AMES — After six years and two different roles at Iowa State, Emily Ryan was named an assistant coach for Iowa State’s women’s basketball program Thursday. 

Ryan spent five years as a player for the Cyclones from 2020-25  and, most recently, the 2025-26 season as a graduate assistant for the program.

“Emily’s loyalty and commitment to Iowa State women’s basketball has been truly special,” head coach Bill Fennelly said via a news release. “Our players will be learning the Iowa State Way from one of the best Cyclones ever!”

Prior to coaching, Ryan quickly established herself as a Cyclone and became one of the program’s most notable point guards. 

Ryan concluded her time as a Cyclone with 1,632 points, 656 rebounds and 993 assists. These statistics marked Ryan as the third NCAA women’s basketball player to have more than 1,500 points, 600 rebounds and 900 assists. 

Additionally, as a player, Ryan earned three Big 12 selections in the Big 12 Tournament, and 2024 marked Ryan as an All-Tournament Team member. Outside of the Big 12, Ryan was on the Naismith Trophy Watch List three times.

After transitioning from on the court to the sidelines, Ryan’s graduate assistant role focused on developing the program’s point guards.

The most notable point guard Ryan worked with was former Cyclone Jada Williams, who spent one season with the team.

 During the 2025-26 season, Williams quickly filled the role of the floor general, averaging 15.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 7.7 assists while shooting 41.7%. 

The new role for Ryan will quickly escalate as the team welcomes seven guards to the program ahead of the 2026-27 season.

“Emily made a tremendous impact on our program as a player, and that will continue as a coach,” Fennelly said.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Forty Iowa lawmakers, including Iowa House Majority Leader Bobby Kaufmann, are urging federal regulators to reject a request from utility companies that would temporarily halt competition for major electric transmission projects.

In a letter sent to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, lawmakers asked regulators to deny a complaint filed by utilities seeking a moratorium on transmission competition, arguing the move would increase electricity costs for consumers and reduce market competition.

The complaint, filed in April by incumbent utilities against regional grid operators Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, and Southwest Power Pool, seeks to pause competitive bidding for transmission projects across multiple states.

Supporters of competition argue the change would effectively allow utilities to receive no-bid control over billions of dollars in future transmission projects tied to growing electricity demand, including from data centers.

The lawmakers wrote that Iowa has repeatedly rejected anti-competitive legislation in recent years and pointed to President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at reducing regulatory barriers for new market participants.

“The utility complaint is tone deaf to the electricity affordability crisis facing Americans,” Paul Cicio, chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, said in a statement. “Suspending competition in MISO and SPP would expose consumers in these regions to billions in unchecked cost escalation for years, guaranteeing higher utility bills.”

Utilities that filed the complaint include ITC Midwest, Ameren Services, Xcel Energy and several other regional electric providers.

The coalition opposing the complaint argues competitive bidding has historically lowered costs for transmission projects in MISO and SPP regions, while utilities say changes are needed to speed project development amid growing energy demand.

The dispute comes as energy providers face increasing pressure to expand electric infrastructure to meet demand from large-scale developments, including data centers.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The Cedar Rapids Fire Department responded to a fire at a garage Wednesday evening.

Crews responded to the 1200 block of Wright Brothers Boulevard SW at 6:23 P.M.

The department says they spotted heavy black smoke prior to arrival, and found an attached garage fully involved with fire.

Crews managed to put out the fire and confirmed that everyone was outside of the house, as well as extinguished a hidden fire in the attic and concealed spaces inside the home.

The garage suffered heavy fire damage while the rest of the home had minor damage.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.