Iowa
Iowa lawmakers say eminent domain reform more likely to pass next session
CHARLES CITY, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa Capitol Bureau) – While lawsuits from Republican lawmakers work its way through the courts over eminent domain, things could also be changing in the legislature.
Iowa landowners who don’t think private companies should be allowed access to their land found hope with legislators in the Iowa house who tried to ban it. But those property owners were frustrated with the Republican senate leadership who blocked the bills.
The proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline would run through one of Pat Mennenga’s fields in Clarkesville. “We have 120 acres that the pipeline has been proposed to go through from north to south,” she said.
Mennenga doesn’t want it. “We want to preserve our land the way it was given to us and we want to keep it that way. We’re not in favor of a pipeline,” she said.
This week, a group of nearly 40 republican lawmakers filed lawsuits in state and federal court aiming to stop the pipeline.
State Rep. Helena Hayes said, “Our group initially started with 19 legislators but has since doubled in size reflecting the growing concern among senators and representatives here in Iowa.”
The lawsuits are the newest way to try and stop the pipeline. Lawmakers in the Iowa House voted to reign in the use of eminent domain, but Republican leaders in the Senate never brought the bills up for a vote.
State Sen. Kevin Alons said, “The way that politics, the rules are established and the way the hierarchy works in the Senate and both chambers, leadership has quite a bit of control over what advances and what doesn’t.”
State Rep. Charley Thomson of Charles City says he sees changes on the horizon.
Thomson says many of the new Republican candidates running for the state Senate are opposed to the project. “There’s not a lot of support for this outside of people who are financially interested. There are a few rather muted supporters in the legislature but I think that’s disappearing,” he said.
Thomson says public opinion is on their side and growing. “As more public opinion shifts in to our favor, it’s going to be harder and harder for the Senate to not act on this. I think the Senate’s going to be compelled to at some point,” Thomson said.
Mennenga says she now has hope regardless of what happens with the lawsuits. “I’ve become very hopeful in the last six months. Just listening to some of our representatives and some of the other landowners and I know a lot of ‘em have ideas of how they are going to stop it,” she said.
Summit contends that by lowering carbon emissions, it makes ethanol production more sustainable and can increase demand.
“Summit Carbon Solutions in confident in the Iowa Utilities Commission’s thorough review process. Our project represents a significant opportunity for farmers and ethanol producers to access new markets, such as sustainable aviation fuel, by lowering ethanol’s carbon intensity score. With current economic challenges, including corn prices falling below production costs, this pipeline will help grow markets and support the long-term viability of our farmers and rural communities, contributing to economic growth and American energy independence.”
Summit also says they’ve signed voluntary agreements with around 75% of affected landowners.
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Conner Hendricks covers state government and politics for Gray Media-owned stations in Iowa. Email him at conner.hendricks@gray.tv; and follow him on Facebook at Conner Hendricks TV or on X/Twitter @ConnerReports.
Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.
One Iowa high school athletic department is facing extremely low numbers in multiple sports, prompting school officials to begin searching for programs to share with.
Exira-EHK High School has already cancelled the upcoming 2026 Iowa High School Athletic Association varsity football season, going instead with a junior varsity-only series of games. According to a report by Western Iowa Today, they have also shared softball with Audubon.
The Exira-EHK/Audubon softball team is currently ranked No. 1 in Class 1A of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union. A total of 11 of the players on the 23-girl team are from Exira-EHK. They are 15th in the latest High School On SI Iowa Top 25 State Rankings as they prepare for postseason play.
Enrollment For Exira-EHK School District Continues To Drop
Enrollment at the high school level for the Spartans is down by over 20 students, with the expectation for even more of a drop in overall enrollment moving into the 2026-2027 school year.
Tom Petersen, the Exira-EHK athletic director, was part of a community-wide meeting earlier this week alongside Trevor Miller, the school superintendent.
“I’m going to continue to campaign, keep working (to get more kids out),” Petersen said. “It’s just part of being an AD and a coach. I have tried every scenario that I can to try and make it that our kids could go and play varsity (football).
“It’s not the state’s fault, it’s not our fault; it’s the middle of a two-year cycle. I coached here for 20 years in football and it’s crushing (to not have a program).”
Petersen also mentioned during the meeting that he is struggling to fill several coaching vacancies, including the head boys basketball position. He said that they have received zero applications for that coaching vacancy.
Spartans Currently Share Multiple Sports With Audubon
Along with baseball and softball, the Exira-EHK school district also shares girls basketball, boys wrestling, girls wrestling, boys tennis and girls tennis with Audubon. Petersen is proposing to the school board a share agreement for boys basketball, boys track and field, and girls track and field, in addition to the other sports.
Last fall, the Spartans went 4-5 overall, as they won 22 games over a stretch of seasons after going 0-7 in 2020. Exira-EHK was 12-1 in 2013 and had three consecutive years of at least eight wins after that.
The schools are a combination of the towns of Exira, Elk Horn and Kimballton.
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CORALVILLE, Iowa (KCRG) – Coralville Police say a person has drowned at the Coralville Aquatic Center Tuesday afternoon.
The call went out shortly after 4 p.m. to 1513 7th Street for a drowning report.
Officers, lifeguards and paramedics gave lifesaving aid to the person. They were taken to the University of Iowa Health Care, where they were pronounced dead.
The identity of the victim has not been released. The incident is under investigation.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Iowa
Iowa City Man who ran over people in homeless encampment sentenced to nearly two decades in prison
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa City man who pleaded guilty to driving into five people at a homeless encampment last August has been sentenced to serve nearly two decades in prison.
On August 15, 2025, Roman Aguilar Ventura drove his vehicle while under the influence through an encampment near Shelter House, an organization that assists homeless people.
Ventura pleaded guilty to several charges in March, including Operating While Under the Influence, two counts of Willful Injury Resulting in Bodily Injury, and three counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. He also pleaded guilty to Driving While Barred and Driving While License Denied or Revoked.
In addition to his sentence, Ventura will also be subject to a six-year suspension of his drivers license, in addition to substance abuse treatment.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
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