Iowa Pulse Podcast

In this episode of the Iowa Pulse Podcast, we break down the Madison County 2024 audit report and the major issues flagged by state auditors. The report points to significant financial and administrative problems, including the felony arrest of the county treasurer, undeposited funds, missing bank reconciliations, unreliable records, and 26 findings of concern. Ten of those findings were repeated...

The high-profile US 212 Beef battle in Renville County, Minnesota (Case 65-CV-24-14) just escalated again. In the latest court filings, Iowa investors and minority shareholders—including Brian Lillie and families like the VanEsses, Roordas, Beskaus, and others—fire back with a detailed opposition to the defendants’ post-trial Motion for Amended Findings, calling it an improper attempt to relitigat...

In this episode of On the Record: Iowa , we break down a significant ruling from the Iowa Supreme Court in the case State v. Hidlebaugh . The case centers on a plea agreement that tied a probation recommendation to the defendant’s ability to secure financing for a home before sentencing. When the defendant was unable to obtain a mortgage despite reportedly making good-faith efforts, the district c...

A Clarinda man has been sentenced to up to 12 years in prison following a sexual abuse conviction in Southwest Iowa. In this episode of the Iowa Pulse Podcast, we break down the charges, the plea agreement, and the consecutive prison terms ordered by the Page County District Court. The sentence includes a lifetime sex offender registration requirement. We also discuss the agencies involved in the...

In this episode of On the Record: Iowa, we take a statewide look at several recent public safety and community developments. We cover the resignation of a teacher in Story City following findings of inappropriate communication with students, and an arrest in Manchester connected to an online predator sting operation. As always, charges are allegations, and those involved are presumed innocent unle...

A Minnesota District Court has entered judgment in the civil case involving US 212 beef operations and investors connected to Northwest Iowa. In this episode, we break down what the February 7 Order for Judgment and the February 9 entry of judgment mean, what the court documents actually say, which claims resulted in judgment for each side, and what is — and is not — included in the filed notice....

This week’s Iowa Pulse Sunday Briefing covers several major developments across the state. We start with a sentencing in Council Bluffs tied to an indecent contact with a child case, followed by an arrest of a Fairfield teacher after a sexual abuse investigation involving a student. We also walk through a full timeline explaining what led to the Atlantic High School student walkout and ongoing con...

Students at Atlantic High School staged a walkout in early February 2026, saying the district failed to adequately address safety concerns tied to an ongoing investigation involving a staff member. The employee, identified in school board records as a high school counselor, was placed on administrative leave after a parent report in mid-January. While state child welfare officials found specific a...

In this high-stakes episode of Iowa Pulse , we go on the record and in the know regarding a volatile special school board meeting in Atlantic, Iowa, that has rocked the community. The episode unpacks a raw, 40-minute audio recording from February 4, 2026, where the Atlantic Community School District Board of Directors made the stunning legal move to refuse the resignation of high school counselor...

Minority shareholders have filed a civil lawsuit alleging they were systematically pushed out of millions through what they describe as a coordinated scheme involving mismanagement, self-dealing, and sham capital calls. According to court filings, the plaintiffs claim controlling directors and majority owners of US 212 Beef and related entities diverted company assets, diluted minority ownership,...

In this episode, we walk through the federal court records behind one of the largest financial fraud cases recently filed in Iowa. Prosecutors allege Curtis Weston played a central role in a scheme that moved nearly $22 million through fraudulent bank loans and complex financial accounts. We break down what’s actually in the indictment, what those 70 federal charges mean, and why a judge allowed W...

In this debut deep dive, Iowa Pulse goes behind the yellow tape to examine three cases currently shaping public safety in the Hawkeye State. We unpack the "on the record" details of law enforcement actions across three distinct Iowa communities: Ames: A disturbing look at high-tech invasion of privacy and the arrest of a local man for allegedly stealing explicit digital files from his ow...