The Metal Casting Center at the University of Northern Iowa is offering free workshops to members of the public in an effort to rebuild the state’s manufacturing workforce.

The Department of Defense granted UNI $500,000 to offer these “Metal Bootcamps.”

Nathaniel Bryant brought the program to UNI. He said the Pentagon wants to secure its supply chain from globalization and it needs metal parts to do it.

“And they're having a hard time getting them,” Bryant said. “And part of the reason for that is because there are limited young people coming into the metalcasting and the forging industries.”

Bryant said this course could build the next generation.

It attracted everyone from high schoolers to mid-career professionals hoping to learn the latest metal-work technology.

Andy Zinn took four days from his job at a tech school in the Quad Cities to join the bootcamp. He hopes the skills he’s learning allow him to recreate a similar program for students in Davenport.

“A lot of metal-casting in America kind of went away, and it’s really making a resurgence now. There’s a lot of high-paying, high-quality jobs in that area,” Zinn said.

UNI is one of 28 partner campuses rolling out the effort, which launched in 2023.

The course was offered free of charge and will run twice more next year. A level two curriculum is in the works.

The Democrat and Republican candidates for Iowa Attorney General recently appeared together on Iowa PBS.

Incumbent Republican Attorney General Brenna Bird highlighted Iowa’s settlement with Meta after claiming Facebook and Instagram harm the mental health of children and teens. Iowa is one of 47 states to share in the $17 billion settlement.

“Some of that money will be used to fund school resource officers, our special victim unit, help for victims who need access to the protections that the Take It Down Act allows,” Bird said. “All of those things that will be helping Iowans and kids all across the state.”

Democrat Nate Willems criticized how Bird’s office managed funds from a past opioid settlement. He said it took too long for money to reach groups that could use it to address substance abuse. Bird said that’s because of required legislative action.

Willems said he would do more to go after nursing homes that provide poor care if elected. He criticized Bird for challenging a Biden-era rule that would have enforced safe staffing standards at nursing homes.

“So I really don't understand when the state of Iowa has such a challenge taking care of seniors and vulnerable populations and nursing homes, why the attorney general of Iowa would sue to prevent safe staffing standards from going into effect,” Willems said.

Bird said she challenged the rule because requiring more staffing could have caused some nursing homes or long-term care facilities to close.

County auditor and election offices will open Wednesday for in-person absentee voting in Iowa. County auditors will also start mailing out absentee ballots on Wednesday to people who requested them.

Filled out absentee ballots must be received by county auditors by 8:00 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Karla Weiss, the president of the Iowa State Association of County Auditors, said people need to make sure to sign the outside of their absentee ballots.

“If you don't do that, it won't count. So just make sure that you take your time, fill everything out, make sure that you are signing every place that needs signed,” she said. “That's probably one of the most important things.”

Weiss said people can vote a provisional ballot if they’re not sure their mailed-in ballot will be received in time.

“You can either come into the auditor's office and vote, or you can also just go to the polling place on elections, and they'll ask you to vote a provisional ballot. But at least you'll know that if your other ballot doesn't come back, that it'll count.”

Iowans can pre-register to vote before Oct. 19. Iowa also allows for people to register the same day they go vote in person.

Election Day is Nov. 3.

Johnson County residents will have the chance this November to vote on a nearly $100 million bond for a new jail.

The current jail is facing facility and staffing concerns that may compromise the humane treatment of inmates. But opponents say a bigger, more expensive jail will lead to more incarceration and possible cooperation with ICE. Protestors held signs and a community discussion outside the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.

Former supervisor Royceann Porter, the first Black person elected to countywide office in Johnson County, pressed them about deteriorating conditions inside the current facility.

“I’m going to speak up when it comes to people looking like me. The majority of the people in there look like me. The majority of people I know,” Porter said. “So when I see their living conditions, I have some concerns.”

Iowa City councilor Laura Bergus supported a jail bond over a decade ago, but has changed her mind this time around. She said spending the money to ensure humane conditions now would cost less than the proposed bond. She and others support a smaller spend on incarceration and more investment in things like affordable housing and diversion programs.

“We know how this ends,” said Melanie Olivas, with the nonprofit Escucha Mi Voz. “When empty cells are built, they’re going to get filled. It tears parents away from their children, it feeds into racial disparities, and it funnels our neighbors into the ICE deportation pipeline.”

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office currently does not have a holding agreement with immigration enforcement. Lack of capacity in Johnson County could mean inmates are transported to county jails that have arrangements with federal agents.

An international team of researchers, including some from the Midwest, recently traced the origins of upland cotton — which accounts for 90% of global production — to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

“Nobody knew where it came from. It was lost in the mists of time, and I set about to figure it out,” said evolutionary biologist Jonathan Wendel, who has been trying to find the origin of upland cotton for 40 years.

Their sleuthing also uncovered a treasure trove of genetic diversity in wild populations, which could eventually help crop breeders develop cotton that’s more resilient to drought or pests.

Corrinne Grover, a research scientist at Iowa State University, led the genomics work. She said their breakthrough would not have been possible if wild cotton plants had been destroyed by development.

“And while it's very important for us to be able to have places to live and have farms to grow our food, it's also important to make those spaces to preserve the diversity that's out there, because we don't know what we've lost, and we don't know what we're going to gain until we look for it," Grover said.

Grover said their study highlights the value of conserving wild plants.

Read more.

Iowa Congressional races are looking better for Democrats according to a key political forecaster.

The Cook Political Report has moved Iowa’s 1st District race with incumbent Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Democrat Christina Bohannan from toss-up to the lean Democrat category.

The 3rd District race with incumbent Republican Rep. Zach Nunn and Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott also moved from toss up to lean Democrat.

The open 2nd District, where Republican Joe Mitchell is up against Democrat Lindsay James, moved from lean Republican to toss-up.

The 4th District with Republican Chris McGowan and Democrat Dave Dawson remains rated solid Republican.

Carriers across the country are retiring expensive copper landline systems. This month, CenturyLink will terminate traditional landline service to cities in Iowa. Residents are saying the company didn’t notify them in time.

In September, a 16-day comment period opened for an announcement from CenturyLink that it would terminate traditional landline service for cities in Iowa and Utah.

Johnson County residents have asked city and county officials to push back on the decision, claiming the notice violates the 90-day notice period set by the Federal Communications Commission.

Johnson County Supervisor Mandi Remington brought forward a letter to the board from a woman who said she received a notice in late August that her service could end mid-October, which might violate a federal 90-day notice requirement.

The City of Coralville’s attorney sent a complaint, and Johnson County supervisors said they’d send a similar one.

Concerned residents say people rely on the physical landline system for reliable 911 calls or life alerts when cell coverage is poor.

The major party candidates for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District met in a live debate on Iowa PBS Thursday night.

Democrat Lindsay James and Republican Joe Mitchell frequently spoke over each other as they argued on topics from tariffs to their personal backgrounds.

James, a state lawmaker and chaplain, said Republican tax policy hurts everyday Iowans.

“The One Big Beautiful Bill that gave huge tax breaks to ultra wealthy and big corporations — millions of dollars — and that trillions of dollars of increase into our federal deficit is now strapped on the backs of my kids,” she said.

Mitchell said the only way to reduce the deficit is through spending cuts and targeting what he calls “waste, fraud and abuse.”

They also argued over affordability issues. Mitchell, a housing developer and former state lawmaker, said costs were worse under former President Joe Biden.

“You know, I've ran a campaign talking to dozens and dozens of farmers around the district,” We've talked to thousands of people around the district, people that are making hard choices, but people that were making far harder choices under Joe Biden.”

James said the issue comes from the war in Iran, tariffs and healthcare cuts — all Trump administration policies.

Both candidates say they’re in favor of limits on social media use for children and teens. They also want term limits in Congress.

It was their second and final scheduled debate. Independent Dave Bushaw and Libertarian Rick Stewart also appear on the ballot in the Nov. 3 election.

The Trump administration has granted air pollution exemptions to dozens of industrial plants across the Midwest and Great Plains.

It’s backing away from Biden-era rules that some companies said were too hard to comply with.

But people who live near the sites say their health is being sacrificed.

Patricia Schuba leads an environmental group in Labadie, Missouri. She lives near a coal plant and said this plant poses risks of heart disease, lung disease and cancer.

“We feel like we’re being sacrificed. We’re being sacrificed for profits of corporations and the energy industry.”

The Trump administration has also waived or loosened air pollution rules for plants that produce steel, lime and chemicals. Environmental groups are suing to keep the restrictions.

Read more.

A group of landowners held a demonstration ahead of Thursday morning’s meeting of the Iowa Utilities Commission.

They’re calling attention to recent IUC actions, including orders denying Iowa landowners the ability to intervene in the permitting process and setting the hearing dates for Phase 2 of the proposed Summit Carbon pipeline in Ida and Floyd counties.

Landowners argued that no hearing should be scheduled while Summit’s original permit is being appealed in District Court.

Kathy Carter owns land along the pipeline route in Floyd County. She questions Gov. Kim Reynolds’ recent appointment of former state legislator Jon Dunwell to the three-member IUC.

Carter said Dunwell voted against a bill limiting the use of eminent domain.

“How impartial can he be when he's already had a chance to vote yay or nay? What are his qualifications? What's his background? He's a pastor, but does he have any qualifications in utilities management?” Carter said.

Landowners also shared that they have been conducting a Property Rights Survey with candidates running for office and will release the results next week. The survey includes answers from candidates running for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state Legislature and county supervisor.

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in Iowa women, but when it’s caught early, the odds for surviving it are exceptional.

Jackie Dau, the lead mammography technician at Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars, said for most women, the annual screenings should start around age 40.

“One in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, so every 14 seconds someone is told, ‘You have breast cancer,’” Dau said. “When diagnosed in an early localized stage, there’s a 99% survival rate. Finding that breast cancer early is of utmost importance. With that being said, it’s very important to do your self-exams every month.”

Learning about what’s normal, she said, makes it easier to spot a change.

More than 3,000 Iowans are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and about 380 die from it. There are some 38,000 breast cancer survivors in Iowa, representing about 20% of all cancer survivors in the state.

Breast cancer isn’t just found in women, Dau said, as thousands of men are also diagnosed each year nationwide.

“Men get breast cancer, too. If you’re a guy out there and you feel like maybe something’s not right, don’t hesitate to say something to your doctor,” she said “It’s not embarrassing. We’d like to get rid of that stigma. Go get it checked out.”

There are common warning signs of breast cancer, including: a hard lump in the breast, swelling or thickening in part of the breast, pitting or thickening of the skin that resembles an orange peel and unexplained warmth, redness or inflammation on the breast skin.

Iowa is one of the states that is suing TP Link Systems, which makes internet routers. Attorney General Brenna Bird said the consumer protection lawsuit was based on the company’s affiliation with China.

“There are some companies that operate in the United States. They sell important products right here in Iowa, and they have deep ties to the Chinese government. And so I am suing these China-backed companies that are hurting Iowans because China has no business in Iowans' homes,” she said.

Bird said the company has not been honest about its link to China.

“We know that routers are really important. There’s a lot of information that goes back and forth on routers. And if that is compromised, that data could be available even to the Chinese government,” Bird said

Bird said TP Link claims their routers are secure and are made in Vietnam, but they are manufactured with nearly all parts imported from or through China, using firmware that gives the Communist Chinese government access to Iowans’ devices and data.

A Minnesota man and his two sons drove more than four hours to haul a massive pumpkin to eastern Iowa for the 38th Annual Anamosa Pumpkinfest — and set a record in the process.

Erik Klehr, of Henderson, Minnesota, said their great gourd tipped the scale at 2,497 pounds, the largest-ever pumpkin to weigh-in at Pumpkinfest. Klehr said they’re particularly proud of this pumpkin.

“We started the seed back on April 10 and pollinated this pumpkin June 6,” Klehr said, “We’re coming up on 119 days from pollination, which this variety is 120-day variety, so we carried it right to the very end.”

Klehr said he and his sons, Charlie and Caleb, had a hand in creating the huge light-orange pumpkin.

“A little fun fact, this is our seed that we pollinated, cross-pollinated last year, so it’s our genetics. It was super fun to have some success with our own kind of family tree that we created,” he said.

The near-2,500 pounds of pumpkin will be composted for the garden and next year’s competition.

Since the pumpkin was grown in Minnesota, it was not considered an Iowa record. That’s still held by Pete Caspers of Peosta. and it was set in 2020 at 2,424 pounds — also at the Anamosa Pumpkinfest.

Drier conditions this October are bringing relief to many Iowans after one of the wettest Septembers on record.

State Climatologist Justin Glisan said rainfall in September mimicked what Iowans would see in May and June — typically the two wettest months in the state.

Glisan said it’s connected to a historically strong El Niño event. The eastern Pacific Ocean is heating up near the equator and releasing that heat into the atmosphere, affecting weather patterns around the world.

Glisan said conditions last month in Iowa were also much warmer than average, which is likely to continue through the fall and winter.

“Generally, when we see warmer temperatures with these El Niño events, typically less snowfall, but more episodic snowfall events,” he said. “We get more snow within a shorter period of time versus one to two inches over four to five days.”

Glisan spoke about El Niño’s effects during an Iowa Farm Bureau webinar.

U.S. Senate candidates Republican Ashley Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek participated in their first debate Wednesday night on Iowa PBS.

The candidates took questions about hot button issues such as affordability, the war in Iran, tariffs, healthcare and immigration.

Turek, a state representative from Council Bluffs, said he broke with his own party in 2024 to support a bill that would allow state courts to deport undocumented immigrants who have re-entered the country illegally.

That was after Congress failed to pass a bill on comprehensive immigration reform.

“I acted at the state level because of the failure of D.C. Because of the failure of people like Ashley Hinson, my voting record is clear,” Turek said. “I was one of three Democrats, and I took a lot of heat for it in the primary because I believe that we need to have safe and secure borders.”

Hinson, a U.S. representative for northeastern Iowa, said she did not support the federal legislation because it would have let too many undocumented immigrants cross the southern border.

On the Iran war, Hinson said she would also not support a resolution to limit President Donald Trump’s powers in Iran to further military action. She recently called for an immediate and successful end to the war.

“I certainly don't want to see the president not be able to do a orderly end to this war," Hinson said. "You look at what happened when President Biden did the withdrawal hastily out of Afghanistan, and we lost 13 service members, including an Iowan at Abbey Gate.”

Turek said he’s concerned about Iran having a nuclear weapon, but would like to see the war end.

Carlisle Mayor Dan Carver said the city has taken a big step toward restoring water service. Carlisle has been without water since last Wednesday, when the system experienced a major drop in pressure that drained the city’s water tower.

In a news conference covered by KCCI-TV, Carver said crews were able to refill the city’s water tower Tuesday and were turning the system back on section by section. Carver said they turned on one of the last sections late Tuesday night and discovered a major break in a 12-inch water main along Highway 5, which runs through Carlisle.

“Normally, a water main break is a bad thing, but in this case, it's a very good thing because it shows us exactly where the problem was, and we can isolate it so that we can work on fixing it while actually working on flushing our new system, getting clean water into the pipes, and taking a giant leap forward to getting water back to the residents,” he said.

Carver said Carlisle’s water utility is pretty confident this break is the source of the problem.

The City of Carlisle continues to advise residents against using the city’s water until workers can flush the system and determine it’s safe. Carver said the “do not use” order will be followed by a boil order, hopefully in the next day or two. Residents should check the city’s website for instructions on how to turn their water back on in a way that protects more sensitive systems, like ice makers and furnace humidifiers.

The number of counties with renewable energy ordinances in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota grew by 45% in the last two years.

Jordan Oster is the energy program director at the Iowa Environmental Council. With demand for energy rising, he encourages local lawmakers to enact reasonable planning and zoning guidelines for renewable energy infrastructure.

“I think part of what we're seeing in Iowa really is just a lot of pressure on landowners and local communities for infrastructure,” Oster said. “It's almost like an infrastructure collision course.”

A study at the University of Missouri found large-scale solar projects in rural counties brought a 10-20% bump in jobs and wages in certain sectors, while wind energy projects boosted local economies 7%.

Study author Adrienne Ohler said local leaders should look to communities that have successful large renewable energy projects and emulate their policies.

While visiting Jasper County on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a $180 million investment in the USDA’s Seed Sovereignty Initiative.

Over the next two years, that money will be used to genetically sequence collections of major crops in the USDA’s National Plant Germplasm System.

The chief scientist for the USDA said making that information available through licensing to U.S. companies will increase competition in the seed market.

Prices rose on average by 463% between 1990 and 2020 for crops planted mostly with genetically modified seed — like corn and soybeans.

“The Department of Justice will be shining an even brighter light on seed pricing practices, on seed licensing, on seed relabeling and on barriers facing independent seed companies,” Rollins said. “So again, working very, very hard to do everything we can to support our farmers and ranchers.”

Read more. 

U.S Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins made a stop in Des Moines Tuesday to highlight a recent proposal on animal welfare practices.

Rollins touted a collection of changes aimed at improving oversight and standards for dog care. The changes also include more resources to investigate illegal activity and mistreatment of dogs and other companion animals.

Rollins said the department received over 7,000 comments in their last request for information around animal welfare standards. She said the country is paying attention.

“We talk a lot in my world about sorghum and screwworm and trade and fertilizer, but this is a really important part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's work, and I just couldn't be more proud to do it,” she said.

Rollins said the proposal will be subject to public comment.

Hometown Soccer Holdings is eyeing Des Moines as the site for a new team and soccer stadium.

Major League Soccer said it wants to move some of its Next Pro teams into new markets. The plan would relocate Sporting Kansas City’s Next Pro team to a proposed $60 million soccer stadium in Des Moines.

Jake Reid with Sporting Kansas City said his team aligns with Iowa because they aren’t a stranger to the market.

“Iowa is a huge fanbase for us. We have a lot of fans that drive down, they come to Sporting Kansas City matches, they’re invested in our club already,” Reid said.

Reid said if the team moves to Des Moines, it would be rebranded as an Iowa team.

The city is also considering plans for a downtown stadium that a local soccer foundation has been proposing for years. It would bring a team from the United Soccer League to the city.

Chris Oxley is with Hometown Soccer. He said they believe their site plan is a simpler alternative.

“We believe that you need to build this effectively for the long-term soccer and commercial opportunities within this venue, and not a whole lot more,” he said.

Oxley said their site would host year-round concerts and other sporting events, including youth sports.

The candidates for Iowa governor traded personal attacks during their first debate Tuesday night at St. Ambrose University in Davenport.

Democrat Rob Sand questioned Republican Zach Lahn’s residency and whether he would be available to Iowans full-time.

Lahn said he travels for business and to see his children, who live in Kansas. Lahn also attacked Sand’s family wealth and accused him of trying to buy the election.

The candidates clashed over the economy, taxes and education.

Sand said during his first year as governor, he wants to increase funding for public schools by 5%. The legislature passed 2% this year.

“We have gone from in 2018 ranked fifth for public education in the country, to now being ranked in the bottom half and losing to Nebraska. That's a problem,” Sand said.

Lahn said more money won’t fix the problem. He wants schools to have more freedom to try innovative ways of teaching.

“We have too much red tape in our public schools. We don't have the ability for teachers to meet the needs of students like they like to,” Lahn said. “If you want evidence of this, all you have to look at is the rate at which teachers are leaving the profession at year one, two or three.”

But both agreed local governments should have control over their budgets.

The candidates will meet up again next week for another face-to-face debate in Sioux City. There will be four debates in all.

Read more.

An extension of the 2018 Farm Bill expired last month, leaving some agricultural programs in limbo, including the Conservation Reserve Program, or CRP. Contracts covering over a million and a half acres of land under CRP will expire at the end of the year, and no new applications will be accepted until a new Farm Bill is passed or Congress extends the 2018 version again.

Sen. Chuck Grassley said the Senate is further along on a Farm Bill than they've been in a long time, and CRP will be safe if the measure is passed.

“The CRP will be continued and improved. We're seeking more flexibility in CRP for grazing so we can rebuild our agricultural herds,” Grassley said.

CRP provides payments to farmers who agree to remove land from production to establish plant species and improve land quality. If the program expires, the government will continue to honor existing contracts.

Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a proclamation, which in conjunction with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, temporarily allows the use of tax-exempt dyed diesel to transport certain agricultural products on public roads.

Iowa law normally prohibits the use of so-called “red diesel” for highway transportation in motor vehicles hauling ag products. Regulatory provisions from the sale and use of such fuel are also temporarily suspended.

The proclamation, which continues through Feb. 2, 2027, applies to loads transported on any public road within Iowa.

Waterloo is keeping a requirement that the mayor appoint a human rights director. The city council made the decision after public upset over a proposal to make the position optional.

Mayor Dave Boesen introduced the change last month. City code currently says the mayor “shall” appoint a director. He proposed changing it to “may.”

The idea proved unpopular, and the council backed down from a vote after residents packed the meeting to oppose it.

But Boesen told the council that keeping a director will burden city budgets.

“We're going to be facing some tough times in the next budget year, so it's your discretion, the direction you want to go with this,” Boesen said.

He pointed to Des Moines, which eliminated human rights staff last month over similar concerns.

Resident Vikki Brown said the position is more than symbolic. It carries out the work of the Human Rights Commission, which oversees the investigation of discrimination complaints.

“This commission matters to the people of Waterloo," Brown said. "All people. Black people, women, people with disabilities, people of different faiths, immigrants, LGBTQ communities.”

Boesen terminated the city’s last director in April. The position has not been filled.

The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum in Camp Dodge will welcome a new exhibit meant to highlight the acts of service made beyond the battlefield. “Military Nurses: An Iowa Story of Service and Sacrifice" honors generations of Iowa nurses who served, dating all the way back to the Civil War.

A mural of a military hospital during battle sits behind displays of nurse uniforms, medical equipment and nurses’ personal stories.

Dan Gannon with the Gold Star Museum said military nurses aren’t recognized as much as those who were in battle, but they were exposed to the same conditions.

“Without them there, and saving lives and doing the necessary critical care right off the battlefield, our numbers would have been way out of control,” he said.

Gannon said even the medics on the battlefield couldn’t care for the wounded as extensively as the nurses.

The exhibit opens on Saturday.

The Mississippi River Bridge at Lansing will open to traffic on Nov. 6. The Iowa and Wisconsin DOTs announced the expected opening date Monday, putting an end in sight for the major project in northeast Iowa.

The historic bridge was destroyed last December. The agencies started a car ferry to serve the region’s stranded residents. The service will run until the bridge opens.

Construction work outside the main traffic lanes will continue until next spring.

The Nov. 6 opening comes months earlier than originally expected, but last month I-DOT announced the project was ahead of schedule and would open this year.

A high voltage transmission line runs through unincorporated county land between Walford and Fairfax. That makes the area attractive to data center developers.

Linn County currently has a data center moratorium in place, but county planning director Charlie Nichols said a developer approached Walford about annexing some of that land into city limits. Walford wasn’t interested.

Walford then approached Linn County about a “fringe area agreement” if a data center wants to build on county land within two miles of the city.

“There's likely going to be development interest around that transmission line, and Walford is wanting to set an agreement in place that dictates how review of projects that would impact Walford's growth proceed in the future.”

Fairfax is also interested in entering into the same or a similar agreement.

Meanwhile, Linn County is putting together a regional data center advisory board to further broad collaboration around development.

Linn County currently has a data center moratorium in place through the end of 2027.

Harvest season is underway for many farmers. But the railroads that ship their harvested grain have raised their shipping costs.

Railroad fuel surcharges have more than doubled in the past year as diesel prices have reached over $6 a gallon. When surcharges like these happen, the costs are often passed down to farmers in the form of lower crop prices.

Indiana Farm Bureau Chief Economist Todd Davis said so far he hasn’t seen crop bids change significantly.

“But then again, harvest is just starting, and so the question will be as farmers harvest and that grain enters the marketing channels, and we have transportation costs,” Davis said. “What is that going to do to bids?”

Soy Transportation Coalition Director Mike Steenhoek said farmers are already paying more for their own diesel.

“It really is just an example of how these fuel cost increases really have a pernicious effect and can really find their way into a farmer's wallet.”

Harvest season has just started. So it might take some time for these surcharges to affect crop prices.

A study underway in central Iowa is looking at how long emergency rental assistance is needed to keep families from losing housing.

Project manager Ashley Ezzio said emergency rental assistance often keeps a family from becoming homeless, but can also impact people in temporary housing. She said the goal is to show what gaps need to be filled to help people at risk of entering the homelessness system and those trying to stay out of it.

The Central Iowa Emergency Rental Assistance study is led by the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation’s UpLift initiative, and looks at low-income families during a crisis. UpLift will provide no assistance to a control group, and others will get assistance for different lengths of time.

Nalo Johnson with Mid-Iowa Health said emergency assistance is offered in Iowa, but its effectiveness still needs to be studied.

“So that we can ensure that these programs are able to be designed in a way that they are actually achieving the outcomes of keeping people stably housed,” Johnson said.

She said emergency rental assistance is one of the most requested referrals, and community nonprofits say there are limited opportunities for residents right now.

Groups representing farmers and solar developers are suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) after significant rule changes to the Rural Energy for America Program.

They say new eligibility requirements illegally cut solar projects from the program and that the USDA has left people on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars by applying those changes retroactively.

Chad Hughes is an attorney with the Environmental Law & Policy Center, which is representing the Iowa Farmers Union and other groups in the lawsuit.

“This program has been running successfully for 20 years. The USDA said, ‘Here are the rules. Here's the process.’ People followed those rules,” he said. “You know, in many instances, they hired consultants to sort of help them navigate this bureaucracy. You know, they spent money on this. They put their applications in.”

Hughes said many of the applicants received the go-ahead from the USDA and started adding solar to their operations. But now they’re being denied funding to offset the costs.

Hughes said the USDA must honor the promises made to farmers and rural business owners.

Read more.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority will carry on with talks around a proposed steel plant now that state lawmakers have revised tax breaks for major economic projects.

Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a law Friday that expands the investment tax credit the state can offer Mesabi Metallics to build a $15 billion dollar facility in Lee County.

The bill passed in a one-day special session.

Some Democrats questioned the timing of Friday’s special session so close to an election. Several Republicans voted against the plan, saying it could wreak havoc with the state budget.

House Speaker Pat Grassley said the state would require Mesabi Metallics to hit benchmarks before claiming tax breaks.

“We're not backing up the truck and dumping out a pile of cash,” Grassley said. “This has to be earned through performance on wherever this site is, and that's really why this, I think, is a responsible way of doing economic development.”

Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham told the Senate Ways and Means Committee that Mesabi Metallics can move the process forward. She said the soonest the company would make a full application is likely November.

The package approved by the IEDA board would set the terms for how the company would claim state tax incentives. Durham said a memorandum of understanding with Mesabi Metallics gives the state 60 days to negotiate exclusively with the company.

The search for candidates to lead the Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa has caused so much division among the executive search committee that nearly half the members resigned last month.

After the mass resignation, the remaining committee put four anonymous candidates forward.

After the advisory council agreed to forward those still-anonymous candidates to the Board of Regents, council member Liz Mathis took a moment to paint her vision of the center moving forward.

“A great deal has been said publicly about the center as a vehicle for conservative thought on what some call a liberal campus,” Mathis said. “And I understand where that comes from, but I don't think that framing serves our students. Intellectual freedom isn't about swapping one orthodoxy for another. It's really about teaching students to listen carefully.”

The Board of Regents currently plans to meet candidates in Des Moines on Oct. 20.

In Friday's special session, the Iowa House passed changes to state incentives to help draw the proposed Mesabi Metallics steel plant to southeast Iowa.

The bill revises the major economic growth attraction program, known as MEGA. It would allow Mesabi to qualify for a tax break of up to 10% of its $15 billion investment.

The credit would be awarded over 10 years based on benchmarks for construction and hiring. Rep. Carter Nordman, R-Dallas Center, said the state has options if the project falls short.

“The Iowa Economic Development Authority maintains strict clawback provision and continuous oversight on a project. If a business does not deliver on its commitments to our communities, Iowa taxpayers do not foot the bill.”

Some Democrats questioned moving so quickly on incentives before learning more about the company and the viability of the project.

The measure passed on a bipartisan vote of 75 to 17 and goes to the Senate.

Democrats Rep. Josh Turek, who is running for U.S. Senate, and Rep. Lindsay James, who is running for the 2nd House District, voted in favor.

Lawmakers are in Des Moines considering changes that could allow tax breaks of up to 10% over 10 years for a proposed $15 billion steel plant.

Mesabi Metallics wants to build the facility in Lee County in southeast Iowa.

Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham told a Senate panel that Mesabi said the 5% tax credit in current law is not competitive with other states.

“We offered the maximum amount that we are to by code, and if that had been accepted we wouldn’t be here today, that is true,” she said.

Durham said she believes Arkansas is a competitor for the project.

Any final incentive package must be approved by the Iowa Economic Development Authority Board. The special session proposal would allow the IEDA board to designate what portion of the project is complete before incentives are awarded.

CEO Joe Broking was asked in a Senate subcommittee what would happen if President Donald Trump’s tariffs against steel imports someday go away.

“We need to compete. We need to compete with steel producers in China,” Broking said. “We need to compete with steel producers in India, that frankly have had a cost advantage — a cost structure advantage — on us for decades.”

Three relay batons that left San Francisco in July are passing through Iowa this weekend on their way to Delaware. They’re being carried coast-to-coast on the American Discovery Trail.

Hikers, bikers and horseback riders from communities across the country are relaying the batons on a nearly 7,000-mile journey. The event commemorates America’s 250th birthday. It also celebrates the American Discovery Trail, which connects communities coast-to coast.

When the trail began in the 1990s it mostly used county and gravel roads in Iowa. It now uses numerous bike paths, which connect communities across the state.

“Many people who have taken the hike across the nation, however they've done so — bike, walking or whatever — they've had their lives changed, seeing the country in a whole different way,” Mitch Barloga told IPR’s River to River. “We want to help people understand that.”

Flooding along the route delayed the relay in Cedar Falls. When waters clear, it will head to Cedar Rapids, then Davenport, and will be on to the Atlantic by Thanksgiving.

The major-party candidates vying to fill Rep. Ashley Hinson’s U.S. House seat faced off at a debate Thursday in Cedar Rapids.

Democrat Lindsay James of Dubuque is a state representative and chaplain. Republican Joe Mitchell of Clear Lake is a housing developer who also served in the Iowa Legislature.

The two split over Trump administration policies. On tariffs, Mitchell said they bring back jobs. James said they hurt farmers.

They also disagree on the Iran war. James said it’s costing billions and spiking prices.

Mitchell said he does not support endless conflict, but the U.S. will finish the job.

“We're in this war right now. We're going to get out,” Mitchell said. “We have to make sure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon.”

Both candidates said they would support year-round E15 and that they would work across the aisle in Congress.

Libertarian Rick Stewart and Independent Dave Bushaw did not qualify for the debate, but will appear on the ballot.

Early voting begins Oct. 14 ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

Read more here.

The two candidates for Iowa’s next Secretary of Agriculture disagree on ethanol policies.

During a taping of Iowa Press on Iowa PBS, Democrat Chris Jones said ethanol has “entrenched” a farming system that contributes to water pollution and called it an environmental and economic dead-end.

Incumbent Republican Mike Naig described ethanol as value-added agriculture and said it contributes $5 billion to the state’s economy.

Naig said ethanol manufacturers continue to see opportunities in markets that want fuel with lower carbon emissions. He believes Summit Carbon Solution’s proposed pipeline should be built without eminent domain if it moves forward.

Jones said the proposed carbon pipeline project is a bad idea.

But the candidates found common ground on increasing grass-fed cattle in Iowa.

The national cattle herd has fallen seven consecutive years, and hit a 75-year low in January.

The lean supply has pushed up prices for consumers, but it’s been a bright spot for cattle producers. The candidates were asked about President Donald Trump’s plan to increase beef imports below market price. Both called it a bad idea.

Read more. 

Eliza Billingham

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Iowa Public Radio

Data centers across Iowa are getting bigger, more expensive and more controversial.

IPR News explored what power Iowa communities have when faced with development — and whether local government is the best place to make those decisions.

Read more about what Iowans can and can’t do when a hyperscale data center comes knocking.

Courtesy of KTIV

Republican Chris McGowan and Democrat Dave Dawson offered different ideas for handling tariffs, the war in Iran, healthcare and more during a debate in Sioux City Wednesday night. But they also made a point of showing respect for each other.

McGowan said that approach started with a chance meeting at the Woodbury County Fair in August.

“Both of us had a very civil conversation and agreed to run campaigns that were rooted in civil discourse and respect,” he said.

McGowan, of Sioux City, is a lawyer, Iowa National Guard veteran and former leader of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce and Siouxland Initiative.

Dawson is a longtime Woodbury County prosecutor and former state lawmaker from Lawton.

They are running to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who unsuccessfully sought his party’s nomination for governor. The 4th Congressional District follows Iowa’s western border and stretches east to Ames, Fort Dodge and Marshalltown.

Read more from their first major debate of the election cycle.

Eliza Billingham

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Iowa Public Radio

Fatou Traore, an Ivory Coast native, was detained by ICE last week on her way to work at a University of Iowa hospital.

She’s now in a holding facility in Louisiana and facing imminent deportation to Sierra Leone, a country where she has never lived.

A recent Supreme Court ruling re-permitted the Trump administration to deport people to third countries.

People calling for Traore’s release gathered at First United Methodist Church in Iowa City Wednesday, including her oldest son, Esoumaila.

“Fatou’s been in America for 20+ years. She’s never committed any crimes. Doesn’t have a criminal history at all,” he said. "She has four kids — which is me, I’m 19, my little brother, who’s 14. One is 8, and one is 3.”

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks wrote a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullins this week asking to stay Traore’s deportation and that all laws be respected.

Read more.

Democrat Rob Sand said he wants to see more details on incentives for a steel plant proposed for southeast Iowa before deciding if it is a good deal.

Lawmakers will meet in a special session Friday to consider tax breaks to draw the Mesabi Metallics development to Lee County.

Sand said the company should make its investments before the state releases benefits and that the state should not overpay to attract the project.

“You know you look at these data center deals that this administration has done over the last few years and we gave away the farm,” Sand said. “I want to make sure that this is a real opportunity, but also that at the end of the day that Iowa is getting served by it and not getting fleeced.”

Sand spoke about the special session before a rally in Polk County that wrapped up his second 100 town hall tour this election cycle.

During the Q&A, Sand was asked how he would regulate plate readers like Flock cameras. Sand said the state should set basic requirements for storing and accessing the data they collect. He noted some cities have dropped their contracts with Flock Safety over transparency concerns.

Sand is in a competitive race with Republican Zach Lahn, who held a campaign rally in Grimes Wednesday night as well.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn hosted a campaign rally in Grimes Wednesday night. Lahn said he’s concerned about preserving Iowa’s culture and opportunities for the next generation.

The businessman and farmer from Belle Plaine is facing a highly competitive race against his Democratic opponent, State Auditor Rob Sand. At the Destination Grille in Grimes, Lahn warned a room full of voters against Sand, saying he's running as a moderate, but will govern as a radical.

Lahn said he believes Republicans will prevail this election.

“I'm telling you right now, across the state, I'm seeing what it looks like to see a movement form. Tell the establishment, the special interests, that we are not going to be beholden to them, and tell the left that we are not going to let them make our state crazy.”

Lahn added that clean water would be one of his priorities as governor. He said he's also concerned about making communities safe, improving schools and making sure young Iowans have opportunities so they don't leave the state.

Sand also held an event Wednesday night in West Des Moines, marking the end of his 100 town hall tour.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) ended its monitoring of the Cedar Rapids Community School District.

A 2020 investigation found the school district wasn’t meeting the needs of students with disabilities. Instead, it repeatedly secluded or restrained them, which caused trauma and cost the students hundreds of hours of instruction time.

The confinement happened to students as young as kindergarten age. One assistant attorney called it discriminatory and abusive.

With supervision from the DOJ, the district invested $3.5 million and spent four years building out a comprehensive system for student behavioral support. The district also eliminated the use of seclusion and reduced restraint incidents by more than 85%.

The DOJ said the district is now in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley expressed confidence in a $15 billion Iowa steel plant development announced Monday by President Donald Trump. 

Grassley pointed out that the company behind the proposed plant recently opened a mine in Minnesota. The Mesabi Metallics mine is the first new iron ore mine in the Iron Range in 50 years. Grassley called it an “undeniable win” for Iowa that the company is looking to follow it up with a new steel plant in Lee County. 

“It's going to have about 1,700 employees when they get it set up and running by [2029], and then also about 6,000 jobs during construction.” Grassley said. “It's a very major thing.”

State lawmakers will meet for a special session on Friday to consider tax incentives for the steel plant project. 

Sen. Chuck Grassley hopes the U.S. House passes a college sports bill that cleared the Senate on a bipartisan vote this week. The Protect College Sports Act would codify compensation for college athletes and set national standards for transfers and years of eligibility. 

Grassley said the current system makes it harder for smaller colleges to compete, such as his alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa. 

“I don't want to say it’d ruin it for UNI, but just generally, it'd be tough on all schools that aren't in the Big Four Conference,” Grassley said.

It’s not clear if the Senate proposal has enough votes to pass in the House, which is on recess until after the midterms. The bill’s opponents have said it puts too much power in the hands of the NCAA. 

Natalie Krebs

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Iowa Public Radio

Researchers at the University of Iowa found that 76% of excess cancer cases of the top five cancers in Iowa can be explained by certain demographic and behavioral risk factors.

The findings are the result of a year-long state funded project that looked at prostate, breast, lung, colorectal and melanoma cancers. They make up 55% of the new cancers diagnosed in the state. 

Researchers looked at factors like age, race, tobacco and alcohol use and county radon levels. State Medical Director Robert Kruse said the report shows there are a lot of ways Iowans can reduce their risk for cancer by making lifestyle changes, getting regular screenings and installing radon mitigation systems. 

“The findings do tell us that a substantial portion of Iowa's cancer burden is associated with factors where proven prevention strategies exist, and that means we should not wait to act,” Kruse said.

Researchers said the second year of the project, which is funded by federal dollars, will look into genetic and environmental risk factors. 

Read more.

Courtesy of the campaigns

Iowa’s water quality has been a major focus in the run-up to electing the state’s next secretary of agriculture.

The two candidates believe in different approaches, with Democrat Chris Jones proposing more regulations and incumbent Republican Mike Naig strongly opposed, saying it would hurt small- and medium-sized farmers.

Take a closer look at water quality in the secretary of agriculture race.

Peggy Whitson

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Axiom

One of Iowa’s space heroes is adding another honor to her long list of accomplishments. Peggy Whitson was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame over the weekend in Washington, D.C.

Whitson still holds the record for the number of days accumulated by any American or woman in space, at 695. The Beaconsfield native flew three long-duration missions aboard the International Space Station.

After she broke the endurance record with her third mission in 2017, Whitson was asked how it felt to join the ranks of other legendary space explorers.

“I’m not sure I’d put myself in that same category, but I do think that having records, breaking records all the time, is important for NASA,” Whitson said. “It shows that we are still progressing; we are still doing new things and continuing to expand on what we know about space.”

In 2009, Whitson became the first woman to serve as NASA’s chief astronaut, the most senior position in the NASA Astronaut Corps. After retiring from NASA in 2018, Whitson returned to space as commander of the private commercial spaceflight Axiom 2 in 2023, and Axiom 4 in 2025.

Other Hall of Fame inductees include Shannon Lucid, one of the first women to join NASA’s astronaut corps, and Captain C.B. “Sully” Sullenberger, who successfully piloted U.S. Airways Flight 1549 to a landing in the Hudson River in 2009, saving all 165 passengers on board.

The state of Iowa is planning to regionalize its public health system to make services more consistent across its 99 counties. Local health departments will fund the shift with money they use to provide services.

Each region will be led by one local health department, which will administer state funds to agencies in the region rather than Iowa Health and Human Services (HHS).

The Polk County Health Department is applying to be the lead agency in its region. But Director Juliann Van Liew said the county will have to use 15% of the region’s public health funds that would normally be spent on services, like immunizations, as the lead agency to pay for administrative costs.

“Financially, it just simply doesn’t make sense,” she said. “Moving forward, I hope that folks will understand that this is going to be tight for local public health and that residents are going to lose out.”

Van Liew said health departments will have less capacity for services if HHS doesn’t provide funds to pay for the lead agency’s role.

Dubuque is partnering with a national research center to revive an underserved neighborhood. The Bloomberg Center at Johns Hopkins selected Dubuque as one of 25 U.S. cities to join its Love Your Block program.

Over the next two years, the program will invest $70,000 in Dubuque’s Census Tract 5 on the city’s north end. Antonio Mouzon, Dubuque’s community impact and neighborhood support director, said one in three residents of the area are below the poverty line. But that’s not the city’s focus with this project.

“Really, we're shifting from a deficit kind of perspective, and we're really leaning into community assets: What do we love about this part of the community? What do we want to strengthen?” Mouzon said.

Beginning next year, residents can apply for funds to support civic projects from public art to community gardens. Since starting in 2009, the Love Your Block program has partnered with 50 communities across 33 states.

The Sioux City Police Department identified the two women killed in a shooting over the weekend.

Investigators said 42-year-old Andrew McCauley killed his wife, Amanda, and her mother, Yolanda Guerra Koon, before taking his own life Saturday morning. The homicides remain under investigation.

In a GoFundMe post this summer, Amanda McCauley asked for help for herself and her two children as she left what she described as a toxic relationship.

The Crittenton Center, a nonprofit that supports children and families, said it’s raising money to help the family cover expenses. A relative of the McCauleys is caring for the two children.

Gov. Kim Reynolds is calling lawmakers back to Des Moines on Friday for a special legislative session to consider tax incentives for a proposed steel plant in southeast Iowa. 

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Mesabi Metallics plans to invest $15 billion in the facility. It’s estimated the plant will create 1,700 jobs in the area.

Reynolds said the Iowa Legislature needs to adjust the state’s Major Economic Growth Attraction program.

In a statement, she said the state has already outlined an agreement with the company to secure what she called the state’s “most consequential economic development opportunity ever.” 

Democratic leaders said they want to be sure any possible deals are in taxpayers’ best interest. 

Luke Runyon

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Harvest Public Media

Cattle industry groups in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities are affecting agricultural communities, and they’re concerned about workforce disruptions and delays.

The response comes as ICE agents ramp up operations in southwest Kansas, home to some of the country’s major processing facilities.

Three industry groups from the states released a joint statement saying the disruptions make a costly and unnecessary impact on an already pressured industry.

The groups said the cattle industry and rural communities depend on a stable workforce, and sudden disruptions can create immediate animal welfare, operational and economic consequences.

The group’s statement describes reports of thousands of fed cattle slated for shipping to processors that are now delayed, leading to millions of dollars lost in revenue and additional costs, as well as multiple supply chain chokepoints throughout the industry.

Madeleine Charis King

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Iowa Public Radio

President Donald Trump announced plans for a $15 billion steel plant in southeast Iowa’s Lee County.

Representatives from the Indian conglomerate Essar Group joined Trump in the Oval Office Monday afternoon. Essar Group owns Minnesota-based Mesabi Metallics, the company that will build the plant.

A slate of Iowa Republicans, including Gov. Kim Reynolds, were at the White House for the announcement.

“Really, what this does is it changes the economic trajectory for this region,” Reynolds said. “It's one of the most depressed regions of Iowa.”

The announcement comes as Republicans face tight races against Democrats for key congressional seats.

Iowa Senate Democratic leader Janice Weiner said in a statement that the Legislature has no details regarding a potential incentive package. White House officials said the plant was not dependent on any local tax breaks.

Read more.

U.S. Drought Monitor

Dry conditions remain in northwest Iowa, but they have continued to shrink due to September rains.

The area of moderate drought has gone from 6.79% to 2.1% in the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report. The majority of the moderate drought is in Woodbury and Monona counties, with very small amounts in nearby Harrison and Plymouth counties.

The amount of abnormally dry areas is down to 12.4%, compared to more than 40% at the start of the calendar year. Nearly 88% of the state now has no dry conditions, which is up by nearly 2% from last week.

John Deere is calling back more than 60 workers to its Waterloo plant this fall.

The company said the Waterloo employees will support current demand, build up inventory for long-term planning and replace workers lost to attrition.

John Deere announced on Sept. 24 that 375 workers were being rehired at its Quad Cities operations. The company has hired or rehired around 900 employees across Illinois and Iowa since January. It has remained profitable despite a slump in the agriculture economy and projects a net income of around $5 billion in 2026.

The state filed an appeal against a judge’s ruling that requires the State Historical Society of Iowa’s research center in Iowa City to reopen.

A Johnson County judge ruled on Sept. 17 that the Department of Administrative Services unlawfully closed the Iowa City branch of the State Historical Society of Iowa in December 2025.

The ruling found that the department is required to maintain a research facility in Iowa City. The Department of Administrative Services said the Iowa City research facility is a safety hazard and too costly to maintain amid budget constraints.

Farmers already pinched by high production costs are now contending with record high diesel prices, right as many begin their fall harvest.

In mid-September, diesel hit an average of $6.68 a gallon in the Midwest. In Iowa, it reached $6.24 a gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Michael Langemeiee, a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University, said farmers are already contending with higher prices for equipment and fertilizer.

“This would be a huge crisis if we hadn’t seen the increase in crop prices we’ve seen recently. That’s helping, but it’s not curing the high input cost problem,” Langemeiee said.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, both corn and soybean prices are up, which many farmers say is the only silver lining in an economically turbulent year.

Read more from Harvest Public Media.

Sen. Chuck Grassley is urging Iowa Republicans to vote for the GOP candidate for governor for a very specific reason. During an Iowa GOP event in West Des Moines on Friday, the nonagenarian said if he happens to die while serving in the U.S. Senate, Iowa’s next governor may be the one to appoint his replacement.

“At 93 years of age, I don’t know how many more groups of Republicans like this I’m going to have a chance to talk to. But one of the reasons I’m worried about who’s going to be elected governor — I don’t plan on dying in office, but if I did, I don’t want a Democratic governor choosing my successor,” Grassley said.

Grassley made a similar statement in October 2018 when he was 85 years old and Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds was in a tight race to win a full term as governor. Reynolds easily won reelection in 2022.

Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn are in a competitive race for governor this year. Under state law, Iowa’s governor makes a temporary appointment to the U.S. Senate to fill a vacancy until a permanent replacement is selected by voters in the next general election.

Grassley was reelected to an eighth term in the U.S. Senate in 2022. The term expires on Jan. 3, 2029. Grassley, the longest serving current member of the senate, has not said whether he intends to seek reelection.

The last time an Iowa governor filled a vacancy in the U.S. Senate was in 1936, after Democratic Sen. Richard Murphy, of Dubuque, was killed in a car accident.

Natalie Krebs

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Iowa Public Radio

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ashley Hinson called for an end to the war in Iran and wants to see Congress back in session to address the rising cost of diesel.

Hinson hosted a press conference in Des Moines on Friday, where she called on Congress to suspend the gas tax, pause diesel exports and expand E15 as diesel prices hit record highs nationwide. 

Hinson, who represents Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, said she has put pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring Congress back in session. 

“I think it was a mistake for them to cancel session,” she said. “Every option should be on the table, and we should be in Washington, D.C., working to provide that relief right now. I stand ready to jump on a plane as soon as they make that decision.”

Isabella Luu

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Iowa Public Radio

Hinson's Democratic opponent, state Rep. Josh Turek, hosted a campaign roundtable event on affordability Friday. He criticized Hinson's previous support of President Donald Trump's actions in Iran and said her support of tariffs has hurt Iowans financially.

"I'm just hearing over and over and over folks telling me, 'I can't afford to keep gas in my tank,' or when we're with farmers, particularly as we're in harvest time, telling me they can't afford diesel," he said.

Read more.

The University of Iowa’s Center for Intellectual Freedom has selected four finalists in its search for a permanent director. The center’s executive committee, which recently lost about half its members, will hold interviews and choose a candidate the week of Oct. 19.

The four candidates will remain anonymous during the interview process. Each will be invited to tour the University of Iowa’s campus and possibly give a presentation to the Iowa Board of Regents.

The executive committee said its work on the search is now complete.

According to the Board of Regents, the candidates were selected from 62 applicants. The salary range for the position is $200,000 - $450,000. 

Two people were shot and killed over the weekend in Sioux City. Police said the gunman then took his own life.

Investigators said their work is still in its early stages. They haven’t released the names of those who died on Saturday.

Neighbors said the victims were the gunman’s estranged wife and her mother.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ashley Hinson said she would support annual increases in federal cancer research funding if elected in November. Hinson made her comments Friday at a roundtable event hosted by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network in Urbandale.

She said she wants to make sure that federal dollars go to researchers and are not caught up in administrative costs.

Hinson also said she would support funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs at the federal level. She's concerned about smoking's link to lung cancer and how it's affecting the state's lung cancer rates. 

“I think it is critical funding, and it's both education and awareness,” she said. “Then supporting the process to help people quit if they want to do that.”

More than one in five cancer deaths in Iowa this year are estimated to be from lung cancer, according to the Iowa Cancer Registry. Iowa has the second highest rate of cancer in the country and is one of the few states where diagnoses are increasing. 

Hinson's Democratic opponent Josh Turek participated in a cancer roundtable in August.