https://www.radioiowa.com/ Iowa's Radio News Network Fri, 17 Jul 2026 15:28:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://cdn.radioiowa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/LEARFIELD_FAVICON-150x150.png https://www.radioiowa.com/ 32 32 https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/17/speaker-johnson-in-pella-stop-pledges-one-last-push-for-save-act/ Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:27:02 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181365 President Trump is again calling on congress to pass a bill requiring voters in all states to show a photo ID and proof of citizenship and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, on a two-day swing through Iowa, said the House is ready to act. “We passed the SAVE America Act three times in the House,” […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/17/iowa-high-schooler-hopes-to-lasso-rodeo-queen-crown/ Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:25:42 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181367 A southwest Iowa teen is competing to become the National High School Rodeo Queen this weekend at the finals in Lincoln, Nebraska. Katie Howe, a junior at Fremont-Mills, says it’s been a longtime goal of hers to win this crown. “It’s a three-day competition and I compete in a couple different events,” Howe says. “That […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/17/burlington-showcases-all-things-vintage-salvaged-or-handmade-this-weekend/ Fri, 17 Jul 2026 11:00:21 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181341 A large section of downtown Burlington will be converted into a giant antique sale tomorrow, as the southeast Iowa city hosts its 11th annual Very Vintage Market. Amy Moyner, executive director of Burlington’s Downtown Partners, says the event will attract truckloads of one-of-a-kind items and sizeable crowds of treasure seekers. “It’s 120 vendors, all unique, […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/17/ernst-touts-anti-fraud-package-co-sponsored-by-22-gop-senators/ Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:19:13 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181352 Iowa Senator Joni Ernst has led development of a package of cost-cutting ideas for the federal government that’s eligible for debate in the U.S. Senate this month. “Every single day fraudsters are taking advantage of the federal government,” Ernst said. The anti-fraud package would save the federal government at least $240 billion according to Ernst. […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/16/iowa-unemployment-rate-unchanged-in-june/ Thu, 16 Jul 2026 21:12:38 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181363 Iowa’s unemployment rate held steady in June at 3.2%. Iowa Workforce Development director Beth Townsend says several areas gained jobs in June. “Private industries were responsible for the June increase. We saw retail trade added over 1,000. Finance and insurance added 600. Education and healthcare are now 4,500 jobs above where they were last year, […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/16/officials-in-southwest-iowa-district-consider-switch-to-4-day-school-week/ Thu, 16 Jul 2026 20:03:55 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181360 Twenty-seven Iowa school districts operated on a four-day week in the past year and officials in a southwest Iowa school district are exploring the idea. “I think exploring is the key word,” said Essex Community Schools Superintendent Gregg Cruickshank. “I think there’s a lot that goes into this in terms of weighing all the factors […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/16/beware-new-scam-targets-iowa-utility-customers/ Thu, 16 Jul 2026 18:00:14 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181349 Iowa’s largest utility is warning its customers to be wary if they’re using a search engine to find the company’s 800-number for customer service. MidAmerican Energy spokesman Dan Winters says scammers are using paid search engine ads to manipulate search results and steer people to fake phone numbers — with crooks waiting to take your […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/16/learn-to-identify-weeds-then-compete-at-the-iowa-state-fair/ Thu, 16 Jul 2026 17:55:32 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181356 If you’ve ever wondered what the weeds are that are growing in your yard and garden you can learn about them and have a chance to win a ribbon. ISU field agronomist Meaghan Anderson says the weed identification contest is back at the Iowa State Fair. They start with 20 common weeds for youth contestants, […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/16/ex-iowa-nurse-sentenced-to-federal-prison-on-drug-related-charges/ Thu, 16 Jul 2026 17:30:35 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181354 A former registered nurse from LeMars will spend over two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to drug-related charges. Forty-nine-year-old Chad Hoppe is a former employee of the Floyd Valley Health Center in Le Mars and has surrendered his state nursing license. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Hoppe diverted “staggering” amounts of […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/16/clinton-residents-swarm-meeting-to-protest-possible-10b-data-center/ Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:49:16 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181339 A company called QTS is considering the eastern Iowa town of Clinton for a $10-billion, hyperscale data center campus, though many residents want strict standards in place first. About a hundred people showed up at a Clinton planning commission meeting, requesting language concerning water quality, noise pollution, and air quality. After listening to hours of […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/16/des-moines-metro-hosts-national-tourney-for-granny-style-hoops/ Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:00:28 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181308 A national basketball tournament opens in central Iowa tomorrow featuring more than 400 women from across the U.S. who range in age from 50 to 94. The Granny Basketball League was founded in Iowa more than 20 years ago, but it’s based on the six-on-six game that was played here in the 1920s. Patty Dyar […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/16/lakota-man-is-credited-with-saving-two-lives-in-dramatic-fiery-rescue/ Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:04:03 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181337 Authorities in northern Iowa say a man helped rescue two people from a car that was hit by a train just before the car burst into flames. A 16-year-old driver and a 12-year-old passenger were headed south into Lakota when they were struck by an eastbound Union Pacific train just before 4 P.M. Tuesday. The […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/16/initial-meeting-of-iowa-medicaid-fraud-elimination-task-force/ Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:00:13 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181332 Governor Kim Reynolds is asking a task force she’s appointed to examine Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse and produce a final report by October 29. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, the task force chair, convened the group for the first time yesterday. “This report is going to deliver actionable recommendations for her consideration for a […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/15/baseball-signed-by-pete-rose-sits-in-iowa-treasurers-vault/ Wed, 15 Jul 2026 18:31:39 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181330 State Treasurer Roby Smith is highlighting some sports memorabilia from unclaimed bank safety deposit boxes that has been turned over to the state. A baseball signed by Pete Rose and other Cincinnati Reds players was in a box rented by Jonathan Pederson of Mason City. The treasurer is seeking the public’s help in tracking down […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/15/baseball-signed-by-pete-rose-in-1970s-sits-in-iowa-treasurers-vault/ Wed, 15 Jul 2026 18:25:11 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181327 State Treasurer Roby Smith is highlighting some sports memorabilia from unclaimed bank safety deposit boxes that has been turned over to the state. A baseball signed by Pete Rose and other Cincinnati Reds players was in a box rented by Jonathan Pederson of Mason City. The treasurer is seeking the public’s help in tracking down […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/15/garner-company-reaches-semi-finals-of-country-wide-sba-contest/ Wed, 15 Jul 2026 18:00:09 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181317 Out of some 1,200 nominees, a northern Iowa manufacturing company has made the top ten in a national contest celebrating free enterprise and innovation. Plas-Tech Tooling of Garner is a semi-finalist in the Patriot Pitch Competition, part of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Freedom 250 initiative. Dean Sonquist and his wife Marcia founded the technology-driven […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/15/iowa-rise-funds-approved-for-butler-county-burlington/ Wed, 15 Jul 2026 17:07:52 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181323 The Iowa Transportation Commission approved funding Tuesday for road improvements to provide more access to business projects in Butler County and Burlington. The DOT’s Deb Arp says the Butler County award will extend a roadway in the business park near Shell Rock. “Feldmeier Equipment plans to establish a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the Butler […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/15/iowa-schools-discuss-allowing-8th-graders-to-play-varsity-sports/ Wed, 15 Jul 2026 16:09:35 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181321 The Iowa Board of Education approved emergency rules in June that allows 8th graders to play varsity sports, but the decision to do so is up to each school district. Webster City High School principal Jason Wedgbury told the school board they need to take a close look at the issue. “I hope you consider […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/15/montezuma-woman-is-recovering-from-quadruple-organ-transplant-surgery/ Wed, 15 Jul 2026 13:13:57 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181305 An Iowa woman will head home this week after organ transplant surgery that was the first-of-its kind in the U.S. Thirty-six-year old Elizabeth Wehrle of Montezuma has cystic fibrosis and was diagnosed with chronic rejection of transplanted lungs early this year. Doctors at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago performed a retransplant — replacing them with another […]]]> https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/07/15/honeyberries-could-be-iowas-next-go-to-niche-crop/ Wed, 15 Jul 2026 11:00:35 +0000 https://www.radioiowa.com/?p=181277 A type of berry that’s considered a “superfood” for its potential health benefits is being tested on plots in Iowa to see how it adapts to our soil and climate, though it grows wild in parts of Canada. Honeyberries are also known as honeysuckle berries or haskaps. Randall Vos, a horticulture fruit crops field specialist […]]]>