Today's Iowa News ↓
Breaking news, top stories and all the latest from across Iowa. IPR reporters and our partners deliver quick hits of headline news throughout the day to keep you informed.
Central College expands online courses to community members
Central College in Pella is expanding its online courses to community members. This gives them a chance to pursue classes outside of a degree program.
Some courses have been offered to the community in the past, but offering them online means more classes are available. People can enroll in a course as a “guest student.”
Leslie Duinink, dean of undergraduate education, said that can include professionals looking to build skills, or people who want to pick up a topic of interest.
“Sometimes we have topics that are really super interesting to people, that we find and we make available for folks to take,” Duinink.
Guest students receive Central credit on an official transcript. They would not be eligible for any financial aid.
Two sessions will be available this summer, along with a session during winter break.
Farm Bill updated for the first time since 2018
The Farm Bill has traditionally included funds for crop insurance and nutrition programs. But Congress moved those items to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a spending measure passed last summer.
Democrats like Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, said this farm bill doesn’t do enough to help farmers facing challenging economic conditions.
“We are going to be right back where we are one year from now asking, ‘What is going to save family farms?’ if we pass this version of a farm bill,” Craig said.
Earlier versions included a couple provisions that did not make it to the final draft: one that would have shielded pesticide companies from certain lawsuits, and another to allow sales of ethanol-rich gasoline year-round.
Legal professionals across Iowa mark National Law Day of Action
Attorneys across Iowa are showing support for the Constitution and the importance of a strong legal system through today’s National Law Day of Action.
Law Day started in 1958 to highlight the importance of the rule of law in a free society.
Attorney Cortni Bowman told the group it ensures power is checked and balanced. She then presented the county with a 250th anniversary flag from the Iowa State Bar Association.
Each of Iowa’s 99 counties will receive a flag.
Bowman said the rule of law demands government authority be exercised in an even-handed and accountable way.
“The rule of law makes the American dream possible for all, and when that rule of law is weakened, the American dream is not far behind,” she said. “That is why today is so important.”
National Law Day of Action events also took place from Council Bluffs to the Quad Cities. Gatherings are scheduled for Iowa City, Harlan and Logan next week.
Iowa-tied billionaire who dated Ghislaine Maxwell testifies to U.S. House committee investigating Epstein
A billionaire with Iowa ties testified Thursday before a U.S. House committee investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Ted Waitt is a Sioux City native who co-founded the computer company Gateway 2000. He dated Epstein’s longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, for several years after her relationship with Epstein ended.
Politico reported that during the closed-door session, Waitt provided little new information and said he couldn’t remember the answers to some of the questions.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for child sex trafficking.
During her sentencing, one of Waitt’s daughters wrote a letter in support of Maxwell. She said as a kid she saw Maxwell as a “strong and caring woman.”
First case of pseudorabies in decades is detected at a small hog farm in Iowa
The contagious livestock virus called pseudorabies has been detected on a small hog farm in Iowa. It’s the first case of the disease in decades.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says routine testing revealed pseudorabies was present in what the agency called a small commercial swine facility.
It did not say what part of the state the farm is in. But the virus was traced back to a facility in Texas that had sent some animals to the farm in Iowa.
Pseudorabies was eradicated from the commercial pork industry in 2004, although the virus is still found in feral pigs.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship says pseudorabies is not considered a risk to public health.
2 Board of Regents appointees approved
The Senate has approved Steve Lacy and Peter Cownie to the board overseeing the state’s universities.
Gov. Kim Reynolds appointed Lacy and Cownie to the Board of Regents in December. Lacy was the former CEO of the media company The Meredith Corporation and currently serves on the Center for Intellectual Freedom Advisory Council at the University of Iowa. Cownie is a former Republican state lawmaker and is the executive director of the Iowa State Blue Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation.
They fill the positions of former regents Sherry Bates and David Barker. Lacy’s term expires in 2029 and Cownie’s expires in 2031.
Continued rain helps improve Iowa drought conditions
The U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday showed the recent rains are making an impact.
Just under 90% of the state is now showing no drought conditions, compared to only 50% at the start of the year. The worst conditions remain in the far northwest corner of the state where there is a sliver of severe drought in Plymouth County.
The rest of Plymouth, along with Lyon and Sioux counties, have moderate drought, but that is half of what it was last week. Eight counties next to those three show some abnormally dry conditions along with four counties in southeast Iowa. But the percentage of abnormally dry areas dropped from 13% to 11%.
U.S. House approves Farm Bill, E15 vote on May 13
The four Republicans who represent Iowa in the U.S. House have voted for a new version of the Farm Bill after joining a bipartisan majority of House members to strip legal protections for a popular pesticide from the bill.
Iowa’s Congressional delegation is touting a number of items that remain in the Farm Bill, including enhanced federal oversight to ensure foreigners do not buy or own U.S. farmland, as well as an attempt to override a California law that bars the sale of pork products from animals raised in tight stalls that do not give the hogs enough room to move.
House leaders said a separate vote on allowing year-round sales of E15 will be held in the House on May 13.
Sen. Chuck Grassley gave a speech on the U.S. Senate floor about the pending vote. He noted President Donald Trump promised during his trip to Iowa in January that he’d sign the bill into law.
“I hope the leadership of the House of Representatives keeps their word to get E15 a floor vote and do that in very short order,” Grassley said. “In fact, I don’t really know what all the problem is about E15.”
Grassley pointed to the waivers Trump and former President Joe Biden have issued so E15 could be sold in the summer months and he said it’s time to make the policy permanent.
Some Iowa cities see gas prices surge 20 cents in a day
After gradually falling the past two weeks, gasoline prices are rising in Iowa again, with some areas of the state reporting a 20-cent jump in the past day.
AAA-Iowa spokesman Brian Ortner said it’s costing motorists significantly more to fill their tanks, especially compared to prices from 2025.
“Across the state of Iowa, we’re almost a dollar higher than we were last year at this time per average,” Ortner said. “Today across the state, we’re at $3.90 per gallon; a year ago, we were $2.97.”
These are the highest prices for gas that Iowans have seen in nearly four years, since July of 2022, shortly after Russia entered Ukraine.
Ortner said this price surge is coming at an inopportune time, as Iowans are preparing for the warmer months and vacations.
Prices vary widely across Iowa. Des Moines has the state’s most expensive gas at the moment at $3.98 a gallon, while in Council Bluffs, the average price is a quarter-dollar cheaper at $3.73.
Ag Secretary Rollins shares support of Farm Bill on visit to Midwest
The head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture was in the Midwest this week to promote the Trump administration's recent actions on farm and food-related issues.
Secretary Brooke Rollins held a private roundtable with farmers at Morning Star Dairy in western Wisconsin before speaking with the press.
Rollins told reporters that she supports the Farm Bill. She pointed out several major programs like crop insurance and low-income food assistance were updated in last year's reconciliation bill.
"And so what this current Farm Bill represents is the addition: what we need to do to strengthen crop insurance, what we need to do to make sure we have the right labor rules on the ground so that our farmers can actually have labor,” she said.
Rollins was also asked about the ongoing reorganization at USDA. Plans include creating a National Food Safety Center in the Des Moines area.
She said relocating jobs outside of D.C. will ensure her agency is staffed by people closer to the farmers and rural communities they serve.
Sand calls for tax incentives for farm conservation, reversal of Medicaid privatization
Democratic candidate for governor Rob Sand is calling for more tax incentives and funding for farmers to implement conservation practices as part of his plan to improve water quality and health.
Sand is proposing income and property tax credits for farmers who use conservation and nutrient reduction practices. He also wants to boost funding for water quality monitoring and create a system to notify Iowans when nitrates in drinking water approach the federal limit.
In an interview with IPR, Sand didn’t say if he’d rule out pursuing farm regulations, which some water quality advocates say are needed to address pollution.
“I think that we’ll see real, substantial improvement if we actually invest in monitoring and we invest in conservation programs in a way that politicians so far just haven’t been willing to do, despite the fact that Iowans across the political spectrum want these things,” Sand said
He also said he would begin reversing Medicaid privatization on his first day in office if elected governor. Private insurance companies have been managing the state’s Medicaid services since 2016.
Sand said he would form a cancer task force focused on combating Iowa’s high cancer rates. And he’d work to put state resources into training more people to work in radon mitigation. Sand also said he’d veto any new abortion restrictions and reject other bills that deter doctors from working in Iowa.
What restarting the Duane Arnold power plant tells us about nuclear energy under the Trump administration
NextEra Energy Resources and tech giant Google are working together to bring the 615-megawatt Duane Arnold Energy Center near Cedar Rapids online again by early 2029. The nuclear plant was shut down early after the August 2020 derecho damaged two sets of its cooling towers, marking an end to nearly a half-century of operations.
For the state, the restart could have a $9 billion economic impact and add 400 permanent jobs.
The two companies announced a power purchase agreement last year, in which Google provided the initial investment for NextEra to apply for an extension of its existing license with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). In return, Duane Arnold would give over 90% of its power supply to Google, pending NRC approval. Google is exploring building a data center directly south of Duane Arnold on land that could be annexed into the city of Palo.
Before it can restart Duane Arnold, NextEra Energy is seeking approval from several state and federal regulators.
In May 2025, President Donald Trump announced a series of executive orders aimed at deploying nuclear reactor technologies. The U.S. Department of Energy later issued a release touting the “new life for retired nuclear plants" that it said resulted from the Trump administration’s initiatives in nuclear, specifically noting the potential restart of the Palisades plant in Michigan and the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania.
It’s not clear whether changes in federal policy will have an impact on the NRC’s licensing approval process for Duane Arnold. But April Nguyen, who leads the NRC’s team that inspects the plant, said one executive order aiming to “reduce unnecessary burdens” within the agency will not change anything related to the inspection process.
Polk County Attorney’s Office building database of cases
Prosecutors in Polk County are creating a new website to publicly track and report cases going through the county’s court system.
People will be able to track the number of cases filed each month, sort them by type of charge and see how they are opened and dismissed.
Justin Allen of the Polk County Attorney’s Office said the data will help them do their jobs more efficiently.
“So having this broad data by charge type; we’ll be able to use it for staffing purposes. Both for attorneys and for support staff,” Allen said.
Allen said the data will help highlight patterns of charges and case outcomes so they can identify where more staff or resources are needed.
The site will provide more details than what is typically available in most counties. It’s expected to launch later this spring or early summer.
GOP gubernatorial candidates discuss abortion restrictions and cancer rates in primary debate
Three of the five Republican candidates for governor debated Tuesday night on Iowa PBS.
Brad Sherman, Eddie Andrews and Adam Steen all said abortions should be banned at conception.
Sherman went a step further. He said there may be some cases where women should face criminal prosecution for getting an abortion.
“I don’t think you can make a one-size-fits-all on that. But if it’s a person, we have to protect that life, and there should be prosecutions in some cases for that,” he said.
Andrews disagreed.
“Putting those young ladies in jail, that was a step too far for me,” Andrews said. “I did not sign on to that bill and I will not sign on to that bill.”
Steen said Iowa needs to stop abortion pills from being shipped into the state.
On Iowa’s high cancer rates, Steen said he’d seek out independent research about what’s driving cancer rates and boost funding for prevention and treatment. He also said he’d create an “enterprise” focused on cancer at the Department of Administrative Services, which he used to run.
Andrews said he’s pushed to fund pediatric cancer research as a state representative. He also wants to expand radon testing and cancer screenings. Sherman said Iowa needs independent studies on the causes of cancer, and that Iowa should grow more of its own food.
Zach Lahn and U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra didn’t attend the debate.
Racial disparities persist across Iowa’s healthcare system, according to new report
The third edition of the report by the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund found white Iowans ranked in the 82nd percentile nationally for healthcare outcomes, while Hispanic and Black Iowans ranked in the 18th and 19th percentiles, respectively.
Jess Maksut, with the Commonwealth Fund, said recent federal policy changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act are expected to drive up racial gaps in healthcare.
“Medicaid unwinding, marketplace changes and new restrictions affecting immigrants and asylees are now eroding access, with disproportionate impacts to American Indian, Alaska Native, Black and Hispanic communities,” Maksut said.
Researchers said to address these gaps they recommend things like extending ACA tax credits, simplifying Medicaid enrollment and increasing community health workers.
Iowa advocate travels to Washington to support Ukrainian refugees
A northwest Iowa woman recently joined delegates from across the country in Washington, D.C. to urge continued U.S. support for Ukraine. Martha Hulshof of Ireton has helped bring 150 Ukrainians to Sioux County since the Russian invasion in 2022. Her sister is a missionary there.
Hulshoff attended the Ukraine Action Summit in Washington last week to lobby lawmakers. The group is pushing for stronger sanctions, continued aid and the return of abducted children.
Hulshof said some Ukrainians fear being sent back, and others can’t hold jobs because of expired paperwork.
“They want that stability back. They can come here. They want to work. They want to live,” she said. “And now they're fearful of, 'oh, will I get my job back? Can I get my papers? Can I work? Will I get picked up by ICE?' But yeah, they're very, very fearful.”
Hulshof met with lawmakers including U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst. She also said Sen. Chuck Grassley continues to support the Abducted Ukrainian Children Recovery and Accountability Act. He introduced the legislation last year. It supports Ukraine in investigating and tracking 20,000 children taken during the Russian invasion.
Hulshof said some refugees now fear deportation after their humanitarian parole expired, leaving them unable to work as they wait for delayed extensions.
Hulshof said one of the Ukrainians who originally came to Iowa was picked up by ICE in Minneapolis and then released after authorities confirmed they were in the U.S. legally.
Auditor claims education department refused records request after Ian Roberts’ arrest
State Auditor Rob Sand is claiming the Iowa Department of Education refused to provide requested records tied to background check procedures. An Iowa senator called for the inquiry after former Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts was arrested by federal immigration agents last year.
A month after Roberts was detained, the state senator asked the auditor’s office to review background check and licensing procedures at the state education agencies. Sand said his office did not receive the necessary documents because the agencies asked for a formal, tailored request letter to release the information.
Sand said his office declined to provide the letter, stating it was unnecessary.
“OK, let's say we play the game instead of following the law, which we wouldn't do because we follow the law,” he said. “What do they put in that letter? I mean, they just use that as another way to find an ability for us to not get the information that we're asking for.”
The Legislature passed a law in 2023 limiting the state auditor’s abilities to request information. Shortly after, the director of the Department of Management told state agencies to request agreement letters before being audited.
Grassley weighs in on Roundup Supreme Court case
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week in a case that will determine whether Monsanto sufficiently warned users about the risks associated with the herbicide glyphosate, commonly known as Roundup.
In 2015, a group associated with the World Health Organization classified Roundup as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” This led to a wave of lawsuits against the maker Monsanto, which is now owned by Bayer.
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley was asked about the case during a call with reporters on Tuesday. He said the Environmental Protection Agency has determined Roundup is safe when used according to the instructions on the label.
“So, it seems to me that the cases have to be decided on U.S. law, not some international organization that has no application to Iowa,” Grassley said.
Earlier this year, Bayer proposed an over $7 billion settlement to end current litigation over Roundup. Shortly after, President Donald Trump signed an executive order using the Defense Production Act to guarantee production of glyphosate-based herbicides. Around 70% of North America's Roundup supply is produced at the Bayer plant in Muscatine.
The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling on the case in July.
Cedar Rapids school board votes to close 6 schools amid consolidation plan
The Cedar Rapids Community School Board has voted to shut down five elementary schools and an early education center and open three new intermediate schools for fifth and sixth graders. By consolidating, the district will save $5 million each year, helping to fix a growing budget deficit.
The district has spent months working in the community to figure out the best way to fix what it expected to be a $12 million hole in next year’s budget. All but one school board member voted in favor of the closures and reconfigurations.
Board President Cindy Garlock said the district is making sure every student has the best opportunity available regardless of what building they are in.
“This is not about one building. This is not about one side of town or one high school or one area,” Garlock said. “This is about one school district, and how do we move forward together.”
The consolidation plan will go into effect next fall, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. The Cedar Rapids school district is also building its new staffing model based on its overall enrollment. The district has been facing declining enrollment as more families choose to use educational savings accounts to attend nearby private and charter schools.
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This story was corrected on April 28 at 4:45 p.m. to reflect that the consolidation plan goes into effect in the fall of 2027 and that six schools are closing.
State auditor confirms conflict of interest between Ian Roberts and Des Moines schools’ contractor
A report from the State Auditor’s Office has confirmed the former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) had an undisclosed conflict with a nonprofit the district contracted with. The report states that Ian Robert was part of the nonprofit Lively Paradox and had a professional and personal relationship with the group’s CEO.
Roberts was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in September and resigned as superintendent shortly after. He was discovered not to have work authorization in the U.S. and had been issued a final order of removal in 2024.
The auditor’s report states DMPS paid Lively Paradox more than $6,000 in 2024 for professional development services. State Auditor Rob Sand said Roberts tried to contract with the company another time but was turned down.
“This defies common sense to do these things. It's unethical to do these things. And yet, they didn't have a policy against it,” Sand said, referring to DMPS. “They have since updated that policy, which is at least an improvement at this point.”
DMPS said the district will now require annual disclosures of conflicts of interest from administrators and other personnel.
Report finds teacher pay isn’t keeping up with inflation
A new study by the National Education Association shows that even though teacher pay has increased in recent years, it isn’t keeping up with the cost of inflation.
Joshua Brown, president of the Iowa State Education Association, the largest teacher’s union in Iowa, said the state needs to put more money toward public education. He said education savings accounts, which provide public money for private and charter schools, is hurting educators and students.
“Any time that we're siphoning off general fund dollars into private schools or for-profit charter schools, that's less money that can be spent to address real problems in Iowa, which would support the basic economy or that could be invested in our public schools to address this issue head on,” Brown said.
Iowa lawmakers approved boosting new teacher pay to $50,000 this school year. However, Brown said teachers who are in the middle of their careers are still struggling to pay their bills.
“Even when you increase salary slightly in the mid-career, you end up not being able to potentially afford the general cost of health insurance or groceries and other things, and they start looking at ‘What are some other things I might be able to do to supplement this income?’” he said. “Many are working a second job; others are considering leaving so they only have to work one.”
According to the National Education Association study, the average teacher pay in Iowa last school year was just $65,312. That’s about $10,000 under the national average of $74,500.
Beverage company plans move to Webster City, creating 42 jobs
A factory that once housed aquaculture shrimp in Webster City will become the home of a beverage production facility. Officials with the New Jersey-based Edible Garden AG Incorporated picked Webster City for the company’s expansion.
Ottie Maxey, who is the director of economic development for Hamilton County and represents the county and Webster City at the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, said they worked closely with local leaders to draw Edible Garden away from two other cities out of state.
“They really rely on the site selector to vet the communities and the opportunities,” Maxey said. “And what they determined is the cost of employees is less in Webster City than it is in St. Louis or Grand Rapids.”
Edible Garden website states that the company is a leader in “sustainable indoor farming backed by a Zero-Waste inspired approach,” with its products being offered in more than 4,000 stores in the U.S.
Maxey said it will be a good fit in Webster City.
“They recognize that we have an extremely strong manufacturing base, and our employees are loyal,” he said. “We have great legacy companies, and they recognize the partnership with Iowa Central [Community College] for some of the other positions, [and] the pipeline with Iowa State being just down the road.”
The Iowa Economic Development Authority recently awarded $2.66 million in tax credits for the project. The $75 million capital investment is expected to create 42 jobs in Webster City.
The goal is to open late in 2027.
Extreme weather has ravaged many U.S. farms this year. Here’s how farmers are adapting
As our climate changes, extreme weather events happen more often. That’s been especially true throughout the central U.S. this spring, with huge temperature swings, flooding, drought, wildfires and even ice storms.
These weather events can have serious consequences for farms and ranches, which is something Larry Burgess experienced firsthand in March. Burgess lost 2,500 acres of pastureland to wildfires on his western Nebraska ranch this year.
For farmer Greta Jankoviak, owner of Harvest Thyme Farm in Michigan, the effects of severe weather showed up as a blizzard at first, then an ice storm hit and flooding came after that. The extreme weather events have set back her business, which would normally have started planting by now.
Read more of their stories and how other producers are coping with a changing climate from Harvest Public Media.
Iowa Regents consider expanding test options for public university applicants beyond ACT, SAT
The Iowa Board of Regents is considering a policy change that would allow students to use other standardized tests besides the ACT and SAT when applying to the state’s public universities.
This could mean possible changes to the Regent Admission Index formula, which currently only accepts ACT or SAT scores.
Earlier this year, a bill in the Iowa Statehouse would have required the Classic Learning Test (CLT) to be accepted for the admissions formula. The test has gained traction with Republican politicians, according to Education Week. Other states, including Florida and Indiana, now accept that test for their public universities.
A 2024 study by the Board of Regents concluded the CLT should not be used for the automatic admissions formula. The board, which is under new leadership this year, will vote on the policy change in June.
U.S. Energy secretary backs data centers and nuclear plant in eastern Iowa
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said data center development in Iowa is in line with the Trump administration’s goal to rapidly build infrastructure for artificial intelligence.
Wright was in Cedar Rapids Friday, where he visited the 600-acre site that QTS Data Centers is building a seven-building data center campus. Wright said the U.S. is in competition with China to add data center capacity.
“We're going to see this emerging industry, artificial intelligence. It's going to be led and dominated by the United States,” he said. “We let other industries go overseas. We're not going to let artificial intelligence go overseas. We're going to lead right here in the United States.”
While in eastern Iowa, Wright also commented on a plan to restart the Duane Arnold Energy Center. He said restarting an existing nuclear power plant is faster and less expensive than building a new one.
The Duane Arnold nuclear power plant was closed in 2020 after it was damaged by a derecho. NextEra Energy has plans to reopen the facility by 2029. Most of the power would be used by a proposed Google data center.
“We really want to see new nuclear plants built and also existing assets that can be restarted – let's restart them,” Wright said. “More energy means more jobs, more manufacturing, more opportunities for Iowans and lower costs.”
Wright said the Department of Energy can help restart Duane Arnold by providing low-cost financing and advising on its design.
Bird populations are shrinking faster in agriculture hotspots — including the Midwest
Birds are declining at a faster rate, and a new study reports industrial agriculture is the culprit — especially in the Midwest.
Although bird decline has been documented since the 1970s, the Ohio State University study found that bird populations are declining faster in areas with cropland and increased fertilizer and pesticide use.
Andrew Stillman, with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University, said the study’s findings are very important. Now, he said, more research needs to be done to find solutions.
“It’s time to understand the mechanisms behind these changes, using more localized studies that go above and beyond the correlations shown in this study to show which aspects of agricultural intensity are impacting birds the most and what can we do about it.”
The study found that across North America, more than 120 bird species are experiencing decline, and of those, more than half are experiencing accelerated decline.
Read more from Harvest Public Media.
Public database to track Polk County court cases launches soon
The Polk County Attorney’s Office is creating a new website to publicly track and report cases going through the county’s court system. County prosecutors hope the database will create more transparency around how cases are filed and help them work more effectively.
People will be able to track the number of cases filed each month, sort by type of charge and see how or whether they are opened and dismissed.
Justin Allen, assistant county attorney, said the data will help identify case patterns so they can see where more staff are needed.
“Having this broad data by charge type, we’ll be able to use it for staffing purposes, both for attorneys and for support staff,” Allen said.
The database will provide more details than what is typically available in most counties. It’s expected to launch later this spring or early this summer.
Most small-town newspapers at risk of closing find new owners
The majority of the small-town Iowa newspapers that were at risk of closing this month have found new life. Mid-America Publishing quit printing more than 20 publications earlier this month. Since then, all but five have found new owners.
Chris Nelson, who runs Nelson Media in north-central Iowa, purchased five of the impacted papers. He plans to merge three of them into a new publication called the Butler County Eclipse.
“It's not ‘Newspapers are dying,’ or ‘Radio's dying,’ or ‘TV stations are dying,’" Nelson said. “We're adapting, we're figuring out what our consumers need and want and how they want to get their weather, their sports, their news.”
Nelson believes digital is the future of journalism, with people turning to electronic editions of newspapers and newsletters. His media company, which started in 2020, has more than 40 employees and plans to relocate to Mason City from St. Ansgar to help recruit more workers.
The newspapers still looking for new buyers are: The Calmar Courier, Eldora Newspapers, The News-Review in Sigourney, The Outlook in Monona and the Postville Herald.
How Google’s plan to build a data center created a rift between local governments in eastern Iowa
All over the country, tech giants are rushing to build massive data centers to support AI-driven demand. One proposed data center in eastern Iowa has become the subject of a standoff between two local jurisdictions.
The city of Palo and Linn County are at odds over a proposed Google data center. Public records show a busy timeline of negotiations between Google, the city and the county, and the two jurisdictions grappling with what a project of that size and scale could mean for each of their communities.
Former Iowa Rep. Steve King backs Zach Lahn for governor
Former 4th District U.S. Rep. Steve King has endorsed Republican Zach Lahn’s bid for governor.
King, a Republican, served nine terms in the U.S. House. He lost his campaign for reelection in 2020 to current U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who’s also running for governor.
In a statement released by the Lahn campaign, King said he knows all the GOP candidates running for governor this year and “considers some of them friends.” But, he said Lahn is the only one who has the conservative credentials and “the resources to win the fight.”
Lahn, a businessman, has made a six-figure donation of his own money to his campaign effort.
Lahn said King was his congressman when he was growing up on a farm near Hinton, and it’s an honor to have his endorsement.
Board of Regents’ policy proposal targets classes with DEI content
General education courses at the state’s public universities would have to be checked for certain diversity or race-related content under a policy being considered by the Iowa Board of Regents.
Every two years, the board would have to review and identify courses that have “substantial” diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) or critical race theory (CRT) content. Reviewing the courses is estimated to take board and university staff over 1,000 hours.
The first review of courses would be done this upcoming school year. The regents will vote on the policy change in June.
A similar provision showed up in a bill (HF 2487) this year that’s stalled at the Statehouse. It stated that the Board of Regent could tell an institution to cut courses with the targeted content.
The oldest synchronized swim club in the nation turns 100, and it’s right here in Iowa
For the last century, Roosevelt High School’s synchronized swimming team in Des Moines has fostered a community for young women both in and out of the water. This year marks the Sharks’ 100th anniversary, making them the oldest club of their kind.
They’re celebrating the special occasion by inviting alumni back to swim in their annual pageant. Performances through Sunday at the Roosevelt pool auditorium.
Read the full story and see photos of how the show came together.
Nitrate is quietly polluting rural drinking wells. Here’s how researchers are working to help
Across the Midwest, fertilizer and manure are increasing nitrate levels in groundwater, and many families may not be checking whether their wells are safe to drink from.
In south-central Kansas, scientists tested more than 200 private wells and found that half contained too much nitrate.
“I’d say the landowners that I talked to, most were not using any kind of treatment, aside from possibly a water softener, which isn’t really going to help much for nitrate,” said Matt Kirk, a geologist at Kansas State University.
In a survey of more than 8,000 private well owners in Iowa, 40% said they’re drinking the water without treating it — and they said they had not tested it recently.
Drinking too much nitrate is unsafe for babies and may have links to cancer.
Read more from Harvest Public Media.
Multiple reports of tornadoes skipping across western, central Iowa
Tornado survey teams from the National Weather Service will be scouting several locations in western and central Iowa throughout the day after a powerful line of storms rumbled across the state Thursday night, dropping an undetermined number of twisters.
Meteorologist Devin Chehak at the National Weather Service office in Valley, Neb., said a long line of storms churned out multiple dangerous cells.
“One of them likely produced a brief tornado near Little Sioux, Iowa,” Chehak said. “We still need to send out a survey team to confirm everything, but we do believe there was at least one tornado.”
The same line of storms is suspected of spinning off more twisters in southwest Iowa’s Fremont County, where Clayton Long is the emergency management coordinator.
“It sounds like we had two tornadoes that touched down east of Riverton and south of Farragut,” Long said. “There were two debris clouds that were shown. We’re still trying to work through the pictures and videos coming in.”
Long said the tornado touchdowns in the county were all reported on agricultural land and there are no reports of any serious damage or injuries.
Some areas of Iowa had large hail, high winds and heavy rain. Meteorologist Rod Donavon at the National Weather Service office in Johnston said more tornadoes struck as the storms moved into central Iowa.
“We did have quite a few reports of hail across western Iowa. We had a few tornadoes across southwest Iowa into central Iowa, a couple just south of Ames and one just east of the Des Moines area as well,” Donavon said. “We had some scattered reports of damage with that.”
The forecast calls for the chance for more scattered storms over Iowa on Sunday and into Monday.
EveryStep receives grant to expand newborn hearing services
A central Iowa nonprofit received a grant to help families connect with additional testing and resources if their newborn infants fail their initial screenings for hearing.
EveryStep was awarded nearly a $500,000 grant from the Oberkotter Foundation, which supports work with deaf and hard of hearing children. The three-year grant will help Iowans who may be hard of hearing get additional tests and resources.
EveryStep Vice President of Clinical Services Molly Gosselink said many families face transportation and language barriers to get to appointments. She said it’s important that hearing loss is identified early in children.
“They are at risk for a variety of developmental delays … if they do have some type of a hearing need or hearing loss and that's not identified early on,” Gosselink said.
Gosselink said EveryStep’s plan is to start in central Iowa and eventually expand the program to be available statewide.
Board of Regents proposes fixed-tuition pilot program
The Iowa Board of Regents could move forward with a proposal to try fixed tuition at one of the state’s public universities. A board committee is recommending approval for a pilot program that would let resident students pay the same tuition for four years.
The program would start at one of the state’s universities for the 2027-2028 school year and would be optional. Students who opt in would have to pay an up-front fee.
Earlier this year, the Iowa House passed a bill to start an opt-in guaranteed tuition program, but it has not passed the Senate.
The full board will vote on the policy proposal in June.
At its meeting on Thursday, the board approved a tuition increase of 3% for the upcoming school year at Iowa’s public universities.
Ag groups oppose proposed railroad merger
The Iowa Farm Bureau is among several ag groups that have come out against a proposed merger of Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and Norfolk Southern.
The $85 billion deal has been in the works for some time, but in January the federal Surface Transportation Board rejected the initial merger application, calling it incomplete. Proponents of the deal have said the combination of UP and Norfolk Southern would create efficiencies that would be passed on to customers in the form of lower shipping costs.
John Crespi, agricultural economist at Iowa State University, said the merger would cut the number of major freight railroads in the U.S. from six to five.
“Anytime, anywhere on the supply chain you have more consolidation, farmers always get — probably rightfully so — nervous about it,” Crespi said.
Brent Johnson, a fifth-generation farmer and president of the Iowa Farm Bureau, doubts the cost savings will materialize for farmers like him.
“The reality of that efficiency and those dollars being saved coming back to a farmer through transportation costs and things, that's just not very likely,” Johnson said.
The CEO of UP said in a recent interview that his company will file a revised merger application by the end of April.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig are among several government officials in Iowa and across the country who are calling on the Surface Transportation Board to carefully evaluate the proposed merger.
State universities to cut majors following Board of Regents review
The Iowa Board of Regents is looking to cut 20 academic programs at the state’s public universities due to low enrollment and concerns over long-term viability. The board said classes could still be offered in those areas of study and current students will still be allowed to finish their degrees.
The board approved program closures at its meeting on Thursday, including seven at the University of Iowa and three at the University of Northern Iowa. Iowa State University has identified 10 programs to end but will push forward official recommendations for program closures at a later date.
Iowa City police name teenage suspect in weekend shooting
The Iowa City Police Department has identified a person of interest in the shooting that took place over the weekend. Damarian Marshawn Jones, 17, is being charged with five counts of attempted murder and several counts of assault causing serious and bodily injury, as well as going armed with intent.
Police Chief Dustin Liston said Jones was engaged in a fight that included up to 40 people. He was handed a gun from another individual and then fired six times at the crowd.
“We ask for your continued patience and cooperation as the investigation proceeds,” Liston said. “Together, we will ensure justice is served for the victims and their families. We are also encouraging anyone with information about the whereabouts of Damarian Marshawn Jones to come forward.”
Liston said Iowa City police received more than 150 tips related to their investigation into the incident. Police are encouraging anyone who was at the pedestrian mall the night the shooting occurred to submit tips, particularly cellphone video.
One of the five victims was shot in the head and remains in critical condition. Three of the victims are students at the University of Iowa.
USDA announces new food safety center in Des Moines metro
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced it will establish a new National Food Safety Center in Urbandale.
According to a news release, the department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will repurpose existing USDA facilities in the Des Moines suburb. The new office, named the National Food Safety Center, will become the agency’s largest office in the U.S., with approximately 200 employees.
The center is part of an overall reorganization of the USDA by Secretary Brooke Rollins. The goal is to put key functions closer to the agricultural and food production systems that FSIS regulates and supports. The agency is in charge of inspecting meat, poultry and processed egg products.
Survey finds university employees feel less free to express opinions on campus
The latest results from a free speech survey show employees at the state’s universities feel less free expressing their viewpoints on campus and online than in previous years.
Compared to 2024 survey responses, 15% more employees said they “strongly disagreed” with feeling comfortable expressing their views on social media. The share of respondents who agreed they felt comfortable expressing their views at work dropped by 10%.
The survey was conducted in 2021 and 2024 and is now done every two years.
Student results were similar to the last survey. A majority of survey takers agreed their campus supports free speech.
Air quality report gives Des Moines a ‘D’ grade
A new report gives the Des Moines area a “D” when it comes to air quality.
The American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report ranked the Des Moines area 80th in the nation for ozone pollution and 76th for particle pollution.
Kristina Hamilton, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association, said the metro area’s ranking is slightly better than last year, but the state still has many pollutants, like factory emissions and wildfire smoke.
“Iowa is a leading state for renewable energy. However, there are still coal plants in Iowa that contribute to air pollution issues,” she said.
Hamilton said pollution can lead to breathing difficulties, aggravate conditions, like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and even cause lung cancer and heart disease. Children are more susceptible to the negative impacts of air pollution, as their lungs are still developing.
How northwest Iowans are supporting immigrants living in the shadow of ICE
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids may have faded from the headlines, but not from many people’s minds. In northwest Iowa, community members are stepping up to help immigrants living with uncertainty.
Native American activist Manape LaMere has been leading protest marches against the Trump administration’s immigration policies, including a recent "No Kings" gathering. LaMere is also the co-founder the Siouxland Guardians, a grassroots organization that teaches volunteers rapid response techniques as they anticipate possible ICE activity.
“If we didn't have people trained in that, we'd never know about Renee Good or Alex Pretti. We'd never know about it because people wouldn't have known to start recording,” LaMere said.
LaMere traveled to Minneapolis during the aftermath of Renee Macklin Good's and Alex Pretti's deaths and is bringing what he learned back to Sioux City to educate others about nonviolent frontline action.
“It does build a flame in my heart,” LaMere said. “For now, I advocate that we organize and we have the right to blow whistles on them.”
The Siouxland Guardians are learning when to use warning whistles and how to interact safely with agents and track their actions. They also run a hotline to report ICE sightings and for immigrants to call if they need help.
Sen. Chuck Grassley recovering at home in Iowa after gallbladder surgery
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley said Monday that he’s recovering from surgery to remove a gallstone.
Grassley, 92, announced on social media that he underwent surgery over the weekend and is “gr8ful for the excellent care from local health care providers.” Grassley’s staff has indicated the senator is working from Iowa and is in “good spirits.”
Grassley has served in the U.S. Senate for over 44 years and won reelection to his eighth term in 2022. He’s currently the oldest member of the Senate.
Vigil held in downtown Iowa City for shooting victims
Members of the Iowa City community gathered for a vigil Monday night to lament the shooting that took place near the University of Iowa over the weekend.
People filled the pews of Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Iowa City to hear from community leaders of different religious faiths and to bring attention to the impacts of gun violence. The group then marched to the site where the shooting took place to say a prayer and have a moment of silence.
The Rev. Nora Boerner told the crowd that lament, anger and pain are all legitimate forms of prayer.
“We gather today in common grief for the epidemic of gun violence,” she said. “To be with all those who suffer from the lasting trauma from gun violence and that it leaves in their wake.”
There were five victims of the shooting that happened early Sunday morning. Three of them are still in the hospital, with one in critical condition.
Temple Hiatt, who leads the local chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, was at the vigil to offer support.
“Don't let anyone make you feel like what you experienced is something you just have to get over,” Hiatt said. “Take all the time you need, and when it’s needed, take more time.”
The Iowa City Police Department is following numerous leads and has positively identified several people of interest who may be responsible for the shooting. The police department hasn’t shared whether it has made any arrests.
Retiring Sen. Jack Whitver honored by colleagues
The Iowa Senate honored Sen. Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, Monday as he’s set to retire after about 15 years in the Legislature.
Whitver served as the Senate Majority Leader from 2018 until last fall, when he stepped down from leadership and said he wouldn’t seek reelection. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2024.
Whitver said when he first ran for the Senate in 2011, he never thought he’d be there this long. But he said he wanted to shape the future of the state for his kids and all children.
“As I step away to focus on my health, I wish this entire chamber nothing but the best,” Whitver said. “This is a special place, much give and take, and we usually end up in the right spot.”
Whitver’s fellow senators praised his leadership and said he empowered them to achieve conservative priorities and make a difference for Iowans.
Sand proposes legalizing marijuana in Iowa if elected governor
State Auditor Rob Sand, the only Democrat running for governor, has released more details about his proposal to legalize marijuana.
He said Iowans 21 and older should be able to buy legal cannabis in the state. Sand’s plan includes restrictions on advertising and THC content, and he favors banning public use of marijuana. He’s also calling for child-resistant packaging.
Sand discussed this last year during a taping of Iowa Press on Iowa PBS. He said Iowans are buying cannabis in other states, and legalizing and taxing it here would help boost state revenue.
“It’s a drug. It’s like alcohol. It can be dangerous,” Sand said. “We should regulate and tax its use rather than pretending that we want to throw everyone in prison when we’ve already got a workforce crisis anyway. That would be one of the biggest single steps that we could take towards fixing that deficit.”
Sand announced his plan on Monday, April 20, the unofficial holiday for celebrating marijuana.
Republican candidate Adam Steen wants to expand ESAs as governor
Republican candidate for governor Adam Steen wants to expand state-funded education savings accounts (ESA) to cover homeschooled students.
The state of Iowa provides about $8,000 per student to help families pay for private school tuition.
Steen, one of five Republicans running for governor, said protecting and expanding the program would be one of his key priorities if elected. He said that includes allowing homeschooled students to qualify for ESAs.
Steen said he would also ensure the state doesn’t weaken the independence of private schools.
“In a Steen administration, our independent private and Christian schools will be protected from reckless government overreach, and our students will be equipped to learn at the choosing of their parents,” he said.
Steen also criticized U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, the likely GOP primary frontrunner, for declining to debate his opponents. He said ESAs would be a good topic to debate because Feenstra recently said “every school has to make sure they take every child.”
Cedar Rapids schools sue state over $18M funding cut
The Cedar Rapids Community School District is suing the Iowa Department of Education over a decision that reduced the district’s spending authority by $18 million.
The Iowa School Budget Review Committee voted to cut the district’s spending authority following an investigation by the Iowa Department of Education.
The $18 million was special funding the district had designated to help at-risk students in the 2026-2027 fiscal years.
The School Budget Review Committee said the district didn’t have the authority to request the funding because its plans for at-risk, alternative education and dropout prevention did not meet state requirements. The district approved that plan in 2022.
Now, the district is asking a judge to reverse the committee’s decision, saying it believed it had followed state law when it approved the plan. In the lawsuit, the district says it exhausted all other options.
Trump's foreign farm worker policy criticized by both unions and 'America First' groups
Guest farm workers holding H-2A visas are more important than ever for agriculture, especially after President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. But efforts to expand the program are opposed by groups across the political spectrum.
Last year, the Trump administration changed the way H-2A wages are calculated. It split H-2A workers into two different categories based on skill, allowed employers to start charging for housing and threw out the old way of calculating H-2A wage rates.
Cutting guest worker wages will make the program more attractive to farmers and likely drive more growth. But a flood of guest workers raises issues for farm workers’ groups who are concerned with pay and for immigrant hardliners, alike.
John Miano is legal counsel for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which calls for strict immigration limits. He backs much of Trump’s MAGA agenda but does not view the H-2A visa program as “America First.”
“It provides a subsidy for employers to bypass the free market,” Miano said. “I can go for a massive pool of cheap, cheaper foreign labor that undermines Americans.”
The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which has served as a blueprint for much of the president’s domestic agenda, calls for the H-2A visa program to be phased out over the next decade or two.
At the same time, the United Farm Workers union is suing to stop the U.S. Department of Labor’s H-2A rule change, arguing that the department acted without first offering a public comment period, as required by law.
Read more from Harvest Public Media.
Iowa’s demographic trends show slow growth, a drag on the state’s economy
Iowa’s population grew by nearly 7,900 residents last year. But a new report from an Iowa-based research group found the slow pace of that growth is a drag on the state’s economic outlook.
Ben Murrey, Iowa director of Policy and Research at the Common Sense Institute, said Iowa has been struggling with the same demographic challenges for decades, including an aging population.
“More people are leaving Iowa than coming in,” he said. “We have falling birth rates and rising rates of death, which makes sense with our aging population.”
Iowa’s birth rate last year was 71% below the average birth rate between 1991 and 2019.
For the second year in a row, more people moved from Iowa than moved to the state, with a net loss of 970 in 2025. While that’s better than the long-term trend, Murrey said Iowa ranked 39th nationally in outward migration to other states.
“We don’t have the best weather here, let’s be honest. We don’t have mountains. We don’t have coastlines,” Murrey said. “When you look at the Midwestern states, Iowa’s not doing particularly well. We looked at 12 Midwestern states, including Iowa, and Iowa ranked 11th out of 12.”
The Common Sense Institute recently examined factors that might be influencing this trend and found the state struggles to keep graduates of the three public universities.
“You see Iowa producing highly educated graduates, not having enough jobs for all of them and so some of them have to leave Iowa to find work in their field,” Murrey said. “But then you hear employers say, ‘Well, we can’t find the workforce we need.’ Oftentimes what that employer needs is somebody who maybe isn’t highly educated.”
According to U.S. Census data, over 93% of Iowa residents over the age of 25 are high school graduates, and about 30.5% of them have a college degree.
Pollinators may be key to helping prairie plant diversity
A new study has found pollinators may be an important factor in supporting plant diversity.
It’s long been known that having a diverse group of plants attracts pollinators like bees, butterflies and bats. But a group of Iowa State University researchers decided to see if these important pollinators are the reason groups of diverse plants thrive.
ISU Professor of Ecology Brian Wisley said that researchers carefully set up and monitored plots of restored prairie over the course of four years. At some locations, they purposely excluded access to bees.
Wisley said he was surprised to find less seed production and fewer plant species at the bee-free plots.
“There's a lot of things that we've looked at and how to get seeds established,” he said. “I would have never thought the pollinators were important for plant diversity and plant establishment.”
The study is ongoing, and Wisley said researchers will continue to monitor the plots.
5 injured in downtown Iowa City shooting, including 3 UI students
The Iowa City Police Department is investigating a shooting that happened early Sunday morning near the University of Iowa campus. Five people were injured and taken to nearby hospitals, with one individual in critical condition.
Officers responded to reports of a large fight just before 2 a.m. at the downtown Pedestrian Mall. When officers arrived, they heard gunfire. Video footage shows people fleeing the scene.
Three of the victims are students at the University of Iowa. UI President Barbara Wilson said the university is in close communication with local law enforcement and her thoughts are with the students and their families.
No arrests have been made, although ICPD released a photo of several people of interest. Anyone with information is encouraged to call 319-356-5275.