Governor Kim Reynolds orders flags to half-staff for Ray Gaesser

Governor Kim Reynolds has ordered flags to half-staff in honor and remembrance of Ray Gaesser, an Iowa agriculture and conservation leader whose work reached well beyond the state. Gaesser, a former president of the Iowa and American Soybean Associations, also served as chair of the Iowa Conservative Energy Forum and the Iowa Department of Transportation Commission.

The order recognizes his leadership, his service to agriculture, and his long involvement with public and civic organizations. Gaesser died on September 5, 2026, after a farm accident.

Flags will be lowered from sunrise on Friday, September 18, 2026, through sunset on Sunday, September 20, 2026. The order applies to the State Capitol Building, flag displays in the Capitol Complex, and all public buildings, grounds, and facilities throughout Iowa.