A survey finds Iowa's economy is slowly recovering from the pandemic, but the state is lagging behind the Midwest overall in clawing back from widespread shut-downs and job losses. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says their survey of business owners across the nine-state region found a … [Read more...]
Senator Grassley tweets on Fox News, president’s reelection issues
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley's recent tweets accuse Fox News of failing President Trump and recommend someone in the Oval Office read a Wall Street Journal editorial to Trump, which suggests why he may lose in November. One media outlet calls the tweets a call for an "intervention" at the White … [Read more...]
Iowa Central Community College leader expects changes to increase fall enrollment
While some Iowa colleges are projecting fall enrollment will drop due to COVID-19, the president of Iowa Central Community College predicts a boost in students when classes resume in a few months. Dan Kinney says he's remaining optimistic that the choices being offered and the changes being made … [Read more...]
Two people die in two weekend shootings in Des Moines
Authorities say two people were shot to death in separate incidents in Iowa's capitol city over the weekend. Des Moines police say the body of 41-year-old Michael Thurman of Keokuk was found Saturday night along a roadside in an industrial area near the Titan Tire factory. A suspect in that … [Read more...]
Start your engines! Big car show is still on for the holiday weekend
While the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines will not be hosting the state fair this summer, the motor is still running for the big classic car event over the upcoming Fourth of July weekend. Harry Daviess, a spokesman for the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association, says the 29th annual Speedway … [Read more...]
Still-cancelled Iowa State Fair to host ‘special edition’ for 4-H and FFA
Due to COVID-19, the Iowa State Fair will not go on this summer, but something called the 2020 Fair Special Edition is now on the schedule. The state fair's website says the special edition will be held at the fairgrounds in Des Moines over three weekends in August. It'll be an opportunity for … [Read more...]
Summer travel season could be worst in decades, especially for airlines, cruise ships
The upcoming Independence Day holiday would ordinarily be a very busy one for vacationing Iowans, but a new estimate finds travel will be down about 15-percent this summer, compared to last year. Mark Peterson, a spokesman for AAA Iowa, says the COVID-19 pandemic has more people itching to get … [Read more...]
‘Godzilla’ dust plume may reach Iowa, impacting health, plants and our Instagram pix
A massive thunderstorm in Africa's Sahara Desert created an enormous dust cloud thousands of feet high and the plume that's made a six-thousand mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean may impact Iowa this weekend. State climatologist Justin Glisan says it's an exceptionally rare event. "They're … [Read more...]
Virtual meeting tonight focuses on non-gas-guzzling cars, cutting pollution
Since big in-person gatherings are making some Iowans hesitant, tonight's Electric Vehicles and Environmental Justice Expo will be held virtually via Zoom. Expo organizer Rishi Shah, a spokesman for Environment Iowa, says transportation is a leading cause of air pollution and carbon emissions in … [Read more...]
All blood donations to Red Cross now screened for COVID-19
The American Red Cross is now testing all blood donations from Iowans for COVID-19 antibodies. Red Cross spokesman Joe Zydlo says the tests will let donors know if they have been exposed to coronavirus, plus, it's another way to encourage people to donate a pint. Zydlo says, "There continues to … [Read more...]