Western Iowa

Chris McGowan, president of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, says his background as a veteran, lawyer and economic development expert gives him the experience to serve in Congress.

One year ago, more than a dozen Iowa counties ended up under a Presidential Disaster Declaration after heavy rains pushed raging rivers out of their banks. In two of the hardest-hit areas in northwest Iowa, people reflect on the pain and progress of the past 12 months.

A major plan is in the works to enhance Crescent Hill at Hitchcock, a recreational area in the Loess Hills of western Iowa. A Pottawattamie County official says the plan is to raise at least $25 million to make the area a four-season destination. The project would include a new tubing hill at the ski area, cabins, an amphitheater and more public space.

A deadly bus crash in Tanzania, Africa, made international headlines eight years ago. Today, the only three survivors — known as the “Miracle Kids” — live and study in Iowa, and are preparing to graduate from community college in Sioux City.

An EF-3 tornado destroyed homes, businesses and lives in Minden on April 26, 2024. The traumatic experience shifted the perspective of the community's long-time mayor.

More than 950 students, teachers and staff in the Rock Valley Community School District were impacted when historic flooding swept across northwest Iowa in June 2024. Today, they remain united after months of recovery efforts.

A jury in Woodbury County recently reached a guilty verdict in the killing of a Sioux City man who was Native American. Advocates say the case is an example of how Indigenous people are at higher risk for gun violence and death.

As negotiations for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia continue without a solid resolution, a different conflict plays out for Ukrainian refugees living in Iowa. Some fear being forced to leave their new and peaceful lives.

Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic first gripped Iowa, many people still struggle with long-term, debilitating health issues caused by the illness.

The painting, which has been part of the Sioux City Arts Center's permanent collection since 2007, has been sent to the Midwest Art Conservation Center in Minneapolis for a year-long conservation process.