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Americans mark the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with emotional ceremonies

NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly a quarter century has passed since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but for many, the emotions of the day remain raw as ever.

On Thursday, America marked the 24th anniversary of the deadly attacks with solemn ceremonies in New York, at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The commemorations were punctuated by moments of silence, the tolling of bells and the reading of the names of the nearly 3,000 killed.

“Even 24 years later, it’s heart-wrenching,” said Jennifer Nilsen, who wore a T-shirt emblazoned with an image of her husband, Troy Nilsen, as she attended the commemoration at ground zero in lower Manhattan. “It feels the same way every year.”

Michelle Pizzo, wearing a shirt with the image of her late husband, Jason DeFazio, said she hoped more people could take a minute to reflect on the day.

“Younger kids don’t realize that you have to remember,” she said.

Emma Williamson, 20, of Massachusetts, made a point to travel from her college uptown to stand near ground zero, where two memorial pools ringed by waterfalls and parapets inscribed with the names of the dead mark the spots where the twin towers once stood.

“I wasn’t born when it happened, but it was really an important day in America,” she said. “It’s kind of the last time we all stuck together, and that matters.”

The reading of names and moments of silence

The 9/11 anniversary, often promoted as a day of national unity, came during a time of increased politician tension.

The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah college a day earlier prompted additional security measures at ground zero, where FBI Director Kash Patel was among the dignitaries in attendance.

Vice President JD Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, had planned to attend but instead flew to Salt Lake City to visit with Kirk’s family. Kirk’s casket was then taken to his home state of Arizona aboard Air Force Two.

Many in the crowd at ground zero held up photos of lost loved ones as a moment of silence marked the exact time when the first hijacked plane struck the iconic twin towers.

Loved ones then read aloud the names of the victims, with many giving personal remembrances, well wishes and updates on their lives.

Zoe Doyle, daughter of Frank Joseph Doyle, said her family created a nonprofit in his honor that’s built schools in South Africa and is feeding and educating thousands of children.

Manuel DaMota Jr. said he remembers his father and namesake, Manuel DaMota, not just with grief, but with gratitude for the example he set.

“In a world filled with division and conflict, I do my best to honor my father by choosing connection, empathy and hope,” he said.

Melissa Pullis, whose husband Edward Pullis died in the towers, said this year is more difficult than others because two of the couple’s three children are getting married.

“You can’t walk your princess down the aisle,” she said through tears. “You are missed every day. We will always say your name, and we will always fight for justice.”

Ceremonies in Virginia and Pennsylvania honor victims

At the Pentagon in Virginia, the 184 service members and civilians killed when hijackers steered a jetliner into the headquarters of the U.S. military were honored in a ceremony attended by President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.

The president, in his remarks, recounted moments from that day, including snippets of conversations from passengers who were aboard the hijacked airplanes.

“Today, as one nation, we renew our sacred vow that we will never forget Sept. 11, 2001,” Trump said during the observance, which took place in an internal courtyard of the building rather than its traditional location outside its walls near the building’s 9/11 memorial.

“The enemy will always fail,” he added. “We defy the fear, endure the flames.”

The president, who attended a New York Yankees game in the Bronx on Thursday evening, also announced Kirk would be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him a “giant of his generation” and a “champion of liberty.”

And in a rural field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, a ceremony attended by Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins honored the victims of Flight 93, the hijacked plane that crashed after crew members and passengers tried to storm the cockpit.

Elsewhere, people marked the anniversary with service projects and charitable works as part of a national day of service. Volunteers took part in food and clothing drives, park and neighborhood cleanups, blood banks and other community events.

Reverberations from attacks persist

In all, the attacks by al-Qaida militants killed 2,977 people, including many financial workers at the World Trade Center and firefighters and police officers who had rushed to the burning buildings trying to save lives.

The attacks reverberated globally, altering the course of U.S. foreign and domestic policy. It led to the “ Global War on Terrorism ” and the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and related conflicts that killed hundreds of thousands of civilians and troops.

The U.S. government has also spent billions of dollars providing health care and compensation to tens of thousands of people who were exposed to the toxic dust that billowed over parts of Manhattan when the twin towers collapsed.

While the hijackers died in the attacks, federal officials have struggled to conclude the long-running legal case against the man accused of masterminding the plot, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The former al-Qaida leader was arrested in 2003, but has never received a trial.

The Trump administration has also acknowledged its considering ways to take control of the ground zero memorial plaza and its underground museum, which are run by a public charity.

Iowa traffic deaths remain well below average

By Dar Danielson (Radio Iowa)

Traffic deaths on Iowa roadways are down 32 compared to this day last year.

DOT director Scott Marler told the Transportation Commission during their meeting this week they are happy to continue to see the drop in traffic deaths. “We’re on a good trajectory, but I think you know us at the Department well enough to know we’re never satisfied with that,” he says.

There have been 191 traffic deaths so far this year. )”One fatality is one too many and until we get to zero, we’re not going to stop, we’re going to continue to push and do the things that are so vital to keeping Iowans safe,” Marler says.

Marler says he recently attended the Mid America Association of State Transportation officials conference where they signed a joint resolution to deploy safety technology across our region. He says the focus will be on work zones, commercial motor vehicles and traffic management. “Things like long-wait detection systems, and notifications. Technologies like these hold a lot of promise, a lot of potential to really help us go further with safety, and to save lives, quite literally save lives,” he says. “So we’re excited that as a as a region in the Midwest, we could join together in signing this safety technology resolution.”

The state is 43 fatalities behind the average number of traffic deaths for this date from 2020 through 2024.

Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sept. 20 at Bridge View Center in Ottumwa

OTTUMWA — The Alzheimer’s Association is inviting South Central Iowa residents to join the fight to end Alzheimer’s by participating in the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday, Sept. 20 at the Bridge View Center in Ottumwa.

On Walk day, participants honor those affected by Alzheimer’s with a meaningful Promise Garden Ceremony that signifies our solidarity in the fight against the disease. The colors of the Promise Garden flowers – purple, yellow, blue and orange – represent the different reasons why people walk to end this disease.

There is no fee to register for Walk, however, all participants are encouraged to raise critical funds that allow the Alzheimer’s Association to provide 24/7 care and support and advance research toward methods of prevention, treatment and, ultimately, a cure. This year, the goal is to raise $39,000, and currently, over $17,000 has been raised through sponsorship and participant fundraising.

More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – a leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, nearly 12 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In Iowa, there are more than 62,000 people living with the disease and 80,000 caregivers.

To register and receive the latest updates on this year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, visit alz.org/walk.

Central’s 48-Hour Challenge Exceeds Previous Record

PELLA — Central College’s community of alumni, parents and friends rallied to set a new fundraising record during its annual 48-Hour Challenge, raising $181,723 to support the Journey Scholarship Fund. The final tally topped the previous record for the two-day drive, which kicks off the academic year with a surge of philanthropic support.

The energy of the campaign was fueled by a spirited competition between graduating classes to see which could attract the most donors — the Class of 1973 won. A special appeal to first-time givers helped secure a total of 260 donors supporting student scholarships, including a significant number of new contributors to the college.

“Our Central community passionately rallies behind the mission to make a Central education affordable, and they demonstrate that commitment with their incredible generosity,” says Sunny Gonzales Eighmy ’99, vice president for advancement. “We are so grateful to every person and business who stepped forward to show our students how much we believe in them and their future.”

The funds raised directly support the Journey Scholarship, which provides a $1,000 scholarship to every student at Central. The 48-Hour Challenge is a key part of the college’s annual goal to raise $1.7 million for the fund.

Oskaloosa Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

DES MOINES, Iowa – An Oskaloosa man was sentenced on September 10, 2025, to 18 years in federal prison for the sexual exploitation of a child.

According to public court documents, Matthew Scott Beal, 42, produced child pornography of a minor child. Beal also used the internet to distribute four videos of child pornography to an undercover law enforcement account operated by the Homeland Security’s Newark Child Exploitation Task Force. Later, law enforcement seized Beal’s phone during a search of his home in Oskaloosa. Beal’s phone contained over 100 images and videos of child pornography, including prepubescent children engaged in sex acts with adults.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Beal will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Beal was also ordered to pay $15,938.50 in restitution to multiple victims.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Homeland Security Investigations Newark Child Exploitation Group, the Oskaloosa Police Department, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk assassinated at Utah university

OREM, Utah (AP) — Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump who played an influential role in rallying young Republican voters, was shot and killed Wednesday at a Utah college event in what the governor called a political assassination carried out from a rooftop.

“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. “I want to be very clear this is a political assassination.”

No suspect was in custody late Wednesday, though authorities were searching for a new person of interest, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss the situation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Two people were detained earlier in the day but neither was determined to have had any connection to the shooting and both have been released, Utah public safety officials said.

Authorities did not immediately identify a motive but the circumstances of the shooting drew renewed attention to an escalating threat of political violence in the United States that in the last several years has cut across the ideological spectrum. The assassination drew bipartisan condemnation, but a national reckoning over ways to prevent political grievances from manifesting as deadly violence seemed elusive.

Videos posted to social media from Utah Valley University show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong.” A single shot rings out and Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as a large volume of blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators are heard gasping and screaming before people start to run away. The Associated Press was able to confirm the videos were taken at Sorensen Center courtyard on the Utah Valley University campus.

Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by his nonprofit political organization. Immediately before the shooting, Kirk was taking questions from an audience member about mass shootings and gun violence.

“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” the person asked. Kirk responded, “Too many.”

The questioner followed up: “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”

“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk asked.

Then a single shot rang out. The shooter, who Cox pledged would be held accountable in a state with the death penalty, wore dark clothing and fired from a building roof some distance away to the courtyard where the event took place.

Some 3,000 people were in attendance, according to a statement from the Utah Department of Public Safety, which also said the university police department had six officers working the event along with Kirk’s own security detail.

The death was announced on social media by Trump, who praised the 31-year-old Kirk, the co-founder and CEO of the youth organization Turning Point USA, as “Great, and even Legendary.” Later Wednesday, he released a recorded video from the White House in which he called Kirk a “martyr for truth and freedom” and blamed the rhetoric of the “radical left” for the killing.

Utah Valley University said the campus was immediately evacuated and remained closed. Classes were canceled until further notice. Those still on campus were asked to stay in place until police officers could safely escort them off campus. Armed officers walked around the neighborhood bordering the campus, knocking on doors and asking for information on the shooter.

Officers were seen looking at a photo on their phones and showing it to people to see if they recognized a person of interest.

The event, billed as the first stop on Kirk’s “The American Comeback Tour,” had generated a polarizing campus reaction. An online petition calling for university administrators to bar Kirk from appearing received nearly 1,000 signatures. The university issued a statement last week citing First Amendment rights and affirming its “commitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry, and constructive dialogue.”

Last week, Kirk posted on X images of news clips showing his visit was sparking controversy. He wrote, “What’s going on in Utah?”

The shooting drew swift condemnation across the political aisle as Democratic officials joined Trump, who ordered flags lowered to half-staff and issued a presidential proclamation, and Republican allies of Kirk in decrying the violence.

“The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible,” Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who last March hosted Kirk on his podcast, posted on X.

“The murder of Charlie Kirk breaks my heart. My deepest sympathies are with his wife, two young children, and friends,” said Gabrielle Giffords, the former Democratic congresswoman who was wounded in a 2011 shooting in her Arizona district.

The shooting appeared poised to become part of a spike of political violence that has touched a range of ideologies and representatives of both major parties. The attacks include the assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband at their house in June, the firebombing of a Colorado parade to demand Hamas release hostages, and a fire set at the house of Pennsylvania’s governor, who is Jewish, in April. The most notorious of these events is the shooting of Trump during a campaign rally last year.

Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, a Republican who was at Wednesday’s event, said in an interview on Fox News Channel that he heard one shot and saw Kirk go back.

“It seemed like it was a close shot,” Chaffetz said, who seemed shaken as he spoke.

He said there was a light police presence at the event and Kirk had some security but not enough.

“Utah is one of the safest places on the planet,” he said. “And so we just don’t have these types of things.”

Turning Point was founded in suburban Chicago in 2012 by Kirk, then 18, and William Montgomery, a tea party activist, to proselytize on college campuses for low taxes and limited government. It was not an immediate success.

But Kirk’s zeal for confronting liberals in academia eventually won over an influential set of conservative financiers.

Despite early misgivings, Turning Point enthusiastically backed Trump after he clinched the GOP nomination in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, during the general election campaign.

Soon, Kirk was a regular presence on cable TV, where he leaned into the culture wars and heaped praise on the then-president. Trump and his son were equally effusive and often spoke at Turning Point conferences.

Weekly Fuel Report

DES MOINES — The price of regular unleaded gasoline rose 10 cents from last week’s price and is currently averaging $2.94 across Iowa according to AAA.

Crude Oil Summary

  • The price of global crude oil remained unchanged this week on the West Texas Intermediate (WTI), and is currently priced at $64.03.
  • Brent crude oil rose by 10 cents and is currently priced at $67.74.
  • One year ago, WTI crude sold for $66.73 and Brent crude was $70.34.

Motor Fuels

  • As of Wednesday, the price of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $2.94 across Iowa according to AAA.
    • Prices rose 10 cents from last week’s price and are down 13 cents from a year ago.
    • The national average on Wednesday was $3.19, unchanged from last week’s price.
  • Retail diesel prices in Iowa rose 3 cents this week with a statewide average of $3.54.
    • One year ago, diesel prices averaged $3.40 in Iowa.
    • The current Iowa diesel price is 17 cents lower than the national average of $3.71.
  • The current Des Moines Terminal/Rack Prices are $2.05 for U87-E10, $2.33 for Unleaded 87 (clear), $2.43 for ULSD#2, $2.76 for ULSD#1, and $2.10 per gallon for E-70 prices.

Heating Fuels

  • Natural gas prices were down 3 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $3.04 MMbtu.
  • We will continue reporting retail heating oil and propane prices in Iowa in October.

Tips for saving energy on the road or at home are available at energy.gov and fueleconomy.gov.

10-year-old Injured in Pedestrian Accident in Eddyville

EDDYVILLE – An accident involving a pedestrian youth in Eddyville yesterday afternoon resulted in minor injuries.

The Wapello County Sheriff’s Office reported that at approximately 2:20pm, deputies along with members of the Iowa State Patrol responded to the accident, which took place at the intersection of N Merino Ave and Elm St in Eddyville. 

The pedestrian involved was a 10-year-old female, who was crossing the road at the time. 58-year-old Mark Dalbey of Blakesburg was traveling southbound on N Merino in a Chevrolet Silverado when the juvenile entered the roadway and ran into the passenger side cargo area of the truck. The juvenile was transported to Mahaska Health with apparent non-life threatening injuries.

The accident is currently under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol. Law enforcement was assisted by Eddyville Fire Department, Mahaska County EMA, ORMICS, Mahaska County Health Ambulance, and staff from the Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Community School District.

Oskaloosa Becomes a Hub for Student Council Leadership Training

OSKALOOSA, Iowa — More than 90 student leaders from 10 southeast Iowa schools met at Oskaloosa High School on Wednesday for the Southeast District Officer Boot Camp, a training day focused on helping executive board officers lead their councils.

“We are training the trainers,” said OHS teacher Kim Gile, who serves as executive director of the Iowa Student Councils Association. “Executive board officers will take what they learn back to their councils and implement it with their own teams.”

Oskaloosa hosted this year in part because OHS senior Gabby Stropes serves as the district’s senior officer and student council president. “It’s cool that we get to host,” Stropes said. “We have a great space, it’s central for everyone, and we get to work alongside Mrs. Gile every day.”

Turnout pushed the team to expand the setup early in the morning. “We had to nearly triple our tables and chairs to fit everyone,” Stropes said. “There are more than 90 people here today.”

Gile noted Oskaloosa’s continued involvement at the state level. OHS students Kim Terpstra and Jonah DeVore serve as state officers, and the council recently selected a student to apply for the next state officer cohort. The district’s junior officer, Sophia Coraccio of Centerville, also took part in the training.

Throughout the day, students rotated through sessions on leading meetings, planning projects and building teams. “These kids are awesome,” Gile said. “They’re learning, they’re motivated, and they’re making connections that will strengthen student leadership across our region.”

Oskaloosa CSD Investigating Social Media Post by Teacher

OSKALOOSA – The Oskaloosa Community School District says they are looking into a social media post made by a teacher yesterday.

The district announced in a public statement that they were notified of the post at 5:15pm yesterday evening. The post in question was made by Oskaloosa art teacher Matt Kargol, who allegedly shared a post with the text, “1 Nazi down” following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah.

“Our team has been working on this throughout the evening and taking steps consistent with district policy. We recognize our community’s concerns, and we have an investigation in process,” the district’s statement continued.

The Oskaloosa School District added that they would share more information when it becomes available.

UPDATE: Oskaloosa Schools confirms that Oskaloosa High School teacher Matthew Kargol is on administrative leave pending an investigation into a social media post.

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