2026/01/14

Eye Opener: Reynolds' last Condition of the State; ISU basketball team takes first loss

It's Wednesday, January 14. Gov. Kim Reynolds delivered her final Condition of the State last night. More on that below ⬇️

Today's emoji forecast: 💨🥶 We're seeing a return of winter temperatures today. Jon Rivas has your forecast.

What people are talking about:

Fairfield Police Chief David Thomas died unexpectedly this week. He was 55.
The Des Moines International Airport broke a record for passengers in 2025, crossing the 3 million mark for the third year in a row.
The Iowa State men's basketball team took its first loss last night, falling 84-63 at Kansas.

TOP STORY: Reynolds delivers final Condition of the State

THE 101: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who announced she will not run for reelection this year, gave her final Condition of the State address last night.

WHY IT MATTERS: Property taxes and cancer care took center stage in Reynolds' speech.

"Property taxes are rising faster than inflation, faster than paychecks, and faster than population growth," Reynolds said. "In fact, over the last two years they've gone up more than 10% and that's not acceptable."

Lawmakers from both parties say the system is confusing, unpredictable and increasingly expensive. This year, there is pressure to act after multiple attempts at reform stalled in past sessions.

Under Reynolds' proposal, local governments would be limited to raising revenue by no more than 2% a year. Property tax assessments would happen every three years instead of every two. The governor is also proposing a property tax freeze for homeowners age 65 and older whose homes are worth less than $350,000.

"No one should be taxed out of their own front door," Reynolds said.

MAIN TAKEAWAYS:

Health care was also a major focus of Reynolds' address. Iowa faces one of the highest cancer rates in the country.
Reynolds announced that Iowa will allocate $50 million in federal funding this year toward cancer screening, early detection and rural treatment, with additional funding expected over the next four years.
The speech also touched on proposals related to public safety, protecting family farms, expanding charter school opportunities and improving services for veterans.

4 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

🚨 Deadly eastern Iowa shooting: An Iowa City man has been identified as the victim of a deadly shooting in Tiffin. Read more

🎓 New Grandstand acts announced: A country star and a rising Christian music artist are both coming to the 2026 Iowa State Fair. Read more

💰 What's the holdup? Nearly a year after voters in an Iowa county approved an EMS levy to generate over $1.5 million per year, the funds have yet to be disbursed. Read more

⚖️ D for drama: We're learning more about the agreement between Drake and DMACC to end a long court battle over similar branding designs. Read more

WINTER WEATHER RETURNS

The cold front has passed over and we are now feeling like the teens for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon. Air temperatures will stay in the 20s, but the strong north wind around 15 to 25 mph will stay in place all day. The strongest winds are expected in the morning with gusts up to 40 mph, but they will gradually weaken deeper into the day under clear skies.

We will have a slightly more mild day Thursday, but clouds will be moving back in bringing a chance for some snowflakes. The earliest will be Thursday afternoon with the best chance for the evening and overnight. The snow chance will last off and on through Friday as well, but the winds will pick up which can cause some patchy blowing snow as it falls. Overall, accumulations are still trending low with most of the state staying under 1 inch over the 2-day span. However, we still could see some slick spots during this timeframe.

Saturday will reinforce the cold with another arctic push. Morning temperatures will dip into the single digits and highs will only be in the teens. Strong winds will carry over into the weekend which will make it feel subzero for most if not all of Saturday. We are monitoring a snow chance for Sunday as well, but the precipitation signals are weak at the moment. Temperatures seem to stay below average into next week as well.

DAY BY DAY:

Today: Windy. Chance of a brief snow shower in the morning, then sunnier skies by afternoon. High 27F. Winds N at 20 to 25 mph. Gusts up to 35 mph.
Thursday: Becoming mostly cloudy. Light snow possible in the afternoon and evening. High 36F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.
Friday: Mostly cloudy and windy. Chance of snow showers. High 35F. Winds NW around 20 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy and breezy. High 15F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph.
Sunday: Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 24F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.