Columbus Junction
A proposed solar farm near Letts is headed to a public meeting with state regulators after Louisa County turned down a permit for the project. The Louisa County Board of Adjustment voted 4 to 1 in September to deny a special-use permit for Southpaw Solar. The company has since asked the Iowa Utilities Commission to hold an informational meeting about a state certificate for the project.
After holding several discussions and meetings with a Minneapolis-based engineering assessment and construction program management firm, the Wapello School Board agreed during its Nov. 11 monthly meeting to strike out on its own to complete several large facility projects. The HawkEye reports the board had met with representatives of SitelogiQ during its Oct. 20 monthly meeting and received cost estimates and other information for many of the projects identified by a facility assessment the company completed this summer. The estimates were around $5 million for projects deemed most feasible, with a more expansive project that would cost nearly $10 million. Among the work identified in the assessment were roof repairs, HVAC initiatives, electrical upgrades, restroom modifications, ceiling replacements and other efforts. The board had delayed making any decision until its November meeting, where most of its members agreed the district could handle the projects itself. SitelogiQ completed the assessment and other work at no charge to the school district. School officials did not indicate when more discussions on the projects might be held.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) - Former Iowa City School superintendent Matt Degner has resigned from the district. The school board accepted his resignation Tuesday night in a 5-2 vote. Board members Mitch Lingo and Audrey Moeller voted against accepting it. Lingo removed the resignation from the consent agenda ahead of...
Nba logo on gradient background - Created by the Sports On Tap desk | Source : Sports On Tap (team logos property of their respective owners) The Iowa women’s basketball team just took a hit in the latest USA TODAY coaches poll, dropping three spots to No. 13 in the season’s first regular-season ranking. That’s […]
A new Medical Examiner Investigator was appointed by the Washington County Board of Supervisors Tuesday. Joshua Laws of Washington was appointed to the role, and will join Washington County Medical Examiner Dr. Paul Towner on staff in a medical examiner investigator role. Laws also currently serves on the Washington County Ambulance, Fire Department, and EMS and Rescue Unit.
The College Football Playoff released its second rankings, and the Iowa Hawkeyes' bump was healthy. Let's discuss what it means.
Washington Mystics logo on gradient background - Created by the Sports On Tap desk | Source : Sports On Tap (team logos property of their respective owners) Former Iowa guard Lucy Olsen, fresh off winning a WNBL Championship in March with the Townsville Fire, was back on the court yesterday, joining the No. 13 Iowa […]
The University of Northern Iowa women’s basketball team traveled to Brookings, South Dakota, to take on the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Friday, Nov. 6. UNI entered the game with a 1-0 record after beating St. Thomas, but couldn’t remain unbeaten after a 76-54 loss to the Jackrabbits.
Legal and state regulatory options have now been launched by Ranger Power of Chicago to avoid the Sept. 1 denial of a special use permit by the Louisa County Board of Adjustment. The HawkEye reports that Zoning Administrator Bruce Hudson told the Louisa County Board of Supervisors this week the company had filed a lawsuit over the denial of the permit for the proposed 450 megawatt solar, energy storage and agrivoltaics Southpaw Solar Energy project in northern Louisa County. In addition to the lawsuit, the company has also submitted an application to the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) for a state permit. If granted, the permit would override the local decision and allow the facility to be constructed on approximately 5,700 acres. The local board denied the special use permit because of the impact of the proposed facility on some of the county’s best farmland.
New, reduced-credit pathways to a degree are making their way to Iowa’s public universities with preliminary approval from their state governing body. The Iowa Board of Regents Academic Affairs Committee Wednesday recommended approval for the University of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa to establish bachelor of applied professional studies degrees, developed in deference to […]
KENT WORLDWIDE has awarded Crossroads, Inc. a $100,000 grant in support of the new Crossroads Day Habilitation facility, which will be located at 2206 Lucas St. in Muscatine. This grant is helping to remove barriers to participation and expand opportunities for people with disabilities across Muscatine and Cedar counties. The...
A long-needed construction project is set to begin Monday in Washington County. On November 16th, Peterson Contractors, Inc., of Reinbeck, Iowa, will begin construction on the replacement of McKain’s Bridge over the Skunk River on Dogwood Avenue (W21) in southwest Washington County. The existing bridge will remain open to traffic during this initial phase of construction, although traffic may be reduced to one lane as work progresses.
The Lone Tree Lady Lions will have a new look in 2026-2027. Lone Tree finished 16-8 overall last season, with a 12-4 record in the Southeast Iowa Superconference North. The Lady Lions were led by their senior trio consisting of Finley Jacque, Ava Christofferson, and Dalanie Graap. Those three represented 37 points of the Lions’ average of 51 points a game last year. They’ll look to replace those three this season.
A small task force the Iowa Board of Regents assembled to review issues with patient billing after University of Iowa Health Care purchased the state's largest cancer treatment clinic says more could be done to help patients understand billing and access financial support. The task force, however, was not assigned to do anything about the biggest factor that has made former Mission Cancer & Blood patients' bills higher under UIHC. Dr. Denise Jamieson, UIHC vice president for medical affairs , told the regents at their Wednesday, Nov. 11, meeting in Ames the group examined communications with patients and billing and financial counseling. Jamieson said it determined UIHC could inform patients earlier about what they may owe, connect them with financial assistance and work with insurers, employers and others that play a role in out-of-pocket medical costs. UIHC also could "measure whether the changes are affecting the patient experience," she said. "We want patients to focus on their treatment," she said. But the task force did not address the reason for the higher bills. In a series of investigative reports this year, the Des Moines Register Watchdog found the elevated bills showed up after the nonprofit hospital group started charging hospital
IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa researchers have detected pesticides in Iowa waterways, tree leaves in Iowa City and household dust from homes across the state, offering a snapshot of how the chemicals may move through the environment. The research was conducted through Iowa INSIGHT, a University of...
State Auditor-elect Taylor Wettach, a Democrat from Muscatine, says maintaining the independence of the office is his primary responsibility. He’s also considering ways the auditor’s office could make all government spending more transparent. “So folks know where their hard-earned tax dollars are going and working with folks of either party or no party to continue that sort of focus,” he said. Wettach, a 35-year-old attorney, previously worked at a major New York City law firm where he reviewed and negotiated complex financial deals. Wettach says he’s looking forward to working with the accountants, auditors and Certified Fraud Examiners in the state auditor’s office. Wettach says he will continue many of the initiatives current State Auditor Rob Sand started, like allowing staff to live outside of central Iowa since audits are done throughout the state, as well as continuing the program that recognizes local Iowa governments for efficiency efforts. Wettach says part of his job will be ensuring the non-partisan staff can do their job effectively and that means more resources. “They’re career auditors. They’re career civil servants that are experts in what they do, that have been working in that office for years and years and years and are in that office because they believe in the public service of it,” Wettach said. “They’d get paid more if they worked in the private sector. They’re there because they’re true public servants.” Wettach’s term starts January 1. Wettach defeated Republican Chris Cournoyer in last week’s election by about 6,500 votes.
The Mount Pleasant Community School District is pursuing plans to establish a public charter school serving students in grades 6 through 12, potentially introducing a year-round calendar, a four-day instructional week, and a different approach to classroom learning. According to a November 6 weekly staff update from district administration, the...
Residents in the Mediapolis area are being advised of a planned power outage scheduled for Thursday night into Friday morning. According to a notice shared by Mediapolis News and posted by KILJ Radio, Alliant Energy has scheduled an outage to perform maintenance on its Mediapolis substation. Power is expected to...
New holiday activities, financial support for a major community project, and city improvements were among the topics discussed by the Mount Pleasant City Council Tuesday evening. Sophia Walderbach, a Mount Pleasant High School senior interning with Main Street Mount Pleasant and the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance, presented plans to...
Potential sites for solar panels on county property were presented and discussed by the Washington County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. Eagle Point Solar gave a presentation on multiple county sites that solar panels could be added. The sites include the Orchard Hill facilities and Emergency Operations Center on Lexington Boulevard, the secondary roads shop at 821 East 7th Street, and Washington County Courthouse grounds in downtown Washington. These would be freestanding solar arrays.
