LATEST HEADLINES
LATEST HEADLINES
Kim Reynolds finally decides to help feed some kids, but there’s a big catch
Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Wednesday that Iowa will start a competitive $900,000 grant program to feed Iowa children over the summer—this comes...
Here’s everything you need to know about this month’s Mercury retrograde
Mercury retrograde is happening through April 25 and this may have an impact on your life. Here’s what you need to know about mercury retrograde.
In bloom: When & where to see tulips in Iowa
If you’re wondering when and where to see tulips in Iowa, look no further. Here are several festivals and farms to check out this spring.
VIDEO: Rural Iowa fertilizer spill kills 749,000 fish
A liquid nitrogen fertilizer spill killed nearly all the fish in a 50-mile stretch of a rural Iowa river. As clean-up efforts continue, let Starting...
Kalbach: Keeping an eye on McKenzie Snow
Gov. Kim Reynolds continued her war on public schools earlier this month when she narrowly won Iowa Senate confirmation of McKenzie Snow to lead the...
Iowa LGBTQ+ youth find community at Safe Schools conference
Being an LGBTQ+ student in Iowa right now is hard. Laws police which names and bathrooms students can use, and what words teachers can say in their...
Increasingly desperate Iowans stretching food banks to capacity
Leaders of a dozen food pantries across Iowa are sounding the alarm about a "soaring number" of Iowans seeking help at food banks, putting these...
Biden unveils new plan for student debt relief
The president’s plan builds on existing debt cancellation efforts and would extend loan relief to more than 30 million borrowers.
Bayer/Monsanto has poured money into Iowa politics for years
As Bayer, the major pharmaceutical and biotech company, lobbies the Iowa Legislature to enact legislation to protect it from civil suits related to...
Ung: Taylor sentencing won’t dissuade bad actors from election interference
"A very large downward variance from the recommended sentence." Those words—a characterization by Kim Taylor's defense attorney to local media—have...
VIDEO: McKenzie Snow dodges questions on her teaching background
McKenzie Snow, Gov. Reynolds' pick to lead the Iowa Department of Education and a former Trump administration staffer, wouldn't answer Sen. Herman...
Rob Sand: Iowans must stand with sexual assault victims
Lots of topics get swept under the rug because they’re not comfortable for us to confront. Sometimes we’d rather pretend the problems don’t exist or couldn’t happen in a place like Iowa. But they do, and it can happen anywhere—even in our great state. It is our...
VIDEOS: Iowa Senate debates teacher armament bill
During an Iowa Senate floor debate on the teacher armament bill, HF 2586, Sen. Janice Weiner (D-Iowa City) clarified that the goal of gun safety is not to take guns away, but to systemize safe practices and comprehensive support services so gun violence can be...
VIDEOS: Konfrst details how Republicans use abortion to play politics with Iowans’ lives
While Iowans await the Iowa Supreme Court's decision on one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst (D-Windsor Heights) detailed the ways Republican politicians use these bans to play politics with peoples' lives and...
As Iowa City and Linn-Mar prepare for drastic cuts, vouchers draw millions from state
The Iowa City and Linn-Mar school districts face a combined $10 million budget shortfall as the state continues to underfund public schools and funnel millions toward private school tuition. According to data from the Iowa Department of Education, 471 students who...
Opinion: Johnson Co. supervisor: We’re still committed to affordable housing
This column, by Johnson County Supervisor Jon Green, is in response to a previous column by leaders from Escucha Mi Voz. On March 3, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors decided to shift funding in support of affordable housing from our American Rescue Plan Act...
VIDEOS
Follow Us On Instagram
OUR IOWA
Iowa Life
Get in the Christmas spirit with these 10 Iowa light displays
As the holiday season commences, so do the festivities! Light shows are a perfect way to get into the holiday spirit, spend time with your community, and appreciate local attractions. From the largest amusement park in the state to a family farm, here are 10 of the...
Nontraditional Thanksgiving dinner ideas from Iowans
Turkey, mashed potatoes, some kind of casserole, stuffing, rolls, pumpkin pie: That’s the equation for a "traditional" Thanksgiving meal. But is it? Does it have to be? We asked the Iowa Starting Line audience—on Facebook and in the newsletter—how they break the...
From Queersgiving to Friendsgiving, 8 free Thanksgiving meals around Iowa
Thanksgiving is traditionally a time for a meal at home with family. But if you want to break bread with your community, plenty of places in Iowa offer that, too. So if you're looking for a free community meal, courtesy of the kindness of your fellow Iowans, here are...
Celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day With These Must-Read Books
We asked our colleagues across Courier Newsroom, Iowa Starting Line's parent company, to share recommendations for books by Indigenous authors. Here’s what they said. Monday, October 9, is Indigenous Peoples’ Day—a holiday to honor, celebrate, and recognize the...
How to celebrate Banned Books Week in Des Moines, Iowa City
Banned Books Week seems especially relevant in Iowa this year. Here are a couple events to help you celebrate this week, both free and open to all:
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month At These 9 Iowa Festivals
National Hispanic Heritage Month is held in the US every year from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 as a celebration of the history, cultures and contributions…
25 of the best indie bookstores in Iowa, according to Iowans
The nights are getting longer, and the days chillier, and there’s never a better time to get lost in a new book (except maybe the dead of winter).
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month At These 9 Iowa Festivals
National Hispanic Heritage Month is held in the US every year from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 as a celebration of the history, cultures and contributions…
Two New Sioux City Events This Fall Celebrate Diverse Cultures
Two new events are coming this month to Sioux City to build a space for and connect the different cultures, backgrounds, and people who have made the city home over the years.
Iowa’s Coolest Vintage Movie Theaters Still in Operation Today
Classic, vintage, iconic, and just plain cool, we found some old movie theaters sprinkled across the state.
West Des Moines Honors The Long Family’s Contributions
For 34 years straight, Johnny and Barbara Long never missed a West Des Moines City Council meeting.
QUIZZES
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
LOCAL STORIES
Group to give away banned books in Sergeant Bluff, Sioux City this weekend
Annie’s Foundation, a nonprofit group started by Iowans to spread the word about book banning and give those books away, is hitting the road—and coming to Western Iowa for the first time.
8 Diwali celebrations across Iowa to check out this month
Diwali, known as the festival of lights, is a huge celebration in India and among Indian folks around the world. That includes Iowans of Indian descent, who bring some light into our dark fall nights with celebrations across the state this month. What is Diwali?...
As Iowa housing costs soar, Biden wants to turn empty offices into housing
In Sept. 2020, the median home sale price in Iowa was $188,500. As of Sept. 2023, that figure had risen to $229,600, a 21% increase, according to Redfin. Renters are also paying more in Iowa. They paid an average of $947.54 between January and March 2020. Now, they’re paying $1,085.55, a $138.01 increase.
13 of Iowa’s Scariest Haunted Houses and Creepy Attractions of 2023
By Katie Mills Giorgio, Starting Line contributor Spooky season is officially here, and if you’re the type of Iowan who likes a good scare, we’ve got you covered. This list of 13 haunted houses around the state of Iowa is sure to freak you out. Located throughout the...
It’s Banned Books Week. Iowans told us their forbidden faves
In honor of National Banned Books Week, which takes on even more importance this year in Iowa, we asked you for your favorite banned books. Starting Line readers put 48+ books on this list. But a few rose to the top of the pile.
QUIZZES
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
LOCAL VIDEOS
Local Videos
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.