Eastern Iowa

At the first reading of a proposed data zoning ordinance, residents of Palo and nearby communities raised concerns over the negative impacts future data centers could have on water and traffic, as well as light and noise pollution. Many people asked for the city to tighten regulations, while several others asked the city to table the ordinance completely.

With U.S. electricity demand expected to grow significantly by the end of the decade, and the U.S. Department of Energy trying to achieve net-zero emissions in the power sector by 2035, more clean power will need to come online. In eastern Iowa, the potential restart of a nuclear plant could signal what’s ahead for the country.

The Cedar Rapids school board voted to close six schools in an effort to right-size the district’s finances. District officials said they see it as an opportunity to give students the best chance at a high-quality public education as the district faces pressure from state-funded education savings accounts and new charter schools opening nearby.

All over the country, tech giants are rushing to build massive data centers to support AI-driven demand, and it’s forcing local governments to reckon with how such resource-intensive projects could bring billions in regional investment. One proposed data center in eastern Iowa has become the subject of a standoff between two local jurisdictions.

Police are investigating a shooting that happened early Sunday morning at the downtown Ped Mall near the University of Iowa campus. Five people were taken to area hospitals. No arrests have been made.

Independent candidate Michael Bridgford has launched a campaign in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District. He plans to harness the support of a growing number of "no party" voters to send a message about the two-party system.