Iowa

Rural Iowa farmers are helping climate scientists get a better understanding of soil moisture levels across the state, data only available at the local level until now.

Amid growing concern over Iowa's water quality, scientists have sued the Environmental Protection Agency for neglecting to provide nitrate assessment data for state waterways commonly polluted with the chemical.

The Lied Public Library in Clarinda has received a $25,000 grant to expand adult literacy and digital skills programs.

Iowa Western Community College in Atlantic will invest nearly $1 million in vocational degree programs, including manufacturing, construction, electrical and plumbing training.

Every week on trash day, truckloads of waste are hauled off to three dozen landfills across the state. But some Iowa landfills are nearing the end of their lifespans, prompting communities to look elsewhere.

Heat-resistant plants could help farmers respond to abnormally dry conditions spreading across Iowa and the wider region.

BA Marketing and Publicity is marking its 10th anniversary of serving the Shenandoah area with a community block party scheduled for June 17.

Supporters of small and independent agriculture producers in Iowa have launched an initiative to raise awareness of rural issues as the midterm elections approach, pushing back against what they call the outsized influence of corporate and foreign-owned agricultural operations.

Iowa family farmers said the long-overdue Farm Bill under consideration in Washington favors large corporate agricultural interests over independent producers.

Scientists at the University of Iowa have announced a research initiative designed to measure the health impacts of exposure to environmental toxins, including pesticides, heavy metals and air pollutants.