Iowa

Deaths on Iowa roads dropped in 2024. But not enough for distracted driving law advocates.

Published

1 year ago

January 20, 2025

Deaths on Iowa roads dropped in 2024. But not enough for distracted driving law advocates.

Iowa saw a slight drop in traffic fatalities last year, but the Iowa State Patrol, bicycling advocates and lawmakers hope to reduce those numbers significantly in 2025 by passing a bill that would ban electronic devices while driving.

There were 354 deaths on Iowa’s roads in 2024, down from 378 the year before, according to data from the Iowa Department of Transportation. Yet that number is too high, officials say, as they make a renewed push this legislative session for lawmakers to pass what’s known as a hands-free bill, something Gov. Kim Reynolds called for in her Condition of State address last week.

“That’s 354 fatalities too many,” Iowa State Patrol spokesperson Sgt. Alex Dinkla told the Register. “We don’t want to continue seeing fatalities happen in our roadways. We’re out here working the road and making sure our roadways are safe each and every day.”

It’s already illegal while driving in Iowa to use a cellphone “to write, send or view an electronic message,” like a text message. But a bill introduced in the Senate last week would fully ban drivers from using electronic devices like cellphones, except in voice activated or hands-free mode.

Beyond distracted driving, the Iowa State Patrol says drivers and passengers failing to wear seatbelts contributed to 43% of last year’s fatalities. One the Iowa State Patrol’s goals this year is to look at each of the 354 deaths to find any correlations, Dinkla said.

“We want to find out why these are happening or if there are certain areas where these fatalities are happening the most,” Dinkla said.

In November 2023, the Iowa State Patrol worked with the Iowa Department of Transportation to implement six traffic safety corridors across the state, Dinkla said. The six areas were marked in the top 1% for all of Iowa crashes from 2016-2020.

The safety corridors have signs that indicate that there is an increased law enforcement presence for the next 20 miles. Data shows there has been a reduction in crashes in the safety corridors, Dinkla said, and the Iowa State Patrol could implement more in the future.

Iowans support hands-free law, Iowa State Patrol finds

Looking forward to the Iowa legislative session, authorities are again asking lawmakers to pass a bill that would ban distracted driving. Drivers who use hand-held devices while driving are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves or others, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation.

“We’ve been working on trying to legislate and educate the public on the dangers of distracted driving,” Dinkla said. “We know that it’s a device that is causing crashes and it’s leading to crashes.”

Iowa authorities have been looking at other states that have passed hands-free bills, such as Minnesota and Illinois, who Dinkla said saw reductions in crashes after their laws went into effect.

The Iowa State Patrol conducted a survey at the Iowa State Fair and found that 85% of respondents were in support of hands-free driving, Dinkla said.

“The more we wait to not make Iowa a hands-free state, we’re going to continue to see fatalities rise from people driving in an inappropriate and inexcusable manner,” he said.

Reynolds said in her speech she supports hands-free driving legislation that would ban distracted driving. Legislation has previously passed in the Senate but stalled in the House.

“I want to address another important topic about cellphones that we need to finally resolve: hands-free driving,” Reynolds said as she also advocated for a cellphone ban in Iowa’s classrooms. “Cellphones are a distraction in the classroom; they’re deadly on the highway.”

In attendance was the family of Roland Taylor, a man who was killed by a distracted driver two years ago. Reynolds said the driver was on his phone seven out of the nine minutes he was driving before the crash.

The governor met Taylor’s wife and his two daughters over the summer, she said. The family told Reynolds they don’t want any other family to go what they’ve been through and have been strong advocates for a hands-free law.

“For the sake of all our loved ones on the road, let’s finally pass legislation that requires drivers to keep their eyes on the road and away from their phones,” Reynolds said.

House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said Democrats “stand ready to support” legislation.

“It’s safer for drivers, safer for workers and safer for people who are on the roads, walking or riding their bikes,” she said. “It is a no-brainer, and the reason it’s not getting out of the Iowa House is because Republicans can’t agree on what we need to do, and Democrats are ready to help.”

Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner, D-Iowa City, agreed.

“The Senate passed it last time, 47 to 3,” she said. “I imagine the Senate will pass it again, and I would also add that it will save lives, and it’s been a law enforcement priority for some time.”

Top Republican lawmakers had generally positive reactions to Reynolds’ proposal for the legislation when speaking to reporters Tuesday night.

Senate lawmakers already have introduced their own bill, Senate File 22. The measure is sponsored by 17 Republican senators, or half the caucus.

Senate President Amy Sinclair, R-Allerton, said, “it’s been the year for hands-free in the Senate for several years,” pointing to the Senate’s past passage of similar legislation.

“I think the governor coming out with it brings it to the forefront. You know, I think it’s important that that we look at the data, and the data say that distracted driving takes lives. And that’s not my opinion, it’s not the governor’s opinion, it’s reality. And I look forward to the House coming on board and seeing where we can go with that.”

House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said the House has made “multiple attempts” to pass different versions of the legislation over the years. But the measure has never passed the chamber. He said he expects to have a conversation about the bill again this year.

“I can say, for me personally I’ve kind of moved into a position of, if we can do something in a responsible way, and look at what some other states have done to find a balance, I think it’s something that I would be supportive of,” he said.

Hands-free bill would make Iowa the best place it can be, advocate says

Legislation banning the use of electronic devices while driving has failed to pass in the Iowa Legislature for several years, despite repeated advocacy efforts from law enforcement, and other groups, such as cyclists.

Luke Hoffman, director the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, a statewide assemblage of cycling interests, said its agenda this year is topped by an all-out push to pass long-sought legislation requiring that drivers’ use of communications devices like cellphones be hands-free while they’re at the wheel.

Hoffman has been an advocate for banning distracted driving for a long time and was even involved in a crash while cycling last summer, he told the Register. A truck whose driver was distracted by his dog swerved and sideswiped Hoffman, who managed to stay upright but suffered shock and bruising.

Hoffman has spoken to families that were affected by distracted drivers and has been trying to support the hands-free bill for the safety of those on the road, he said.

“I was very cognizant of the impacts and had seen the personal results of a lack of this law, but it was a different thing to be personally impacted,” Hoffman said. “I think it definitely needs to be done for our state if we want to make it the best place to live, work and play.”

The hands-free bill would provide safety and peace of mind, Hoffman said. The coalition has been fervidly supporting officials who want to make streets safer for Iowans.

Hoffman said hearing Reynolds support the law in the Condition of State address brought tears to his eyes. “Me and my fiancee both jumped from our seats and yelled because we were so excited,” Hoffman said.

He said it was a culmination of a very emotional process after hearing the many tragic stories from families who have been impacted by distracted drivers.

“Hands-free to me means making Iowa the best place it can be, it means making people have peace of mind and feel safe, it means justice for victims of families that have been impacted by this and it means moving our state forward so we that can focus all the other things we need to do,” Hoffman said.

José Mendiola is a breaking news reporter for the Register. Reach him at jmendiola@dmreg.com or follow him on X @mendiola_news.

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Iowa

‘¿Habla español?’ Iowa schools look overseas to find Spanish teachers

Published

6 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

‘¿Habla español?’ Iowa schools look overseas to find Spanish teachers

The Exchange Visiting Teachers from Spain helps schools find qualified Spanish teachers.
World language teaching positions are hard to fill in rural areas.

The sounds of Dallas Center-Grimes High School Spanish students singing “¿Por Que Te Vas?” by Jeanette with varying levels of gusto and prodding by teacher Antton Zuazu Hernández may seem like an unusual way to learn.

But the sing-along is how Zuazu Hernández, a native of Spain, helps engage his students and share his culture as part of a teacher-exchange program.

“I feel I’m a messenger in a way, and this is part of the program,” he said. “We’re expected to both bring our culture here and bring your culture back to Spain.”

Zuazu Hernández — who taught English in Spain — is among 26 bilingual teachers in Iowa as part of an exchange program between the Iowa Department of Education and Spain’s Ministry of Education and Culture.

“(The program) was created to address the shortage of qualified Spanish teachers in the state and helps expose students to different world cultures,” said Heather Doe, the department’s spokesperson. “… The Exchange Visiting Teachers from Spain program has been very successful in helping schools, especially in rural communities, hire highly qualified Spanish teachers.”

Iowa has nearly 1,200 world language teachers in kindergarten through college, according to the Iowa World Language Association website.

Some foreign language teachers in Iowa moved to the U.S. and later obtained teaching credentials. Others were recruited to work in Iowa schools.

Iowa schools, including Waukee Community School District, even offer financial incentives as a recruitment tool for hard to fill positions.

“Many of them, like me, will arrive with teaching experience from our home countries, but in the process of validating the credentials in the U.S. we find obstacles,” said Elizabeth Bulthuis, a Waukee High School world languages teacher who immigrated from Ecuador in 2003, “and the validating of credentials also can be lengthy and costly, because of all the educational systems and how they are structured differently.”

Exchange program is beneficial to schools, superintendent

The Spain exchange program — which brings hundreds of teachers to schools across the U.S. — comes with several requirements.

The Spanish teachers must be certified in the language with at least two years of experience, Doe said. Additionally, candidates go through a vetting process at the federal, state and local levels. Teachers also attend a three-day state orientation.

Schools and districts participating in the program pay an $895 fee to offset licensing and orientation costs, Doe said.

The program is a blessing for rural areas struggling to fill positions teaching foreign language, special education, math and science.

“It’s very difficult to even get an applicant,” said Deron Stender, the superintendent at the rural Creston Community School District, “… When I say it’s difficult to even find (the candidates) they don’t exist. And if they do, they’re probably going to be in a larger metro, urban, suburban areas where there’s just more opportunities.”

St. Anthony’s conducts bilingual class for its students

St. Anthony’s Catholic school brings Spanish speaking teachers to the U.S. to teach students the language.

Zuazu Hernández taught Spanish and drove a bus at Creston during the 2024-25 school year. But falling enrollment and budget cuts resulted in his position being eliminated.

A program drawback is teachers only have three-year visas, he said.

“When you have a very good individual that comes to your district from a foreign country after the third year, you still have that need again,” Stender said. “So, we just open it back up to the same program, but you’re doing another refresh of the process, and while that’s a challenge, it’s still better than not having a teacher in the classroom.”

Not every world language teacher comes from Spain

Another issue schools have faced is filling teaching positions for immersion programs.

In the early 2000s, St. Anthony’s started a Spanish-immersion program after several families with children of Honduras and Guatemala descent wanted their kids to have a Catholic school education and maintain their connection to the Spanish language.

“A lot of teachers go to school to teach Spanish, but they go to school to teach it as a standalone Spanish class,” principal Jennifer Raes said. “… We were really searching for teachers that could come here and teach in any subject, just a regular teacher, but also has the skills of teaching in Spanish and English.”

Marisol Guerra, a Honduras native, came to the U.S. in 2010 to help start St. Anthony’s program. Guerra manage to come to the U.S. as part of that year’s Spain exchange program cohort.

More than a decade later, the school offers classes in English and an immersive track where 85% of the students’ day is spent learning in Spanish. While families were hesitant in the beginning to take part in the immersion program, there is now a waitlist of almost a dozen families.

“There was uncertainty, (but) they wanted their children to learn a second language,” Guerra said, “and they wanted without knowing, I think, they also were exposing them to other cultures and opening their minds to other things.”

The over the years, St. Anthony’s has employed teachers who moved to America from Spain, Mexico and other Latin American countries.

The over representation of teachers from Spain likely is due to other countries not offering similar exchange programs, said Bulthuis, a member of the Iowa World Language Association.

It took several years for the veteran teacher — who came to Iowa in 2005 — to become credentialed to teach in the U.S. because she was not part of an exchange program.

“I think that world language teachers can be difficult to recruit because the pool of candidates is relatively small, so teachers need a strong language proficiency, cultural knowledge and all the teaching certifications,” said Bulthuis, who left Ecuador in 2003 because of the country’s financial crisis, “(but) many people who speak another language also have opportunity in other careers.”

Bulthuis does not recommend loosening the criteria to teach in Iowa but suggests improving or streamlining the process for an international teacher to obtain a state teaching license.

“… Not every Spanish speaking country is going to have (an exchange) program like that in place to help their community,” Bulthuis said,

Cultural exchange

Educators say employing international teachers goes beyond language skills.

“International educators can bring tremendous cultural and linguistic expertise to the classroom, which is an incredible skill and very valuable for students,” Bulthuis said.

That cultural exchange can carry over into a school’s lesson plans.

Zuazu Hernández often lets his American students’ interests drive what he teaches them about Spanish culture. These questions have ranged from wanting more insight into bullfighting, the Spanish school system, stereotypes and politics.

“Sometimes, they are more interested in me as a person, or the things I can tell them about Spain than the actual Spanish language,” he said, “but they have that curiosity that I think all teachers, we have to take advantage of.”

While reading “¡Viva el toro!” by Lisa Ray Turner and Blaine Ray, a novel about bullfighting, Zuazu Hernández talked to students about his family’s love of the cultural spectacle and how it is losing popularity in Spain because of how the bulls are treated.

Zuazu Hernández is open about his perspective on the practice to his students.

“To me, bullfighting is not worth sustaining just because it’s a tradition — traditions are not always good or acceptable — but rather because it’s an art, and it expands the depth of human understanding of the most intense truths in life, with death as the scariest of all,” he told the Des Moines Register in an email.

His students appreciate his candidness and the chance to learn from teachers with different lived experiences.

“I like having different teachers because they have different experiences, and I think it adds to the overall class,” said Grace Heston, an 11th grader Dallas Center-Grimes High School. “When you’re learning about Spanish, you’re not just learning about a language, you’re learning about the culture associated with it.”

Samantha Hernandez covers education for the Register. Reach her at (515) 851-0982 or svhernandez@gannett.com.

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Iowa

NCAA Wrestling Championships at-large bids announced

Published

18 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

NCAA Wrestling Championships at-large bids announced

The 330 wrestlers competing in Cleveland at the NCAA Championships are now set.

After the conference tournaments established the lion’s share of wrestlers, the NCAA announced the at-large bids on Tuesday, March 10, completing the rest of the field.

Brackets and seeds will be announced on March 10, but here’s a look at the contingents each state of Iowa program will be sending after the at-large bids were announced.

Iowa wrestling NCAA qualifiers

For the third year in a row, Iowa wrestling will be sending nine to the NCAA Championships. Victor Voinovich did not earn an at-large bid at 157 pounds after finishing ninth at the Big Ten Championships, one place outside of NCAA automatic qualification. He concludes his season with a 12-6 record.

Voinovich narrowly earned the starting job over Jordan Williams at 157, with Iowa coach Tom Brands saying it was very close, but Voinovich had shown a little more “fight” this year. Now that Voinovich hasn’t qualified for NCAAs, it’s a decision that will go further under the microscope.

What’s done is done, however, for Iowa. They’ll take Dean Peterson (125), Drake Ayala (133), Nasir Bailey (141), Ryder Block (149), Michael Caliendo (165), Patrick Kennedy (174), Angelo Ferrari (184), Gabe Arnold (197) and Ben Kueter (285) to Cleveland in hopes of salvaging what has been a tough season.

Iowa State wrestling NCAA qualifiers

For the first time since 2010, Iowa State will send all 10 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Vinny Zerban earned an at-large bid at 157 pounds despite falling short of the automatic qualifying threshold at the Big 12 Championships. Zerban suffered a concussion and medically forfeited out of the tournament after his first match in Tulsa. His health status will be worth monitoring NCAAs inch closer, from March 19-22.

The Cyclones look poised for one of their best postseasons in recent memory with their 10 qualifiers ―Stevo Poulin (125), Garrett Grice (133), Anthony Echemendia (141), Jacob Frost (149), Zerban, Connor Euton (165), MJ Gaitan (174), Isaac Dean (184), Rocky Elam (197) and Yonger Bastida (285). The loss of Evan Frost hurts the Cyclones, considering his pedigree and season as a whole, but Grice’s has earned several ranked wins since entering the lineup in February and could still add some much-needed team points as the team chases a team trophy.

Behind title contenders Elam and Bastida, proven podium threats in Poulin, Echemnedia, Jacob Frost and Zerban (if healthy), Iowa State will be in the mix for a top-four finish in Cleveland.

UNI wrestling NCAA qualifiers

Northern Iowa will send five to the NCAA Championships. Automatic qualifiers Julian Farber (133), Caleb Rathjen (149) and Ryder Downey (165) will be joined by Jared Simma (174) and Nick Fox (184), who each earned at-large bids. The number of qualifiers could extend to six, with Trever Anderson (125) being the alternate at 125 pounds for NCAAs. However, he had to medically forfeit out of the Big 12 Championships, so his health status would be in question if he got called up.

With that, Max Brady (141), Cael Rahnavardi (157), John Gunderson (197) and Adam Ahrendsen (285) will have their seasons come to an end. Brady, a true freshman, will still have three NCAA chances in his career after showing promising moments in relief of Cory Land’s season-ending injury. Gunderson, a U23 World team member, will return for next season as well. Rahnavardi and Ahrendsen were both in their final seasons of eligibility.

Following injuries to Land and Wyatt Voelker, it’s been a hard year for the Panthers. This is half the number of NCAA qualifiers that UNI had last season when they qualified 10 for the first time since 1986. The last time UNI had five or fewer qualifiers was 2016.

However, all five of their wrestlers have each shown moments of brilliance, either this season or in prior NCAA Championships. They may be a smaller crew than normal, but Downey, Rathjen, Farber, Simma and Fox are all ones to watch in Cleveland.

Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.

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Iowa

DCI agent say he was fired for questioning Iowa college gambling probe

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

DCI agent say he was fired for questioning Iowa college gambling probe

A former Iowa investigator is suing the state, claiming he was fired for criticizing a high-profile college sports gambling probe.
Mark Ludwick alleges his termination was retaliation for testifying that investigators conducted illegal searches and were told to mislead students.
The gambling investigation, which led to charges against dozens of student-athletes, has faced legal challenges over its methods.

A longtime investigator for the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says he was forced out of the agency because he voiced reservations about a high-profile investigation into gambling in college athletics.

Mark Ludwick was hired by Iowa’s top investigative agency in 1997 and was terminated in November 2024, according to a lawsuit filed Feb. 20 in Polk County. According to his complaint, Ludwick was fired after two “frivolous” investigations, one claiming he’d exceeded the speed limit driving to a murder scene, and the other for assistance he provided to a domestic abuse victim.

The real reason, Ludwick alleges, is that officials were embarrassed after Ludwick testified under oath about what he regarded as weaknesses in their sports wagering investigation, which resulted in dozens of Iowa State University and University of Iowa student-athletes facing suspensions, 25 being criminally charged and 19 pleading guilty to underage gambling.

Ludwick testified in early 2024 he believed investigators had conducted illegal searches to identify the online gamblers and that he and other agents had been directed to lie to students about whether they were subjects of the investigation. He also alleged that stress about the case contributed to another agent’s fatal heart attack, although the agent’s relatives disputed the connection.

Now Ludwick is accusing the state of violating Iowa’s whistleblower protection statute. He declined through his attorney to comment. The Iowa Attorney General’s Office also declined to comment, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety, which includes the DCI, did not respond to an inquiry about the case.

Gambling investigation raised constitutional concerns

In the gambling investigation, DCI investigators used software tools provided by GeoComply, a Canadian company that contracts with online sportsbooks like FanDuel and DraftKings, to look for evidence of illegal gambling activity. Using a GeoComply system, the investigators created a so-called “geofence” around college athletic facilities that allowed them to detect student athletes using wagering accounts registered to parents and friends to place bets ― sometimes on their own games.

Although the investigation resulted in numerous arrests and suspensions, it also drew controversy, in particular for agents’ failure to obtain warrants before conducting their location searches. GeoComply, which had encouraged Iowa to use its service, responded by cancelling the state’s access.

A large group of current and former students sued the state, accusing investigators of violating their constitutional rights. In November 2025, a federal judge ruled that the state’s investigation “does not comport with the Fourth Amendment,” which provides protection from illegal searches.

Nonetheless, the court dismissed the lawsuit, finding the officers involved were entitled to immunity. An appeal is pending.

Ludwick’s reservations emerge in depositions

Ludwick was an experienced investigator for the DCI, working on high-profile cases including the 2015 murder of Shirley Carter, whose son was tried and acquitted, and the 2017 deaths of two girls in a fire started by a relative.

While not the lead agent on the 2023 gambling investigation, Ludwick was tapped to assist by interviewing some of the student athletes. He later testified he grew concerned that the state’s geofence searches amounted to illegal, warrantless searches, and declined to participate in the case any further. He alleges that other DCI agents shared his concerns and also maneuvered to avoid being involved in the case.

Ludwick says he reported his concerns to his superiors. In January 2024, he was deposed by defense attorneys for four of the students, and “testified truthfully during his deposition that he believed an illegal search had been conducted.” Defense attorneys cited Ludwick’s remarks within days in filings covered by numerous media outlets, including the Des Moines Register, which “caused embarrassment and increased scrutiny for the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Commissioner Bayens, and other employees,” Ludwick’s suit states.

According to the complaint, officials launched an investigation into Ludwick for speeding on March 5, weeks after the embarrassing testimony was reported. On Aug. 8, officials initiated a second investigation after, Ludwick says, “he attempted to help a victim of domestic abuse flee her abuser.” He denies his actions violated Iowa law or department policy.

William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166.

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