Johnson County

Across the country, low-income households that rely on federal assistance to help pay for food are now turning to food pantries. With money for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program temporarily paused due to the government shutdown, some Iowans said they are unsure how they will feed themselves and their families.

Johnson County is plowing ahead with plans for a 120-bed law enforcement facility. Officials said it will be a busy year between now and next November, when they hope to present a $99 million bond to voters. The next step in the process is to nail down a location.

Johnson County officials are pulling their support for a new joint law enforcement facility that would house a new county jail, the sheriff’s office and the Iowa City Police Department. After both the county and the city agreed to continue discussions on the shared facility, Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel said he no longer sees a path forward.

Some residents of manufactured homes in Johnson County are asking for a two-year moratorium on rent increases in response to steep rent hikes and worsening living conditions at multiple locations owned by an out-of-state investor. They say changes began to take place after the lots were purchased by Havenpark Communities.

Gov. Kim Reynolds is awarding new grants for businesses to expand child care access for their employees. Johnson County is also expanding a program that provides additional help for families that receive child care assistance from the state.

Residential care facilities in Iowa and across the Midwest had their start as "poor farms" in the 1800s.

The Johnson County civil mental health court program, a first in the state, monitors mental health outpatients and connects them with treatment to help live independently.

The jury found that the state’s case against Tara McGovern wasn’t sufficient to convict them. But that doesn’t mean the acquittal challenges 2021’s increased penalties for protest-related crimes.

In a vote last night, debate was heated. But in the end, the elected officials could not convince the room of Johnson County Democrats to denounce the county attorney for pursuing charges against protesters who blocked traffic.

A campaign is underway to pressure the Johnson County attorney to drop charges against protesters arrested for obstructing an Iowa City intersection in October 2023.