Rural Iowa

An investigation into three Denison city employees has come to a close. The workers were placed on paid leave in December.

Jim Gilliam was hired by the BrownWinick law firm in Des Moines to conduct the investigation. He informed the city council last week that he found no evidence of criminal conduct or personal profit among Fire Chief Cory Snowgren, City Clerk Lisa Koch and City Manager Terry Crawford, who were all placed on leave from Dec. 18 until Jan. 9.

A team of Iowa researchers has concluded that there's no actionable evidence that the sound of wind turbines is a danger to public. Instead, the report authors found that reported symptoms of hearing loss or poor sleep are more likely related to people’s attitudes and beliefs about wind development.

The value of farmland in Iowa has dropped slightly this year, according to the Iowa State University Land Values Survey.

Wendong Zhang, an economics professor at ISU, collects information from realtors, lenders, appraisers and other people who monitor farm sales and transitions. He says the 0.8 percent decrease in farmland value compared to last year is partly still a correction from the record-high values of 2013. This is the fourth time in the past five years that land values have decreased.

An Iowa liberal arts college is challenging a vote by student workers to expand their union. The appeal puts Grinnell College and its student dining workers’ union in the thick of a national labor law debate.

The first class of physicians’ assistants from the University of Dubuque graduated Friday. The new program is coming online as Iowa is facing a potential shortage of PAs. 

Iowa Wesleyan University will stay open for another school year. Administrators say donations from alumni, community donors and a collaboration with the USDA's Rural Development Office will be enough to keep the university afloat, at least through the 2019-2020 school year. But school leaders are warning that institutional change is necessary for longterm fiscal sustainability.

A professor and alumna of Iowa Wesleyan University is donating half a million dollars to help keep the school open. The potentially transformational gift comes a little over a week after school leaders announced they're considering closing the school due to "significant financial challenges."

Iowa Wesleyan University may be closing its doors after 176 years due to "significant financial challenges". Without an immediate infusion of cash, this may be the small liberal arts college's last semester, leaving students, faculty and staff wondering: What’s next?