2026/02/16

Eye Opener: Northern Iowa freshman football player dies

It's Monday, February 16.

Today's emoji forecast: ☀️ Enjoy the warm weather while you can because, well, it's February in Iowa so you know it's going to cool down again. Jon Rivas has your forecast.

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TOP STORY: UNI freshman football player dies

THE 101: A freshman football player at the University of Northern Iowa died on Saturday morning. The school posted a news release about death, saying, "University of Northern Iowa community is mourning the loss of Panther football student-athlete Parker Sutherland, who passed away on Saturday morning."

FROM THE COACH: "I'm heartbroken," UNI head coach Todd Stepsis said in the release. "No words can express my condolences to Adam, Jill and Georgia. Parker embodied everything we look for in a UNI Football Panther. His talent and potential excited us on a daily basis, but it failed to compare to the type of person and teammate he was. His character, humility, toughness and genuine love of others are what champions are made of. While I'm saddened that our time together was short, we will celebrate the bright light that he brought to our football team for the rest of our lives."

WHAT TO KNOW

Sutherland is an Iowa City native who competed in football, basketball and baseball at City High School.
He played in four games at tight end for the Panthers last fall.
Sutherland is survived by his parents Adam and Jill Sutherland and a sister, Georgia. UNI officials said the family has asked for time and space "while they process this unimaginable loss." No cause of death has been announced.
According to Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service, there will be a celebration of life service for Sutherland at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, at Little Hawk Arena in Iowa City.

4 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

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🏛️ Iowa politics: Monday kicked off the first funnel week of the 2026 Iowa legislative session. The major deadline funnels down the number of bills that state lawmakers can continue to work on. Read more

🚨 Des Moines shooting: Three people were injured in a shooting at a Valentine's Day party on E. Army Post Road over the weekend. Read more

🙏 "We were just the best of friends": The father of the Iowa Lakes student killed in a bus crash Wednesday is remembering his son as "the greatest person he's ever known." Read more

IOWA WEATHER

We are set for more great weather with sunshine and highs in the mid- and upper-60s — that record territory. This week will be volatile, though, with an eventual cooldown, so enjoy the warmth while we have it.

Tuesday will bring back the stronger winds with gusts around 30 to 40 mph. We will stay warm, but a system will pass over late Tuesday into early Wednesday that will bring a chance for rain and some out-of-season thunderstorms. These will roll on through with minimal severe threat with dry conditions expected for Wednesday as we stay warm and breezy.

Thursday will bring another system that will give additional rain chances through the day. As colder temperatures move in, we will see the rain switch to some wet snow chances overnight into Friday.

DAY BY DAY:

Today: Mostly sunny. Record warmth possible. High 68F. Winds SW around 10 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy skies. Low 44F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: Becoming partly cloudy and windy. Chance of showers Tuesday evening and night. High 69F. Winds S at 15 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph.
Tuesday night: Scattered showers, possibly a thunderstorm, especially for eastern Iowa. Low 46F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph.