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Iowa Legislature hits 100th day as property tax, budget negotiations continue

Iowa lawmakers hit the 100th day of the legislative session on April 21, 2026, but still have major issues to address before lawmakers can go home. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

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 […]

Burlington Wins an Improbable Pennant

Oskaloosa Quakers baseball team picture. (archive image)

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, […]

Iowa House panel hears concerns on Senate property tax bill, sets public hearing

Rep. Carter Nordman led a subcommittee meeting on the Senate property tax proposal April 20, 2026. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

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 […]

JULY 1906: Shutouts Reign

Oskaloosa Quakers baseball team picture. (archive image)

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 […]

Sand, Feenstra launch campaign ads as race rated ‘toss-up’ by political forecasters

Iowa Auditor Rob Sand and his gubernatorial campaign staff brought multiple boxes containing binders of petition signatures to the Iowa Secretary of State’s office March 9, 2026, submitting paperwork qualifying his Iowa gubernatorial campaign for the 2026 ballot. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

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 […]

Iowa House passes sales tax exemption for nuclear energy facilities

The Duane Arnold Energy Center in Palo, which ceased operations in 2020 and is currently projected to be restarted by 2029 by NextEra Energy. (Photo via NextEra Energy)

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 […]

Tom Vilsack’s papers head to Drake University library collection

Drake University President Marty Martin, left, and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack signed an agreement for the university to house Vilsack’s professional and personal papers. (Photo courtesy of Drake University)

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 […]

As U.S. Catholic conversions grow, experts point to multiple drivers

The Diocese of Des Moines saw 400 people join the Catholic Church this Easter as conversions to the religion grow. Shown here is St. Ambrose Cathedral in Des Moines. (Photo by Kathie Obradovich/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

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 […]

BOONE LOSES THEIR TEAM

Oskaloosa Quakers baseball team picture. (archive image)

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 […]

Iowa House passes bill requiring truck drivers to pass English proficiency test for license

Tractor trailers sit parked in a row at a truck stop in Bloomsbury, N.J. (Dana DiFilippo/New Jersey Monitor)

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 […]

           

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