State News
-
An open letter from Iowa journalists covering a school shooting
A single gunman opened fire in the cafeteria of Perry High School in Iowa, on Thursday, Jan. 4, killing one sixth-grader and wounding seven others before taking his own life. The Iowa Starting Line staff covered this tragedy and here are our reflections on what that experience was like and how it has affected them. Ty…
-
Iowa Senate Dems leader concerned about further privatization of public education
Iowa Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum (D-Dubuque) fears Iowa Republicans are ramping up efforts to privatize education in a state that was once said to have the best public schools in the country. “I honestly hope I’m wrong, but this is how I see this playing out,” she said. The 2024 legislative session began Monday…
-
Kim Reynolds wants to bump teacher pay, but is there a catch?
Gov. Kim Reynolds formally announced her intention to increase teacher pay in Iowa during her 2024 Condition of the State address on Tuesday, which Democrats and education officials lauded but said was long overdue. “We want younger Iowans to see the teaching profession as something to aspire to,” Reynolds said. “It’s one of the highest…
-
No more Kum & Go? New owner Maverik of Utah retiring famous brand
Will Kum & Go have come and gone by next year? One new report claims that’s the plan by the store’s new owners. The Iowa-based convenience store chain Kum & Go—a brand occasionally mocked outside of the Midwest for its mildly salacious name—was bought by Utah-based Maverik last year. Maverik said in August it would…
-
Report: Perry shooter made racist post before killing
The Perry High School shooter made a racist social media comment minutes before opening fire on students and staff at the rural Iowa school.
-
Trump tells Iowa crowd US Civil War could have been negotiated
Donald Trump told a jam-packed crowd he thinks the US Civil War could have been solved through negotiation and that without it we wouldn’t know who Abraham Lincoln was. Trump made the remarks Saturday—on the third anniversary of the attack on the US Capitol by his supporters—during a rally at the DMAAC Newton Campus about…
-
West Des Moines teen arrested after making school shooting post
An 18-year-old West Des Moines resident was arrested after sharing a Snapchat post about shooting up a school the same day as a nearby school shooting in Perry. According to the criminal complaint, Lakeeve Fort made a post asking “Should I shoot up the school??” with a thumbs up and a thumbs down emoji. The…
-
Perry principal stable after being shot while protecting students
Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger’s daughter said he tried to talk Dylan Butler down before the 17-year-old gunman shot the longtime administrator and five others at the school on Thursday. Claire Marburger shared this tidbit in a public Facebook post to let everyone know her father was in stable condition. “As I heard of…
-
Perry students share thoughts on school shooting during vigil
Some students were there for band practice, others for a breakfast program, and some never got into the building before shots rang out at Perry High School around 7:30 a.m. on Thursday. At a vigil held Thursday evening, following a morning school shooting that ended with two dead and five injured, students who were there—or…
-
Casey’s staff shelters students fleeing Perry school shooting
A Casey’s General Store in Perry became a place of refuge for several students Thursday morning after a gunman opened fire at nearby Perry High School. Store Manager Jocelyn Kirchner said she received a call at 7:30 a.m. about what was transpiring at the high school. Several students had fled from the facility and went…
