Iowa

Iowa man sues Nintendo after being denied ‘Pokémon Professor’ status

Published

2 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Iowa man sues Nintendo after being denied ‘Pokémon Professor’ status

LAURENS, Iowa (IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH) – An Iowa man is taking Nintendo and Pokémon Company International to federal court for allegedly refusing to grant him “Pokémon Professor” status.

Kyle Owens, 34, of Laurens is suing Nintendo of America and its affiliate, Pokémon Company International, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, alleging federal anti-trust actions that violate the Sherman Act.

The lawsuit seeks a court order and injunction that would grant Owens $341,000 in damages and award him Pokémon Professor certification, restore his access to “official Pokémon Professor tools” and enable him to host Pokémon events.

Pokémon is a Japanese franchise, aimed primarily at children, that includes trading cards, video games and movies involving a fictional universe populated by species that possess special powers. The franchise gained worldwide popularity in the late 1990s, but continues to be embraced today by children as well as adult collectors and gamers.

“The Pokémon Professor program is not merely recreational,” the lawsuit alleges. “It functions as a structured certification and authorization system, granting official status, access to official event tools, the ability to host sanctioned card and video-game matches, listing in an event locator, and opportunities that generate business traffic, customer attendance, product sales, good will and commercial advantage.”

Owens’ lawsuit alleges that on March 12, 2024, Pokémon Company International informed him he had passed the basic exam for the rank of Professor of Pokémon with a score of 100%.

Court exhibits indicate the notice informing Owens he had passed the exam also stated that before he could be welcomed into the program and take his “first steps as a Pokémon Professor,” he would need to submit to a background check.

The exhibits, made public in Owens’ court filings, indicate the background check conducted on behalf of the defendants determined there was a pending arrest warrant, issued by another state in 2022, for failing to appear in court on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct by engaging in fighting; possessing, repairing or selling an offensive weapon; and criminal mischief through damage to property.

On May 6, 2024, Pokémon Company International wrote to Owens, informing him that his “application to the professor program has been denied after reviewing the results of your background check.” The letter indicated that once the background check was completed, it was determined he had scored 80% on the exam and failed the test for professor status.

In his lawsuit, Owens claims he was initially denied certification due to an “old, low-level felony that was more than 10 years old,” and that the stated rationale for his denial was later changed to the three misdemeanor charges that do “not show guilty findings.”

The lawsuit claims the defendants’ denial of his certification as a Professor of Pokémon does not merely harm Owens personally but also reduces competition and consumer access by eliminating a qualified, Iowa-based event host from the official, organized-play system associated with Pokémon.

The defendants have yet to file a response to the lawsuit.

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Iowa

Storms cause significant damage to Kingsley in Northwest Iowa

Published

15 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Press Room

Storms cause significant damage to Kingsley in Northwest Iowa

KINGSLEY, Iowa (KTIV) – Plymouth County Emergency Management says the city of Kingsley, Iowa, has sustained significant damage after the severe weather on Sunday, May 17.

In a press release, officials say all people are being turned away from entering Kingsley, and numerous power lines have fallen. Management says Kingsley residents are strongly encouraged to stay indoors until routes are cleared and power lines are restored.

If you are a Kingsley resident or in the immediate area, call the Plymouth County Communications Center’s non-emergency line at (712)-546-8191.

Emergency Management says updates will be posted to the Plymouth County Emergency Management Facebook page.

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

How Jaylen Raynor can Make or Break Iowa State Football in 2026

Published

1 day ago

May 17, 2026

Press Room

How Jaylen Raynor can Make or Break Iowa State Football in 2026

The Iowa State Cyclones have had quite the offseason. They lost Matt Campbell, Rocco Becht, and the majority of the roster, with many heading to Happy Valley to join the Penn State Nittany Lions. After years of consistency and greatness amongst the Big 12 conference, they now look in a completely different situation. Now, they have to save the program.

Over the last few seasons, Iowa State’s face of the program has been their quarterbacks. Outside of one solid Hunter Dekkers year, the last couple of years have been dominated by the likes of Becht and Brock Purdy. But with Becht now out the door, they have to look to the next best option.

The general consensus around the Cyclones is that their offseason was terrible. Partially that was true. But the players that Iowa State brought in aren’t as bad as people may think, and one name especially, takes the crown as the best offseason addition.

Jaylen Raynor is Key

Arkansas State Red Wolves quarterback Jaylen Raynor | Mickey Welsh / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Cyclones brought in Jaylen Raynor, a three-year starter from the Arkansas State Red Wolves. He looks like he may be the savior of the program.

Raynor was a solid player as a freshman, having 2,550 yards, 17 touchdowns, and seven interceptions throughout the year. The potential was limitless right off the bat. He stayed for a second year, improving his numbers to 2,783 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Then finally in his junior year, he once again bumped them up, this time to 3,361 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

Raynor has been consistent throughout his collegiate career, and needs to continue that at Iowa State.

To be completely honest, the Cyclones are in a rough situation. Their roster is pretty sub-par, and a lot of their pieces aren’t near the expectations that Iowa State have. One of the only players that can really put everything together is Raynor, one of the most proven veterans of them all.

Raynor has to be the leader of the Cyclones. Everyone is coming in from different programs from different areas at different levels. When that happens, a quarterback needs to come in and lead his team by bringing the locker room together.

Iowa State’s season doesn’t just change depending on Raynor, it’s defined by him. A veteran leader that has consistently proven to shine now gets one last chance with a new program, where he has the opportunity to save the history, the success, and the pride of the Cyclones.

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Iowa’s most popular baby names of 2025 start with O and C

Published

2 days ago

May 17, 2026

Press Room

Iowa’s most popular baby names of 2025 start with O and C

Expectant parents, if you’re struggling to come up with names for your child, here is some inspiration courtesy of the Social Security Administration.

The Social Security Administration tracks the most popular names given to babies in each state using data from Social Security card applications. People can search back as far as 1960 to see the 100 most frequently given names for both male and female babies on the administration’s website.

The Social Security Administration’s 100 most popular baby names in Iowa overlap with what maternity departments across the Des Moines metro found earlier this year for popular baby names.

So what were the most popular names in Iowa for 2025? Here’s what to know.

What are the most popular baby boy names in Iowa?

Here are the top 10 baby names for males born in Iowa in 2025. Following each name is the number of times a child was given the name, according to the Social Security Administration’s data.

Oliver: 198
Liam: 185
Henry: 176
Theodore: 176
Cooper: 133
Hudson: 124
James: 118
Noah: 118
Bennett: 113
Owen: 106

Oliver is the undisputed champion when it comes to baby boy names in Iowa. The name has been the No. 1 choice for newborns in the state since 2016. On the other end of the spectrum, Milo, Luka, Tucker, Beckham and Caleb were the least common names in the top 100.

What are the most popular baby girl names in Iowa?

Here are the top 10 baby names for females born in Iowa in 2025.

Charlotte:158
Evelyn: 117
Emma: 116
Amelia: 112
Eleanor: 109
Olivia: 107
Sophia: 104
Lainey: 101
Harper: 98
Violet: 97

As for the top girls’ names, the race has been more competitive in recent years. Charlotte has held the No. 1 spot from 2023 through 2025 and also topped the list in 2021, while Olivia claimed the top position in 2020 and 2022. The five least common names in the top 100 for 2025 were Brooklyn, Emily, Kennedy, Lennon and Mabel.