With drier weather, farmers make some progress on harvest
News Desk Corn harvest near Prairie City, Iowa along Highway 163 on Oct. 6, 2026. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) After an incredibly wet September with just a handful of days…
Agriculture
Manure discharge from feed lot in Cherokee County reaches tributary of Mill Creek
Mill Creek as it flows under High County Road in Cherokee County. (Photo via Google Earth) The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a manure discharge in Cherokee County…
USDA Rural Development invests nearly $13M into Iowa communities
USDA announced more than $12.9 million in grant and loans going to rural cooperatives to support rural hospitals, community centers, manufacturing and agriculture. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Healthcare,…
Rural Iowa 4-H clubs are bridging technology gaps with Starlink broadband
Some Iowa 4-H clubs will be able to expand or start robotics programs thanks to a partnership with Starlink that will increase internet connectivity. (Photo by Christophe Paul/USDA) A partnership…
Warmer soil and a warmer, wet winter expected in Iowa with super El Niño
A farmer tills a harvested corn field in late October, 2024 near Boone. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Weather patterns across Iowa, influenced by an abnormally strong El Nino…
Iowa farmers behind on harvest as wet September comes to close
Rain over a corn field in late September 2026 near Minburn, Iowa. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) In typical years, according to crop progress and condition reports from the…
Highly pathogenic avian influenza detected in Boone County
A backyard chicken raised to lay eggs. (Photo by Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch) The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship confirmed a case of the highly pathogenic avian influenza…
Consumer Advocate calls for proof that Alliant gas plant is cost effective
The Office of Consumer Advocate is asking the Iowa Utilities Commission to require additional information before approving a certificate for a gas peaker plant. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) The…
Iowa harvest behind schedule due to ‘extremely soggy’ conditions
A flooded corn field near Alleman on Aug. 7, 2026. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Iowa corn and soybean crops are slightly behind typical harvest and maturity schedules as…
Clean Energy group calls for more public scrutiny of data center energy costs
A clean energy group is calling for greater scrutiny of a utility company’s plans surrounding data centers. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) A clean energy group is calling on the…
Start of September was ‘one of the warmest’ on record as harvest nears
Soybeans and corn in central Iowa Sept. 8, 2026. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) With a statewide average weekly temperature of 79.8 degrees Fahrenheit, Iowa had one of its…
Iowa labor experts speak on UnityPoint unionization efforts, worker challenges
Teamsters Local 238 Secretary-Treasurer Jesse Case, left, and Jennifer Sherer, deputy director of Economic Policy Institute Economic Analysis and Research Network, speak on Iowa Press on Sept. 4, 2026. (Screenshot…
DNR investigating fish kill, likely manure spill in Dry Branch Creek
Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a fish kill in Dry Branch Creek, pictured here as it flows under 110th Street. (Photo via Google Earth) The Iowa Department of…
Coal increased its share of Iowa electricity generation in 2025, report shows
Wind energy continues to dominate Iowa’s electricity generation. Pictured are wind turbines near U.S. 80. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Iowa Environmental Council’s annual “condition of the state” report…
Harvest season nears in Iowa; Farm Rescue taking applications
Corn grows along west-bound U.S. 80 in Iowa Aug. 31, 2026. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Less than 10% of Iowa corn acres have reached the mature stage as…