Isabella Luu
Central Iowa ReporterExpertise: Reporting writing and producing stories about communities across Des Moines and Central Iowa, all with an ear to help IPR listeners and readers understand their communities and the central portion of the state.
Education: Bachelors degree from the University of Georgia
Favorite Iowa Destination: Maquoketa Caves
Experience:
- Covered local and regional issues as part of WUGA's flagship news show Athens News Matters, for KCUR in Kansas City, for NPR, and for IPR
- Has covered homelessness policy and issues in Des Moines, Iowa's Third District congressional seat and other state races, and the compatibility of solar and crop production
- Has reported and written features across many topics, including a three-part series on Asian-American experiences in northeast Georgia, community organizers' efforts to rename Kansas City's historic Troose Avenue and a non-narrated feature highlighting an iconic Kansas City restaurant
My Favorite Stories
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Under the new bans, people who do not leave or remove their campsites can be arrested, charged with a simple misdemeanor and fined $15. -
Backed by the Department of Energy, Iowa State University researchers are studying how farming the land around solar panels can diversify farm income, boost biodiversity and improve worker safety. -
YSS, a youth social services provider in Iowa, is opening the Ember Recovery Campus with a residential addiction treatment program, crisis stabilization and crisis recovery services. -
DMACC is ending a food forest and urban prairie program that harvested fresh produce and rescued food waste around Des Moines, citing funding issues, aesthetic concerns and irrelevance to academic programs. -
The council approved a ban on camping and sleeping on public property that targets people who are unhoused. Opponents of the plan at the crowded meeting booed the decision.
My Latest Stories
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Discrepancies surfaced after the former Des Moines superintendent was arrested by federal immigration agents last week. Des Moines Public Schools is suing the firm that did his background check. -
The Department of Justice and the Department of Education have separately turned their attention to two of Iowa's largest school districts for programs or hiring practices they claim are racially discriminatory. -
Ian Roberts, superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, was arrested and detained Friday after fleeing ICE agents during a traffic stop in Des Moines. The school board voted Saturday to put him on administrative leave. Since his arrest, community members have rallied across the state to show their support for Roberts. -
Iowa Senate Republicans have chosen Sen. Mike Klimesh as their new majority leader after Sen. Jack Whitver announced he was stepping down from the role earlier this month. -
After launching an investigation last week, the Oskaloosa School Board has voted unanimously to fire a teacher who allegedly made a post praising Charlie Kirk's death.
