Aug. 20, 2026, Des Moines Daily Umbrella Podcast

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.Good morning, and welcome to The Daily Umbrella podcast for Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. Here are some of the stories and information making news around Iowa and beyond. …We’ll start with a troubling trend in Iowa high school athletics. Eight Iowa high schools have canceled their varsity football seasons this fall because of safety concerns and low participation numbers. According to the Iowa High School Athletic Association, the schools include Davis County in Class 2A; Central Decatur and New London in Class A; and Exira-EHK, Lone Tree, Mormon Trail, Rockford and Siouxland Christian in the eight-player division. For many Iowa communities, high school football is about more than Friday night games. It’s a tradition, a gathering place and a source of community pride. But schools are increasingly having to balance that tradition with concerns about having enough players to safely field a team. …In Des Moines, a car crashed into a senior living complex Wednesday afternoon. According to WHO-TV, a Chevrolet Impala drove into a community room at Southridge Senior Residences along the 1200 block of Cummins Road at about 4:30 p.m. Des Moines Fire Chief Jonathan Lund said the vehicle struck a load-bearing column, causing part of the complex to become unsafe. The incident remains under investigation. …In Stuart, a woman killed in a shooting is being remembered for her kindness. According to WOI, Austin Reed is facing first-degree murder charges in the death of Toni Elena-Ann Salazar. Reed also faces an attempted murder charge in connection with the shooting of Iowa State Patrol Trooper Chase Carruthers, who was injured. For people in Stuart, the shooting has had a very personal impact. …If you’re filling up your vehicle this morning, you’ve probably noticed that gas prices are moving in the wrong direction. According to AAA, the average price for regular unleaded gasoline in Iowa is now $4.13 a gallon. That’s a 34-cent increase from last week and $1.24 higher than a year ago. The national average Wednesday was $4.09 a gallon, up 5 cents from the previous week. Diesel prices also increased in Iowa, rising 20 cents this week to an average of $5.25 a gallon. For comparison, Iowa diesel averaged $3.52 a gallon one year ago. If you’re looking for the cheapest gas in the Des Moines metro, the Daily Umbrella reports that Mega Saver in Johnston, at 6130 N.W. 86th Street, was listed at $3.78 a gallon. Mega Saver in Ankeny was at $3.85, while the Mega Saver in Urbandale was at $3.86. So, yes, that $3.78 price is looking pretty good right now. …It should be a fairly pleasant Thursday across central Iowa. Today’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies, with a high around 83 degrees and a low tonight near 67. There’s a 20% chance of rain. Friday looks similar, with a high of 85 and a 20% chance of rain. And Saturday should be mostly sunny, with a high around 83 and no rain in the forecast. …Yesterday’s riddle asked: Where can you find an ocean with no water? The answer: On a map! Congratulations to Gail Tomlinson and Judy Anderson, who submitted that answer. And now for today’s question: Why are some fish at the bottom of the ocean? Think you know the answer? Send your guess to [email protected] before noon today for a chance to be featured in the next edition. And be sure to subscribe to our full email version of The Daily Umbrella for free at www.TheDailyUmbrella.com. … And that’s your Daily Umbrella for Thursday, Aug. 20. Thanks for listening, and have a great Thursday.