Decatur City
Bob and Robby Jewell of Decorah have been selected as the 2026 Iowa Leopold Conservation Award® recipients. The $10,000 award honors farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on working land. The Jewells’ 1,600-acre farm,...
Iowa’s housing market had more homes available for buyers in October, while sales activity slowed with the seasonal shift toward winter. Locally, Franklin County saw fewer home sales but higher prices compared with a year ago. According to the latest figures from Iowa REALTORS®, the state had 10,737 active...
Northwest Iowa corn and soybean grower Brent Swart is one of many farmers making plans for 2027.”. The American Soybean Association board director tells Brownfield commodity prices have improved, which should help the bottom line. “We’re reflective back to 2025 where we just didn’t have many opportunities to market our...
DES MOINES — A coordinator for the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club says data center developers are hoping to strike deals with cities and counties before state and federal officials enact new restrictions. Jess Mazour was featured in a panel discussion hosted by the Iowa Farmers Union. “We...
The Montana Public Service Commission approved the $15.4 billion NorthWestern Energy and Black Hills Corp. merger on Tuesday. The new company, once merged, will serve 2.1 million electric and natural gas customers in Montana, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming. In a split vote, the PSC supported...
For Iowa grain producers, what happens down on the Mississippi River directly hits the bottom line at the local elevator. According to CoBank, an aging and shrinking U.S. barge fleet could mean higher shipping costs and weaker basis levels for farmers. Over the past decade, the inland barge fleet has shrunk by nearly eight percent, while the average vessel age has climbed to 17.6 years, with more barges retiring each year than are being replaced.
InnerPlant says its CropVoice platform issued 19 confirmed disease alerts in commercial soybean fields in Iowa and Nebraska during the 2026 growing season, including alerts for frogeye leaf spot and Cercospora leaf blight. About 200 farmers used the service across more than 140,000 soybean acres this year, according to the...
The Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club says rapid growth in data centers is raising concerns about water use and water quality. Conservation coordinator Jess Mazour says growing water demands could have implications for both rural communities and agriculture. “We deserve to know if it’s coming from an aquifer, a...
Cover Crop Strategies editors encounter a variety of articles, social media posts, podcasts and videos that offer a unique look at various aspects of our great agricultural industry. Here is our favorite content from the past week:. Water Quality and Cover Crops. A southwest Iowa farmer discusses how cover crops...
Iowa’s economy is largely concentrated around agriculture, finance and insurance and manufacturing, but no industry employs more people or contributes more to the state’s gross domestic product than manufacturing, according to a study from the Common Sense Institute. Manufacturing accounts for 17% of the state’s gross domestic product...
Red Crown Rot reached 35 new counties in eight states in 2026, threatening soybean yields. The post Red Crown Rot hits 35 new counties in 8 states in 2026 appeared first on AGDAILY .
Blue Compass RV acquired Cheyenne Camping Center, a family-owned RV dealership that has served the Quad Cities market in Iowa for more than 60 years. The dealership is now named Blue Compass RV Quad Cities. The Quad Cities store is Blue Compass RV’s second Iowa dealership. Company President and...
A new housing development could bring 2,200 homes to the western side of West Des Moines . Why it matters: The Trail West project will bring more housing and pricing options to the growing western suburbs. The big picture: The development would add to a growing stretch of western West Des Moines, near other major projects, including the planned Grand Experience and MidAmerican Energy RecPlex expansion, says West Des Moines economic development director Ryan Moffatt. State of play: Caliber Homes and Jerry's Homes are partnering to develop about 300 acres of farmland north of Booneville Road and west of Grand Prairie Parkway. The total project could reach around 760 acres. Zoom in: The first phase includes 130 single-family home lots. The number of phases is not yet known, and the project could take 10 to 15 years to build out. Caliber would focus on homes ranging from $800,000 to $3 million, while Jerry's Homes would offer lower-priced options. Jerry's Homes did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. The development could eventually include townhomes, apartments, rental condos and neighborhood-scale retail. It's an urban area with a "country aesthetic" with rolling hills and tree-lined waterways, Ryan Kauffman of Caliber Homes
Git-N-Go convenience stores, part of the Des Moines-based chain, are facing business challenges, including store closures and inventory shortages, but the company has denied rumors of shutting down. Several locations, including stores in Winterset, Norwalk and Altoona and the Keo Way store in downtown Des Moines, are listed for sale...
The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) has reserved nearly $9 million in federal low-income housing tax credits (LIHTCs) to help create four developments in Council Bluffs, Dubuque, Waterloo, and West Des Moines. The communities will provide 595 affordable homes for individuals and families. The recent awards were made through the 4%...
The Montana Public Service Commission approved the $15.4 billion NorthWestern Energy and Black Hills Corp. merger on Tuesday. The new company, once merged, will serve 2.1 million electric and natural gas customers in Montana, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming. In a split vote, the PSC supported the deal, with Commissioner Randy…
Medica is leaving Iowa’s individual health insurance market and Cigna is leaving Colorado’s for 2027, which means people who buy their own coverage from either company have to pick a new plan. In both states, a plan chosen by Dec. 15 starts Jan. 1. Anyone who waits until the Jan. 15 close of open enrollment […]
R&R Realty Group raised more than $153,000 for United Way of Central Iowa through its 2026 employee giving campaign. The annual campaign featured a week of fundraising events, including individual employee donations and company-wide fundraisers. Combined with a corporate contribution, the funds will support United Way of Central Iowa’s programs focused on education, financial stability and health. “It’s great to see so many people get involved, and we’re glad to continue supporting United Way and the important work they do throughout Central Iowa,” Mark Rupprecht, president of R&R Realty Group, said in a prepared statement.
Idaho homeowners who are 65 or older can cut their property tax bill by as much as $1,500, but the application has to arrive between Jan. 1 and April 15. Three other states run their own 2027 programs for older owners: South Dakota freezes assessed value for applicants who file by April 1, Maricopa County... The post Senior homeowners in South Dakota, Idaho, Arizona and Iowa can file in 2027 for property tax freezes and credits, including Idaho’s cut of up to $1,500 due April 15 appeared first on The Financial Wire .
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — JCPenney has countersued the owner of Valley West Mall, saying it doesn’t plan on going anywhere and that the mall’s management is to blame for the decline in the once-thriving shopping center. In late September, Threshold Capital announced it had purchased the 58-acre property that the mall sits on, and […]
