Sheila Brummer

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Iowa Public Radio

Republican Brad Sherman submitted paperwork Monday to get on the primary election ballot ahead of the March 13 filing deadline. He’s one of five Republicans who have been campaigning for governor.

Sherman said what sets him apart from other GOP candidates is his broad range of work experience — including as a pastor, real estate developer and one-term state representative — along with his grassroots political activism.

He also highlighted that he was the first Republican candidate to get in the governor’s race, and that was before Gov. Kim Reynolds said she wouldn’t run for reelection.

Sherman said he’s been to all 99 counties and that his team has far surpassed the signature requirements to get on the primary ballot.

“We feel like we have some momentum, and we’re out there in the grassroots, working hard,” he said. “We’re just having a blast, falling in love with Iowa all over again.”

In the coming weeks, the state objection panel will determine if candidates submitted enough legitimate signatures to qualify for a spot on the 2026 ballot. The primary is scheduled for June 2.

A sled hockey player from Iowa will compete for his fourth gold medal at the Paralympic Winter Games in Italy this week.

Kevin McKee, from Davenport, was born with a rare spinal condition and has used a wheelchair his entire life. He started playing sled hockey when he was about 10 years old, and now at 37, he’s a three-time gold medalist.

McKee played on the American team in 2014, 2018 and 2022 when they won gold at the Winter Paralympics. Speaking on IPR’s Talk of Iowa, he said the team hopes to come out on top again this year, especially after the American women’s and men’s hockey teams won gold last month.
“There’s a little bit of pressure, but I think it’ll be good,” he said. “Because I don’t think our team’s had that kind of pressure over the last four years. I mean, we’ve been pretty dominant at the world level.” 

McKee said he feels fortunate to be on the 2026 Paralympic team. He had emergency surgery on a broken femur in October after breaking it in practice in the Czech Republic. 

Marshalltown police have made an arrest in a weekend shooting that left one person dead and three others wounded.

When officers arrived on the scene early Sunday morning, they found two victims who had been shot. They said the suspect had fled on foot.

The victims were then taken to UnityPoint hospital for treatment, where one died from their injuries. A short time after the original two victims arrived at the hospital, two more gunshot victims were admitted.

The Marshalltown Police Department announced Monday morning that they arrested Allen James Hart, 29, of Mount Pleasant. Hart has been charged with three crimes, including intimidation with a dangerous weapon with intent.

The names of the victims have not been released. The three injured victims have been released from the hospital.

Natalie Krebs

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Iowa Public Radio

State Rep. Josh Turek, one of two Iowa Democrats running for the U.S. Senate, has released a checklist of over 70 policies he would push for if elected.

At campaign events over the weekend in Cedar Rapids, Sioux City and Orange City, Turek said he wants to raise the minimum wage, crack down on corporate monopolies and address pharmacy benefit managers, which he said are inflating the cost of medications.

He’s also proposing a five-year moratorium that would prevent Wall Street investment firms from buying single-family homes.

“We have a massive problem with affordable housing. The average age of a first-time homebuyer in this country now is 41 years old,” Turek said. “Far too many homes are being bought up right now by Wall Street private equity and it’s impossible for us in the middle class to compete with these large Wall Street firms.”

Turek said there should be limits on private equity firms owning nursing homes and health care clinics, as well. He said he would also support legislation that would ban insurance companies from denying care that is prescribed by a doctor.

Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst announced last fall that she would not seek a third term. Turek and State Sen. Zach Wahls are competing for the Iowa Democratic Party’s 2026 U.S. Senate nomination. The primary is scheduled for June 2.

Courtesy of University of Iowa College of Education

Eating disorders are among the most prevalent and dangerous mental health concerns for Iowa teenagers, and specialized treatment options in the state are limited.

The University of Iowa’s Scanlan Center for School Mental Health is now offering treatment for eating disorders to Iowa students 12 and older, as well as for parents and school staff.

Taylor Ford, assistant director of clinical services and crisis response, said an eating disorder is an unhealthy relationship with food that’s far beyond dieting — and it can be life-threatening.

“Severe eating disorders can be difficult to overcome,” Ford said. “But I think the key point is that recovery from any type of eating disorder is absolutely possible if you have the right support and treatment.”

Treatment could involve several experts, including a therapist, a psychiatrist, a physician and a dietician, and the process may take six months or several years.

Ford said there’s a misperception that eating disorders primarily impact girls and young women.

“Eating disorders can affect anyone from any background,” she said. “We see individuals that are struggling with eating disorders across all genders, ages, races and body sizes.”

About 9% of all Americans will have an eating disorder at some point in their lives, which is about 291,000 Iowans, according to Ford. But she said large numbers go undiagnosed.

While many people have heard of anorexia and bulimia, Ford said binge eating disorder is actually the most common form. Early identification and intervention are key to saving lives and improving outcomes, and she said there may be warning signs.

“Sometimes, you’ll see extreme rigidity around eating and food, an obsession with exercise and then distress if not able to exercise, increased anxiety around mealtimes,” Ford said. “Sometimes individuals who are struggling will avoid social events that involve food or just kind of socially isolate in general, and then it’s pretty common to see shifts in moods.”

The UI’s Scanlan Center also provides statewide mental health services for K-12 students.

Iowa’s congressional delegation has expressed support for President Donald Trump’s attack on Iran, citing the country’s nuclear program and its treatment of Iranian protesters.

Sen. Joni Ernst said Trump is “standing up for American lives that have been taken … by the Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies.” Ernst, who is a combat veteran, said the president’s decision to strike Iran will bring about peace and stability to the Middle East and the world.

Sen. Chuck Grassley said Trump gave Iran “plenty of time” to negotiate and “regime change is badly needed.” He added that the U.S. cannot allow “unpredictable leadership in Iran” to have a nuclear bomb.

Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District Rep. Zach Nunn said he does not take military action lightly, especially as a combat veteran. He said Iran has “slaughtered thousands of Iranians who bravely stood up against the regime” and the future of the country “rests in the hands of the Iranian people.”

First District Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who served as a nurse in the Army, said for decades that Iran “sponsored terrorism” and threatened to “obliterate” the U.S. She said the world “cannot allow a nuclear-armed Iran,” but she also said the U.S. “cannot rush blindly into another endless conflict.” She said she’s looking forward to “a full briefing on what comes next.”

Iowa’s 4th District Rep. Randy Feenstra, who’s running for governor, called Iran’s nuclear ambitions “dangerous” and agreed with Trump that “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, and this operation works to prevent that from happening.”

Second District Rep. Ashley Hinson, who’s running for the U.S. Senate, said Iran has been run by tyrants and the operation “makes clear that the U.S. will not sit down while Iran threatens our troops, our allies — including Israel — or our homeland.”

Between firings, resignations and paid leave agreements, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has lost 27% of its staff since late 2024.

Kansas Farmers Union Executive Director Nick Levendofsky said as a result of the staffing losses, farmers are waiting longer for help when applying for financial assistance or special project funds.
“These are jobs that not anybody can just do,” he said. “These are folks that have a lot of knowledge and experience that they've gained, not just from wherever they went to university, but also from being in the field and doing this kind of work for many, many years in a lot of cases. So, it's that institutional knowledge that we're losing.”

Levendofsky said there have already been staffing shortages at the USDA for years, and more farmers will need resources as they face low prices and high input costs.

Read more from Harvest Public Media.

Courtesy of Practical Farmers of Iowa

Corn growers in the Midwest are testing whether they can use less fertilizer and still maintain yields or improve their bottom line through on-farm research trials. It’s part of an ongoing project led by Practical Farmers of Iowa that’s designed for producers who use cover crops, no-till and other practices to boost soil health.

Participating farmers apply their typical nitrogen fertilizer rate and a reduced rate in randomized strips in their fields. They then share data with Practical Farmers of Iowa to compare yields, costs and profits.

Kevin Prevo, who grows crops and raises livestock in Davis County, said this will be his fourth year participating in the research trials.

“As far as manure rates, we have seen we’re able to lower those rates. It seems like we can lower them and not really hurt yield,” he explained.

Prevo said he appreciates learning from other farmers through the nitrogen rate research trials.

A Practical Farmers of Iowa coordinator said enrollment in the program will likely stay open until early April. Farmers who participate receive compensation.

Read more.

The Board of Regents instructed the University of Iowa to move forward with disciplinary proceedings against one of its employees after videos surfaced of alleged violations of diversity, equity and inclusion policies. 

The board’s recommendation follows a review conducted by prominent conservative law firm Consovoy McCarthy. The review suggested dismissing a complaint against one employee and ordering disciplinary proceedings against another. Last year, undercover videos showed two employees discussing the university’s compliance with state DEI laws.

Board President Robert Cramer said the board’s actions are not about politics.

“I want to be clear, this review was not about personal viewpoints or differing opinions. This is about compliance with the law,” he said. “The Board of Regents and its institutions will comply with the law, period.” 

Cramer did not say whether the employee who will be disciplined is one of the people seen in the videos from last year. He also did not say how the employee would be disciplined. 

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will host public meetings across the state next week to provide a recap of the hunting and trapping seasons.

The meetings are also an opportunity to discuss possible changes to rules and regulations and collect feedback. DNR staff will present proposed changes to the Natural Resource Commission during a regular public meeting, which will offer another opportunity for public comment.

The DNR said comments received in previous years have resulted in expanding the raccoon hunting and trapping season on private land and modifying Iowa’s antlerless deer quotas in north central and western Iowa.

Meeting times and locations are available on the DNR’s website.

Rachel Cramer

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Iowa Public Radio

Even though a plan to support E15 fuel has stalled in Congress, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is still hopeful a deal will come through to help corn producers.

Naig said he’s frustrated that approval for the year-round use of fuel containing 15% ethanol hasn’t been passed. But he said there is a continued effort to push a plan through Congress.

In addition to corn producers benefiting from expanded E15 availability, drivers would see savings at the pump since E15 is 10 to 15 cents cheaper per gallon than E10 fuel.

“Wouldn't it be nice, in an era where we're legitimately concerned about affordability, to let every American benefit from that ability to save money at the pump?” Naig said. “I just think there's so many reasons for this to get done. That is what our focus needs to be.”

A snowstorm that hit Washington, D.C., recently delayed legislative action, according to Naig, but lawmakers also missed two self-imposed deadlines to make sure the ethanol-based fuel would be available this summer.

About one-third of the corn grown in the U.S. is used to make ethanol. However, federal air quality rules still block year-round E15 sales in many parts of the country.

Rachel Cramer

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Iowa Public Radio

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is hoping to expand a program that he said has succeeded in promoting Iowa ag-based products.

Since Choose Iowa started nearly three years ago, Naig said more than 330 members have signed up.

“The majority of Iowans say that they will go out of their way to buy Iowa grown, made and raised products,” he said. “So, we know the demand's there. We know there's interest on the part of the producers. We think this is absolutely poised to continue to grow.”

Each year, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship awards $1.5 million in grants to help local farmers and businesses. This year, Naig is asking the Legislature for an extra $300,000 to expand staffing for the Choose Iowa program.

The Iowa Board of Regents is revisiting proposed tuition increases of 3% for the next academic year at the state’s three public universities. The board’s decision to continue discussions is in part due to one regent's concern about the board’s process after she was left out of the loop.

Regent Christine Hensley said she doesn’t think the process of determining the rates has been inclusive so far, since she found out about the proposals through the media. She said a committee should sit down and have more discussion about the rates ahead of the board's April deadline.

“I'm not saying I wouldn’t support something, but the process that we have gone through, and not including every single board member here, is problematic,” Hensley said. “I think that there will be some other opportunities. We don’t have to take a final reading until April 30.”

Board President Robert Cramer said the rates were determined in part by the current Higher Education Price Index rate of 3.67% and the amount of revenue that schools distribute in financial aid.

Other regents also raised concerns about affordability and possible tuition freezes that could be mandated by the state Legislature.

Katarina Sostaric

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Iowa Public Radio

Gov. Kim Reynolds defended her use of Iowa State Patrol airplanes for some official travel after it was reported she was using a state-owned plane that was purchased with federal COVID-19 funds. The governor’s use of a state plane is a reversal from her predecessor’s practice.

Reynolds said the head of the Iowa Department of Public Safety suggested buying a larger aircraft for law enforcement purposes, and that the department decides which plane she can use.

Reynolds said flying across the state and having shorter travel times helps her get more done.  

“I’m not going to be hesitant in using it, because I think it’s the right thing to do,” she said. “But when you look at the 2025 hours flown, I was less than 3% of that. So, I’m not using it every other day. We’re using it sparingly.”

She said she has only used state patrol planes for official business and hasn’t brought people who aren’t state employees on those flights.

The prices at many Iowa gas stations have gone up at least 10 cents a gallon in the past week as tensions rise in the Persian Gulf about a possible war between the U.S. and Iran.

Brian Ortner, with AAA, said pump prices may be reflecting various world events.

“We’re seeing little influxes of that nationwide,” Ortner said. “Obviously, time of year and demand is fueling some of that. We look at the markets as well … the cost of crude oil has a direct impact on the cost of fuel.”

The current national average for gas is $2.98 a gallon, which is 35 cents higher than in Iowa. AAA said the current statewide average gas price is $2.63 a gallon. A week ago, the average was $2.50, and a year ago, the Iowa average was $2.95.

University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook said a student who died unexpectedly earlier this month loved the school and meaningfully impacted the lives of the people around him. Freshman football player Parker Sutherland suffered a medical emergency during a morning practice and died two days later on Feb. 14.

Nook told the Board of Regents he heard from Sutherland's friends and family during a celebration of life held in Iowa City, where Sutherland went to high school.

“What impressed me so much about that particular gathering, and why I want to share it with you, is that it was a day of gratitude,” Nook said. “What they talked about, his father in particular, was the gratitude that he had for our campus, that Parker loved this institution and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.” 

Nook added that members of the UNI football team talked about the impact Sutherland made on their lives, even just one semester into knowing him. Nook said he thinks building connections and communities are the most important things that college campuses do. 

Ernst Senate Office

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst is celebrating the potential sale of a federal government building in Washington, D.C. She joined Trump administration officials at a news conference Wednesday to announce a U.S. Department of Agriculture office building that opened in 1936 is being put on the market.

“Even after President Trump’s ‘Return to Work’ order, which was right at the beginning of this administration, and the USDA doubling down on the number of employees in the office, nearly two-thirds of this space is still unused,” Ernst said. “Now, folks, it will officially be for sale.”

Ernst previously criticized former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, the former governor of Iowa, for the agency’s remote work policies. She praised Brooke Rollins, current USDA secretary, for ensuring “taxpayer dollars and space are being used wisely.”

For the past three years, Ernst has been calling on federal employees to return to in-person work in federally owned facilities and for unused office space to be sold.

“We have one federal government building down, with $1.6 billion in repairs and millions a year in operating expenses saved,” Ernst said. “We’ve got many, many more of these unused federal buildings yet to go.”

Last May, the agency that manages federal buildings announced over 400 properties around the country would be sold, but a day later the list was removed from the agency’s website.

The USDA’s South Building in Washington was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. It was the world’s largest office building for seven years until the Pentagon was completed.

The building’s sale is part of Rollins’ reorganization plan for the USDA, which includes relocating staff from Washington to locations in Colorado, Utah and North Carolina, as well as Kansas City and Indianapolis.

State officials confirmed that bird flu has been detected in two multi-species backyard flocks in southeast Iowa. The announcement marks the state’s third and fourth detections of bird flu this year.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship reported roughly 85 birds were at the site in Keokuk County and around 45 were in the Van Buren County flock.

The National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames confirms all cases. Since the initial outbreak in 2022, over 30 million domestic birds in Iowa have been affected by the H5N1 virus, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The University of Iowa is planning to discontinue seven programs to align with Board of Regents directives on workforce alignment. The programs include undergraduate majors in African American Studies and Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies — both of which have low enrollment. 

University Provost Kevin Kregel said his office considered several factors besides enrollment in making its recommendations.

“For example: licensure and accreditation requirements for these programs, the program’s role in specific areas of study that are important, available faculty resources and then recency of the program in terms of its establishment,” he said.

There will still be courses and minors offered in some of the programs that have strong student interest, Kregel said.

Provosts at Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa said they also plan to propose program closures to the Board of Regents when they meet in April. 

The Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa has delayed offering courses until next month due, in part, to low enrollment in January. 

Regent Christine Hensley said the center’s leadership was too focused on creating its bylaws and holding its inaugural event that it didn’t meet its recruitment goals. She said the center has since hired a social and digital marketing firm to get the word out.

The Daily Iowan reported in early February that the two classes had less than 20% of anticipated enrollment. 

Hope Metcalf, a professor at the University of Iowa’s College of Law, told the Board of Regents that student perception may be a reason for the low enrollment. 

“I fear that, regardless of what the intentions are, which I really do believe are honorable —  and I do think a center like this could have a wonderful role to play at a public university — I fear that we’re way behind on bridging trust with students,” she said. “I expect that may well be a reason why you see low enrollment rates.” 

Metcalf attended the center’s inaugural event held in December and said she was struck by a “remarkable lack of intellectual diversity among the panelists.” The panel included Gov. Kim Reynolds, conservative activist Christopher Rufo and current and former members of the Trump administration. 

House Democrats have issued a report blaming Republican leaders for not properly investigating the state court system’s misallocation of about $25 million.

Their report follows a Republican report that criticized the judicial branch for concealing the problem and Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand for not quickly investigating it.

The Democrats’ report said the computer programming errors that wrongly distributed court debt collections is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. But Rep. Larry McBurney, D-Urbandale, said Republicans have engaged in “political theater” and have “repeatedly chosen to assign blame to political opponents.”

The report also stated that Republican officials should’ve noticed the problem sooner and should’ve been questioned by the House Oversight Committee.

Coralville city council members have voted 3-1 to end the city’s contract for automated license plate readers, a controversial law enforcement tool that uses AI to capture the license plate and model of passing cars. It comes as several other communities throughout the state are considering renewing their contracts with ALPR vendors or signing new ones.

Council members signed a two-year, $36,000 contract with Flock Safety, which operates the cameras, last year.

Council member Huy Huynh said there has been broad community opposition to the city’s contract with Flock Safety.

“I can honestly say that in my mailbox, in my text messages, in my conversations with community members, that there has been some support. But the number of supporters for Flock: minute, compared to the number that is against it,” she said.

Dan Wohlers, a Coralville resident, spoke during a public comment period.

“By choosing to move away from the Flock system tonight, you are showing that you’ve truly heard us,” Wohlers said. “Throughout this process, we’ve discussed the complexities of this technology, the concerns over data privacy, the importance of strict policy guardrails and the need for local control over our residents’ information.”

City Administrator Kelly Hayworth said Flock will remove the cameras within days but did not provide a specific number.

Nearby, city officials in Iowa City ended a temporary right-of-use agreement with the University of Iowa earlier this month that allowed ALPRs operated by the university to be placed on city property. All those cameras have been removed.

Farmers are closely watching how President Donald Trump’s latest tariffs unfold and whether they affect trade deals struck over the last year.

Aaron Lehman, president of the Iowa Farmers Union, said the administration’s approach has been detrimental for farmers and will have long-lasting effects on U.S. agriculture.

“We’re using the wrong tools at the wrong time," Lehman said. "Tariffs can be a good tool, but using them like this, it’s kind of like using a hammer to fix a lightbulb.”

Lehman said that chaos doesn’t get the U.S. closer to fair trade and that Congress needs to provide more oversight.

On Friday, the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s use of an emergency law to impose sweeping import taxes.

The American Farm Bureau Federation and the American Soybean Association quickly called on the president to refrain from tariffs “using other authorities,” saying farmers need stable markets.

But soon after the Supreme Court decision, Trump used another law to announce new global tariffs. The farm groups said they would further increase costs for farmers.

Lehman said Congress needs to reset the country’s trade policy.

“For too long, Congress has let the administration go without providing the oversight that’s needed. And as a result, we’ve had a chaotic trade policy,” he said.

Read more from Rachel Cramer.

The American Gothic House Center in Eldon, which sits beside the tiny home that inspired Grant Wood’s famous painting, will see a major expansion with a $412,000 federal grant.

Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, touted the southeast Iowa landmark as a “mandatory stop” for anyone traveling through the state and says he’s thrilled to have played a role in landing the money for the addition.

Nunn said he pushed for the investment in Eldon, which outshined hundreds of thousands of other communities to get the funding through the USDA’s Rural Development program.

The facility will be adding an educational learning center that will be able to host up to 100 learners of all ages. Center administrator Cari Nicely outlined her vision for the expansion.

“I think it’s an important place for the community to be able to come together and feel safe to send their kids there for programs,” Nicely said. “Recently, I was asked, ‘Where do you go in Eldon to meet the locals and to really find out about the people?’ I want that to be the sentiment in this new classroom.”

Nicely hopes the new addition will be open by the 2027 tourist season.

Republicans on the House Government Oversight Committee are calling for an independent audit of the state court system’s misallocation of about $25 million.

Computer programming errors sent court debt collections to the wrong state fund for years. The committee’s report criticizes the judicial branch for concealing the problem and Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand for not quickly investigating the issue.

Rep. Charley Thomson, R-Charles City, wrote the report. He said the judicial branch can’t be trusted to handle court debt collection and should outsource that function.

“When the judicial branch discovered a massive problem with public funds, they made a choice,” Thomson said. “They chose silence over transparency. They chose consultants who couldn’t audit over auditors who could. They chose three years of quiet fumbling over one honest phone call to this Legislature.”

A spokesperson for the Iowa court system says the judicial branch takes full responsibility for the misallocation and is committed to improving court debt distribution.

Kansas might adopt a hotly debated pesticide labeling law.

“The bill ensures our Kansas farmers and ranchers will continue to have access to affordable crop protection products without fear of frivolous lawsuits,” said Rep. Angel Roeser, R-Manhattan, Kansas.

But Democrats say the bill is designed to block people from suing chemical makers for not disclosing health risks.

Modern Ag Alliance is lobbying for the bill. It was founded by Bayer, which has lost billions of dollars over cancer claims related to Roundup weedkiller.

The Kansas Sierra Club says versions of the bill have popped up in a dozen states including Missouri and Iowa. North Dakota and Georgia have passed it.

The Kansas House bill passed and is now in the Senate.

Millions of federal dollars are heading to the Army’s Rock Island Arsenal in the Quad Cities.

The arsenal will receive over $80 million to continue manufacturing one of the military's new wheeled-vehicles. Another $35 million will go toward other projects.

Sen. Chuck Grassley said the new funding package, announced last week, marks a big change from a year ago when the Army was considering scaling back work at Rock Island.

“What Congress, through the appropriators, have done at the Rock Island Arsenal enhances its importance to national defense and in turn enhances the economy of the Quad City area,” Grassley said.

He said maintaining operations at Rock Island Arsenal has been a bipartisan issue, highlighting cooperation between Iowa and Illinois. The Rock Island facility was designated an Army Arsenal in the 1880s.

Sen. Chuck Grassley expects President Donald Trump will address the U.S. military buildup in the Middle East in his State of the Union address Tuesday evening.

The military has moved ships and aircraft into Europe and the Gulf region in advance of a possible strike on Iran.

Grassley believes the president will clarify the administration’s position on Iran during his speech tonight.

“I think he could emphasize that Iran has a real possibility of having some good faith negotiations and at least stop what they're doing to enrich uranium for warfare,” Grassley said.

The New York Times reports there are four American aircraft carrier strike groups either in the Middle East or approaching it. Grassley says he hopes Trump will focus on negotiations.

Madeleine Charis King

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Iowa Public Radio

Sen. Dave Rowley, R-Spirit Lake, said he has been diagnosed with tonsil cancer and will be undergoing treatment over the next several weeks. Rowley said tonsil cancer “is treatable and curable” and he’ll “be fighting this with everything I have.”

Rowley expects to be back at work in the Statehouse later this spring and has filed the paperwork to run for reelection in November.

Sen. Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, has been undergoing treatment for a brain tumor since 2024 and just last month Sen. Catelin Drey, D-Sioux City, announced she’s undergoing treatment for stage one uterine cancer. Drey was elected last fall and filled a vacancy in the Senate created when Sen. Rocky DeWitt, R-Lawton, died of pancreatic cancer in June.

Of the $12 billion promised for the Farmer Bridge Assistance program, only $1 billion will go to growers of more than a hundred fruit, vegetable and nut crops.

USDA has not released how much individual growers can expect, but it won't be enough, according to industry leaders like Tamas Houlihan from the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association.

He said growers are struggling with the same costs hitting corn and soybean farmers. Processors are also cutting back crop purchases due to their own economic pressures.

"There are a lot of scared growers as we head into this planting season, and again, with some of these contracts, the growers don't even know how much to plant," Houlihan said.

The specialty crop industry is asking Congress for an additional $5 billion in aid.

Alyssa Houtby from the North American Blueberry Council said growers have been hit by a spike in the cost of labor, on top of the same costs hitting corn and soybean farmers.

"Your input costs are increasing faster than your sales prices,” Houtby said. “And that's what we've found in not just blueberries, but I would say in a lot of commodities."

She said a recent freeze affecting fruit growers in southern states could push Congress to provide more aid.

The University of Iowa is asking the Legislature for nearly $4 million to boost the number of physicians in rural areas. The plan includes scholarships for medical students who want to practice in rural parts of the state.

The university wants to build a network of rural physicians so they can place more students in residencies and training programs in rural areas.

UI President Barbara Wilson said the university wants to increase the “stickiness” of their medical students. She said where students do their residency is the number one predictor of whether they’ll stay to practice.

“It's not where they came from, it's not where they went to medical school, it's where is their residency,” Wilson said. “So residencies are costly, but they ensure that once you dig in for two or three years of a residency, all of a sudden you're going to love that community and you want to stay.”

The college also wants to double the number of student physicians on their “rural medicine” track over the next four years.

Iowa State University is asking state lawmakers for $3 million to develop more farm technology. More than half of the money would go towards an experiment station for digital and precision agriculture technologies — for both crops and livestock.

The rest would go towards training farmers on the new tech through the college’s extension services. The money would also go towards AI training for 4H programs.

David Spalding, interim president at Iowa State, said the programs are aimed at helping farmers who are struggling.

“We all know the pressure the farmers are under across our state. Input costs are rising. The costs they’re receiving for their crops is not, it is depressed,” Spalding said. “And that’s putting a lot of pressure on the farmers on our state.”

Spalding says the university is experimenting with sprayers that can recognize different plants and precisely administer pesticides.

Iowa State is also asking for $600,000 to support its vet labs.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority Board recently approved the first awards for the state’s new Business Incentives for Growth, or BIG, program.

Department of Economic Development spokesperson Kanan Kappelman said projects from Bettendorf, Bondurant, Hiawatha, Vinton and Waverly are getting awards.

“In total, the awards for these five companies will assist in the creation of 536 jobs and will result in close to $270 million in new capital investment for the state,” Kappelman said.

Arconic, one of the companies, is going to build a new aluminum casting complex at its Davenport Works facility in Bettendorf, increasing its capacity to process and recycle aluminum into ingots used to make sheet and plate products. The $131 million capital investment is expected to create 40 jobs.

Vermeer Corp. plans to build a new production facility in Bondurant. Vermeer is based in Pella and makes agricultural and industrial equipment and plans to develop a 300,000 square foot production facility in Bondurant. The nearly $103 million capital investment is expected to create 182 jobs.

CCB Packaging in Hiawatha plans to add an automated production line for packaging it provides to food and pharmaceutical companies. The $13 million capital investment is expected to create nine jobs.

Kappelman said many of the new jobs in the program will be paying top dollar. That includes Arconic, which is set to create 40 jobs with a qualifying wage of $28.46 per hour. Sixty-two of the jobs Vermeer is looking to create will have a qualifying wage of $35.11 an hour.

The University of Iowa’s Museum of Natural History will be a featured waypoint next month on a historic cross-country journey celebrating the American bison.

Jessica Smith, spokeswoman for the UI’s Pentacrest Museums, said it’ll be the only Iowa stop for a unique shipment celebrating the national mammal.

“The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History has commissioned three, larger-than-life bronze bison sculptures,” Smith said. “They are going to be picked up on a truck with an open bed in Colorado and begin a great American bison road trip from Colorado all the way to the National Mall in D.C., where they will be installed permanently.”

Bison are being recognized in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and Iowa City was picked as one of the rest stops, given the many connections with the wooly beasts.

“Here at the University of Iowa and in the state of Iowa, we have some of the most impressive research and archaeological dig sites that really help us to understand the history of the bison and their connection with Iowa’s first peoples,” Smith said. “And in the galleries themselves, we have a few spots that are dedicated to bison.”

The truck and the sculptures will be parked beside the museum on March 15, offering a rare opportunity to see the bronze bison up close before they continue their trek to Washington, D.C., and the National Mall.

At the museum, visitors are invited to a special bison-focused program featuring short talks and up-close experiences. The day’s events are free and open to the public.

During a visit to the Iowa Beef Expo this weekend, Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra repeated his promise to make Iowa “the most ag-friendly state in the country” if he’s elected governor.

Feenstra said he’ll start showing details of his own policy proposals for the state government soon.

“We’ll roll out more specific ideas,” Feenstra said. “…That’ll come out here in the next several months.”

Feenstra told Radio Iowa that as governor he would sign a bill to shield the makers of Roundup from lawsuits over the product’s safety if the label follows EPA guidelines.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order last week that seeks to provide some legal immunity to Bayer — Roundup’s manufacturer — under the Defense Production Act and to ensure an adequate U.S. supply of Roundup’s main ingredient, glyphosate. That’s sparked criticism from the Make American Healthy Again movement within the president’s Make America Great Again coalition.

Feenstra, who will remain a member of the U.S. House for the rest of the year, also responded to Trump’s latest plan to impose 15% tariffs globally.

“I just believe that Congress has to work with President Trump to hold countries accountable, but also make sure we that have more markets for our beef, soybeans, corn and things like that,” Feenstra said. “I sit on Ways and Means, I also sit on Agriculture — the only person who sits on both, and we understand how important it is not to get checks, but to get more open markets. We want more markets for our commodities.”

The DNR is warning anglers of deteriorating ice conditions in northern Iowa, even with more seasonal temperatures in mid-February.

A spokesperson says the nightly lows have not been low enough to reset the ice.

Last week, a UTV broke through the ice on East Okoboji Lake and a pickup truck and ice fishing shelter broke through on West Okoboji.

No one was injured.

The DNR said anyone planning to go ice fishing should take great caution and do so on foot with a spud bar to check ice thickness. The agency said anglers should also take a throwable flotation cushion with at least 50 feet of rope.

Several University of Iowa alumni said they feel “profound alarm” about the possibility of the Board of Regents ending the university’s majors in gender, women's and sexuality studies as well as African American studies.

Many alumni said closing the programs would undermine the tradition of public universities offering classes in a wide range of disciplines. In a letter, they accused the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the university president, Iowa's governor and the Board of Regents of attacking intellectual and professional freedom.

The letter comes after a statement from the university saying it’s conducting a review of over a dozen undergraduate majors with low enrollment. The university said it’s to make sure the majors align with workforce needs. Just 23 current students have declared a major in gender, women’s and sexuality studies.

The board is set to hear an update on low enrollment and workforce alignment efforts at its meeting later this week. They’re expected to make a decision about ending the programs at its meeting in April.

One person died early Sunday when a snowmobile overturned into a western Iowa creek.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said it was notified at around 12:15 a.m. about the accident that occurred along Highway 191, south of Portsmouth.

When rescue crews and law enforcement arrived at the scene, they found a snowmobile and rider submerged in a creek.

The rider, identified as 64-year-old Scott Gau of Portsmouth, was removed from the icy water and pronounced deceased.

His body was transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny, where an autopsy will be conducted.

State health officials continue to report high levels of the flu and RSV in Iowa.

Janae Brown, a nurse practitioner at UnityPoint, said emergency rooms in the Des Moines area continue to see high numbers of people with respiratory virus symptoms.

“If you're having symptoms of the flu or RSV or COVID, go to your urgent care, go to your primary care provider,” Brown said. “You know, save the ER for chest pain, weakness on one side, loss of vision, severe abdominal pain.”

Brown said people who are sick should stay home and away from others, especially those who are at risk for getting severely ill, like infants and elderly people.

Brown said it’s still not too late to get a flu shot, as respiratory virus activity can linger until summer. According to state data, 30% of Iowans have received a flu shot so far this season.

The search firm Des Moines Public Schools used to hire former Superintendent Ian Roberts is suing the district for defamation. The Des Moines Register reports JG Consulting filed the countersuit earlier this week.

JG Consulting claims it upheld its end of the agreement with the district, which didn’t require confirming the immigration or work status of candidates.

The company said it was legally prohibited from checking immigration and work-authorization information since Roberts wasn’t an employee of the JG Consulting. The firm said verifying that information was the district’s responsibility.

JG Consulting also said the district still made the decision to hire Roberts despite being informed of resume inconsistencies and a firearms charge.

Roberts was detained by ICE in September 2025. The federal government said he was issued a removal order in 2024 and wasn’t authorized to work in the country.

The school district filed a lawsuit against the firm in October. The consulting company claims the district harmed its reputation with statements they made placing fault on the company.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled President Donald Trump exceeded his authority when he imposed tariffs on trading partners, using a 1977 law that allows the president to regulate commerce after declaring a national emergency.

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley said he agrees the president doesn’t have such authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, but that there’s some important points not addressed in the 6-3 decision.

“It happens that the Supreme Court's decision was very silent on whether refunds will need to be issued for tariffs that President Trump has already levied,” Grassley said. "It also didn't address whether the president has authority under other statutory provisions to impose tariffs.”

Grassley said it doesn’t mean Trump can’t use other means to impose tariffs without going through Congress.

“There's enough experience of all kinds of presidents, Republican, Democrat, using the 63 and 74 laws that people in Congress haven't questioned very often,” Grassley said.

In 1963, President Lyndon Johnson used the Trade Expansion Act to impose tariffs on European countries in a dispute over U.S. poultry exports. The Trade Act of 1974 grants the president authority to respond to unfair foreign trade practices.

Grassley said he’d like to see Congress reestablish some of its power to regulate commerce.

In a news conference where he harshly criticized the decision, Trump announced he’ll reimpose a global 10% tariff. Trump also said he doesn’t have to work with Congress to re-impose the tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court.

This legislative session, Gov. Kim Reynolds proposed a tax reform plan she said will save Iowans $3 billion over six years.

However, Mark Nelson, the chairman of the Woodbury County Supervisors is pushing back on a state tax cut plan. He said counties already deal with unfunded state mandates, making it harder to balance budgets without cutting services.

“I don't think anybody wants to pay more for taxes, but that should also be for folks in their communities to decide, because it's not a one-size-fits-all,” Nelson said. “There are certain things that come up that we have to respond to, and caps do not allow you to do that.”

The Republican said he’s also concerned about the loss of local control in government.

“If we continue to take rights and responsibilities away from townships to city councils to county boards to school boards, and it all goes to Des Moines, then none of us are gonna have a voice, none of us are going to have an avenue to actually enact change.”

Nelson said lawmakers who back the governor’s plan accuse critics of wanting to “tax and spend.” He said that’s not true.

The 2% cap does not include property taxes for schools or debt levies.

Federal aid continues to flow into western Iowa communities affected by major disasters in 2024.

FEMA announced approval for about $9.5 million to the City of Rock Valley and the local school district after historic flooding.

However, homeowners in Rock Valley and several other communities are still waiting for buyouts for almost 270 properties.

FEMA also awarded $1.5 million to Minden to restore damaged utilities. A tornado tore through the town located about 30 miles northeast of Omaha.

FEMA didn’t mention if other Iowa communities received funding. The agency said it's continuing to review additional projects and will give out money on a rolling basis as eligibility is confirmed.

Former Iowa First Lady Billie Ray has died at the age of 97.

Billie Lee Hornberger met former Iowa Gov. Robert D. Ray when the two were students at Des Moines Roosevelt High School. They married in 1951 and both graduated from Drake University. It was Drake that announced Billie Ray died peacefully on Wednesday morning.

Billie Ray became Iowa’s first lady when her husband was first elected governor in 1968. She was instrumental in the restoration of Terrace Hill after it was donated to the state in 1971 and led fundraising as the three-story Victorian Era house was converted into the governor’s mansion. The Rays moved into the historic home in 1976.

Former Gov. Robert D. Ray died in 2018 at the age of 89. Billie Ray is survived by her three daughters, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

A winter storm system is predicted across Iowa Thursday afternoon, Thursday evening and early Friday, dropping up to 6 inches of snow.

National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Lee said it’s thought the heaviest snow will run in a corridor roughly from Council Bluffs to Des Moines to Dubuque.

Lee is urging all Iowans to keep a close eye on the changing forecast, as travel could become hazardous later today and tonight.

“Within the heaviest band of snow, amounts of two to five inches will be common, and there may even be a narrow strip of 6 inches or more,” Lee said. “Again, that would be over a relatively small area, but it is quite possible.”

The winter weather comes after record warmth earlier in the week where many parts of the state saw high temperatures in the 50s, 60s and even low 70s. Lee said this shift back to more seasonal weather means this snow will likely stick around.

“The next several days from Friday through Monday, we’ll struggle to get above freezing during the day, which is actually only a little bit below normal, but it’ll feel much worse because we’ve been so spoiled,” Lee said.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union is condemning Whirlpool Corporation’s latest layoff announcement for the Amana facility.

The union statement said the layoffs on March 9 will impact nearly 400 workers at the facility, which produces refrigerators under the Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag and Amana brands. The union said Whirlpool’s decision continues a pattern of corporate abandonment, after the company laid off 250 workers in Amana last year. It said while Whirlpool cuts jobs in Iowa, it has been aggressively expanding its manufacturing footprint in Mexico.

The union is calling on the Iowa congressional delegation to “stand up for the working families of Amana” and push back against this latest round of layoffs.

The Linn Grove Dam, a popular fishing area, was severely damaged by flooding in 2018 and 2019.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency offered $4.5 million to restore the Linn Grove Dam and the nearby park area. However, Buena Vista County’s conservation director, Greg Johnson says the new offer isn’t enough.

Five years ago, FEMA offered $7.5 million and then pulled all funding. It was restored through arbitration.

“We as a community just want to move forward and make the repairs that are needed to protect the property into the future,” Johnson said. “We're sitting here six, seven years later, and it would be really nice to get this project completed.”

In 2022, it was estimated the project would cost more than $12 million.

County officials have until April 1 to appeal, and Johnson said that will likely happen.

MidAmerican Energy is planning to install lighting systems that can detect aircraft at all of its wind farms over the next several years.

Most turbines are mounted with red blinking lights that turn on at night to warn pilots.

The new lights would only turn on when aircraft are nearby.

MidAmerican Energy says if the Federal Aviation Administration approves the plan it would reduce light pollution while ensuring the safety of small planes. Commercial aircraft usually fly too high to activate the systems.

MidAmerican says it installed the systems at three wind farms in 2023 as a pilot project and more last year. The systems reduce warning light usage by more than 95%.

A bill (HF 2081) that recently passed out of a subcommittee in the Legislature would require new wind farms to include the new lights. Existing turbines would need to be upgraded by the start of 2028.

Linn County supervisors have unanimously approved an ordinance regulating data center developments in unincorporated parts of the county. They say the ordinance builds on the mistakes of counties around the country and protects both the people of Linn County and its water and electricity.

The county’s ordinance requires large data center developers to complete a water study and sign agreements with the county setting out their water use and economic development plans.

Some members of the public have raised concerns about data centers using large amounts of water and electricity, but Planning and Development Director Charlie Nichols said Iowans would be better off if more counties had similar ordinances.

“I am very confident that no ordinance for data centers in Iowa is asking for more information or more requirements to be met than our ordinance right now,” Nichols said.

County supervisors say they have been approached by Google about building a new data center, but Google has not submitted an application yet.

Supervisor Sami Scheetz said Linn County is growing, and that’s good for its residents.

“This kind of growth, if it’s done responsibly, is just good for the county overall,” Scheetz said. “And I think this sets a really good framework for any company that wants to come and develop a data center that basically just says, ‘If you want to do business in Linn County, here is, kind of, the rules that we’re establishing.”

The federal agency that oversees pipeline safety has begun an investigation into the propane pipeline explosion last Saturday in southeast Iowa.

Washington County Emergency Management said no one was injured in the incident and there wasn’t any damage to any residential structures.

During the Iowa Utilities Commission monthly meeting Wednesday, Emily Clapham, an engineer with IUC said the incident involves a “hazardous liquid pipeline,” which is outside the IUC’s jurisdiction for investigations.

However, the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration invited two IUC inspectors to be involved.

Last year, the IUC inspected half of the 86 natural gas operators and pipelines in Iowa for compliance with safety requirements. Clapham said this meets the goal of inspecting operators on a two-year rotation.

The IUC identified 178 probable violations of safety code and verified the correction of 235 outstanding violations, which included some identified in previous years.

The Iowa Environmental Protection Commission is referring an alleged water pollution case to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.

Commission Attorney Bradley Adams said Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy (SIRE) illegally released sludge from its wastewater treatment facility near Council Bluffs into the Missouri River. He said they got a complaint Aug. 25 of an orange sludge being released into the river. There was no fish kill found, but Adams said the sludge could harm wildlife. He also said SIRE sought to avoid the fees for trucking away the waste.

“DNR estimates that SIRE avoided approximately $53,000 in disposal costs that other similarly situated businesses would pay. And, this is a clear and deliberate attempt to circumvent the law to save money,” Adams said.

He said the DNR can only issue a penalty of up to $10,000, and said by forwarding the case to the attorney general, the state can seek a bigger penalty.

SIRE CEO Eric Fobes spoke at the EPC meeting and said the company was trying to avoid the truck traffic from hauling the material away.

“It was never our intent to subvert a cost. We are not after cost savings of that magnitude at the plant. This is too small. It was more of an ease of execution not to haul it off site,” Fobes said.

The commission voted to refer the case to the attorney general with just two commissioners voting no.

The Iowa City school district faces an uncertain financial future after $10 million was transferred from its health insurance fund to its general fund in September without the school board’s initial approval.

Now, board members are looking at short-term and long-term loans and budget cuts to support the district moving forward.

Superintendent Matt Degner told the board they will be asked to consider a $3 million short-term loan in March to cushion the district’s spending for that month.

“It’s obvious now, we have extremely limited reserves,” Degner said. “We are currently trying to limit spending through the end of the year. As we talked about, yes, it would have been nice to have the whole school year to make those decisions. That’s what we’re actively doing now.”

Degner said the district went beyond its limits this year with the things it tried to provide for its students, including large increases in the number of special educators, support staff and teachers.

He said inaccurate data and insufficient financial reports are some of the reasons for the board not finding out about the loan transfer sooner.

The board is set to consider reductions for next year’s budget at its next meeting on Feb. 24.

State Auditor Rob Sand didn’t find any problems with financial controls on Iowa’s education savings account (ESA) program during an annual review of state funds. But he said Gov. Kim Reynolds’ administration delayed giving him ESA information, which didn’t leave enough time to take a deeper look. 

Last year, Sand and Reynolds disagreed on whether the State Auditor’s Office should get detailed information about the ESA program. Sand said he received the information six months after requesting it.

“Had they given us this information when we asked for it, we may have expanded the audit because we may have noticed something and performed additional procedures and been able to provide taxpayers with a better understanding of what’s going on in the program,” he said.

Reynolds said Sand didn’t find any problems in his audit of the state education department. She accused Sand of using his official office as state auditor to advance his political agenda while he runs for governor.

Madeleine Charis King

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Iowa Public Radio

This year’s Color the Wind Kite Festival in Clear Lake has been canceled because of unsafe ice conditions. The event was scheduled to take place on Saturday.

Organizers said that after monitoring the ice with local safety officials, they could not guarantee safe conditions for kite flyers or visitors.

“They tested from shoreline to about 40 feet out, and that's where it's very dangerous,” said Trish Funderman, the event director. “There might be a nice depth of ice, but the top 3 to 4 inches is very soft ice. It's just not safe.”

Color the Wind is known for its giant colorful kites flying over the frozen lake. The festival has only been canceled four times in its 25-year history, including two years ago because of thin ice.

Organizers are now looking forward to bringing the event back next year.

Read more.

Democrat Nathan Sage is endorsing U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek after announcing the end of his own Senate campaign over the weekend, citing financial challenges.

Sage said that Turek, a Democratic state representative from Council Bluffs, understands Iowans’ struggle to pay bills amid rising prices and "comes from the same kind of working class family."State Sen. Zach Wahls of Coralville is also running for the Democratic nomination.

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst announced in September that she wouldn't seek reelection and has since endorsed 2nd District U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, who will likely be the Republican nominee.

The primary elections are set for June 2.

The Iowa State Fire Marshal Division posted burn bans for 12 counties statewide, as unseasonable temperatures soar into the 60s and 70s for much of Iowa on Tuesday.

Meteorologist Kristy Carter, with the National Weather Service, said the warm weather, gusty winds and dry vegetation make for a dangerous combination.

“The dry conditions that have been ongoing … it’s going to lead to another day of elevated fire weather,” Carter said. “So, if a fire does get started, it could spread pretty rapidly.”

Carter said it would be unwise to try clearing ground cover or burning trash in current conditions, even in counties without active burn bans in place.

“Probably not a good day to burn, and that’s going to continue to be true through Wednesday as well, with drier air kind of coming in tonight into Wednesday,” Carter said.

Burn bans are posted for the following counties: Cedar, Clarke, Clinton, Crawford, Decatur, Muscatine, Mills, Scott, Shelby, Union, Warren and Wayne.

—
This story was updated at 2:20 p.m. on Feb. 17, 2025, to include Cedar County.

Nathan Sage — the first Democrat to officially declare his candidacy in the 2026 U.S. Senate race — has ended his campaign. Sage said it was one of the hardest decisions of his life, but he was unable to raise the financial resources necessary to keep his campaign viable.

The Democrat from Indianola resigned as director of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce last spring to campaign full time.

Democratic candidates State Rep. Josh Turek of Council Bluffs and state Sen. Zach Wahls of Coralville are competing for the seat currently held by Republican Sen. Joni Ernst.

Ernst announced in September that she wouldn't seek reelection and has since endorsed 2nd District U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson.

Sheila Brummer

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Iowa Public Radio

Starting this week, some students in the Sioux City Community School District will ride on electric buses. The district received almost $6 million for 15 new buses as part of a program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that has since been put on hold.

Sioux City Schools Director of Operations and Maintenance Tim Paul admitted that there was initial pushback from some community members who aren’t fans of green energy.

“There was a lot of back and forth with it, but I think it's been the right decision,” Paul said. “Time will tell. I see it moving forward, especially in the city. The rural routes, maybe not so much. But the urban routes, for sure.”

The Environmental Law and Policy Center said at least 46 electric school buses have been funded by federal and state money for 16 school districts across Iowa.

Read more.

Hermes Rivera/Unsplash

The U.S. House recently voted to repeal President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada. It’s one of the largest agricultural trade partners with the U.S. and a major export market for tractors and farm equipment made in Iowa.  

Pam Johnson, a retired Iowa farmer, described her reaction to the House vote as “jubilation” and said it’s “a door opening” to other trade-related resolutions.
 
Johnson previously held numerous leadership positions in the agricultural industry, including as president of the National Corn Growers Association. Earlier this month, she sent a letter with other former heads of farm groups and senior U.S. Department of Agriculture officials to the House and Senate agricultural committees.
 
“We want the administration and Congress to do their jobs,” Johnson said. “What does that mean for us? It means we want them to listen to their constituents and care about the issues that affect our daily lives and our kids’ futures.”
 
The letter recommends nine actions for Congress, which Johnson said could help the U.S. avoid a farm crisis similar to what Iowa experienced in the 1980s. This includes a repeal of tariffs disrupting agricultural export markets.

Read more.

Officials in Washington County are still trying to determine the cause of a pipeline explosion over the weekend.

A statement from the county sheriff’s office said the explosion in a rural part of the county involved an underground pipeline operated by Enterprise Products Partners. It’s not clear yet what caused the explosion, and updates will be shared as more information becomes available.  

Emergency responders who arrived at the scene Saturday morning were able to contain secondary fires that had spread across the nearby Skunk River. Officials said no one was injured in the explosion or the fire, and there is no active threat to the public and no residential structures were damaged.

Enterprise Products Partners did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The utility also owned a pipeline in Texas that exploded in 2020 after it was hit by a dredging boat, resulting in five deaths. 

A proposed federal ruling would limit which waters and wetlands are protected under the Clean Water Act. Conservation advocates argue the revision is much too narrow, while farm groups support the change.

A wave of letters signed by environmental advocacy groups across the country say the new definition of what is considered protected ignores science and leaves the vast majority of remaining American wetlands unprotected.

Nancy Stoner, a senior attorney at the Environmental Law and Policy Center, said when lawmakers wrote the Clean Water Act over 50 years ago, they intentionally made it broad so it could protect more water resources.

“They thought they were fixing the problem,” Stoner said. “If you went back to the members of Congress from 1972 and you said, ‘We just decided most of the waters in the United States are actually not protected by the Clean Water Act,’ I think they would be appalled.”

Some farm advocacy groups, like the American Farm Bureau Federation, have praised the redefinition, saying it offers needed clarity to farmers about whether parts of their fields should be considered protected wetlands.

Read more from Harvest Public Media.

Sheila Brummer

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Iowa Public Radio

A trial date has been set for a lawsuit filed by the contractor who built the new Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center in Sioux City. 

Hausmann Construction, of Lincoln, Neb., filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Woodbury County and others involved with the project. The company claims that it wasn’t paid almost $6 million, and its image was unfairly tarnished.

The jail was scheduled to open in the spring of 2023, but because of delays, it did not start housing inmates until a year and a half later.

County officials have said they will vigorously defend the lawsuit, including filing counterclaims against Hausmann.  

The trial is set for May 2027.  

Nick Loomis

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The Midwest Newsroom

The City of Burlington is replacing a bridge that has been closed for almost 20 years with the help of federal funding. Iowa’s 1^st District Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks was in the southeast Iowa town Friday to celebrate securing $6 million in funding for the project. 

Miller-Meeks said she fought hard to include the $6 million in a spending package passed by Congress earlier this month. 

“This doesn't happen by accident,” she said. “As we recall, from when we talked about this down at the Cascade Bridge, and people thought it just accidentally happened. Community project funding isn’t handed out. It’s earned.” 

Some Burlington residents accused the congresswoman of being disingenuous for putting in requests for the funding when she had previously voted against a 2021 infrastructure law. During her visit to the district, protesters gathered outside Burlington City Hall, where Miller-Meeks celebrated the funding announcement.