Stories from surrounding communities, closest first.
Dispatch-Argus · Moline, IL
Nearby: Moline, ILNew retail shop combination bringing two unique collectible shopping experiences together under one roof in Moline.
Princeton Clarion · Princeton, IA
Nearby: Princeton, IAPRINCETON — A low bid of about $14.91 million for a wide-ranging package of renovations to Princeton Community Middle School won't leave enough money left from North Gibson's original $40 million bond issue to see a must-do parking lot project completed, so trustees Thursday rejected that bid and plan to re-advertise with multiple alternate projects.Superintendent Eric Goggins told school board members in Thursday's special meeting that Danco Construction's $14.97 million bid (with a deduct option) was the lowest of three submitted, with a nearly $15.29 million bid as the highest.The projects include HVAC work in the middle school gym and renovations to the auditorium, as well as classroom upgrades.Goggins said the bids came in significantly over the projected budget for the projects.The original $40 million bond issue, with interest, gave the school district abut $43.1 million to fund capital projects across the learning campus and at Gil Hodges Field.
Dispatch-Argus · Iowa City, IA
Nearby: Iowa City, IACallie Levin fought back tears after returning to Iowa City. The former Hawkeye reflected on her decision to transfer and the confidence she's regained at Northern Iowa.
Business Insider · Iowa City, IA
Nearby: Iowa City, IAVivian Pei left the US and spent more than 30 years building a career and starting a family abroad. She and her two teenage kids moved back after she realized her father needed help. Pei cared for him until he died last year. She's grateful for their final years together. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Vivian Pei, an American mother of two and cofounder of Snacky Mini Mart in Iowa City. After building her career abroad for over 30 years, she moved back to the US to look after her father. Her words have been edited for length and clarity. I spent more than 30 years living abroad. I never imagined I'd end up moving back to the US, especially to Iowa City, where I'd never lived before. Five years ago, I visited my 85-year-old dad and was shocked by how much he'd aged. He'd always been fiercely independent and had continued working at his restaurant in Wisconsin until just before the pandemic, but suddenly he seemed so much older.
The Gazette · Iowa City, IA
Nearby: Iowa City, IAThe Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced. Matt Degner, superintendent of the Iowa City Community School District, listens during a Feb. 24 board meeting at the district’s Educational Services Building in Iowa City. Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette CORRECTION: The resignation agreement was approved in a 4-2 vote with Mitch Lingo and Audrey Moeller opposed. The Gazette initially misreported the vote.IOWA CITY — The Iowa City school board Tuesday approved the resignation of former district leader Matt Degner by mutual consent amid an ongoing financial crisis.
Chicago Reader · Albany, IL
Nearby: Albany, ILOne wet fall night about ten years ago, I was at Yummy Buffet in Albany Park, shoveling glossy shrimp fried rice into my piehole beneath a red lantern as round and fat as a paper moon. A pack of flushed college boys barreled through the front door, high-fiving and shouting over one another as they […]
Hometown Current · Washington, IA
Nearby: Washington, IAIowa has spoken. We are tired of being defined by political parties. We are Americans and Iowans who deserve to be respected, represented, and heard.Iowans are exhausted by partisan rhetoric, political division, and the unwillingness to work together. The support for Ashley Hinson and Zach Lahn alongside the election of governor-elect Rob Sand suggests that some Republican voters also supported Rob Sand.Voters are not always defined by party labels.As an Iowan, I regret voting for President Trump in 2016. I hoped his business background would bring a fresh perspective to Washington, reduce division, and encourage cooperation. That is not what I witnessed.Iowa’s currant senators have equally disappointed.
Out · Washington, IA
Nearby: Washington, IAThis story originally appeared on The Advocate. Isaac James took in last week’s election results from a bar in Washington, D.C. The victories of pro-LGBTQ+ candidates across the United States struck him as more than cause for excitement. “It felt like a vindication,” he told The Advocate. That’s because James spent months coordinating a voter outreach campaign as executive director of OutVote, a group founded in 2024 to strengthen voting among LGBTQ+ young people. His team organized meetups and campaigns nationwide, focusing on swing districts in Iowa, Michigan, and North Carolina. “We had a big watch party with a lot of OutVote supporters in D.C. Over 100 people joined us,” James said. “The excitement, I hadn’t seen anything like that. It felt like something I’d been waiting for for a long time.” During the November 3 general election, pro-LGBTQ+ candidates won in each race. Christina Bohannan claimed victory in Iowa’s 1st congressional district.
Iowa Capital Dispatch · Cedar Rapids, IA
Nearby: Cedar Rapids, IAA federal prosecutor based in Cedar Rapids has been sanctioned for allegedly plagiarizing portions of his application to become a district court judge. The Attorney Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Iowa alleges that in May 2026, Michael S.A. Hudson, who works as a special assistant United States attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Iowa, applied for an open position as a district court judge within Iowa’s First Judicial District. According to the board, “significant portions of the application were copied from application materials Judge Justin Lightfoot had submitted when seeking a judicial appointment in 2021.” The board alleges “the copying was extensive” and was not limited to an isolated sentence or phrase. “A side-by-side comparison of the applications shows repeated use of Judge Lightfoot’s organization, sequence of ideas, sentence structure, and substantive language across multiple paragraphs and sections,” the board concluded.
