Iowa
Waukee Northwest completes back-to-back sweep in Class 2A Iowa boys state tennis tournament
Waukee Northwest’s Kaden Taylor on his state title win in 2A boys tennis
Waukee Northwest senior Kaden Taylor won his second-straight 2A state singles tennis title on Wednesday in Iowa City.
Marc Ray
The Iowa high school boys state tennis tournament in Class 2A culminated at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex in Iowa City on Wednesday.
Waukee Northwest swept the singles and doubles tournament for the second straight year. Class 1A state competition is being hosted in Waterloo at Brynes Park, with finals set for Thursday.
Here is a recap of Wednesday’s action in Iowa City.
This story will be updated with Class 1A results on Thursday.
Make that back-to-back state titles for Waukee Northwest’s Kaden Taylor
Last season, Kaden Taylor became the first Waukee Northwest tennis player to win a singles state championship. A year later, the high school senior returned to the big stage, defeating Waukee’s Quinn Monson (6-4, 6-1) to win his second-straight 2A state title.
“It’s a great feeling,” Taylor said. “I really had to fight especially in the first set going down 4-3…He’s a great player obviously and to kind of get through that, it really feels good.”
Taylor went head-to-head with Monson, a former Waukee teammate with whom he won a doubles state title in 2021.
“We got to be state doubles champs three years ago and then to get to compete in the finals of state this year was definitely something that was exciting and something we were both looking forward to,” Taylor said. “Obviously, it sucks that one of us had to come through, but it was a great match. He’s a great player so it was fun.”
Waukee Northwest’s Kellan Croatt, Jake Nelson earn second-straight doubles title in 2A
When you reach the mountaintop once, why not do it again? Waukee Northwest’s Kellan Croatt and Jake Nelson entered this year’s state tournament as the defending doubles title holders in 2A.
The junior duo added to their championship resume with a win over Linn-Mar’s Malcolm Rice and Garrett Bauermeister in straight sets (6-2, 6-1).
“It feels really, really good,” Croatt said. “We’ve been together for years…but we’ve been double partners ever since we were in fifth grade, so it just feels amazing.”
Croatt and Nelson said their routine was similar to their state title run in 2023. They admitted that they faced a bit of pressure heading into this year’s state tournament, but they found their rhythm during the second day of competition which led to another state championship trophy.
“It feels great being the second year now we’ve done this, and then this year was awesome for us at state,” Nelson said. “We had all of our players make it to compete in Day 2 and another doubles team in the semifinals also, so this was awesome.”
Marc Ray is the high school sports reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. He can be reached atMARay@gannett.com, and on X, formerly Twitter, at@themarcszn.
Iowa
Groundbreaking held for Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity’s 16th Woman Build
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) — Volunteers broke ground Saturday for Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity’s 16th Woman Build, honoring a retired University of Iowa nursing professor.
Liz Swanson, a retired nursing professor, was chosen as this year’s honoree for her decades of impact. The Women Build program focuses on including women in every step of home construction.
While the home is built in Swanson’s honor, it will go to a fellow nurse and mother of three. The family applied through the affordable housing program.
Swanson said she’s proud to be part of a project that directly connects to her nursing legacy.
“It’s very special to have the unique opportunity to help the nurse who is working nights,” Swanson said.
Swanson said stable housing gives families the security to plan for the future.
“It means security for families. We talked briefly to the children and they said, ‘we’re gonna have our own bedroom,’” Swanson said.
Volunteers are set to begin work on the home in August. Those interested in volunteering can find more information here.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Iowa
Iowa Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Midday results for May 8, 2026
The Iowa Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big with rewards ranging from $1,000 to millions. The most an Iowan has ever won from playing the lottery was $343 million in 2018 off the Powerball.
Don’t miss out on the winnings. Here’s a look at Friday, May 8, 2026, winning numbers for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing
37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-3 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 0-5-8
Evening: 9-9-2
Check Pick-3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-4 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 0-2-7-3
Evening: 0-7-0-6
Check Pick-4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing
14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Iowa Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Iowa editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Iowa
Iowa SNAP restrictions raise concerns over confusion, impact on summer food aid
IOWA — Iowa’s new restrictions on SNAP benefits are drawing concern from advocates who say the changes could make it harder for families to buy food and could put future summer assistance for children at risk.
The state’s SNAP waiver took effect January 1, 2026, limiting what items can be purchased based on Iowa’s taxable food list. While that includes widely discussed restrictions on soda and candy, the policy also affects certain prepared foods, creating confusion for shoppers.
“Something as small as whether or not a utensil is included in a food item actually impacts whether or not you can continue to purchase that item using your SNAP benefits,” Paige Chickering, Iowa State Manager for the Save the Children Action Network, said.
Advocates say the rules can be difficult to navigate, especially for people relying on quick meals. Items like prepackaged salads or sandwiches may or may not qualify depending on how they are packaged.
At the same time, new legislation slated for the next session at the statehouse could make those restrictions more permanent by requiring Iowa to continue seeking federal approval for the waiver.
That’s raising additional concerns about the future of Summer EBT, also known as “Sun Bucks,” which provides food assistance to children when school is out.
“This makes that food assistance dependent on a decision made in Washington, D.C. that is just arbitrary and not really dependent on the needs of Iowans and Iowa children,” Chickering said.
The program is expected to help around 220,000 children in Iowa during the summer months. Advocates worry leaving it up to federal approval of the waiver could jeopardize that support if policies change. They also point out that SNAP plays a major role in addressing hunger compared to other resources.
“We know that for every one meal provided by an emergency feeding organization, SNAP provides nine,” Chickering said.
Advocates say they support improving nutrition but argue there are more effective, evidence based ways to do that without limiting food choices.
For now, organizations across Iowa are working to help families understand the new rules, while also pushing lawmakers to reconsider how the policy could impact food access moving forward.
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