Maura Curran
News FellowMaura Curran is IPR's 2026-2027 News Fellow. Curran has experience reporting, producing and photographing stories in Springfield, Mo. She has reported on education, business, the environment and culture for news outlets in Iowa and Missouri. Curran has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Missouri State University.
Expertise: Culture, education, business and environment
Education: Missouri State University
Favorite Iowa Destination: Des Moines Art Center
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Two former extended-stay hotels in the Des Moines metro will be converted into affordable housing and essential services for people experiencing homelessness. The vacant hotels are located in West Des Moines and Urbandale. -
A new art installation in Des Moines will honor former Des Moines Water Works CEO Bill Stowe, who spent years advocating for better water quality in Iowa. The artwork doubles as an outdoor classroom, where people can learn about the threats to Iowa’s drinking water. -
After the abrupt closure of Clive's Painted Tree Boutiques in April, hundreds of small businesses were left with nowhere to set up shop. Now, the property owners have reopened the building under a new business they created to bring back the vendor hub. -
Harvest Academy in Indianola helps its participants overcome challenges after leaving jail. The program wants to relocate its campus to help more people, and just broke ground on a bigger location in Des Moines. -
Des Moines Public Schools and Lutheran Services in Iowa’s Global Greens program are collaborating on a new community garden. The space was created to revitalize the school's agriscience program, which shut down in 2025 due to low enrollment. -
A nonprofit is hoping to provide emergency cooling assistance as extreme heat hits most of central Iowa. It's partnering with local fire stations to request donations as federal funding for its services dwindles. -
Researchers presented their findings from the Central Iowa Basic Income Pilot in Des Moines. Their study looked at how participants used monthly $500 payments, and how it affected their well-being and goals. -
Changes to the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) will start on June 14. The bus system currently has 27 routes that are being consolidated into 10 main ones. -
The Iowa Wildlife Federation promotes the national program, which helps people certify their yards and other outdoor spaces as healthy habitats for local wildlife. -
Broadlawns Medical Center's new mobile clinic aims to increase access to dementia care and testing for underserved populations in Polk County.
