Iowa news stories on Newser

A Zebra, Macaw, Iowa Guy Walk Into a Bar ...

Mary Papenfuss — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:24:36 CDT

An Iowa animal lover says he was just enjoying the wild life with his pets. But police say he was drunk and shouldn't have been tooling around with his zebra and a macaw. Jerald Reiter, 55, walked into a Dubuque bar to refuel with his unusual buddies, but the animals...

Obama Has a Gay-Marriage Headache in 7 States

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 10 May 2012 08:37:43 CDT

President Obama’s official embrace of gay marriage will certainly energize some of his supporters, but it’s also sure to give him grief in these seven states, as rounded up by Politico : North Carolina : As evidenced by the recently-passed constitutional amendment banning it, gay marriage is not very popular with voters...

Iowa Motorcyclist Convicted in 188MPH Chase

Dustin Lushing — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:29:25 CST

An Iowa man fleeing the cops on his motorcycle reached an astounding 188 mph on a public highway. James Foldenauer was convicted this week of eluding a peace officer for the breakneck chase in 2009, reports the Des Moines Register . Troopers say the speed is almost surely a state record,...

Iowa GOP Chair Steps Down

Kevin Spak — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:58:29 CST

Iowa GOP chairman Matt Strawn will step down this week, he announced in a YouTube video today, citing "competing priorities" in his personal, business, and political lives. What he didn't mention was the intense criticism he's been under from Rick Santorum supporters, who accuse him of intentionally refusing to acknowledge...

Shady Lawyer Gives Up $7.5M Lotto Jackpot

Kevin Spak — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:11:06 CST

A New York lawyer with a checkered past has relinquished his claim on a $7.5 million Iowa lottery jackpot, after being unable to explain how he got the ticket. It was the latest twist in what Iowa Lottery officials call the strangest episode in the game's 26-year history. The...

Final Caucus Update: Santorum Wins, Iowa Loses

John Johnson — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:43:47 CST

Just hours before the polls open in South Carolina, we have what will presumably be the final update of results from Iowa: The state's Republican party last night declared that Rick Santorum was the winner, no ifs, ands, or buts about it, reports CNN . GOP leaders had said Thursday that...

Iowa Ballot Counter: Santorum Won

Rob Quinn — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:27:00 CST

Mitt Romney's 8-vote victory in Iowa was the result of a typo, according to an Iowa man who helped count the votes. Edward True, a Ron Paul supporter, says there were just 2 votes for Romney at his 53-person caucus, but the Iowa Republican Party's website says there were 22....

Lean Campaign, Fat Results for Santorum

Mary Papenfuss — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:41:44 CST

Dollar for dollar, the big winner in the Iowa caucuses was Rick Santorum's bargain campaign. Though his advertising was "skeletal" and his staffing "lean," he stayed neck-and-neck with Mitt Romeny's lavishly funded race, notes the New York Times , and only just slipped to second place by 8 votes. The former...

Viral Video Says: Diss Iowa at Your Own Peril

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:49:05 CST

Thinking about dissing Iowa as a state with a bunch of hillbillies whose opinions don't really matter? Think again. A new, pleasantly aggressive video created by Iowans Scott Siepker and Paul Benedict reminds us that Iowa was among the first states to legalize gay marriage, boasted the first female lawyer...