Iowa

Iowa Lottery announces record annual sales in fiscal 2024

Published

1 year ago

July 30, 2024

Press Room

Iowa Lottery announces record annual sales in fiscal 2024

Robin Opsahl
| Iowa Capital Dispatch

The Iowa Lottery says it saw record sales of $489.9 million in the just-completed 2024 fiscal year.

The lottery released its unaudited annual results Tuesday, finding that sales had increased 1.7% from the previous year, beating the previous record. Proceeds from the lottery to the state totaled nearly $107 million, according to a news release.

While the proceeds decreased roughly 1.6% from fiscal; year 2023, the lottery reported they were the second highest after that year’s $108.4 million.

Prizes to players also reached a record level at $312.6 million — a 2.4% increase — according to the news release, and lottery sales commissions to Iowa businesses grew by 2%.

“The Iowa Lottery continues to deliver on its promise to responsibly generate revenue for important state causes,” Iowa Lottery CEO Matt Strawn said in the release. “I’m grateful to lottery players, retail partners, and our amazing team of public-minded professionals who produced these record results.”

What were the top-selling Iowa Lottery products in fiscal 2024?

The top-selling lottery products in Iowa were scratch games, at $302.1 million, followed in a distant second by Powerball at $77.3 million, and in third, Mega Millions at $39.1 million.

Fourteen Iowa Lottery players claimed prizes of at least $500,000 during the fiscal year, with the largest winnings being $2 million in Powerball games — one for a Clinton man in April, and one for a Treynor man in January. A Powerball Double Play prize of $500,000, won in March in Mason City, remains unclaimed.

Proceeds from the lottery go to multiple sources, including the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund and programs supporting Iowa law enforcement, firefighters and corrections employees who die in the line of duty, as well as to projects through the state general fund.

Dana Wingert, Des Moines chief of police and chair of the lottery commission, praised the lottery’s efforts to highlight National Gambling Awareness Month and the services available in the state for people facing gambling addiction disorders.

“As a citizen commission member, it’s gratifying to me to see this ongoing demonstration of lottery integrity,” Wingert said. “And as a public servant myself, I appreciate the lottery team’s focus on responsibly producing results for vital causes.”

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Iowa

Semi-truck crash causes Iowa power outage impacting hundreds

Published

3 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Semi-truck crash causes Iowa power outage impacting hundreds

TAMA COUNTY, Iowa — A pair of power outages left more than 700 people without power in Tama County Friday afternoon.

Alliant Energy says the larger outage, just north of Garwin, was caused by a semi-truck striking one of their power poles. That outages impacted 690 customers as of 5 p.m. Friday.

The smaller outage impacted roughly 36 people in Tama. The outage was caused by equipment needing repairs.

Alliant says crews are on site and working to fix both outages.

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Iowa

Iowa Great Lakes businessman Butch Parks dies at 81

Published

15 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Iowa Great Lakes businessman Butch Parks dies at 81

SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa (KTIV) – The Iowa Great Lakes community is remembering Leo “Butch” Parks, a longtime lakes-area businessman and founder of Parks Marina.

He died Tuesday, Jan. 6, at the age of 81.

Parks established the marina on East Lake Okoboji in 1983, growing it from a small fishing boat operation into a business with marinas, sales, service, rentals, storage, and popular destinations like the Barefoot Bar.

Parks and his wife, Debbie, also owned Okoboji Boat Works for 23 years.

Funeral services are set for Friday, Jan. 16, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Spirit Lake. It will be followed by a celebration of life at Snapper’s restaurant in Okoboji that evening.

Want to get the latest news and weather from Siouxland’s News Source? Follow these links to download our KTIV News app and our First Alert Weather app.

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Iowa

Iowa woman accused of pandering for prostitution and harassment after incidents at Casey’s and a daycare

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Iowa woman accused of pandering for prostitution and harassment after incidents at Casey’s and a daycare

AURELIA, Iowa (KTIV) – A Northwest Iowa woman is facing charges of harassment and pandering for prostitution after two incidents took place in December 2025.

Forty-seven-year-old Kristal Miller of Odebolt was taken into custody on an arrest warrant and faces three charges: one count of pandering for prostitution and two counts of first-degree harassment, according to court documents.

Kristal Miller(Cherokee County Jail)

The charges stem from two separate incidents that took place on Thursday, Dec. 18. 2025.

According to court documents, at 6:15 a.m., Miller reportedly went to the Casey’s General Store, located at 100 Pearl St. in Aurelia. Documents state Miller approached an employee and customers, requesting money from them.

Authorities state Miller claimed she was wanted by the FBI and told people, if anyone called the police, “she would kill them.”

During this encounter, she also allegedly asked an employee to remove the string from her hooded sweatshirt. Documents state when the employee refused this request, she threatened to strangle them.

That same day at 7 a.m., Miller reportedly approached a female employee outside an Aurelia daycare and asked them for money.

Court documents stated Miller suggested the unnamed employee leave her boyfriend. Miller reportedly told the employee, if she did, then she and Miller would both be paid.

Authorities say when she was told no by the employee, Miller became upset and started yelling at them.

Miller also allegedly threatened to “steal her car” and ”take her away to her guys to start a new life.”

She was booked into the Cherokee County Jail on a cash-only bond of $5,000. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled in Cherokee for Friday, Jan. 9, at 10 a.m.

Want to get the latest news and weather from Siouxland’s News Source? Follow these links to download our KTIV News app and our First Alert Weather app.

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