Iowa Capital Dispatch • 9th August 2026

Sand outraises Lahn in latest reports; both received millions from party PACs • Iowa Capital Dispatch

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand’s campaign said Monday he broke an Iowa record for the most money raised by a statewide campaign in a fundraising period, raising more than $9.38 million from May 27 to July 14. 
During the first four and a half months of 2026, the Rob Sand for Iowa campaign raised $9.68 million, another Iowa fundraising record. With total expenditures accounted for, the Sand campaign has more than $17.95 million on hand as of July 14.
“Less than four months from Elect...

Iowa Capital Dispatch • 2nd August 2026

Lahn clarifies position on privatized Medicaid, defends attack ad against Sand • Iowa Capital Dispatch

BRITT — Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn defended his Medicaid stance Saturday at the Hancock County Fair in Britt, expressing a need to continue Gov. Kim Reynolds’ healthcare policy.
Lahn said delivering healthcare through the private sector with government oversight is “bipartisan,” saying 42 states including Iowa use managed care organizations, including many Democratic states.
“I don’t think the government would do a good job of delivering healthcare for the people of Iowa,” Lahn...

Iowa Capital Dispatch • 31st July 2026

‘What did we do wrong now?’: Rural Iowa schools weigh impact of ESA expansion • Iowa Capital Dispatch

As Iowa’s Education Savings Account program continues to expand to include all K-12 families, rural public school districts are still trying to determine how the scholarships will affect their classrooms, budgets and enrollment.
Supporters argue ESAs give families more educational choices, while critics say the program diverts money away from public schools that remain the center of many rural communities.
Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the ESA program into law in 2023, allowing eligible families to u...

Iowa Capital Dispatch • 23rd July 2026

Muhlbauer defends Sand campaign's marijuana plan at kids' recovery facility • Iowa Capital Dispatch

Dave Muhlbauer, Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, defended the Sand campaign’s cannabis legalization plan and discussed the importance of accessible behavioral health treatment for children Thursday during a campaign visit to the Ember Recovery facility in Cambridge.
Ember Recovery, located in Cambridge, is part of YSS, a nonprofit organization in Ames that serves children who are facing mental health challenges, substance use and addiction, family conflict, crises and homelessness o...

Iowa Capital Dispatch • 21st July 2026

Here’s who is leading in campaign funding for Iowa’s midterm races • Iowa Capital Dispatch

New campaign finance reports from the fundraising period of May 27 to July 14 show millions of dollars have poured into Iowa’s statewide elections, including the attorney general’s race.
Incumbent Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird continues to lead her Democratic opponent, Nate Willems, in fundraising, but Willems is gaining momentum.
Bird raised more than $1.96 million during the most recent fundraising period. After expenditures, she currently has more than $6.89 million on hand.
Bird’s ca...

Iowa Capital Dispatch • 13th July 2026

Buttigieg rallies Iowans; Democrats optimistic for midterms • Iowa Capital Dispatch

Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg praised Iowa voters, discussed the importance of coalition building and expressed support for Iowa Democrats Sunday at the Prairie Meadows Event Center in Altoona.
Buttigieg, who won the Democratic Iowa Caucus for president in 2020, made his return to the state as the keynote speaker for the Iowa Democratic Party’s annual “Liberty and Justice Celebration.”
“Only in Iowa could a young Indiana mayor enter a field of literally 20 men and women...

Iowa Capital Dispatch • 2nd July 2026

As America marks 250 years, Iowans highlight an inclusive view of history • Iowa Capital Dispatch

As Americans celebrate U.S.’s 250th anniversary, Iowa museums, archives and community organizations are working to ensure that the stories of historically underrepresented communities are being remembered.
The Pride Center in Des Moines, the Meskwaki Nation in Tama and the African American Museum of Iowa in Cedar Rapids are among organizations highlighting their communities’ contributions to history in Iowa and the country.
Tucked away in the Mickle Center in Des Moines, the Pride Center inc...

Iowa Capital Dispatch • 26th June 2026

Civility advocates look for ways to restore 'Iowa Nice' to campaigns, public discourse • Iowa Capital Dispatch

As the 2026 general election nears, Iowa’s airwaves have been consumed by political attack advertisements, while concerns of physical attacks have come up in campaigns and the Iowa Statehouse.
A bipartisan group of former and current officeholders is encouraging civility in order to change the mood of politics statewide, advocating for civic participation and civil interactions with people who think differently.
Scott Raecker, executive director of the Robert D. and Billy Ray Center at Drake Uni...

Iowa Capital Dispatch • 18th June 2026

'Keep it alive and never forget:' Iowa family looks to preserve meaning of Juneteenth • Iowa Capital Dispatch

For Charlene Washington’s family in Fort Dodge, Juneteenth is an opportunity to celebrate the end of slavery while recognizing and honoring Black history and culture, something the family has done their whole lives.
The annual Juneteenth celebration in the city’s Pleasant Valley neighborhood symbolizes the family’s history of activism and community organizing, roots that are deeply embedded into the community.
When Washington, 82, moved to Fort Dodge from Mississippi in the 1960s, she brought ex...

Iowa State Daily • 16th February 2026

Transparency concerns grow over Iowa’s $314 million private school program

As Iowa’s Education Savings Account (ESA) program continues to expand, questions remain about how the state oversees the program and what information about its spending is publicly available.
Created in 2023 by House File 68, the ESA program allows eligible families to use state funds to cover private school tuition costs, non-traditional education and other fees. Participation in the program has grown in recent years, costing taxpayers more than $314 million for the 2025-26 school year, up from...

Iowa Capital Dispatch • 29th May 2026

Iowa communities look to fill gaps in statewide mental health care • Iowa Capital Dispatch

One of the most prominent issues in Iowa mental health care is the lack of available psychiatrists and behavioral health providers, especially in rural communities.
According to Mental Health Stats, an organization that publishes U.S. mental health data, Iowa on average has 25 available psychiatrists per 100,000 residents, which is 37.5% below the national average of 40 psychiatrists per 100,000 residents as of 2025.
Iowa also has a significant shortage of mental health providers, with one provi...

Iowa State Daily • 5th April 2026

Iranian students react to the U.S. war with Iran

As the U.S. war with Iran enters its sixth week, a group of Iranian students at Iowa State University expressed their support for the U.S. and Israel’s military action against their country’s government.
Earlier this year, Iranian security forces carried out mass killings of protesters demonstrating after the nation’s currency collapsed and inflation reached more than 40%. State-sponsored media in Iran reported that 3,177 people were killed during demonstrations, while exiled media outlet Iran I...

Iowa Capital Dispatch • 23rd May 2026

GOP gubernatorial candidate Adam Steen addresses death threat against campaign • Iowa Capital Dispatch

AMES – Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Steen, speaking Friday during a campaign stop at Wallaby’s restaurant in Ames, addressed an earlier death threat against his campaign .
Steen also discussed his proposals for education, reproductive health care and eminent domain, as well as the current value of an endorsement from President Donald Trump
The event, part of Steen’s “Full Steen Ahead Tour,” came four days after Steen’s campaign reported receiving a death threat prior to a campaign eve...

Iowa Capital Dispatch • 20th May 2026

Bee season starts 17 days early, potentially damaging hives, experts say • Iowa Capital Dispatch

On World Bee Day, experts say an unusually early North American bee swarm season, which began 17 days earlier than last year following record heatwaves in 2026, could reshape bee populations, pollination patterns, honey production and the timing of seasonal ecosystems. 
While bee swarming is a natural reproductive process in which bee colonies split and form new groups, researchers and beekeepers say that early activity may be connected to broad environmental changes linked to warmer temperature...

Iowa State Daily • 3rd February 2026

‘A crime against humanity’: ISU students speak out against deadly violence in Iran

Iowa State University students have gathered in front of Parks Library in recent weeks to express support for protesters in Iran and to speak out against the country’s Islamic Republic.
Three student-led demonstrations have occurred on campus since reports of widespread violence against Iranian protesters surfaced in early January. 
State-sponsored media in Iran reported that 3,117 people have died as a result of protests in the country, while exiled media outlet Iran International reported a de...

Iowa State Daily • 17th November 2025

ISU Parking makes $5 million: Here’s where the money goes

Parking costs at Iowa State have steadily climbed in recent years, and so has the department’s revenue.
The ISU Parking Division reported a revenue of nearly $5.1 million in fiscal year 2024, an increase from nearly $4.8 million in 2023. 
During the same period, permit fees increased by nearly 3.1% on average, while the parking division’s revenue increased by 6.7%. The increase in revenue outperformed rising fees, in part because the price of violations rose by an average of more than 5.4% durin...

Iowa State Daily • 4th May 2025

Moving forward: How The Pride Alliance adjusted after Iowa prohibited DEI

The Pride Alliance at Iowa State has undergone some changes after Gov. Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 2435 (SF 2435) into law on May 9, 2024. The bill prohibits public universities in Iowa from funding, maintaining and creating DEI offices. 
Before SF 2435, employees at The Center, a space in the Memorial Union formerly known as The Center for LGBTQIA+ Student Success, planned for Lavender Graduation, an event where graduating students are recognized for their academic and personal achievements...

Iowa State Daily • 6th May 2026

Meet the gubernatorial candidate: State Auditor Rob Sand

State Auditor Rob Sand is running as the lone Democratic candidate in the 2026 Iowa gubernatorial election.
Sand said that Iowa’s “broken” political system and one-party leadership has allowed political “insiders” to make themselves and special interests a priority over their constituents.
“Our political system is broken, and a small group of powerful insiders have spent the last decade putting special interests and themselves ahead of Iowans,” Sand said. “The last decade of failed leadership an...

Iowa State Daily • 7th May 2026

Meet the gubernatorial candidate: Adam Steen

Adam Steen, a businessman and former director of Iowa Administrative Services under Gov. Kim Reynolds, is one of five Republicans hoping to win his party’s nomination for the 2026 Iowa gubernatorial election.
Steen said that Reynolds’ decision not to seek reelection and his desire to create prosperous opportunities for young families motivated him to run for governor.
“My wife and I and many others looked at the landscape of the political scene and said, ‘We want to jump into this race to preser...

Iowa State Daily • 6th May 2026

Meet the gubernatorial candidate: U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra

U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra is one of five Republican candidates hoping to represent his party in the 2026 Iowa gubernatorial election.
Feenstra, who grew up in the small town of Hull, said he is running as a fourth-generation Iowan to take the state to “new heights,” adding that he worked with President Donald Trump on a tax cut he describes as the “largest” in American history.
“I’m in my third term in the U.S. Congress, where I worked with President Trump and wrote the largest tax cut in U.S. hi...

Iowa State Daily • 8th April 2026

Meet the candidate: Chris Jones looks to solve Iowa’s water quality problem

Former University of Iowa professor and water scientist Chris Jones is running for Iowa secretary of agriculture against incumbent Mike Naig.
Jones, a Democrat, said Iowa’s water pollution is a “quality of life” issue that is causing young people to leave the state.
“I’m running out of a sense of duty,” Jones said. “I feel like someone with a respected voice needs to take up the call to better water quality here. What we’ve tried over the past 30 to 40 years has not worked, so let’s try somethin...

messengernews.net • 19th July 2025

Daniel Pharmacy: 62 years in business

-Messenger photo by Kadin Luhmann

Daniel Pharmacy has been open at the corner of Central Avenue and 12th Street since 1963 and has been a family-owned business since it debuted.John Daniel II had to make a difficult decision as a college student attending the University of Iowa.Daniel originally wanted to be an engineering major, but switched to pharmacy after a conversation with his father.
After struggling early in his college career, Daniel said he considered going back to engineering, but d...

Iowa State Daily • 10th December 2025

MU parking prices continue to rise: Here’s why

The Memorial Union Parking Ramp has seen a steady rise in annual revenue in recent years. 
In fiscal year 2024, the MU made more than $794,000 from its parking ramp, an increase from 2023, when the amount was more than $788,000. 
Despite the increase in revenue, the MU has raised permit prices over the past three years. The most significant increase occurred from FY 2023 to FY 2024, where permit fees were increased by an average of 7%.
Permit fees over the past two years saw an increase of 3%. A...

Iowa State Daily • 25th September 2025

Overcoming adversity: ISU international students share their experiences

Krisha Sta Maria, a junior in psychology, moved to Ames as a 13-year-old immigrant from the Philippines. Sta Maria said she faced discrimination as a middle school student due to her accent and the food she would bring for lunch.
Seven years later, Sta Maria has found a sense of belonging at Iowa State.
“I see a lot more acceptance here, more diversity and more people that are willing to learn about you and your culture,” Sta Maria said.
Sta Maria is a domestic student because she recently becam...