Briefs
Bill promotes renewable energy, efficiency at public schools
The Iowa Energy Center would be required to come up with a plan to aid public schools with energy efficiency projects through grants under a bill introduced in the Iowa House of Representatives Tuesday. House File 2331 would require the center to add recommendations for projects and grants for elementary and secondary public schools to […]
State agency defends its policy on public access to information
Iowa Workforce Development has responded to a formal complaint that its process of handling public-information requests is illegal. The department says its policy of requiring all public-information requests and all public-records requests to be put in writing and submitted through an online portal “is a process designed to ease the burden on both requester and […]
Bill would restrict restoration of voting rights if voters amend the state constitution
GOP state senators advanced a bill Monday that would restrict restoration of voting rights for Iowans who have committed certain serious crimes and who still owe restitution to their victims. Senate File 2129 was designed to take effect only if Iowa voters approve a constitutional amendment that Gov. Kim Reynolds has requested for automatic restoration […]
Gov. Vilsack wins $150K in Powerball
Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack had forgotten the Powerball ticket in his briefcase for 10 days. He’s like many of us. He buys a ticket when the jackpot gets big, because, hey, if you are going to lose, you might as well lose big. Plus the money helps pay for state services. When he finally […]
Two campaigns request partial recanvass of caucus results
Campaigns for Sen. Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg have each asked the Iowa Democratic Party for a partial recanvass of caucus results, the Iowa Democratic Party said Monday. The Sanders campaign requested a review of 25 precincts and three satellite sites. “While a recanvass is just the first step in the process and (while) we […]
Want a Memorial Day campsite? Here’s how to reserve one.
If you’re planning to reserve a campsite at one of Iowa’s state parks for the Memorial Day weekend, mark your calendar for Feb. 22. That’s the first day you can reserve sites for the holiday weekend, because campsites can’t be reserved more than three months in advance. Memorial Day weekend runs May 22-25 and opens […]
Buttigieg wins 14 national delegates in Iowa caucuses; Sanders wins 12
Pete Buttigieg received 14 national delegates from the Iowa caucuses and Sen. Bernie Sanders received 12, the Iowa Democratic Party reported Sunday, along with updated results of the caucuses. Buttigieg had 564 or 26.2% of state delegate equivalents as of Sunday evening, with 100 percent of precincts reporting. Sanders had 562 or 26.1% of state […]
Need for diverse population remains focus of annual business report
The need to grow Iowa’s population and expand diversity is again a focus of the Iowa Business Council’s annual report on the state’s competitiveness. “As in 2019, still the largest opportunity for growth is definitely focusing on the talent pipeline we have in the state, training and upskilling our current population as well as attracting […]
Two Iowans tested for novel coronavirus
The Iowa Department of Public Health has identified two Iowans who recently returned from China and are undergoing testing for the novel coronavirus. The two are currently under voluntary home confinement, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Since December, 361 people have died and more than 17,000 people have been sickened by novel […]
Moravia lumber company fined for taking state forest trees
A district court judge has ordered a Moravia lumber company to pay the state $25,718.50 — the estimated value of trees the company illegally removed from Stephens State Forest in Lucas County. Moravia Hardwoods, LLC, won’t be able to buy timber for a year under the ruling by Fifth District Judge Martha Mertz. Mertz ruled […]
Iowa ethanol lobby to EPA’s Wheeler: Uphold Trump promise
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association’s long fight against federal moves that could cut the amount of ethanol blended into fuels resurfaced Wednesday with a terse letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler. The letter came out of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit. The association contended that Wheeler’s proposed rules on the Renewable Fuel […]
Industry report: Municipal utilities a $1 billion business
Iowa’s municipal utilities boost Iowa’s gross regional product by $1 billion a year, according to a study released Wednesday by the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities. Other key findings include: The utilities serve 69% of Iowans. An estimated 3,274 people work for the utilities, which support another 5,000 jobs indirectly. Combined assets of the utilities […]