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Thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a nonprofit daycare center in Decorah is closer to its $7 million goal to build a new facility that will allow it to serve an additional 250 children. The Sunflower Child Development and Discovery Center is able to leverage a $500,000 contribution from the Winneshiek County Board…

Nearly 180 public unions in Iowa are currently in the midst of being forced to vote on keeping their union, or else the state will take it away. It’s called “recertification,” and it’s mandatory of certain public unions in Iowa since the Republican-majority legislature passed an anti-union law five years ago. Changes to Chapter 20,…

Iowa has landed a spot as the second-worst state in the country for puppy mills, according to an annual report released by the Humane Society of the United States. In Iowa, 17 puppy breeding facilities appeared on the list. Many were repeats from previous years. Only Missouri, with 26 listed puppy mills, ranks higher. The…

Iowa’s U.S. Senate race may feature a match-up between Chuck Grassley and a Democrat less than half his age who wasn’t alive when the senator was first elected to office. Kim Reynolds will likely face off with someone with a fraction of years experience in public office as her. For many Iowa Democrats, seeing new,…

If your town, allegedly, had a mayor who abused his power, a city clerk who embezzled funds, and a corrupt police department—all at the same time—then you might be from Armstrong, Iowa. The town of around 875 people in Emmet County near the Minnesota border was rocked last February when Armstrong’s mayor, police chief, and…

Iowa is famous for its charming small towns and farms, home to beautiful rolling hills and picturesque prairies. But Iowa is also home to a strong entrepreneurial spirit, which we find both in the farms and fields and in cities. Innovative Iowans have given us everything from trampolines and Pinterest to enjoy in our off…

People want one basic thing from their elected officials, says Dr. Mary Kathleen Figaro: Someone who cares. Well, that and someone who shares their values. Figaro, who announced she would run for an open Iowa Senate seat in January, is an epidemiologist used to caring for people for the last 25 years, so she knows…

Iowa Senate Republicans on Wednesday night finally passed a highly controversial bill that establishes public funding for privately-run charter schools. After voting down 13 Democratic-introduced amendments, each killed along party lines, the majority party advanced one of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ school choice priorities, which allows a funding group or a non-elected group unaffiliated with local…

A bill advanced in the Iowa Senate on Monday that would prohibit cities and counties from regulating natural gas or propane sales triggered a debate on how Republicans value local control this Legislative session. Passed 29-16 along party lines, the bill will bar local governments from overseeing energy choice in their communities. It comes as…