large tornado tore through Effingham, Illinois, located about 40 miles southwest of Charleston.

Larry Thies, coordinator for the Effingham Emergency Management Agency, told CBS News that initial information indicated damaged buildings, trailers, and downed power lines and trees. He said officials were working to set up an emergency operations center, but were facing challenges because internet was down in the area.

The extent of the damage to region was still unclear. There was no immediate word of injuries or fatalities. CBS News senior meteorologist Rob Marciano said there were at least seven reported tornadoes during the weather event.

According to utility tracker PowerOutage.us, at least 55,000 customers were without power in Illinois.

Earlier Wednesday, Marciano reported that more than 125 million Americans were facing severe weather advisories, including the Gulf Coast states, which were under flood alerts due to Tropical Storm Arthur. Speaking on “CBS Evening News,” Marciano said such ripe tornado conditions were rare for June.

“This is unique for June, this is unusual to have such a strong jet stream just screaming across the country, then you’ve got the summertime tropical moisture coming in…and then some cold air coming in,” Marciano said. “And winds coming at different direction, at different levels, creating that spin. So what that equates to is really the high probability of seeing, not just tornadoes, but intense tornadoes of EF2 strength or higher on the ground for a long time. And also damaging winds at 75 mph or higher, and of course big time hail.”

Nikki Nolan

contributed to this report.