Cedar Rapids

Data center development is expanding rapidly across the state due to Iowa’s cheap land and energy. Local governments have limited power when faced with development. Should they be the ones making big decisions for Iowa communities?

A new rusty patched bumblebee sighting in Linn County is a good sign that habitat conservation efforts could be helping the federally endangered species.

Deputy Secretary of Energy James Danly visited rural Linn County to announce the loan, which is the final piece of financing the energy center needed. He called the recommissioning an early chapter of “an American nuclear renaissance.”

NASA is partnering with the University of Iowa, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Des Moines Water Works to create a new tool to forecast water quality conditions. The goal is to combine satellite imagery with water quality monitors across the state to predict when nitrate concentrations in surface or ground water will reach dangerous levels.

Any time is a great time to visit an Iowa State Park, but if you go now through the end of October, you can discover hidden gems with the Iowa State Parks Passport. On this episode, we learn about the Iowa State Parks Passport, which encourages Iowans to explore historic landmarks and scenic overlooks around the state. We also talk with William Bortz about his new poetry collection. Then, we meet Anne Harris Carter, the new director of the African American Museum of Iowa.

Every week on trash day, truckloads of waste are hauled off to three dozen landfills across the state. But some Iowa landfills are nearing the end of their lifespans, prompting communities to look elsewhere.