Iowa

Tourist from Iowa, last person to see Sudiksha Konanki alive, gives 3 versions of the story to cops. What he said he saw

Published

10 months ago

March 11, 2025

Tourist from Iowa, last person to see Sudiksha Konanki alive, gives 3 versions of the story to cops. What he said he saw

A 24-year-old tourist from Iowa, who was the last person to see University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki alive, gave three versions to the police of what happened. Joshua Stevem Ribe, a fellow guest at the Caribbean resort from tiny Rock Rapids, suggested that he passed out drunk on the beach, and when he woke up, Konanki was missing.

Tourist from Iowa, last person to see Sudiksha Konanki alive, gives 3 versions of the story to cops (@avaaz.official/Instagram)

Konanki, 20, an Indian-origin woman, vanished while on a spring break holiday in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. She was last spotted at the Riu Republica Resort beach on March 6 around 4:50 am.

What did Joshua Stevem Ribe reveal?

Dominican media outlet Noticias SIN reported that Konanki and her friends were caught on surveillance video partying at a disco at Riu Republica Resort at 3 am. The group left around 4 am and headed out to the beach, staying there until 5:50 am. They left Konanki and Ribe alone on the beach.

Ribe has provided three versions of what happened next, according to the outlet. He first told police that he threw up from the rough surf and went back to shore, but also asked Konanki if she was ok. He said in the second version that he felt sick to his stomach and left the water, and last saw Konanki in knee-deep water in the surf before he passed out. In the final version, he said he saw Konanki walking along the shore before he fell asleep.

Police said Ribe is cooperating with authorities. They have not said if they suspect foul play in Konanki’s disappearance.

Konanki’s family, however, fears that she may have become the victim of a crime. Although local authorities suggested she may have drowned after jumping in the ocean, a complaint seeking to intensify search efforts made a more sinister suggestion, stating that “while it is possible that Sudiksha drowned, there is a growing suspicion that there may be a crime, specifically the possibility of kidnapping,” WTOP reported.

“It’s four days, and if she was in water, she would likely have been strewn to shore,” Konanki’s father, Subbarayudu Konanki, said. “She’s not found, so we’re asking them to investigate multiple options, like kidnapping or abduction.”

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Iowa

See where Iowa State basketball ranks in the AP and coaches polls

Published

12 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

See where Iowa State basketball ranks in the AP and coaches polls

Iowa State basketball is now ranked in the top three.

The Cyclone men improved to 13-0 this week after obliterating Long Beach State on Dec. 21 at Hilton Coliseum.

With the holiday week, Iowa State is off before returning for a home game Monday, Dec. 29, against Houston Christian at 7 p.m.

Here is a look at where the Cyclones stand in the latest college basketball rankings:

Iowa State rankings update

Iowa State moved up one spot to No. 3 in both the AP and Coaches Polls. The Cyclones were previously at No. 4.

USA TODAY Sports men’s college basketball coaches poll

Here is a look at the new USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll.

Michigan
Arizona
Iowa State
UConn
Purdue
Duke
Gonzaga
Houston
Michigan State
BYU
Vanderbilt
North Carolina
Nebraska
Louisville
Alabama
Texas Tech
Kansas
Arkansas
Illinois
Tennessee
Virginia
Florida
Iowa
Georgia
USC

Others receiving votes

St. John’s 32; Kentucky 32; Seton Hall 20; Utah State 15; Auburn 10; California 9; UCLA 8; Saint Louis 8; LSU 6; Yale 4; Oklahoma State 3; Saint Mary’s 1; Indiana 1; Clemson 1;

AP Poll

Here is a look at the new Associated Press poll.

Arizona
Michigan
Iowa State
UConn
Purdue
Duke
Gonzaga
Houston
Michigan State
BYU
Vanderbilt
North Carolina
Nebraska
Alabama
Texas Tech
Louisville
Kansas
Arkansas
Tennessee
Illinois
Virginia
Florida
Georgia
USC
Iowa

Others receiving votes

Kentucky 78, Seton Hall 49, Auburn 39, St. John’s 23, California 19, LSU 17, UCLA 13, Clemson 9, Miami (Ohio) 6, Utah St. 5, Arizona St 5, Indiana 4, Miami 4, Saint Louis 3, Belmont 2, Baylor 1, Oklahoma St. 1, UCF 1, NC State 1.

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Iowa

Jaxx DeJean, brother of Hawkeye icon Cooper, commits to Iowa football

Published

1 day ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Jaxx DeJean, brother of Hawkeye icon Cooper, commits to Iowa football

Class of 2027 prospect Jaxx DeJean, the younger brother of former Iowa football star Cooper DeJean, has committed to the Hawkeyes.

Jaxx DeJean made the announcement via social media on Dec. 21.

DeJean, listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, committed to Iowa as a tight end.

DeJean is a 3-star prospect and the fifth-ranked player in the state of Iowa’s 2027 high school class, according to the 247Sports Composite.

As a junior at OABCIG, DeJean showed versatility offensively. He led the team with 36 receptions for 461 yards and six touchdowns, while rushing for 207 yards and three touchdowns. DeJean also passed for 149 yards and two touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, DeJean recorded 18.5 total tackles and three interceptions.

DeJean was named honorable mention All-Iowa by the Des Moines Register.

The Odebolt product earned offers from UNLV, Kansas State, Michigan, UAB and Iowa.

DeJean has become a well-known last name in the Hawkeye and NFL communities.

Cooper DeJean became an Iowa legend in three seasons with the Hawkeyes, starring as a defensive back and punt returner. As a junior, DeJean was Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and Rodgers-Dwight Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year.

DeJean’s story rose to new heights once he got to the NFL. He somewhat surprisingly slipped to the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but was scooped up by the Philadelphia Eagles, which ultimately proved beneficial for both sides. As a rookie, DeJean picked off a pass from megastar quarterback Patrick Mahomes and returned it for a touchdown in Super Bowl LIX to help the Eagles take down the Chiefs.

Before the 2024 NFL Draft, DeJean commented on the recruitment of brother Jaxx.

“I want him to make his own decision,” Cooper said of Jaxx in March of 2024. “If he could be here, that’d be awesome. We’ve all grown up Iowa fans, but I’ll definitely be giving my pitch, for sure.”

Jaxx DeJean is the third prospect to commit to Iowa’s 2027 recruiting class this month.

4-star Bettendorf linebacker Gavin Stecker announced his commitment to the Hawkeyes on Dec. 9. Less than one week later, Pleasantville High School Braylon Bingham also committed to Iowa as a linebacker. And now, DeJean becomes Iowa’s first offensive commitment in the 2027 recruiting class.

All three members of Iowa’s 2027 recruiting class are in-state products.

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com

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Iowa

Two Iowa tickets miss $1.2B Powerball jackpot by just one number

Published

2 days ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

Two Iowa tickets miss .2B Powerball jackpot by just one number

Nobody hit the estimated $1.2 billion Powerball jackpot in the Dec. 20 drawing — but the prize isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s climbing to an eye-popping $1.6 billion for Monday’s drawing, making it the fourth-largest jackpot in Powerball history and fifth-largest among U.S. lottery jackpots. The cash option? $735.3 million.

Two Iowa players came close to the big win. One ticket, sold at Kwik Star in Vinton, matched all five white balls and missed only the Powerball — good for a $1 million prize. It was one of eight tickets nationwide to hit that mark.

“A jackpot of this size naturally captures attention nationwide, but a $1 million win right here in Iowa shows there are plenty of chances to win along the way,” Iowa Lottery CEO Matt Strawn said in a news release.

Another ticket, sold at Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh in Johnston, matched four white balls plus the Powerball and added Power Play, turning a $50,000 prize into $150,000.

In all, Iowa players won 41,288 prizes Saturday, from $4 to $1 million.

Want in on Monday’s drawing? The ticket deadline is 8:59 p.m. Odds of hitting the jackpot remain 1 in 292.2 million — but someone will eventually get lucky.

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor at the Des Moines Register.

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