Iowa
Jim Leach, former US representative from Iowa, dies at 82
DES MOINES, Iowa — Former U.S. Rep. Jim Leach, who served 30 years as a politician from eastern Iowa and later headed the National Endowment for the Humanities, died Wednesday. He was 82.
Leach, whose death was confirmed by an Iowa City funeral home, represented Iowa as a moderate Republican until 2006, when he was defeated by Democrat Dave Loebsack in a midterm cycle that gave Democrats control of the U.S. House.
He was chair of the banking and foreign relations committees, and in 2002 he was among six Republicans, who then held the House majority, to vote against a resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq. The measure paved the way for the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, which Leach also opposed.
After leaving Congress, Leach endorsed then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, for president in 2008 over his party’s nominee, Arizona Sen. John McCain, in part for Obama’s opposition to the 2003 invasion — a decision he said wasn’t easy.
“Part of it is political parties are a distant analog to families and you really hate to step outside a family environment,” Leach told The Associated Press in an interview at the time.
Earlier this year, Leach joined with Loebsack to pen a Jan. 6 op-ed in The Des Moines Register, three years after former President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s victory.
“This anniversary of the violent insurrection on our nation’s Capitol is a solemn reminder of how fragile the foundations of democracy are when extremists like Donald Trump are willing to undermine millions of voters and encourage a deadly mob all in the name of wielding power,” Leach and Loebsack wrote.
Loebsack told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he even voted for Leach before running against him, despite their difference in political party.
“Jim served our district and state honorably for 30 years. He was a man of principle and integrity and honor,” Loebsack said. “We’re gonna miss him. There’s no question.”
Leach worked as a professor for Princeton, his alma mater, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard before Obama tapped him to lead the National Endowment for the Humanities in 2009. He resigned from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 2013 and he joined the University of Iowa faculty.
University Vice President Peter Matthes said in a statement Wednesday that Leach was a “relentless advocate” for Iowa. The university’s statement also said Leach donated his public and private papers to their libraries.
“He lived a life of service that we should all aspire to emulate,” Matthes said.
Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds offered her condolences Wednesday.
“As a member of U.S. Congress for 30 years, Jim dedicated his life to serving his country and the state of Iowa,” Reynolds said on the social platform X.
Leach is survived by his wife, two children and two grandchildren, according to his obituary.
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This story has been updated to correct that the op-ed by Leach and Loebsack was published three years after the Jan. 6 riot, not one year after.
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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