Iowa
RFK Jr. cancels Iowa State Fair campaign event over ‘increased security concerns’
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr canceled an upcoming campaign event because of “increased security concerns,” his campaign said Wednesday.
Kennedy, 70, had been slated to appear at the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday afternoon, but he called off the appearance because the outdoor venue posed a heightened risk to his safety.
“We were unable to secure a venue stage indoors that satisfies our security requirements for Mr. Kennedy’s safety,” a campaign official told The Post.
The Des Moines Register first reported on Kennedy’s cancellation at the outlet’s fair event, noting that he was one of 10 political candidates scheduled to speak.
The paper’s executive editor, Carol Hunter, said she was told of no specific threats against Kennedy and called the campaign’s concerns about having the candidate attend an open-air event at the crowded fairgrounds “understandable.”
Kennedy, who has faced death threats and has been hounded by stalkers since launching his White House bid, had long pleaded for Secret Service protection and was finally granted that protection last month by the Biden administration after the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, 78.
His father and uncle — former New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and former President John F. Kennedy — were both gunned down by assassins in the 1960s.
The Secret Service reportedly encouraged the Trump campaign to stop scheduling outdoor events in the wake of the July 13 shooting at his Butler, Pa., rally.
Trump, 78, vowed in an interview with Fox News last month that he would continue to host outdoor rallies, but all his events since the assassination attempt have been indoors.
Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, held an outdoor rally on Wednesday in Eau Claire, Wis.
Kennedy made headlines this week after he admitted on Sunday that he disposed of a dead bear by dumping the carcass in New York’s Central Park in 2014 and making it seem like the animal was hit by a bicyclist.
The independent candidate has 5.3% support in the 2024 presidential race, according to a FiveThirtyEight average of national surveys.
Joann plans to close 500 stores, including 2 in Jacksonville
Joann, the popular fabric and crafts retailer, has announced plans to shutter 500 stores amid a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, including two in the Jacksonville area.
Say goodbye to Joann stores because the craft retailer is permanently closing its remaining Iowa stores by the end of May.
Joann shuttered 255 locations in April, including two in Iowa, months after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time within a year. Since filing for bankruptcy, the company has held going-out-of-business sales at the locations.
At those sales, prices are marked down 70% to 90%, according to Joann.com. (Note: sales on the online site have ended.) Stores are also selling the furniture, shelves and equipment, according to the site.
When is Joann closing its stores?
The more than 440 stores that remain will be closed by May 31, said Jo Anne McCusker, a spokesperson for GA Group, the retail liquidator that won all of Joann’s chain’s assets through auction in February. The chain’s website says many stores will close by May 30.
When are Joann stores in Iowa closing?
There are seven Joann stores that will close in Iowa by May 31, according to USA TODAY. The Ames location was not included in a list the company provided to USA TODAY, but the location is listed as a liquidation store on Joann’s website.
- Ankeny: 1205 SE 16th Court, Suite 200
- Cedar Rapids: 255 Collins Road NE
- Clive: 9999 University Ave.
- Davenport: 902 W. Kimberly Road, Suite 41
- Dubuque: 2600 Dodge St., Suite A-4
- Iowa City: 1676 Sycamore St.
- Waterloo: 1407 Flammang Dr.
Have any Iowa stores already closed?
USA TODAY reported that two Joann stores in Iowa were included in an earlier round of store closures.
JoAnn stores in Mason City and Muscatine closed on April 28.
Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.
Northwestern University men’s basketball has announced a historic “home-and-home” exhibition series with Iowa State that will be played over the next two years.
The series begins Sunday, October 26, 2025, when Northwestern travels to Ames to face the Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum. Iowa State will return the favor during the 2026 preseason, visiting Welsh-Ryan Arena on either Saturday, October 24, or Sunday, October 25, 2026:
The matchup represents significant firsts for both programs. Northwestern will break new ground by playing its first preseason exhibition against a Division I opponent in program history. For Iowa State, the October contest will mark their first exhibition game at Hilton Coliseum since 2017, when they defeated Emporia State 77-68.
The Cyclones will enter the Northwestern exhibition having already completed their preseason opener at Creighton on October 17. The 2025 schedule marks the first time Iowa State has played two exhibition games in a single season since 2009, when they defeated Black Hills State 96-47 and UNC Pembroke 106-54
Both teams enter the series following contrasting 2024-25 campaigns. Iowa State posted a 25-10 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, earning the 13th spot in ESPN’s Way Too Early Top 25 rankings. Northwestern finished 17-16 in their third consecutive winning season.
Specific tipoff times and television broadcast schedules will be announced at a later date. Northwestern’s full 2025-26 schedule has yet to be released, buttickets are currently available for purchase.
In Iowa baseball’s (33-20-1, 21-9 Big Ten) first game in the 2025 Big Ten Tournament vs. Rutgers (29-28, 15-15) Wednesday night from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb., the No. 3-seeded Hawkeyes defeated the No. 10-seeded Scarlet Knights by a score of 4-3 to win the Pool C grouping and clinch a semifinal appearance on Saturday.
Cade Obermueller started on the mound for the Hawkeyes, where he threw a stellar seven shutout innings, allowing four hits and one base-on-balls with 10 strikeouts. Three additional pitchers would see action for Iowa, including Brant Hogue, who picked up a stressful save after allowing Rutgers to pull within one run.
In total, the Hawkeyes’ pitching staff would combine for 13 strikeouts, while allowing three base-on-balls and three earned runs on nine Rutgers hits.
As for the offense, Iowa would record 10 hits, with Miles Risley leading the Hawkeyes with one RBI on 3-of-4 from the plate. Caleb Wulf (2-4) and Kellen Strohmeyer (1-3) also contributed one RBI each. While Gable Mitchell did not record an RBI, he still batted a productive 3-for-5 at the dish.
Although the Hawkeyes’ win secured them a spot in the semifinals, they will still play their second game of pool play tomorrow vs. No. 6-seed Indiana (31-25, 16-14) from Omaha.
Tomorrow’s game against the Hoosiers, initially scheduled for 2 p.m. CT, has now been rescheduled for 9 p.m. at Charles Schwab Field on the Big Ten Network. In addition to the telecast, fans can listen to the action through the Hawkeyes Radio Network alongside play-by-play voice John Leo and color analyst John Evans.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
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