Iowa
JPMorganChase & Co., nation’s largest bank, says it is expanding its Iowa footprint
JPMorgan Chase & Co. reacts to stock market dip during Des Moines visit
Hear what Jamie Dimon, head of the world’s largest bank, says about the stock market downturn during a visit to Des Moines.
The nation’s largest bank is expanding its brick-and-mortar presence in Iowa, it announced Monday with an event that brought its high-profile chairman and CEO, Jamie Dimon, to Des Moines.
JPMorganChase, with more than $3 trillion in assets, is announcing plans to open 25 new branches in Iowa by 2030 and creating about 150 new jobs. Dimon marked the start of the expansion by cutting the ribbon on the latest Iowa branch to open, a newly constructed building at 3101 Ingersoll Ave.
Accompanying Dimon, Jennifer Roberts, CEO of Chase Consumer Banking, said in an interview with the Des Moines Register that the bank’s decision to expand in Iowa is continuation of its announcement, made in 2018, to build 400 new branches and have operations in all states except Alaska and Hawaii,
More: Recession? In Des Moines, leader of nation’s largest bank cautions it’s too soon to say
Roberts said Chase decides where to build by comparing its share of a market’s deposits to its share of branch locations there.
“So we have a very low single-digit branch share in many of these new states that we went in starting in 2018 and we know we need to increase that to really get the full effect of our investment,” she said. “And so this is really just an ongoing effort from that journey starting in 2018 to continue to expand and get to that optimal size.”
Chase consumer banking head says Iowa attractive because of ‘diversity’
The new branch on Ingersoll is Chase’s sixth to open in the Des Moines metro in the past three years and its plans call for additional branches in Des Moines, Waterloo Cedar Rapids, Sioux City and Ames in the next five years.
Even in a world of increased digital capabilities, Roberts said, customers are still looking for human interaction.
“We really view our branch locations as advice centers in many ways, our ability to really connect with customers of all different needs and our experiences,” she said. “Our experience is that in complex situations people want people and they want to have a human connection and an interaction.
“We know that the majority of our accounts, in particular… with young people get opened in a physical branch, not online, which may be different than what you would expect, because obviously young people do everything online,” Roberts added.
She said one of the attributes Iowa has that is attractive to Chase is its diversity, “Maybe not necessarily what people typically think of diversity, but it’s got a vibrant university community, agriculture and farming, obviously manufacturing and small business is a big part of the economy.”
“In Iowa, and as we really strive to be what we call the bank for all, we want to make sure we’re serving customers at all ends of the affluent spectrum and all types of small businesses, regardless of what industry they’re in in Iowa, I think is a great microcosm of our ability to do that and deliver on that,” she said.
Expansion in Iowa fits Chase’s overall goal, announced in May, of having branches located within accessible drive time of 50% of all U.S. residents, Roberts said.
Community bank chief calls Chase expansion ‘a good sign for Iowa’
Iowa already is a highly competitive when it comes to banking, with 240 state-chartered banks and roughly 1,400 bank offices scattered around the state, said John Sorensen, president and CEO of the Iowa Bankers Association.
Sorensen said Iowa’s large number of banks — it ranks in the top four nationally and near the top on a per-capita basis — is due to its agricultural heritage.
“We have a number of community institutions here, especially in rural Iowa, serving those rural communities very well. My sense with Chase is they’re going to be looking at markets that make sense for them,” he said, adding that metro markets have become highly competitive in Iowa and are where Chase likely will seek to establish its niche.
More: See inside West Bank’s new West Des Moines headquarters building
“It requires any financial institution that enters the market to understand that market well, to understand where they can fit and you know try and try and provide a better mousetrap,” Sorensen said.
Despite the competition, Greg Post, president and CEO of Spencer-based Northwest Bank, said sees Chase’s increased presence in Iowa as a good thing.
“I’m thrilled they (Chase) see Iowa as a place they can continue to grow and prosper. I think that’s a good sign for Iowa and it’s a good sign for Iowa community banks that the Midwest has been extremely strong over the last decade, even through the COVID years,” Post said.
He said huge banks like Chase have brought important technology to the industry, but community banks like his will continue to thrive in Iowa.
“The larger mega banks, they have different business models obviously and are trying to play up to their investors,” he said. “I think the challenge facing the banking industry today is not to bump off or move out locally based competition to benefit mega banks, but how do we maintain a diverse and decentralized system to ensure continued access to the financial service for all Iowans and people across the country?”
Dimon, informed of Post’s welcoming attitude, said banks like Northwest can also be Chase customers, with the larger bank providing them loans and helping them with services tailored to customers who have foreign markets and clients.
“We can bank them (customers) outside this country. We’ve got special digital services that secure their payments etcetera and we can move money in 120 different currencies.. We can do a lot of things other people can’t do. If you look at the financial ecosystem, you know, we bank a company like Boeing in 30 countries. You can’t be a small bank and do that,” Dimon said.
Offiering the same kind of international reach, Chase currently serves about 20,000 small businesses in Iowa and Dimon thinks the number will grow to 40,000 to 50,000.
“When we come here, we can also help them sell their product in India and Asia and Mexico,” he said. “We are everywhere. So they say to us they want to learn about what they can do in Brazil, we teach them. We can open a bank account in Brazil for them and help them sell into Brazil.”
Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at kbaskins@registermedia.com.
As we work through the month of June, things are starting to heat up on the diamond around Iowa high school baseball.
With the start of postseason play just around the corner in July, teams are working to get prepared for the stretch run.
High School On SI Iowa has a Top 25 state power ranking while the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association releases weekly class-by-class rankings.
Here are leaders as of June 17, 2026 for several major hitting and pitching categories. Stats are from those uploaded to the Bound website.
Iowa High School Baseball Leaders
Home Runs
- Tru McBride, Fort Dodge, 9
- Colton Roemmich, West Des Moines Valley, 9
- Brandon Bea, Davenport North, 8
- Kamden Jorgensen, Saydel, 8
- Gabe Blanshan, Urbandale, 7
Running Batted In
- Callan Koch, Sioux City East, 38
- West Cole, Mason City Newman Catholic, 37
- Tru McBride, Fort Dodge, 36
- Chance Georgius, Roland-Story, 34
- Ty Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 34
Stolen Bases
- Aiden Ferry, Roland-Story, 38
- Tate Garman, Algona, 33
- Titan Foster, Nodaway Valley, 32
- Tate Moulton, Grand View Christian, 30
- Cael Wishman, Baxter, 29
Runs Scored
- Cal Jepsen, Sioux City East, 45
- Aiden Frey, Roland-Story, 43
- Cal Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 41
- Kolton Schiltz, Fort Dodge, 40
- Colton Wight, Martensdale-St. Marys, 39
Hits
- Colton Wight, Martensdale-St. Marys, 39
- Cal Jepsen, Sioux City East, 38
- Callan Koch, Sioux City East, 36
- Ty Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 35
- Lucas Kelley, Des Moines Roosevelt, 34
Doubles
- Joe Nilles, Sioux City North, 13
- Colton Wight, Martensdale-St. Marys, 13
- Lucas Kelley, Des Moines Roosevelt, 12
- Brett Harris, Western Dubuque, 12
- Brooks Bond, Lewis Central, 11
Triples
- Callan Koch, Sioux City East, 7
- Will Nesler, Ankeny Centennial, 5
- Jacob Pierro, Dubuque Wahlert Catholic, 5
- Lucas Kelley, Des Moines Roosevelt, 5
- Cal Jepsen, Sioux City East, 4
Total Bases
- Colton Wight, Martensdale-St. Marys, 68
- Tru McBride, Fort Dodge, 68
- Bryce Pauly, Davenport North, 67
- Cal Jepsen, Sioux City East, 65
- Ty Heydon, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 62
Pitching Wins
- Tyler Etten, Urbandale, 9
- Chase White, Dyersville Beckman Catholic, 7
- Colton Moffit, Baxter, 7
- Connor Mullenbach, Saint Ansgar, 6
- Aidan Nielsen, Don Bosco, 6
Earned Run Average (min. 18 innings pitched)
- Connor Mullenbach, Saint Ansgar, 0.00
- Luke Vestal, Pleasantville, 0.00
- Ryan Stedman, West Des Moines Valley, 0.24
- Will Litton, Iowa City Regina Catholic, 0.25
- Judd Jirovsky, Grundy Center, 0.26
Strikeouts
- Colton Moffit, Baxter, 85
- Brody Wangsness, North Butler, 75
- Lincoln Roethler, Denver, 71
- Owen Klocksiem, Louisa-Muscatine, 67
- Cooper Chizek, Emmetsburg, 65
Opponents Batting Average Against (min. 18 innings pitched)
- Macklin Loftus, Logan-Magnolia, .017
- Jack Wedemeier, Waverly-Shell Rock, .065
- Teagan Brunk, Shenandoah, .069
- Ryan Stedman, West Des Moines Valley, .072
- Bronx Siebersma, MVAOCOU, .075
Saves
- Beckham Simon, West Liberty, 4
- Deacon Kucera, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 4
- Graham Rima, Pleasant Valley, 4
- Gavin de Jesus, Waukee, 4
- Easton Goodwin, Waterloo Columbus Catholic, 3
Innings Pitched
- Colton Moffit, Baxter, 43
- Tyler Etten, Urbandale, 38.2
- Owen Galvin, Denison-Schleswig, 38
- Tallon Crandall, Carroll, 37.1
- Austin Remster, Melcher-Dallas, 37.1
Follow
How much rain does Des Moines get? See the 5 wettest days on record
Wondering how the rainfall total compares? Here are the five wettest days on record for Des Moines, Iowa.
Drought conditions in Iowa improved for a second consecutive week, though areas of moderate drought expanded in parts of the state.
The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday. What are the current drought conditions in Iowa?
U.S. Drought Monitor map: How much of Iowa is in a drought?
The latest Drought Monitor report, released on Thursday, June 18, showed about 46% of Iowa experiencing some form of drought. This continues the streak of conditions improving week to week in Iowa. The previous report, released on June 11, showed that 63% of the state was experiencing some form of drought.
The most recent report reflects conditions as of 8 a.m. June 16, right as storms were sweeping through Iowa, with parts of eastern Iowa seeing more than 2 inches of rainfall. Light rainfall on June 17 led to areas like Iowa City and Burlington reporting around an inch of rain.
Here is the breakdown of current drought conditions in Iowa:
- 61% of the state of Iowa is experiencing no drought conditions
- 39% of Iowa is experiencing abnormally dry conditions
- 7% of Iowa is experiencing moderate drought conditions
- 0% of Iowa is experiencing severe drought conditions
Even though drought conditions have improved overall in Iowa, the area experiencing moderate drought increased from the week of June 11, particularly in northern Iowa. Much of Cerro Gordo, Hancock and Kossuth counties are under D1 conditions, with nearby Palo Alto, Winnebago, Floyd and Mitchell also in moderate drought.
Pockets of moderate drought also persist along the northwest edge of Iowa in Lyon, Sioux and Plymouth counties. In eastern Iowa, Jackson, Clinton and Scott counties saw their moderate drought status ease week to week.
Most of the U.S. is facing drought conditions
About 73% of the U.S. is experiencing some level of drought, a 2-percentage-point improvement from the prior week. Some of the most intense drought conditions are in the southeast and the mountain west.
Iowa Drought Monitor tracks conditions weekly
The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday.
The intensity levels range from abnormally dry, or D0, to exceptional drought, or D4.
Typically with D0 conditions, corn can show drought stress. Pond levels start to decline under moderate drought conditions and soybeans abort pods, according to the Drought Monitor. The Drought Monitor also has a look-back chart that compares drought conditions from 3 months ago up to 1 year ago.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
Confirmed tornadoes were reported in Illinois and Iowa Wednesday night as severe weather descended on a large swath of the Midwest.
According to the National Weather Service, a confirmed tornado was reported near the small northeast Iowa community of Harpers Ferry at 5:10 p.m., while a second confirmed tornado rolled through Charleston in central Illinois at about 6:40 p.m. local time.
Both tornadoes were flagged by the weather service as a “particularly dangerous situation,” a rare designation used by the weather service for environments in which “strong and violent tornadoes” are possible.
Photos and videos obtained by CBS News showed extensive damage in Charleston, with downed trees and power lines. Hail that measured 2.75 inches was also reported in the Charleston area, according to the weather service.
“There are a large number of trees blocking roadways throughout Charleston at this time,” Charleston police said in a Facebook post. “Unless it is an absolute emergency, do not drive or attempt to go anywhere.”
The city of Charleston later declared a local state of emergency.
One cell phone video captured the terrifying moments what appeared to be a large tornado tore through Effingham, Illinois, located about 40 miles southwest of Charleston.
Larry Thies, coordinator for the Effingham Emergency Management Agency, told CBS News that initial information indicated damaged buildings, trailers, and downed power lines and trees. He said officials were working to set up an emergency operations center, but were facing challenges because internet was down in the area.
The extent of the damage to region was still unclear. There was no immediate word of injuries or fatalities. CBS News senior meteorologist Rob Marciano said there were at least seven reported tornadoes during the weather event.
According to utility tracker PowerOutage.us, at least 55,000 customers were without power in Illinois.
Earlier Wednesday, Marciano reported that more than 125 million Americans were facing severe weather advisories, including the Gulf Coast states, which were under flood alerts due to Tropical Storm Arthur. Speaking on “CBS Evening News,” Marciano said such ripe tornado conditions were rare for June.
“This is unique for June, this is unusual to have such a strong jet stream just screaming across the country, then you’ve got the summertime tropical moisture coming in…and then some cold air coming in,” Marciano said. “And winds coming at different direction, at different levels, creating that spin. So what that equates to is really the high probability of seeing, not just tornadoes, but intense tornadoes of EF2 strength or higher on the ground for a long time. And also damaging winds at 75 mph or higher, and of course big time hail.”
-
Sports5 minutes ago2026 World Cup Odds: How Far Can Mexico Go After Winning Group A?
-
Technology12 minutes ago6 in 10 identity crimes now begin with a new account
-
Business15 minutes agoJanuary 2025 wildfire victims seek tougher penalties against State Farm over claims handling
-
Entertainment20 minutes agoReview: ‘Sugar,’ with Colin Farrell as an alien private eye, gets a new and improved second season
-
Politics30 minutes agoPolitical watchdog fines Newsom for failing to report $5.5M in solicited donations on time
-
Sports42 minutes agoGoalkeeper Raúl Rangel’s elite play and South Korea’s mistake help Mexico advance
-
World50 minutes agoUS-Iran talks postponed as Israel attacks Lebanon
-
News1 hour agoLuigi Mangione’s lawyers withdraw plans for psychiatric defense
