Iowa
Naturalization ceremony at Iowa Capitol welcomes 40 new citizens
Beneath the Iowa State Capitol rotunda, 40 people from 20 countries raised their right hands, pledged allegiance to the United States and became American citizens.
The ceremony, held Friday, Feb. 6, as part of Iowa’s America 250 celebration, brought families and state officials into the marble-lined hall as the oath was read aloud and new citizens stood facing the flag.
The candidates came from Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Lithuania, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Ireland, Liberia, Mexico, the Philippines, Russia, Spain, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Gov. Kim Reynolds welcomed the group.
“Iowa has always been enriched by the hopes and hard work of immigrants, people who come here seeking a better life, who bring diverse experiences and a deep appreciation for the promise of freedom,” Reynolds said. “Each of you comes with your own story, your own journey and your own reasons for choosing America, and today, Iowa is proud to welcome you home.”
Secretary of State Paul Pate called on the new citizens to exercise their newly gained rights.
“In light of this, I have one request to make of you today,” he said. “Will you register to vote?”
He added: “Every vote counts, and so will yours.”
U.S. Magistrate Judge William P. Kelley, who presided over the oath, said that citizenship did not require abandoning personal identity.
“What you solemnly renounce in that oath is allegiance to the government of another land. You did not renounce, or need to ever renounce, the devotion you carry in your heart for your native land and its people,” Kelley said. “I hope you preserve your native language, heritage and culture. Doing so enriches not only the lives of those in your family, it also enriches America and the great state of Iowa.”
For many in the crowd, the ceremony marked the end of years or decades of waiting.
Augustine Cardenas, who came to the United States from Mexico at 19 and is now 53, said the setting made the moment feel even more significant.
“I feel great, it’s been too long, I’m so excited, I’ve waited for this day and am full of joy,” he said. Looking up at the rotunda ceiling, he said, “I just love Iowa, it’s so beautiful, the weather is crazy but I love it, you can live every season, and you can feel it too.”
Sonya Carminhato, originally from Brazil, said becoming a citizen was “a dream come true.”
“It’s a new step for my life,” she said. “Iowa is a great state, I love Iowa, and I love Fairfield.”
She has lived in Fairfield for more than a decade and now works as a human resources manager at Maharishi School, where her children studied. She now helps care for her three granddaughters.
Edwin Coplin, 44, said he moved from the Dominican Republic at 17 to play basketball at a Florida high school before attending Des Moines Area Community College and eventually settling in Iowa.
He said the day felt like relief after years of uncertainty.
“It’s been a long journey, but I’m finally here,” Coplin said. “It feels good, it feels great, it feels like taking something heavy off your shoulders … I love Iowa, the people are so nice, Iowa nice.”
Nick El Hajj is a reporter at the Register. He can be reached at nelhajj@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @nick_el_hajj.
Five people were shot and injured at an Iowa City pedestrian mall near the University of Iowa campus overnight, police said Sunday. Students from the university were among the injured, according to school officials.
The Iowa City Police Department responded to a report of a large fight in the 100 Block of East College Street at 1:46 a.m. early Sunday, the department said in a news release. Arriving officers heard gunfire.
Multiple victims were hospitalized, police said. Police confirmed to CBS News that one person was in critical condition, while the other four victims are stable.
University of Iowa President Barb Wilson said in a statement that three students were among those shot. None of the victims has been publicly identified.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Police said they are seeking information about five “persons of interest associated with this shooting.” The university also shared the request for information.
The pedestrian mall was closed for several hours and reopened Sunday afternoon.
Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for April 13-18. Read through the nominees and cast your vote.
Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 26. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:
Taylor Roose, Pella boys track and field
Roose competed in three events at the Norwalk Invitational, winning all three in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and long jump.
Daxon Kiesau, Urbandale boys track and field
Kiesau swept the throwing events at the Norwalk Invitational, taking first place in the shot put and the discus.
Alex Burger, Southeast Valley boys track and field
Competing at home, Burger dominated, earning four gold medals. He won the 400-meter hurdles and the long jump while running on the winning 4×200-meter relay and shuttle hurdle relay.
Kolby Hodnefield, Clear Lake boys track and field
Hodenfield, a defending state champion, broke the meet, venue and school record in the 200 and the 400 at the Clear Lake Invitational. He added victories as part of the 4×100 and 4×400 relays. Both relays also set meet records.
Easton Moon, North Polk boys tennis
Moon has started off his senior season on the courts unbeaten, winning all four matches while dropping just one game in 44 played.
Ava Lohrbach, Gilbert girls golf
One of the top golfers in the state, Lohrbach has had a hot start, firing a 35 in her nine-hole debut and a 72 for her 18-hole opener.
Nathan Manske, Algona boys golf
An elite quarterback and basketball player, Manske is showing his golfing skills this spring, coming out with a state-low 30 in a nine-hole event.
Ella Hein, Tipton girls track and field
Hein set school records in the 400-meter run and long jump at the Tiger/Tigerette Relays while also locking in the Blue Standard and qualifying for the Drake Relays. She won the long jump (18-6) and was second in the 400.
Maeve Bowen-Burt, Iowa City High girls track and field
The sophomore helped the Little Hawks land three Drake Relays events on the last night of qualifying, advancing in the 400 hurdles, along with the sprint medley and 4×400 relays.
About Our Athlete of the Week Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.
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The late boxing great George Foreman lies buried in a cemetery in the northwestern corner of Iowa – a place he has no connection to outside of a lone visit to the region nearly 40 years ago.
Foreman died March 21, 2025, at the age of 76 in Houston and was buried in Logan Park Cemetery at Sioux City, Iowa, a month later, city officials confirmed. Foreman’s family returned Thursday to his burial site, holding a news conference with Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott to reveal Foreman’s burial place, marked by a large monument that bears an image of him as a teen following his Olympic gold medal boxing win.
The family explained in a statement released by Sioux City officials that he had visited the Iowa city in 1988, and often recalled the sense of peace he experienced there.
After traveling to the city on April 17 last year to bury Foreman, his family said they immediately understood the region’s appeal.
“Our father lived a life of purpose, faith and gratitude,” the family said in a statement released by Sioux City officials. “To see him laid to rest in a place that brought him peace means everything to us.”
Scott joined the family at Foreman’s monument that lies just a few miles north of the Missouri River in an upper Midwest city of nearly 87,000 people. The cemetery overlooks the scenic Loess Hills, created by windblown silt deposits that reach up to 200 feet high (about 61 meters) and line the river along the Iowa border for 200 miles (322 kilometers).
“Their story is a reminder of how one place can stay with someone for a lifetime,” Scott said.
A native Texan, Foreman rose to fame when he made the 1968 U.S. Olympic boxing team, winning gold in Mexico City. He became the heavyweight champion of the world in 1973 by defeating the great Joe Frazier, only to lose the title a year later to Muhammad Ali in the famous “Rumble in the Jungle.”
A full 20 years later in 1994, Foreman became the oldest man to win the heavyweight championship at 45, defeating Michael Moorer in an epic upset.
Foreman retired in 1997 with a 76-5 career record.
He then moved on to the next chapter in his life as a businessman, pitchman and occasional actor, becoming known to a new generation as the face of the George Foreman Grill. The simple cooking machine sold more than 100 million units and brought him more wealth than boxing.
A biographical movie based on Foreman’s life was released in 2023.
Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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