Stories written by Freelance Writer

by Robin Opsahl, Kathie Obradovich and Brooklyn Draisey, Iowa Capital Dispatch April 21, 2026 Iowa lawmakers hit the goal end date for the 2026 legislative session Tuesday, but there are still several issues legislators must finish — or hope to tackle — before they can head home, including action on the state budget and property […]
Apr 22 2026 | Posted in
State News |
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by Mike Comfort Incidents between players and umpires continued into the second half of the season. Marshalltown’s Robert Corkill struck Umpire Anderson and kicked him in the face, knocking him unconscious for 5 minutes. Corkill “held an intense hatred for Anderson since the first game Anderson umpired here.” Corkill claimed that successive pitches hit him, […]
Apr 22 2026 | Posted in
Local News |
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by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch April 20, 2026 The bill passed by the Senate making changes to Iowa’s property tax system is not the final “compromise” between Senate and House Republicans on the issue — but House lawmakers took comments from the public on the proposal at a Monday subcommittee, and plan to hear […]
Apr 21 2026 | Posted in
State News |
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by Mike Comfort The Iowa State League season rolled into July and each team received $293.35 for attendance on 4th of July games. Oskaloosa led the league in attendance with 2,755 people, resulting in $851.40 in gate receipts. That continued a strong trend for the Quakers as they were 2nd in attendance with an average […]

by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch April 15, 2026 Iowa Auditor Rob Sand and U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra launched political ads for their gubernatorial campaigns Wednesday as political pundits predict a tighter 2026 race than previously expected. Sand, a Democrat, released his first ad Wednesday titled “Stealing is Bad,” a 30-second spot that will play […]
Apr 16 2026 | Posted in
State News |
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by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch April 15, 2026 The Iowa House approved a bill Wednesday that would give nuclear energy facilities an exemption on sales and use taxes. House File 2757, which passed in a 94-1 vote, comes as work is being done to restart a decommissioned nuclear facility in the state — Duane […]
Apr 16 2026 | Posted in
State News |
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by Brooklyn Draisey, Iowa Capital Dispatch April 14, 2026 Drake University’s Cowles Library will soon become the home for documents donated by former Iowa governor and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. The Des Moines private university announced in a news release Tuesday that Vilsack and Drake University President Marty Martin signed an agreement […]
Apr 16 2026 | Posted in
State News |
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by Brooklyn Draisey, Iowa Capital Dispatch April 8, 2026 Catholic churches and organizations across Iowa and the U.S. are seeing rising numbers of converts to the religion, scholars and officials say, in part due to the digital age and renewed searching for community and meaning. The Diocese of Des Moines, which spans 80 parishes in […]

by Mike Comfort The third season of the Iowa League couldn’t escape what dogged the previous two seasons: concerns about the financial viability of the league. Once again, the papers sent out mixed messages about the stability of teams. The Sioux City Journal noted in July that the league was in good shape, while the […]
Apr 7 2026 | Posted in
Local News |
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by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch March 31, 2026 The Iowa House passed a bill Tuesday to require commercial truck drivers take an English proficiency test in order to get their license. Senate File 2426, passed 68-24, adds a new requirement for applicants seeking or renewing a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to meet English proficiency […]
Apr 3 2026 | Posted in
State News |
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