Here First

The 2022 Primary Election results are in for Iowa. Retired Navy admiral Mike Franken has defeated former congresswoman Abby Finkenauer and western Iowa physician Glenn Hurst to win the Democratic senate primary. In Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, State Senator Zach Nunn of Bondurant has won the Republican nomination with about 66 percent of the vote.

Iowa’s Primary Election Day is Tuesday and polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Democrats will select a nominee to likely face U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley in the fall. UnityPoint Health says shortages stemming from COVID-19 shutdowns in China may delay diagnostic imaging scans for some patients. Plus, Lee County is studying the needs of children and families in the region and is finding out that the lack of child care is a big issue.

The Iowa National Guard has confirmed the gunman who killed two women outside an Ames church last week was a sergeant in the Guard and one of his victims had been in the Guard since 2019. Candidates running in Tuesday’s U.S. Senate primary elections are making their final pitch to voters. IPR’s Natalie Krebs reports how alcohol use has soared during the pandemic.

Three people are dead following a shooting outside a church in Ames Thursday evening. Elections officials say hand-deliver your absentee ballots to your county elections office, rather than mail it for Tuesday’s primary. And, the demand for food pantries is on the rise again.

The Board of Regents yesterday approved a 6% patient rate hike. An Iowa man who pleaded guilty to charging police in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021 will serve jail time. Plus, more than 100 Afghan refugees have moved to Sioux City to work at the Tyson meat processing plant across the border in Nebraska but the resources they needed to resettle in Iowa weren’t always quick to follow.

Republican U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley says he's hopeful to hear of efforts to reach compromise on gun control legislation, especially if it includes his bill. The Republican leader in the Iowa Senate says there is gaming fatigue in the state Capitol and that's why a temporary moratorium on new casino licenses was quickly passed last week before lawmakers adjourned the session. Plus, Iowa’s corn crop is nearly all planted.

Health experts are encouraging Iowans to make sure their children are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations before summer vacation starts. The Johnson County Auditor’s office is putting the call out for poll workers for the June 7th primary. Plus, IPR’s Grant Gerlock introduces us to the three Republicans who want to face Iowa’s only Democratic member of Congress.

As we head into the holiday weekend, Iowa boaters are being cautioned to watch for too much water on the Mississippi River, and too little in western Iowa. The IDOT is urging drivers to slow down and pay attention, and Des Moines hosts the state’s largest celebration of Asian heritage this weekend.

Forecasters anticipate drought will expand throughout Iowa this summer. Polk County health officials are urging residents to consider visiting their doctor or an urgent care facility instead of the emergency room. Plus, the national sport of Mexico has new representation in Iowa, but IPR’s Kassidy Arena reports that the team looks a little different than others.

Iowa’s 2022 legislative session ended shortly after midnight. Senate Democrats have refused to confirm Republican Governor Kim Reynolds’ appointees to the panel that helps select Iowa Supreme Court justices. Plus, In November, Polk County voters will choose a new county attorney for the first time in 30 years.