Iowa

Residents begin going through the rubble after tornadoes hammer parts of Nebraska and Iowa

Published

2 years ago

April 27, 2024

Residents begin going through the rubble after tornadoes hammer parts of Nebraska and Iowa

OMAHA, Neb. — Residents began sifting through the rubble Saturday after a tornado plowed through suburban Omaha, Nebraska, demolishing homes and businesses as it moved for miles through farmland and into subdivisions.

People gathered in the streets in the Elkhorn area of Omaha amid the scattered remains of the homes and Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen planned to tour the area then hold a news conference later Saturday in Omaha.

The Friday night tornadoes wreaked havoc in the Midwest, causing a building to collapse with dozens of people inside and destroying and damaging hundreds of homes.

There have been several reports of injuries but no fatalities reported.

Three people were hurt in Nebraska’s Lancaster County when a tornado hit an industrial building, causing it to collapse with 70 people inside. Several were trapped, but everyone was evacuated and the injuries were not life-threatening, authorities said.

One of the most destructive tornadoes moved for miles Friday through mostly rural farmland before chewing up homes and other structures in the suburbs of Omaha, a city of 485,000 people with a metropolitan area population of about 1 million.

Photos on social media also showed heavy damage in the small town of Minden, Iowa, about 30 miles northeast of Omaha.

Jeff Theulen, chief deputy of the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, said at a late Friday briefing that 40 to 50 homes had been completely destroyed. Two injuries were reported but none were life-threatening.

School buses have been brought in to give residents a ride out of town if they need one, he said. He asked others to stay away as it’s a very dangerous area with power lines down and piles of debris where homes used to be.

“It’s heartbreaking to see these people who have lost houses, cars, essentially their life until they have to rebuild it,” he said.

The forecast for Saturday was ominous. The National Weather Service issued tornado watches early Saturday for northwestern Texas and across western Oklahoma.

“Tornadoes, perhaps significant tornadoes,” were possible Saturday afternoon and evening, said weather service meteorologist Bruce Thoren in Norman, Okla.

The threat of tornadoes extended into parts of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Arkansas. Forecasters warned that large hail and strong wind gusts were also possible.

Hundreds of houses were damaged in Omaha on Friday, mostly in the Elkhorn area in the western part of the city, Omaha police Lt. Neal Bonacci said and police and firefighters went door-to-door to help people.

In one area of Elkhorn, dozens of newly built, large homes were damaged. At least six were wrecked, including one that was leveled, while others had their top halves ripped off. Dozens of emergency vehicles responded to the area.

“We watched it touch down like 200 yards over there and then we took shelter,” said Pat Woods, who lives in Elkhorn. “We could hear it coming through. When we came up, our fence was gone and we looked to the northwest and the whole neighborhood’s gone.”

Kim Woods, his wife, added, “The whole neighborhood just to the north of us is pretty flattened.”

Three people, including a child, were in the basement of the leveled home when the tornado hit but got out safely, according to Dhaval Naik, who said he works with home’s owner.

KETV-TV video showed one woman being removed from a demolished home on a stretcher in Blair, a city just north of Omaha.

Two people were transported for treatment, both with minor injuries, Bonacci said.

“People had warnings of this and that saved lives,” Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said of the few serious injuries.

The tornado warning was issued in the Omaha area on Friday afternoon just as children were due to be released from school. Many schools had students shelter in place until the storm passed.

“Was it one long track tornado or was it several tornadoes?” Kern of the National Weather Service asked.

The agency planned to send out multiple crews over the next several days to determine the number of tornadoes and their strength, which could take up to two weeks, she said.

Another tornado hit an area on the eastern edge of Omaha, passing directly through parts of Eppley Airfield, the city’s airport. Officials halted aircraft operations to access damage but then reopened the facility, Omaha Airport Authority Chief Strategy Officer Steve McCoy said.

The passenger terminal was not hit by the tornado but people rushed to storm shelters until the twister passed, McCoy said.

After passing through the airport, the tornado crossed the Missouri River and into Iowa, north of Council Bluffs.

In Lancaster County, where three people were injured when an industrial building collapsed, sheriff’s officials also said they had reports of a tipped-over train near Waverly, Nebraska.

The Omaha Public Power District reported nearly 10,000 customers were without power in the Omaha area. The number had dropped to just more than 4,300 Saturday morning.

Pillen, the Nebraska governor, posted on the social platform X that he had ordered state resources to be made available to help with the emergency response and to support first responders as they assess the damage.

Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas. Associated Press writers Ken Miller in Oklahoma City, Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota, Jeff Martin in Atlanta and Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, contributed to this report.

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Iowa

Explore Effigy Mounds, Iowa’s ancient earthworks above the Mississippi

Published

5 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Explore Effigy Mounds, Iowa’s ancient earthworks above the Mississippi

High on the bluffs overlooking the Upper Mississippi River, Effigy Mounds National Monument preserves more than 200 ancient earthen mounds shaped like bears, birds, and spirits of the natural world. Built by Indigenous peoples more than 1,000 years ago, these formations stand as powerful reminders that America’s story stretches far beyond European arrival. At this quiet landscape of forested ridges and sweeping river views, visitors can walk among sacred sites that continue to hold meaning for many Native nations today. Effigy Mounds is both a cultural touchstone and one of the most visually striking archaeological landscapes in the United States.

Location: Harpers Ferry, Iowa

Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/2WhrGJ8cqh2nsC8L6

Why it matters

Effigy Mounds honors the artistry, engineering, and spiritual traditions of Indigenous communities who shaped these hills centuries before the United States existed. As the nation marks 250 years, this landscape reminds us that America’s story begins long before 1776. The bear, bird and linear mounds — some perfectly aligned with celestial patterns — preserve cultural memory, identity and resilience. They stand as a testament to the first peoples who understood this land as home.

What to see today

Visitors can follow wooded trails to some of the most iconic shapes, including the Great Bear Mound and soaring bird effigies perched above the Mississippi. Interpretive exhibits explain the moundbuilders’ cultures, craftsmanship, and the region’s deep archaeological significance. Listen for wind moving through oak forests and watch eagles ride the river’s currents below. Rangers and tribal partners share stories of ongoing cultural ties, helping visitors understand these earthworks not as relics, but as living heritage.

Ask a local

Stop in nearby McGregor for a bite at Old Man River Restaurant & Brewery, where locals drift in for beers and scenic river views or the Backwoods Bar & Grill, a popular spot for casual American pub food.

Plan your visit

• Best time: Fall colors or late spring• Hours/admission: Visitor center open daily; free entry• Getting there: Parking at the visitor center; trails begin onsite• Learn more: nps.gov/efmo

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.

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Iowa

Iowa can use flat Big Ten final to get sharper for NCAAs | Leistikow

Published

17 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Iowa can use flat Big Ten final to get sharper for NCAAs | Leistikow

INDIANAPOLIS — An overachieving body of work over 31 games left the Iowa women with an ideal situation for 2 hours of championship-game basketball opportunity at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Go play free against second-ranked and top-seeded UCLA in the finals of the Big Ten Tournament, and see what happens.

What happened wasn’t pretty. The Hawkeyes, in a polar-opposite performance from their first two games in downtown Indianapolis, stumbled out of the gates and played poor defense and lost decisively, 96-45, before another pro-Iowa crowd.

The 51-point margin tied for the fourth-most lopsided margin of defeat in program history and largest since the pre-NCAA era of women’s basketball, in 1976. The previous biggest loss of the 26-year Lisa Bluder/Jan Jensen era was 43 points, a 103-60 loss against Kansas State in the 2002-03 season.

So yeah, this one was tough to take. It was a disappointing ending and a realization that UCLA is much, much better than Iowa right now.

“A good win for them, a lot to learn for us,” Iowa sophomore guard Taylor Stremlow said. “We’re ready for this postseason.”

The postgame vibe in the Iowa locker room was that this was still a successful tournament for Iowa, and it was. The Hawkeyes (26-6) have taken a major step forward in Year 2 under Jensen, not only reaching the Big Ten semifinals (which it fell one point shy of a year ago) but making it to the CBS-televised championship game.

Whether the final margin was one point or 51 points, the game vs. UCLA needed to serve as a learning experience to prepare for what the Hawkeyes hope is to come, three weekends from now in either the Fort Worth or Sacramento regional.

One of the “why-not” things Iowa tried against UCLA was a zone defense, which it practices often but rarely uses, to try to slow down 6-foot-7 Big Ten player of the year Lauren Betts. If Iowa is going to advance through the NCAA Tournament, it’ll undoubtedly come up against a team with more size — maybe Oklahoma in the Sweet 16, perhaps South Carolina in the Elite Eight.

In 2025-26, Iowa matches up better with opponents that feature guards, with Chit-Chat Wright and Kylie Feuerbach as elite defenders. The goal with playing zone against UCLA was to hope the Bruins were cold from deep … and that was certainly not the case.

UCLA knocked down 6-of-11 3-point attempts in the decisive first half and 13-of-26 for the game (50%).

“With it being three back-to-back games, I think it was a good way to rest a little bit defensively, but also kind of give them something new … try to throw them off a little bit,” Feuerbach said. “Once again, they were hitting everything against the zone as well. Tough day.”

UCLA led, 42-20, at the break even though Betts had four points on 2-of-5 shooting. UCLA never cooled off, shooting 63.5% for the game. It rattled off 13 points in the first 2:09 of the second half to grow the advantage to 55-23, triggering Jensen to use the third of her four timeouts.

Things never got better for the Hawkeyes, who shot 27.9% from the floor. To show how tough a day it was, they were only 12-for-38 on 2-point shots … the team’s bread and butter typically with Ava Heiden (who led Iowa with 15 points and made the all-tournament team, along with Hannah Stuelke) in the middle.

Iowa’s Ava Heiden looks forward to playing at home in NCAA Tournament

The sophomore center talked about reasons for the 96-45 loss to UCLA in the Big Ten championship game.

“Now we’ve been there, we’ve done that,” Heiden said. “We have the knowledge of how to play in these high-emotional games with the turnaround time. That’ll help us in the NCAA Tournament.”

If you think about it, this Big Ten Tournament progression provided the perfect NCAA prep. Iowa’s 64-58 win over Illinois in the quarterfinals felt like a quintessential round-of-32 matchup, considering Shauna Green’s Illini are projected as a No. 7 NCAA seed.

Then came the toss-up type of game that Iowa could see, if it gets to the Sweet 16, against seventh-ranked Michigan. The Hawkeyes’ forceful 59-42 victory demonstrated they have the capability to put away a No. 3 seed if they bring their best defense to the Sweet 16.

And then … the Elite Eight-type challenge that the Hawkeyes, if they can somehow keep this magical season going, would need to conquer. UCLA will be a definitive No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament when the brackets come out March 15. The other No. 1s will likely be UConn (which beat Iowa, 90-64), Texas (the only team that beat 31-1 UCLA) and South Carolina (which needs no re-introduction to Iowa fans).

For now, the gap looks large between Iowa and any No. 1 seed. But the Hawkeyes realistically shouldn’t have Final Four expectations with an eight-player rotation Sunday that included three freshmen and three sophomores.

“We learned how resilient we can be. It’s hard on the body and the mind, this tournament, especially for young girls,” Stremlow said. “I still consider myself to be learning a lot. … Just getting this experience is really good for our team.”

This team has earned the No. 2 seed it will receive on March 15 from the NCAA selection committee. One blowout loss to an elite team will not change that.

The Hawkeyes’ next step is to make the Sweet 16 in Jensen’s second year after getting blown out by Oklahoma in the round-of-32 in a game that looked a lot like this one. We know from even the Caitlin Clark years that getting out of Iowa City won’t be a piece of cake (first two rounds will be at Carver-Hawkeye Arena). If the Hawkeyes can do that, they’ve shown enough this week to think they’ll have a realistic chance of reaching an Elite Eight.

“Just being in the final after people didn’t think we’d be in the top five at the beginning of the season, I think just proves a lot of people wrong,” Stuelke said. “We should take pride in that and how hard we’ve been working and try to make a deep run in the NCAA.”

Iowa’s Taylor Stremlow says UCLA loss will be a learning experience

Taylor Stremlow finished with six points in the Hawkeyes’ 96-45 loss to the Bruins in the Big Ten championship game.

Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow has served for 31 years with The Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Sports Network. Chad is the 2023 INA Iowa Sports Columnist of the Year and NSMA Co-Sportswriter of the Year in Iowa. Join Chad’s text-message group at HawkCentral.com/HawkeyesTexts. Follow @ChadLeistikow on X.

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3 takeaways from Iowa State basketball’s win over Arizona State

Published

1 day ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

3 takeaways from Iowa State basketball’s win over Arizona State

AMES — Whether they were Iowa State basketball lifers like Tamin Lipsey or late arrivals through the transfer portal, all of the Cyclones’ seniors embraced the roaring cheers at Hilton Coliseum in one final home game.

Arizona State looked to be a spoiler early, with the Cyclones trailing at the half, but Iowa State responded with a resurgent second-half effort to enjoy an 86-65 win over the Sun Devils and send their seniors off in style to close out the regular season on Saturday, March 7.

The Cyclones (25-6, 12-6 Big 12 Conference) deployed an all-senior lineup in the closing minutes of the game, before coach T.J. Otzelberger pulled Nate Heise, Joshua Jefferson and Lipsey out of the game with 1:10 remaining for a standing ovation from the crowd.

“It was a long day,” Lipsey said. “Just thinking about it right when I woke up in the morning, it hit me more than the past couple days. There’s a lot of emotions from when I stepped on the court for my pre-workout and when we all lined up out there. I was holding back tears sometimes. I saw a bunch of the students with the headbands on. That meant a lot to see that.

“A lot of tears have been in my eyes, as I’ve tried to keep them in a little bit, but I was just grateful for it.”

Lipsey had 16 points, six assists and six steals. Jefferson also chipped in 16 points, with seven boards, two steals and a block. Milan Momcilovic shot 4-of-9 from deep and also finished with 16 points. Off the bench, Jamarion Batemon had 13 points, while Dominykas Pleta had 11.

For Arizona State (16-15, 7-11), Massamba Diop had 12 points, two blocks and seven turnovers. Moe Odum and Anthony Johnson each chipped in 10 points.

Here are three takeaways from Iowa State’s win over Arizona State:

Iowa State basketball coach TJ Otzelberger on 24-0 run vs Arizona St

Iowa State basketball coach TJ Otzelberger on the Cyclones’ 24-0 run in the second half of their win over Arizona State.

Tale of two halves, with a decisive 24-0 run for Iowa State

A sloppy finish to the first half for Iowa State allowed Arizona State to go on a 10-0 run over the final 2:04 to take a 41-37 halftime lead. The Cyclones had three turnovers during the Sun Devils’ blitz and quickly saw a nine-point lead disappear.

After the break, Iowa State emerged reinvigorated. It outscored the Sun Devils, 33-7, over the first 13 and a half minutes out of the locker room. At one point during that dominant run, the Cyclones scored 24 unanswered points.

The lopsided second-half showing was an encapsulation of the Cyclones at their best. Iowa State was generating turnovers at a high clip, Arizona State went more than 10 minutes between made shots and various Cyclones were making momentum-boosting plays.

“It obviously starts with Killyan (Toure) and I guarding the ball, but it’s great to see the plays that (Dominykas) Pleta was making and Blake (Buchanan) get up to the ball screen, they can create turnovers and deflections as well,” Lipsey said of the 24-0 run. “When they’re doing that, it’s hard to move the ball against us and score against us, so when all five guys are playing together and playing on a string, rotating like we were in the second half, it’s definitely hard to play us.”

Both teams traded baskets to begin the second half, but Momcilovic and Jefferson each drilled 3-pointers to retake the lead for Iowa State and begin the streak of 24 straight points. Lipsey topped off the run with a 3-pointer of his own to make it 65-45 with 8:38 remaining.

The Cyclones shot 50.0% as a team in the second half. Defensively, they held Arizona State to just 6-of-19 (31.6%) from the floor for the rest of the game after it shot 58.3% in the first half.

Iowa State’s ball pressure was unrelenting. The Sun Devils turned the ball over 23 times, which Iowa State turned into 29 points the other way. Thirteen of those turnovers came in the second half.

“It’s been a surefire way to put ourselves in a great position, to have great on-ball defense, great ball pressure, speed our opponent up and force them to play under duress, get those turnovers and then get out and go in transition,” Otzelberger said. “We just have to do a very consistent job of maintaining that mindset for the full 40 minutes every single game, because when we do that, we’re really tough to play against. We generate those turnovers, get out and go, that’s when we’re at our best.”

Iowa State basketball coach TJ Otzelberger on Tamin Lipsey senior day

Iowa State basketball coach TJ Otzelberger shared his thoughts on Tamin Lipsey’s impact after senior day.

Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson and Iowa State seniors go out in style

The paths that led them to Ames may be different, but there’s no doubting Iowa State seniors’ gratitude for their time in cardinal and gold.

Lipsey, Jefferson, Heise, Dominick Nelson and Eric Mulder were all honored in the Cyclones’ senior day festivities before Saturday’s game.

Heise was honored again after also being honored in last season’s senior day. He decided to return for a sixth-year of college basketball due to a medical redshirt during his time at UNI.

“I actually asked Heise yesterday or earlier today, because he went through it last year as well, I asked him, ‘How does it work?’ and he had no clue,” Lipsey said. “That’s a funny story, but, yeah, just cherishing the moment was the most important thing.”

The five seniors were greeted with roaring applause from the home crowd during the pregame ceremony. Jefferson and Lipsey received extra cheers when they were introduced as starters one final time at Hilton Coliseum. The crowd was buzzing throughout the game, but they screamed one final time as Jefferson, Lipsey, and Heise checked out in the final minutes.

“Just a ton of gratitude and appreciation,” Jefferson, who also noted coming to Iowa State was the best decision of his life, said. “These people, with open arms, they let me in and I’m very appreciative for the two years I spent here and I’m excited to continue on with this year and continue playing.”

For Lipsey, there aren’t enough words from the hometown hero to describe his emotion.

“The gratitude I have for all the fans and obviously the coaches for believing in me since day one,” Lipsey said. “It’s been a long time, a quick four years, I guess you could say. For me, it’s been really quick, but I’m just thankful for the opportunity and obviously to keep going forward to winning more games.”

Iowa State basketball’s Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson on senior day

Iowa State basketball players Tamin Lipsey and Joshua Jefferson digest and react to the Cyclones’ senior day win over Arizona State.

Iowa State underclassmen step up on senior day

The spotlight might have been on the Cyclones’ seniors, but Iowa State also got good performances from a couple of its younger players.

Momcilovic shot 4-of-9 from deep and was tied with Lipsey and Jefferson with a team-high 16 points. He also had a game-high +31 plus-minus rating.

However, there’s no overlooking the contributions made by freshmen Pleta and Batemon off the bench.

Pleta was hyper-efficient and was strong on the glass and with his defensive effort. He had 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, with five rebounds, including three offensive, and two steals in just 14 minutes of action.

“Pleta had one of his best games,” Otzelberger said. “The steal he had early in the second half, where he did the German-Euro-foot-shuffle step, whatever that was, was pretty awesome. That really got our guys going. He had so many energy plays, he played terrific.”

Batemon added 13 points and shot 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, with a couple of his long-range baskets coming at crucial points to ignite his team and the home crowd.

“He just has such gravity to how he plays, so much energy and enthusiasm,” Otzelberger said. “When he’s at his best, when he’s defending and rebounding, his offense really goes well for him.”

Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5

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