Democratic state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott said she’ll work to restore healthcare coverage for Iowans if elected to Congress. Trone Garriott is running in Iowa’s 3rd District against Republican incumbent Rep. Zach Nunn of Ankeny. 

Speaking at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox at the state fair Friday, Trone Garriott criticized Nunn for voting for Medicaid cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. She also blamed him for people losing Marketplace insurance due to expired enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits that Republicans failed to extend. 
                         
“That is terrible for our older Iowans, for our families, for our farmers,” she said. “That is making life harder for our neighbors and raising costs on everyone.”

Nunn broke with his party to support extending enhanced ACA premium tax credits earlier this year.

Trone Garriott also criticized Nunn for not holding public town halls. She told reporters after her speech that she would hold public town halls if elected. 

Nunn will speak at the fair on Monday at 2:15 p.m.

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek said he doesn’t want to play into partisan politics in Washington, D.C., and welcomes the chance to work with Republicans on legislation, if elected. 

Turek, a state representative from Council Bluffs, calls himself one of the most bipartisan members of the Iowa Legislature. He told state fairgoers at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox Friday that he’s used to working with Republicans because he’s from a red part of the state.  

“I don't care if it's a Republican idea or a Democratic idea; I will be out there, always,” he told the crowd. “What is best for the people? What's best for Iowans? What's best for our workers? And what is best for the middle class that is being hollowed out — that is my promise to each and every one of you.”

Turek faces Libertarian Thomas Laehn and Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson in the Nov. 3 election. Laehn is scheduled to speak at the Political Soapbox on Saturday and Hinson will speak on Monday. 

Zayrha Rodriguez

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NPR

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona who may run for president in 2028, said President Donald Trump and his Republican allies want “to intimidate their way to victory” in this November’s congressional elections.

“They understand how important these races are and they’re spending hundreds of millions of dollars right here, right now. They’re flooding the state with everything they have and they’re going to fight for the system that is working for them,” Kelly said. “That’s why we can’t give up and we can’t back down.”

Kelly was in Clear Lake Thursday, where he headlined the Iowa Democratic Wing Ding, a fundraiser for Democrats in six northern Iowa counties.

“I was a little bit disappointed when I found out ‘Wing Ding’ doesn’t have anything to do with airplanes,” said Kelly, who spent 15 years as a NASA astronaut after retiring from the U.S. Navy.

Last year, Kelly was one of five other Democrats in Congress who recorded a video urging military personnel to refuse illegal orders. The crowd at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake cheered when Kelly repeated that message.

“Donald Trump called for me to be hanged, executed, prosecuted. He couldn’t even get the order right,” Kelly said, to laughter and applause.

Kelly told the crowd that the president — who has called Kelly a traitor and said he should be tried for sedition — is trying to silence his critics.

Kelly was first elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2020, winning the seat that had been held by the late Arizona Sen. John McCain. Kelly was reelected in 2022 for a full six-year term.

Madeleine Charis King

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Iowa Public Radio

State Sen. Mike Bousselot, R-Ankeny, has dropped out of his legislative race and will not seek reelection. 

Bousselot was running for the District 23 seat in Polk County, which is currently held by retiring GOP state Sen. Jack Whitver. But Bousselot said he has a new position in the private sector that will not allow him to continue serving in the statehouse. 

A spokesperson for Senate Republicans said Wednesday is the deadline for the Iowa GOP to nominate a new candidate. Tony Thompson is the Democrat running for the seat. 

Republicans currently hold 33 seats in the state Senate. Democrats hold 17. 

Rachel Cramer

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Iowa Public Radio

Tyson Foods is scaling back its beef operations as the industry faces a historic cattle shortage. The company plans to close beef facilities in Illinois and Utah and is pursuing the sale of another plant in Washington.

The Illinois plant near Joslin is expected to close by Monday, affecting 2,700 employees in the Quad Cities area. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said the Quad Cities closure will significantly affect producers, employees and rural communities across the region.

Tyson plans to concentrate more of its beef business at plants in Dakota City, Nebraska, near Sioux City, as well as at facilities in Kansas and Texas. The changes come months after the company eliminated 3,200 jobs following the closure of its beef plant in Lexington, Nebraska, in January.

Rising costs, drought and international competition have pushed U.S. cattle numbers to levels not seen in about 75 years. Tyson estimates its beef segment will post an adjusted operating loss of between $500 million and $650 million in fiscal year 2026.

Courtesy of the Office of the Governor of Iowa

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Courtesy of the Office of the Governor of Iowa

Gov. Kim Reynolds has taken a different path as governor when it comes to the Iowa State Fair.

Former Govs. Terry Branstad, Tom Vilsack and Chet Culver made appearances at the Iowa State Fair while they were serving as governor, but after Reynolds took over as governor, she decided to spend each day at the 2017 Iowa State Fair.

“I get to be in blue jeans, cowboy boots and a bling belt for 11 days,” Reynolds said on the opening day of the 2026 fair. “Who doesn’t want to do that?”

Reynolds, who is not running for reelection, kicked off the ninth year of that 11-day ritual on Thursday with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

“I’m going to get emotional. It’s just bittersweet,” she said. “I’ve loved it. I’ve loved every part of it.”

Reynolds is again scheduled to flip pork chops, serve beef and hand out boiled eggs on a stick. On Saturday, she’ll show a steer in the 44th annual Governor’s Charity Steer Show.

“I kind of have to start lifting weights to hold the head up as long as I need to,” Reynolds joked.

During the opening ceremonies, Reynolds suggested she may volunteer to hand out water during next year’s Iowa State Fair to keep her attendance streak going.

“There’s simply nowhere, absolutely nowhere, that I’d rather be,” Reynolds told the crowd.

A teenage girl has been charged in the shooting death of a child in May in southeast Iowa.

First responders were called to a rural home in Jefferson County near Libertyville on May 24, after a caller to 911 said a girl had been shot in the head. Seven-year-old Jean Grey Irvin was rushed to a local hospital, then to Iowa City, where she was pronounced dead.

Investigators with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said it was initially thought that the gunshot may have been accidental or self-inflicted, but they now say it was intentional.

An unidentified girl, who was 14 at the time, was charged Thursday with second-degree murder as a juvenile, though the county attorney said a decision will be made shortly to determine if she should be tried in adult court.

Many programs that support unhoused people in Iowa are in financial limbo as they wait on litigation with federal grants.

The Trump administration is attempting to change what programs receive yearly federal funding under the Continuum of Care Program by shifting more of the dollars toward short-term programs, like shelters, instead of permanent housing programs.

Courtney Guntly, who oversees the distribution of the funding for 96 counties in Iowa, said some permanent housing programs may be terminated if the new restrictions are allowed.

“There's not currently any state programs to fund permanent housing projects, and while some local communities are helping to fund that, that is not something that is consistent across the state as a whole,” Guntly said.

Federal officials tried to pass the restrictions last year, but an appeals court blocked them. Guntly said the uncertainty is making it difficult for programs to plan for the long term.

Katarina Sostaric

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Iowa Public Radio

The Satanic Temple has filed a lawsuit against the state of Iowa, claiming the state has repeatedly violated its constitutional rights to freedom of religion and speech by denying them permission to host holiday events at the Iowa Capitol rotunda.

The lawsuit was filed in a federal court by the ACLU of Iowa. It’s seeking to block state officials from denying the group permission to participate, as well as an undetermined amount in damages.

Rita Bettis Austen, the legal director of the ACLU of Iowa, said it’s a foundational principle in the U.S. and Iowa that the government doesn’t favor one religious belief over another.

“That means when the state makes the public space in the Capitol rotunda available for these religious holiday events, for example, a Christmas event or a Hanukkah event, it cannot then deny that same right to other religious groups that it disfavors,” she said.

The Iowa Department of Administrative Services did not immediately respond to IPR’s request for comment.

Read more.

Dubuque County residents said water use is a top concern as the county works to regulate data centers. At a meeting Wednesday night, county supervisors discussed the topic with water regulators.

Michael Anderson, an engineer with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, estimates data centers in Iowa use over 2 billion gallons a year for cooling purposes.

“We're handling that OK. It may not be great, and you may not all agree with it. But right now, OK. But it's expected to more than double in the near future,” Anderson said. “New ones are planned in Van Meter and Cedar Rapids and Davenport, Warren, Council Bluffs, Camanche, Clinton and potentially here in Dubuque County.”

Supervisors passed a data center moratorium after a developer was considering a data center project in the area in May.

The county hopes to have a set of rules in place when the moratorium expires in 2027.

Gavin McGough

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Iowa Public Radio

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Ashley Hinson met with pharmacists from the state’s northeast on Wednesday.

At the meeting in Waterloo, pharmacists said their businesses operate on razor-thin margins, but they know consumers are struggling to afford medication.

Pharmacist David Scott said less than a third of the prescriptions he fills turn a profit.

“And I don't want to discriminate on my patient population based on their insurance, but I just find myself making way too many business decisions,” Scott said.

Grassley said pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) act as middlemen and are setting the price.

“And we should know what they’re doing. Not only to protect you as a consumer, but to save the taxpayers money,” Grassley said.

Hinson and Grassley said Congress should act to expose PBM practices.

“We, as legislators, are going to keep trying because it's about providing that relief to patients, and that's what we're both committed to in the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate is making sure that we're driving down those costs every single day,” Hinson said.

The Iowa Legislature has attempted to regulate PBMs on the state level. Those efforts are tied up in the courts.

Maura Curran

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Iowa Public Radio

The nonprofit Greater Des Moines Supportive Housing is converting two vacant hotels into supportive housing projects in the metro area.

After a five-year-long search for the sites, each one will offer permanent housing for those experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

The site in Urbandale will feature 104 studio apartments, while the one in West Des Moines will have 89.

The nonprofit’s CEO, Emily Osweiler, said these are supportive housing projects, which means each one will offer onsite support services.

“So things like case manager offices, adult classrooms, a media center, a big living room space like you would have in your home,” Osweiler said.

They will also provide counseling, life skills training and a food pantry with essential items.

Osweiler said having affordable units and support in one place addresses two sides of the homelessness system.

“We as a community are not doing enough prevention and diversion,” she said. “And … we don’t have enough affordable and supportive housing inventory.”

Osweiler said studies done in Polk County show gaps in homelessness prevention and recovery. She said the new sites will help people at risk of becoming homeless or those already experiencing it.

Renovations are expected to be complete by late 2027.

Read more.

State law now says local governments can’t add any local civil rights protections that exceed state ones, but Johnson County may still find a way to protect transgender people.

Johnson County Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz is proposing an amendment to the county’s civil rights ordinance to include a definition of sex stereotyping — when one person expects another person to conform to their idea of how someone of a certain sex would talk, speak or act.

Fixmer-Oraiz said that type of stereotyping would fall under sex discrimination in the Iowa Civil Rights Act, and therefore the amendment would fit into current state law.

“This was also discussed at the transgender advisory committee,” Fixmer-Oraiz said. “It’s something that they’re obviously anxious to see getting passed. And we’ll utilize this to go throughout the county and other city councils and use as a template.”

Iowa City already has a similar amendment in place.

The county’s amendment process takes several weeks.

Iowa Libertarians have new candidates for lieutenant governor and the 3rd District House race in November.

The State Objection Panel removed Jules Cutler and Marco Battaglia from the ballot in June over election paperwork. The Libertarian Party has nominated Charles Aldrich to replace Cutler as the party’s lieutenant governor candidate.

Jacob Heard will run for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District. Heard will replace Battaglia, who ended his run earlier this month after experiencing a medical emergency.

Iowa Libertarian Party Chair Stephanie Berlin said Heard is ready to step into the competitive congressional race.

“He is ready and happy to move forward with this nomination,” Berlin said. “He is currently — for those of you may not know Jake — he is a criminal defense attorney. He's absolutely wonderful, well spoken.”

The 3rd District includes the Des Moines area and parts of southern and central Iowa.

Read more.

This year marks a decade since Republican Gov. Terry Branstad privatized Iowa's Medicaid system. At the time, Branstad said private companies would make the system for low-income and disabled residents more efficient while saving the state money.

The managed care model, or privatization of Medicaid, started back in the late 1960s in California. It was a way to try to make state Medicaid spending more predictable by paying private companies a set amount of money per Medicaid recipient.

Most states currently use managed care organizations to manage at least some of their Medicaid population, according to the nonpartisan health policy think tank KFF. In Iowa, the managed care system has been plagued with turnover and controversy since its start.

Opponents — including Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand — say hiring for-profit companies to manage nearly all of Iowa’s Medicaid population has been a failure. Still, some worry major changes could cause too much disruption for patients and hospitals.

Read more.

Sen. Chuck Grassley is urging Congress to take action on the looming solvency crisis facing the Social Security program.

As Baby Boomers retire, there are fewer workers paying into the system. The Social Security Board of Trustees projects the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund will be exhausted in late 2032, leading to a 22% cut in Social Security benefits.

Grassley, who chaired a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the solvency problem on Aug. 5, said lawmakers had a chance to address the problem 20 years ago.

“George W. Bush was reelected on a campaign, and I was chairman of the Finance Committee and that's the last time the Finance Committee dealt with it,” Grassley said. “We were not successful.”

There’s division in Congress over whether to form a bipartisan commission that would give lawmakers options, including raising the payroll tax rate or raising the retirement age from 65 to 67. Groups that advocate for retirees say Congress should do the work itself to ensure the process is transparent.  

A trial is underway in Woodbury County for a former Sioux City man accused of killing a Native American woman more than 40 years ago.

Terri McCauley was 18 years old when she disappeared after a night out in 1983. In 2025, a grand jury indicted 63-year-old Thomas Popp on a first-degree murder charge.

Woodbury County Attorney James Loomis told jurors the gruesome details of how McCauley was found 43 years ago, when a man walking his dog in a wooded area discovered her body.

“A mother of two living in Sioux City, Terri McCauley was murdered,” he said. “She was shot in the face with a shotgun, a 20-gauge shotgun.”

Kendall Crawford

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Iowa Public Radio

Popp’s defense attorney John Loos said there’s no physical evidence, including DNA, linking his client to McCauley’s death.

“Not one piece of hair, not one fingerprint, not one piece of fiber from the clothing Terri McCauley was wearing, located in Mr. Popp’s vehicle,” Loos said.

Loomis said McCauley’s friends last saw her leave in a car matching the color of one owned by Popp and that he owned a similar gun to the one used to kill McCauley. He also said that back then, investigators didn’t have the tools they rely on today.

“As you can imagine, in 1983, police work was different. There were no body cameras worn by officers. No patrol car video. No cell phones to download. DNA testing was not even something that anybody thought about,” Loomis said.

The trial is expected to continue through next week. Prosecutors expect to call 15 witnesses, including McCauley’s best friend and a former investigator who said Popp should have been tried years ago.

Popp is also expected to testify. If convicted, he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole.

Major League Baseball returns to Iowa Thursday night after a four-year hiatus. The Philadelphia Phillies will play the Minnesota Twins at the Field of Dreams Movie Site outside Dyersville.

The MLB has played at the location twice, once in 2021 and again in 2022, but the games were held at temporary facilities. This year, a permanent stadium welcomes the teams. The new stadium is part of a $120 million, state-backed investment in the site, which is owned by a local nonprofit.

Dyersville Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Karla Thompson said the city of roughly 4,000 has been buzzing all week.

“People are definitely traveling early and experiencing the town,” she said. “They're taking in the sights of the community; they are going to local businesses and restaurants and attractions. So that is a great thing.”

The first pitch is scheduled to fly Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The game will air live on Netflix.

Sheila Brummer

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Iowa Public Radio

A city council meeting in northwest Iowa scheduled for Wednesday night has been postponed because of safety concerns.

The mayor of Salix said the decision was made after officials received death threats and terroristic threats on Facebook. The threats come as the community remains divided over plans for a potential data center.

In a social media post, city leaders said they do not feel comfortable proceeding until authorities can investigate and “clear us of danger.”

Salix annexed about 900 acres of farmland in April for possible development. Google recently confirmed it’s in the early stages of evaluating the site for a data center.

Read more.

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center confirmed a derecho blasted across eastern Iowa on Tuesday morning. The powerful storm continued into Illinois and Indiana, where winds topped out at 99 mph.

Damage in Iowa is still being assessed, though it’s reported that Clinton and Jackson counties were hit hardest, including near the town of Maquoketa. The Storm Prediction Center also confirmed that three EF1 tornadoes touched down in Tuesday’s storm, all in Delaware County.

Meteorologist Tyler Ryan, with the National Weather Service in Des Moines, said a derecho is a wide-spread, long-lived thunderstorm.

“Typically, they’re extremely powerful because they will produce significant wind damage along some of the leading edge of some of those showers and storms,” Ryan said. “By definition, if the wind damage swath extends more than 240 miles and it includes wind gusts at least 58 mph or greater along most of the length, then that may be classified as a derecho.”

Tuesday’s derecho came six years and one day after Iowa experienced a massive derecho that caused widespread damage.

“Storms don’t follow dates, and sometimes they can land on important dates. But it’s summertime, it’s August. It’s not necessarily out of the realm,” Ryan said. “We typically see maybe one to two derecho events in a year, so it just happened to fall around a time that a lot of people do remember.”

The derecho on August 10, 2020, was extremely destructive, shredding more than half of the tree canopy in Cedar Rapids with winds of 140 mph. Millions of Midwesterners were impacted by the damage and power outages. The overall cost was estimated at $11 billion, and clean-up lasted more than a year in some communities.

The City of Clinton is creating more ways for citizens to influence a future data center ordinance.

The grassroots group Clintonians Against Data Centers has organized in opposition to QTS Data Centers. The developer is eyeing Clinton for a hyperscale, 10-building data center campus.

The city council is in the midst of drafting a data center ordinance and is asking the group’s steering committee to meet with them publicly to discuss the ordinance line by line. Council member Gregg Obren said prolonging the drafting process is a good idea.

“In the big picture, we’re not really in any time constraint. So, we have the time and space to really do this the right way,” Obren said.

The meeting between city officials and the grassroots group is set for Sept. 1 at Eagle Point Lodge. The public is welcome to attend but won’t have a chance to speak.

Tuesday is National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, and county auditors across Iowa are looking to sign up more poll workers for the general election on Nov. 3.

Finding poll workers in rural precincts is a big challenge in most counties, according to Woodbury County Auditor Michelle Skaff.

“Sometimes we have to pull individuals from Sioux City that go to some of those areas like Otho and different areas,” she said. “So any individuals from the rural area or from cities outside of Sioux City, we would be more than happy to have them apply.”

Skaff said her office trains everyone who works on Election Day so they are ready to handle voter rolls when the day comes. She said making sure poll workers feel comfortable interacting with voters is important.

“You’re asking for their ID, you’re scanning them in, making sure that it’s an eligible individual,” Skaff said. “The software helps a lot, but you still have to use common sense when you’re looking at their ID, making sure you’re making eye contact with that person, looking at the picture and so forth.”

Election Day can be a long day for poll workers, Skaff pointed out, but it’s paid work. Individuals who are interested in becoming a poll worker this year can attend a webinar hosted by the Secretary of State’s Office on Wednesday at 11 a.m. Application information is also available online.

The website also has links where you can apply to be a poll worker.

The Waterloo Community School District is selling an old high school to be redeveloped as veteran housing. The school board approved the sale at its meeting Monday night.

Waterloo developer Victor Rottinghaus has plans to purchase the Expo High School and turn it into a mixed-use development.

“The vision is a commercial level on the bottom floor, residential on the middle floor and then green housing on that top floor,” Rottinghaus said. “The thought process there is by putting a veteran in one unit of the fourplex, that I can subsidize their living out of the other three units, the commercial level and the fruits and vegetables sold off of the roof.”

Rottinghaus secured the building for $150,000 — less than a third of the asking price — but he must invest in the campus in two years, or it reverts to the district.

The Expo School previously housed alternative learning programs that are now located at the city’s career center. Waterloo is consolidating its high schools as part of a multi-year project.

The Libertarian Party of Iowa will meet Wednesday to nominate two new candidates for November’s general election, replacing candidates that did not qualify for the ballot.

In two separate hearings, Polk County judges upheld decisions made by the State Objection Panel that found Libertarian candidates Jules Cutler and Marco Battaglia cannot appear on the ballot due to errors in their applications.

The state panel ruled that lieutenant governor nominee Cutler did not provide an affidavit of candidacy needed to appear on the ballot and 3rd Congressional District candidate Battaglia was not qualified to run because his nomination papers didn’t match his legal name.

Stephanie Berlin, chair of the Libertarian Party of Iowa, said Battaglia was planning to appeal the decision, but had to drop out unexpectedly.

"Unfortunately, Marco had a medical emergency, so he is completely withdrawn,” Berlin said. “So we will not be moving forward with the appeals in his case at this time. Hence, the need for the nomination and voting for replacement Libertarian candidates.”

The Iowa Libertarian Party's board had originally planned to choose replacement candidates Sunday night, but they instead adopted the protocol that they will use Wednesday to make those decisions. Under Iowa law, the new candidates must be nominated by Aug. 14.

The Farm Bill was blocked in the U.S. Senate on Thursday by Democrats who said they were concerned about fraud measures in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Senate candidate and U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson was hoping to see the bill pass after it passed the House.

“I’m frustrated, and once again, I will just say that I think that Democrats in D.C. have shown just how out of touch they are with rural America right now by blocking this from moving forward in the Senate,” Hinson said. “I have been out traveling the state. Our farmers are struggling right now.”

The Republican from Marion hopes the Farm Bill will get passed when the Senate returns from its fall recess.

“I’m hopeful that it’s just a symptom of the political environment right now leading up to an election,” she said. “We’ve seen the same rhetoric around government funding.”

Hinson said the efforts to stop fraud in SNAP are important, and she hopes Democrats will “come to the table” to reach an agreement.

“We want to eliminate fraud and make sure that taxpayer dollars are not going out unnecessarily so that these programs can exist long term, whether it’s SNAP or Medicaid or any other government program,” she said. “I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to get [there] at some point.”

Hinson’s opponent in the Senate race, Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek, criticized Democrats for failing to pass the Farm Bill. Turek said a new permanent Farm Bill is long overdue.

Linn County won’t change its 18-month data center moratorium to make an exception for projects tied to nuclear power. The board of supervisors was considering a carve-out for Google’s proposed data center, but after hearing strong opposition from the public, they kept the pause in place.

If county supervisors approved the change, it would have allowed Google to build a data center in unincorporated Linn County near the Duane Arnold nuclear plant. The plant is undergoing federal review to be recommissioned.

Supervisor Brandy Meisheid led the effort to consider a carve-out.

“I felt like Iowa has positioned itself to be a pro-nuclear state,” Meisheid said. “I feel like our residents are in favor of nuclear power, which is why I wanted to make sure that we were looking at how we support nuclear energy.”

But Meisheid said public feedback showed opposition to data centers was strong enough that she didn’t want to alter the moratorium. If Google wants to move forward, it could ask for the land in question to be annexed into Palo city limits.

Dubuque is among the latest recipients of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding to clean up former industrial sites. EPA administrators will visit the city on Wednesday to recognize those efforts.
 
Dubuque received $500,000 from the latest round of the EPA’s Brownfields cleanup program. The funds will help redevelop sites along the Mississippi River, including a shuttered Alliant Energy coal plant and a former coffin factory.

Mayor Brad Cavanagh said the program has helped the city pivot from its industrial past since the early 2000s.

“If there wasn't such a​​ thing as Brownfields funding at the federal government level, we would still be figuring out how to deal with all of these contaminated areas,” Cavanagh said. “And the fact that we have that partnership with the federal government — it's a game changer for industrial cities along the river like ours.”

The Brownfields Grant program aims to spur redevelopment and cleanup at contaminated industrial sites nationwide. The latest round includes $3.5 million for five cities and organizations in Iowa.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced it will conduct a year-long study to see if the plains spotted skunk belongs on the threatened or endangered species list.

Even the most dedicated wildlife watchers of the Great Plains may have never seen the plains spotted skunk. The nocturnal, squirrel-sized creature lives in prairies and forests — and does a handstand when it’s threatened.

Prairie restoration organization Grasslands Unlimited submitted the petition asking U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials to consider endangerment status for the skunk. Executive Director Trevor Pellerite said the group filed a lawsuit after the agency was slow to act.

“It's not any more or less important than any other species,” Pellerite said. “If we want healthy ecosystems, then all of the animals that evolved to be a part of that ecosystem have to be protected.”

If the plains spotted skunk does gain endangered status, he said it could bring more conservation attention to the species. Read more from Harvest Public Media.

A first-degree murder trial starts Tuesday for a man accused of killing a Native American woman in Sioux City more than 40 years ago. Police arrested Thomas Popp, 63, in Washington state in January 2025 in connection with the 1983 death of 18-year-old Terri McCauley.

After several delays, the trial is set to move forward. If convicted, Popp faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

McCauley’s nephew, Josh Taylor, said he wants people to remember his aunt as more than a crime victim.

“The more important aspect of this case is remembering Terry as a daughter, a sister and a loved one,” Taylor said. “[We] kind of forget about those aspects. We're quick to jump to she's another statistic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives.”

A social media campaign helped give attention to McCauley’s case, and her family started Red Sky Nation to highlight the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives crisis.

“When we started an awareness campaign for Terry, we asked ourselves, ‘How can we help others than just Terry?’” Taylor said. “The awareness aspect, the social media aspect — creating those relationships with the county attorney's office, the Sioux City Police Department, Woodbury County Sheriff's Office — creating those relationships and essentially building that bond and getting a seat at the table.”

Taylor said the organization has helped others locally and in other states across the region.

A southern Iowa hospital will break ground next July on a nearly $20 million project that includes adding a labor and delivery suite and a permanent MRI system at the hospital.

The Shenandoah Medical Center has undergone significant projects over the past decade, according to President and CEO Matt Sells, and this one “completes the puzzle.” The first phase will provide new space for Shenandoah’s ambulance service, including three parking bays and a training center for EMTs.

The hospital is putting $1.5 million toward a permanent MRI system and space to house it. The Shenandoah Medical Center has been bringing in a mobile MRI unit three days a week, but Sells said that means appointments are scheduled back-to-back, and the unit isn’t always available in emergency situations.

He said the investment will improve the hospital’s emergency readiness and stroke program.

“We will be bringing the latest and greatest in technology, and there really shouldn’t be much we can’t accomplish here, which will really help our folks in the emergency room and throughout the facility,” he said.

Other parts of the project deal with existing services at the hospital, including expanding labor and delivery suites. Sells said the hospital is also planning to add a new pharmacy, respiratory area and in-patient rehabilitation area.

Shenandoah’s first hospital opened in 1918. A new 44-bed hospital was constructed in 1979, and there have been major additions to the facility in the decades since, including a new cancer center and nursery in 2024.

Des Moines residents have weighed in on where they would choose to make potential cuts as the city plans for its upcoming budget. Over 2,000 people responded to a city survey that gave options to cut services or raise new revenue to fill a $12 million budget gap.  

The option selected the most — by 88% of participants — was to eliminate the floodplain property buyout program.

Over half of participants also selected to reduce library operations, including closing small branches an additional day, and 58% chose to reduce police neighborhood services.

The results will help shape recommendations that will be introduced to the Des Moines City Council later this month.

Madeleine Charis King

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Iowa Public Radio

New research from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) shows nutrient pollution increased in many streams and rivers across the country between 2000 and 2020. 

The dominant source of the pollution was the release of old nitrogen and phosphorus stored in soil and groundwater. A lot of this stems from agricultural practices, including fertilizer and manure spread on fields months or even years before.

“One of the key findings is that a lot of the nutrients that are in rivers today comes from past activities,” said Olivia Miller, lead author of the study. “So, even when improvements are made, in terms of reducing nutrient sources, water quality can take time to recover.”

Excess nitrogen and phosphorus in waterways can feed algal blooms, which harm aquatic life and release toxins. High nutrient concentrations can also pollute drinking water sources downstream. 

Miller said the USGS findings could help inform management decisions to shape future water quality. Read more from Harvest Public Media.

After a surge in job growth earlier this year, the nation’s labor market cooled more than expected in July. Employers slashed over 23,000 jobs in last month, and numbers for April and May were revised downward by over 100,000. The unemployment rate dropped slightly to 4.1%, as the pace of workers leaving the labor force picked up.

Anil Kumar, professor of economics at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business, said Iowa has traditionally had lower unemployment and higher workforce participation rates than the national average, but the numbers both nationally and statewide can be deceptive.

“Hiring has nearly stalled, and if you just look at the falling unemployment rate, you will get a misleading picture, as it hides some of that weakness,” Kumar said. “Regarding Iowa, while unemployment is low, labor force participation rate is high, but the job growth trend is already weaker than the nation.”

Kumar said employment in construction and healthcare remains strong, and these could be sectors of the economy that are keeping the labor market from falling off a cliff.

Gov. Kim Reynolds has picked Martin Noven, former executive director of the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System, as the next CEO for Iowa’s public retirement plan.

Noven will take over leadership of the Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) later this month. He has over a decade of experience running retirement systems, including five years as executive director for Illinois’ state universities.

Former IPERS CEO Greg Samorajski resigned in May following an investigation into allegations of misconduct.

More than 400,000 people are enrolled in the IPERS trust fund. It pays out $2.7 billion in annual benefits.

Cami Koons

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Iowa Capital Dispatch

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a nearly $600,000 grant to a project that aims to support rural well users in Iowa.

Researchers at Iowa State University and Ohio State University are leading the project, which builds on surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019. Those surveys found most well water users in Iowa believed their wells were safe, even though only 10% percent of households had tested in the last year. 

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources recommends testing for bacteria and nitrate at least once a year and other potential pollutants, like arsenic, at least once during a well’s lifetime.

As part of the three-year project, researchers will check back with some earlier respondents to see whether they’ve made changes or view water quality differently. They will also test the effectiveness of postcards sent to rural residents about free or low-cost well-testing resources.

Maura Curran

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Iowa Public Radio

Construction is underway for an art installation in Des Moines honoring long-time water quality advocate Bill Stowe. Water Curia in Water Works Park is meant to honor the former CEO of Des Moines Water Works, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2019.

The 20-foot-tall circular pavilion is meant to resemble the pipes of the water filtration gallery that runs below the park. The piece will double as an outdoor classroom, where people can see educational displays and learn about threats to Iowa’s water and environment.

Graham Gillette, with the Stowe Foundation, said they wanted to carry on Stowe’s legacy of improving water quality in Iowa.

“We came to the conclusion that it was about education, bringing people together in a conversation to solve our most critical problem,” Gillette said. “And in this case, our most critical problem is the water quality in the state of Iowa.”

Crews are currently building the curved stone walls of the art installation. The piece is set to open to the public at the end of 2026.

Sheila Brummer

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Iowa Public Radio

Republican candidate for governor Zach Lahn took his campaign to northwest Iowa on Thursday. Lahn told a packed coffeehouse of about 75 people in Sibley that he’s the candidate who can tackle bipartisan challenges.

"I want to go deep to solve the issues in the state of Iowa, so we can revive our rural communities, keep our kids in the state, have our people live longer, healthier lives and make our public education number one in the nation again," he said.

Lahn told the group that Iowa needs to improve cancer outcomes and water quality. He also said the state should give families more choice in public education by reducing regulations and giving schools innovation waivers.

A new poll puts Democrat Rob Sand ahead in the race by 5 percentage points. Lahn said that's an improvement from a poll released after the primary that showed him trailing by 9 points.

He said the poll shows that more people are supporting his "Iowa First" agenda.

“A lot of this is a factor of people getting to know me, and as they do, just like in the primary, they start to come to our side because they realize our message is an ‘Iowa First’ message,” Lahn said.

The Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey of around 700 likely voters shows 7% are undecided.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture failed to pass a Farm Bill Thursday. Democrats on the committee withheld support as they seek a two-year delay in changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that are part of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act passed last year.

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley voiced his disappointment following the 11-10 vote, which fell along party lines.

“The Democrats on the committee are using our farmers as a sacrificial lamb in an attempt to score political points,” Grassley said. “Democrats' obstruction leaves the Farm Bill's fate in jeopardy while family farmers desperately need our help.”

Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was not present at the committee meeting, as he continues to recover from a fall in June. Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman said discussions on the Farm Bill will remain open until the committee returns after the Senate's September recess. 

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst called the failed vote a setback and blamed Democrats on the committee.

“I'm ready to work with Republicans and Democrats to make sure states are treated fairly as we strengthen SNAP accountability and to find a long-term solution to Proposition 12,” Ernst said, referring to the California animal welfare law that affects pork producers in Iowa.

The Save Our Bacon Act, which was part of the Farm Bill passed by the House in April, would have nullified laws like Proposition 12. But Ernst’s attempt to include it as an amendment in the Senate’s version was not successful.

Lab confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis have slowed, but health officials say Iowans should still be cautious of the food they eat. State officials have confirmed 226 cases of the intestinal infection that causes stomach cramps and diarrhea. Cases peaked in the first week of July and have dropped since. 

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added Iowa to a list of states experiencing an outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms in Mexico. 

Polk County Health Department Communications Officer Addie Olson said Iowans should check their homes for recalled food and wash their produce. 

“Washing your produce will not 100% reduce your risk of that cyclospora contamination, but it definitely will reduce it some,” she said. “So we recommend that all the time.”

Olson said Iowans who suspect they may have cyclosporiasis should seek medical attention, as antibiotics can help ease the infection. 

Voters in Johnson County will consider a $94.5 million bond this fall to build a new jail. The board of supervisors voted 3-2 to move the issue to the ballot.

The current jail is almost 50 years old and has a leaky roof and cracking cell walls. It’s also nearly double the intended capacity for both staff and inmates, and a new state law that restricts booking and releasing means even more people now need beds.

But a $94.5 million jail bond, plus tens of millions in interest, would mean property taxes for the average Johnson County homeowner could go up by roughly $100 a year.

Johnson County Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz is one of the most vocal opponents of the bond and the county’s overall incarceration system.

“We are asking Johnson County residents to pay for this, and I fail to see how this is actually going to improve the lives of our residents,” Fixmer-Oraiz said.

Three previous jail bonds have gone to the public and failed. Bonds need 60% of the vote to pass.

The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska is honoring the return of ancestral land once seized by the federal government.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers used eminent domain and condemnation proceedings in 1970 to take about 1,600 acres along the Missouri River. The land includes the Snyder Bend Wildlife Area near Salix.

Although President Joe Biden signed the Winnebago Land Transfer Act in 2024, tribal leaders waited until the transfer was officially complete before celebrating.

"We're just extremely thankful, grateful for those past leaders that led the way for us to help get this across the finish line here and get this land back to the Winnebago people," said tribal council Vice Chair Eugene DeCora.

DeCora said the effort to get the property returned exemplifies the pride and resolve of the Winnebago people. On Saturday, the tribe will hold a Land Back ceremony with lunch and a traditional round dance.

The property will remain in conservation and will not be developed, according to DeCora.

An Iowa company that received nearly $4 million in federal funding has opened one of two facilities that will turn food and livestock waste into fertilizer. 

Natural Fertilizer Products received grant funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to build the new composting facility in Woodbine, located about an hour north of Council Bluffs. Another facility will open near Audubon.

Mike Sexton, the USDA Rural Development state director for Iowa, said in a news release that the funding is part of a larger effort by the administration to make “fertilizer more accessible and affordable” for farmers.  

Small Iowa towns worried about data centers now have a new tool at their disposal.

University of Iowa’s Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative and Tippie College of Business partnered to create something they’re calling the Iowa Data Center Decision Tool. It’s a document to help communities figure out what questions they should ask if or when a data center proposal comes to their town.

Amy Colbert, UI professor at the Tippie College of Business, said the decision tool is one thing artificial intelligence can’t replace.

“Asking ChatGPT, ‘Should we build a data center or not?’ will give you the average of what all communities might think,” Colbert said. “But we wanted this to be tailored specifically for smaller communities in Iowa, and that's why we asked real people who had dealt with these decisions to weigh in.”

The decision tool is available online through the Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative’s website and will be updated as data center development changes across the state.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has confirmed the first case of West Nile virus this year. Iowa HHS said the individual is an adult, 18-40 years old, from eastern Iowa.

The department said most people who become infected with West Nile virus either have no symptoms or experience mild illness, such as fever, headache and body aches, before fully recovering.

West Nile virus is carried by mosquitoes. Iowa HHS advises people spending time outside this summer to protect themselves from mosquito bites.

There were 57 cases of West Nile virus in 2025, and three people died.

A dispute over a potential data center in northwest Iowa has moved to the courts. Woodbury County filed a lawsuit asking a judge to review whether Salix legally annexed nearly 900 acres of farmland that’s being considered for a potential data center.

Mark Nelson, Woodbury County Board of Supervisors chair, said the county attorney found problems after reviewing the annexation from April.
"We just want to make sure that our constituents always have access to the most information possible and that if there is a system that we're supposed to follow when it comes to annexation or anything else, that it's being followed to the letter of the law," Nelson said.

The lawsuit claims Salix didn’t properly notify the public and annexed some property that doesn’t border the city. The mayor of Salix said he can’t comment on pending litigation. However, during a July city council meeting, he said the city followed state law.

On Monday, Google said it’s evaluating the site for a possible data center.

Residents who oppose the project say it would harm the environment, while supporters say it would bring jobs and boost the local economy.

Two Linn County supervisors are voicing their support for the United Auto Workers members on strike in Cedar Rapids.

Supervisors Kirsten Running-Marquardt and Sami Scheetz passed a resolution on behalf of the 49 people who have been striking against Novolex since July 28. The food packaging giant is worth an estimated $500 million.

Union members are asking for better wages and retirement benefits.

Sheila Brummer

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Iowa Public Radio

The manhole cover artist who was at the center of a legal dispute earlier this year said he’s going to run for mayor of Sioux City in 2027. Brandon Bradshaw told IPR News that he wants to make a positive difference in the community, with a focus on helping people experiencing homelessness.

Bradshaw drew national attention in 2025 after he was arrested for painting flowers on manhole covers. In May, he was found not guilty of criminal mischief and public drinking.

Longtime mayor Bob Scott has not yet announced if he’ll seek reelection next year.

James Kelley

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Iowa Public Radio

The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch reopens Thursday after a $20 million renovation. The museum closed in January 2025 to expand the lobby and gift shop, upgrade its exhibits and build a new facade.

The museum now has immersive sight and sound experiences, plus a gallery of rotating special exhibits to offer visitors something new each time.

Hoover Foundation President and CEO Mundi McCarty said the museum’s main mission is to help Americans better understand the entire life of the 31st U.S. president.

“Four years of Herbert Hoover's 90-year life were as president of the United States, and while presidents are very important people, we have to remember that he was a global humanitarian,” McCarty said.

Hoover’s great-grandchildren, as well as Belgian diplomats, will be in West Branch Thursday afternoon to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is investigating a wastewater discharge from the City of Keokuk into the Mississippi River. 

According to a news release from the DNR, the city reported it had an “ongoing” wastewater bypass due to malfunctioning equipment and a partially clogged line in the city’s wastewater collection system. 

It is unknown how much wastewater has been bypassed from a point ahead of the treatment plant to the river.

The wastewater was diverted to a combined sewer outfall into the Mississippi River near the wastewater treatment plant and upstream of a public boat ramp on Mississippi Drive. Brian Lee, an environmental specialist with the DNR, said the bypass has been occurring for about a week, but that the city did not understand the severity of the malfunctioning equipment until early this week. 

The bypassed wastewater is untreated but partially diluted with stormwater before reaching the river. 

The DNR said downstream recreation should be done with caution and the outfall area should be avoided. 

The DNR reported there are “no observable impacts” to the river at this time, including no observed dead fish. The department has collected samples of the water for testing and said it will continue to follow up with the City of Keokuk. 

Repairs to the equipment are underway, according to the news release.

A $3 million settlement has been approved in connection with the construction of the Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center. The county Board of Supervisors and the authority overseeing the project approved the agreement Tuesday afternoon.

The settlement ends the litigation, although the remaining parties still must officially approve the agreement. The architect firm, Goldberg Group Architects, and Introba, the consultant, will pay $3 million to the county and more than $900,000 to Hausmann Construction of Lincoln, Nebraska.

Hausmann Construction argued it was unfairly blamed for construction problems and delays, which damaged the company’s reputation.

The American Farm Bureau reported the number of farms filing Chapter 12 bankruptcy increased for a second year in a row in 2025, up 46% from 2024. Some of the largest increases are in the Midwest.

Speaking at Minnesota Farmfest this week, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins called media reports about the growing number of farm bankruptcies “overinflated” and “clickbait.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley said he remembers bankers telling Congress in the early 1980s about the looming farm crisis, but lawmakers waited too long to recognize the scope of the problem. Grassley said conditions today aren’t like they were back then, but he doesn’t think reports about a worsening ag economy are necessarily overblown.

“I think it's legitimate to talk about bankruptcy figures,” he said. “They're higher this year than last year, but they're nothing like they were in the 1980s. But what does that say for the future?”

If farmers have two or three more years of high input costs and low commodity prices, Grassley said it could be catastrophic. He expects the Senate Committee on Agriculture to release its version of a new Farm Bill this week and said it will contain several provisions that will help farmers.

Gov. Kim Reynolds is asking for a Presidential Disaster Declaration for four counties following severe weather between July 1 and 4. Jasper, Polk, Story and Warren counties were hit by heavy rain and flash flooding, which left a trail of damage and debris headed into the holiday weekend.

The governor requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance Program funding and hazard mitigation assistance funding statewide.

A joint preliminary damage assessment by federal, state and local officials estimated that there’s more than $6.5 million in damages eligible under the FEMA Public Assistance Program.

Isabella Luu

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Iowa Public Radio

Gov. Kim Reynolds and U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge Tuesday to highlight a new Workforce Pell Grant program. Reynolds said it will help make the state’s economy more resilient.

The program was included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last year but took effect this July. It’s aimed at helping low-income students. But unlike a normal Pell Grant, the money can go toward short-term career training, rather than undergraduate degrees. 

Reynolds said the program will get students job-ready skills faster.

“They get hired and continue learning on the job,” she said. “It's quicker, more practical and better aligned with today's rapidly changing economy, and it's what Iowa workforce needs now.”

Qualifying courses must be in high-skill, high wage and in-demand fields. Nine programs have been approved by the state so far, and an EMT training course at Iowa Central has been federally approved.

The education secretary said the expanded Pell Grants will help states better meet their workforce demand.            

“It's a shift that recognizes what learners and workers have been saying for years: they need faster, more practical routes into real jobs, not a one-size-fits-all system that sidelines talent and delays opportunity,” McMahon said.

Interested students can start by filling out the federal student aid form, FAFSA, beginning on Oct. 1.

A coalition of environmental groups says raising public awareness of prairies could help spur conservation efforts.

According to a survey commissioned by nearly a dozen groups, half of Americans say they know little or nothing about grasslands and just 1 in 6 considers themselves knowledgeable on the topic.

Brian Obermeyer,  Great Plains grassland strategy director for The Nature Conservancy, said the survey found that as awareness increases, people see prairies as an important part of the ecosystem.

“[Grasslands] support a really important livestock industry. They are the ultimate source of some of our most important streams and rivers. Those watersheds that still remain in grass really provide clean water,” Obermeyer said.

Prairies reduce flood risks, protect water from pollution and support ranching. Most of North America’s grasslands have been destroyed.

Gavin McGough

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Iowa Public Radio

Members of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe were in Iowa on Monday visiting ancestral sites. They traveled from the tribe’s reservation in Oklahoma to reconnect tribal youth with their history and homeland.

“These trips help us to open our eyes to that, to our roots, to where we come from, to the landscapes that we once lived on,” said tribe staff member Naomi Roubedeaux-Quiroga.

At a stop in Decorah, documentary filmmaker and tribe member Annette Arkeketa said seeing these sights is like a homecoming. 

“We were so loved by our ancestors, and they took care of us for so many generations,” Arkeketa said. “They always knew that we were going to come along, so they left things for us, and now we're coming back, and we're touching those things and the things that they left for us, and the memories that they want us to know about who we are as a people.”

The group also visited sites near Council Bluffs, Okoboji and Effigy Mounds before heading to Wisconsin.

Read more.

Maura Curran

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Iowa Public Radio

A new vendor market in the Des Moines area has reopened in the same building that closed when a national chain filed for bankruptcy.

Painted Tree Boutiques in Clive closed suddenly in April, leaving hundreds of small businesses with no place to set up shop. Knapp Properties, which owns the building, created Eleven101 Collective so local businesses could continue operating in the same location.

Knapp President and CEO Chris Costa said the vendors have been looking for a way to come back.

“This was a very well operated location,” Costa said. “It just happened to get caught up in a bigger picture of a Painted Tree issue nationally.”

Costa said local ownership will allow them to make decisions at the store level. He said many businesses are returning to the market.

Read more.

A historical building in Des Moines is set to be demolished after a city council vote Monday night. 

Chesterfield School in Des Moines was going to be part of a tiny home project by the nonprofit Joppa, meant to support people experiencing homelessness. Joppa Village included plans to renovate the 1880s school as a community center, but it didn’t meet Joppa’s space requirements. Joppa said it would also be more cost-effective to demolish the old building and build a new one.

The structure is included in the latest “most endangered buildings list” by the Des Moines Heritage Trust. Council members voted unanimously to approve the demolition instead of referring the issue to the Historical Preservation Commission.  

MidAmerican Energy has identified Google as the company interested in a data center project in northwest Iowa.

In April, the small town of Salix annexed 900 acres of land for a potential data center development. MidAmerican Energy now says Google is the prospective customer looking to build near the town of about 300 people.
"It is not a project announcement. It's not a rezoning request, a development agreement. No action is being requested at this time,” said Dan Winters, vice president of corporate communications at MidAmerican. “It's intended to support a more informed, fact-based public conversation before any formal proposals are presented and before the city is asked to make any kind of decision."

Mary Herbst, with the Salix Guardian Alliance, said the group of concerned residents still opposes the data center.

“We really think we can make a difference,” she said. “Most people had no clue what a data center represented until we started putting information out there.”

Herbst hopes people will attend the Salix City Council meeting on Aug. 12 to voice their concerns. Supporters of the development say the data center would provide a much-needed economic boost to the area.

MidAmerican Energy said a data center would not increase power rates, and Google has brought billions of dollars in economic development to Iowa.

Libertarian candidate Marco Battaglia has dropped out of the race for Iowa’s 3^rd Congressional District seat. The Libertarian Party of Iowa announced Battaglia had a medical emergency and is ending his campaign.

"Our thoughts are with Marco and his family as they focus on his health and recovery," said party chair Stephanie Berlin. "Out of respect for Marco's privacy, we will not be sharing additional details. Right now, our focus is on supporting Marco while ensuring the party fulfills its responsibilities under Iowa law and continues to provide voters with a Libertarian choice on the ballot this November."

Battaglia has been listed on Iowa ballots in previous elections, but this spring the State Objection Panel kicked him off the November ballot due to his nomination papers not matching his legal name, Mark T. Andersen. A judge upheld the panel’s decision on Friday, and Battaglia said he planned to appeal the judge’s decision.

Under Iowa law, political parties may hold conventions and replace candidates who withdraw by Aug. 14. The Libertarian Party of Iowa will hold a convention on Sunday to choose another 3rd District candidate.

Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn is seeking reelection and faces Democratic state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott.

Sheila Brummer

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Iowa Public Radio

A settlement has been reached over the construction of the Woodbury County's Law Enforcement Center. The $70 million facility, which includes a jail, opened in September 2024.

The county sued Hausmann Construction, of Lincoln, Nebraska, along with the architect, subcontractors and construction manager, over construction problems and delays. Hausmann filed a countersuit.

The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors and the authority overseeing the project are expected to approve the settlement of just over $3 million on Tuesday. Under the settlement all claims will be dismissed.

Two buildings in downtown Muscatine that were evacuated because of structural problems collapsed late Friday night. No one was injured, and the buildings had been empty since both were already slated for demolition.

In June, the city evacuated nine other buildings on the block when engineers found issues with their century-old foundations. The city was planning to shore up those buildings, but it’s unclear if the uncontrolled collapse has caused any further damage that would change its plan.

City officials are hoping to hear from their engineers late this week or early next week with more information about the structural integrity of the buildings.

The sports betting company FanDuel has been fined $95,000 on two violations involving wagers not allowed in Iowa. The fines were announced at the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission’s July meeting.

Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission Administrator Tina Eick said one of the violations came from bets on soccer games and the other involved a basketball team.

“You can’t wager on decisions made by an umpire or referee in the state, and so one of their counts involved a case where they offered wagers on yellow and red cards in soccer,” Eick said. “Then another count involved offering a league that was not authorized. In this particular case, it happened to be Filipino basketball.”

Eick said this was not the company’s first violation within the last year.

“FanDuel had previous violations, unfortunately, in both of those areas,” she said. “The commission wanted to send a strong message that they take those compliance issues very seriously, so they issued the $95,000 fine.”

Bets on what will happen as a game is going on are known as prop bets, and Eick said Iowa doesn’t allow some of them.

“Particularly wagers that are determinable by one player in one play, those just are integrity issues and have the potential for manipulation. So we steer clear of those. But beyond those things, involving referees and the calls that they make are also off limits,” Eick said. 

She also said individuals can’t bet on minor league games in Iowa, like the Iowa Cubs baseball team.

Sports betting’s economic impact

Eick said there was significant growth in sports gambling revenue for the fiscal year that ended in June. 

“They’re up almost 15% year-over-year. And altogether, with both casino and sports wagering revenue, the total taxes collected exceeded $331 million for the state,” Eick said.

Eick pointed to one sport that drives all sports betting: football.

“Football is king for sports wagering,” she said. “That drives the numbers year in and year out. Lots of interest with March Madness, as well. But again, football is king.”

Total casino revenue for the 2026 fiscal year hit $1.7 billion — a 1.3% increase over fiscal year 2025.  Total sports revenue for the fiscal year reached nearly $285 million.

Cedar Crossing Casino and Entertainment Center

Operators of the state’s newest casino in Cedar Rapids announced they will be opening sooner than projected. The Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center was originally set to open on New Year’s Eve this year. Now, they are preparing for a November opening.

Cedar Crossing General Manager Kim Pang said everything has fallen into place during construction, and everyone is looking forward to opening day.

“Good weather has helped. More importantly, the local trades,” Pang said. “Using trades locally has helped us, there’s a lot of pride in the building of the property.”

The casino will include 700 slot machines and 22 table games. Pang said the entertainment center is an important part of the $275 million development along the Cedar River. The space can fit up to 1,100 attendees and features a comedy club.

“We’ve got about 100 contracts out there for shows, so essentially, we’ve got shows every week in our event center, which we’re really proud of,” he said.

Cedar Crossing will start hiring new employees in September. Pang said individuals interested in applying can look for job postings on the casino’s website.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission turned down a request for a casino license from Cedar Rapids in 2014 and 2017 before approving a license in February 2025.

Grant Gerlock

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Iowa Public Radio

Crews have finished construction in the Des Moines River for central Iowa’s first whitewater recreation site. It’s part of the ICON Water Trails project, which aims to add more access points for fishing and paddling in the region.

Principal Point in downtown Des Moines is a highlight of the project because of its whitewater features. On July 27, crews finished moving large boulders into the river that created a waveshaper. Anna McDonald, associate director of strategic communications at ICON, said the features are unique to the area. 
“That will create these new opportunities, like surfing and rafting and whitewater kayaking in that area, something that we don’t have in central Iowa right now,” McDonald said.

Crews will begin testing the features and continue construction on the riverbank until the site opens in spring 2027. The regional water trail system has been under development since 2014.

Public health officials are still investigating how a parasite called cyclospora spread through human feces and ended up in the U.S. food supply. Thousands of people across the country, including hundreds in Iowa, have gotten sick from the parasite, which causes frequent diarrhea.

Although the parasite is rare in the U.S., contaminated water used to irrigate fields has been a culprit of past outbreaks. Kristen Gibson, director of the University of Arkansas Center for Food Safety, said food is never 100% safe.

“I know people don't want to hear that, but we eat food all the time and we do not get sick,” Gibson said. “These types of failures happen, and the best thing we can do is try to gather as much information as we possibly can to be sure that we either put new measures or preventive controls in place so it doesn't happen again.”

Food safety experts say to clear out recalled foods. But they stress that not all produce is contaminated.

Read more from Harvest Public Media.

One person was killed and five others were injured in a Sunday afternoon collision on one of the Iowa Great Lakes.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said two boats on West Lake Okoboji collided at about 1 p.m. Sunday. The five people injured were in the same boat and taken to hospitals in Spirit Lake and Spencer. Three of them have serious injuries, according to the DNR.

The collision happened near the northeast shore of the lake, at a place called Pillsbury Point. Investigators say alcohol was not a factor.