Latest Iowa Headlines

All the headlines from our Iowa Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Former Iowa Insurance Claims Rep Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charge

Jul 2 2018 // A former claims representative in West Des Moines, Iowa, has pleaded guilty to defrauding an insurance company, the Iowa Insurance Division reported. Cora Harrington entered a guilty plea on June 25, 2018 to Fraudulent...

Iowa Court: Contract Workers May Sue for Wrongful Discharge

Jul 2 2018 // Two former Iowa Workforce Development judges may sue the agency for wrongful discharge after the Iowa Supreme Court made significant rulings in their cases on June 15 that could have broad implications for other state...

Chocolate-Laden Trailer Goes Up in Flames in Iowa

Jun 29 2018 // That’s one way to burn calories. Des Moines television station KCCI reports that a semitrailer carrying chocolate from Hershey, Pennsylvania, caught fire Wednesday on Interstate 80 near Dexter in west-central...

Iowa’s Holmes Murphy Taps Hurley as President, Property Casualty Brokerage

Jun 27 2018 // Iowa-based Holmes Murphy has named John Hurley II as president of Property Casualty Brokerage Services. Hurley was formerly senior vice president of Property Casualty, and this new title reflects the high-caliber work...

BNSF Looks to Resume Service in Iowa After Derailment

Jun 26 2018 // BNSF Railway Co. on Monday said it could resume service Tuesday on a stretch of northwestern Iowa track damaged when a train left the track and crude oil spilled from derailed cars. The crude oil train derailed near Doon,...

BNSF: Train Derailed in Iowa; Estimated 230,000 Gallons of Oil Spilled

Jun 25 2018 // An estimated 230,000 gallons (870,619 liters) of crude oil spilled into floodwaters in the northwestern corner of Iowa following a train derailment, a railroad official said Saturday. BNSF spokesman Andy Williams said 14...

Iowa Supreme Court Rules Union Workers May Sue for Wrongful Discharge

Jun 18 2018 // Two former Iowa Workforce Development judges may sue the agency for wrongful discharge after the Iowa Supreme Court made significant rulings in their cases on June 15 that could have broad implications for other state...

Iowa Supreme Court Reduces Liability of Governments for Road Safety

Jun 18 2018 // A recent Iowa Supreme Court decision involving a 2013 car accident on a northwest Iowa county road could make it more difficult for citizens to hold city, county and state officials responsible when people are hurt as the...

Business Moves

Jun 18 2018 // Kemper, Infinity Kemper Corp. and Infinity Property and Casualty Corp. reported that the companies’ respective shareholders approved proposals related to the agreement announced in February under which Kemper will...

Tornado, or Not? Occupied Truck Lifted During Storm in Iowa

Jun 15 2018 // A northern Iowa man was driving through a storm when his truck was lifted in the air and carried into a farm field. The Globe Gazette reports that 22-year-old Parker Brumm left Rockford on Saturday before the storm became...

Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Pre-Cut Melon Expands to Iowa

Jun 14 2018 // Health officials say Iowa has been added to the list of states included in a salmonella outbreak linked to pre-cut melon that has sickened 60 people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says consumers should not...

Iowa Insurance Agent Arrested, Charged with Fraud

Jun 14 2018 // The Iowa Insurance Division reported that a Madrid, Iowa, insurance agent has been charged with fraud after an investigation by the division’s fraud bureau. The IID said Joy Marie Heldt, age 48, was charged with...

Regulators Fine Iowa Company over Workplace Safety Violations

Jun 11 2018 // An Iowa maker of wind turbine blades has been fined nearly $155,000 for multiple workplace safety violations. The Des Moines Register reports that Iowa’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration levied the fines...

In 2nd Year Back, Fireworks Industry Faces More Restrictions in Iowa

Jun 11 2018 // A year after firework sales returned to Iowa, many cities have implemented new restrictions as the fledgling industry tries to put itself on a more permanent footing. The Iowa Legislature last year cleared the way for...

Retired Insurance Exec Wins Democratic Nomination for Iowa Governor

Jun 7 2018 // A wealthy businessman and retired insurance executive who has never been elected to public office will challenge Iowa’s Republican governor in November, offering voters two candidates with contrasting backgrounds and...

Former Iowa Insurance Agent Sentenced in Fraud Case

Jun 1 2018 // Nicholas Menough, a former insurance agent in Grimes, Iowa, has been sentenced after pleading guilty to fraud and theft charges. The Iowa Insurance Division reported that Menough pled guilty in late May to Theft in the 3rd...

Wisconsin’s SECURA Insurance Honors Agents with Donations to 27 Fire Departments

May 31 2018 // Appleton, Wisconsin-based SECURA Insurance has presented 27 fire departments with donations earned by its local independent agents in eight states. The donations ranged from $500 to $1,500, with some agencies choosing to...

Iowa School District Reaches 2nd Settlement Over Officials’ Actions

May 24 2018 // The Waukee school district in Iowa has reached another settlement with an employee who filed a lawsuit claiming he was forced to resign after reporting improper conduct by the chief operating officer. The Des Moines...

AssuredPartners Acquires Iowa’s Peoples Insurance Agency

May 15 2018 // Lake Mary, Florida-based AssuredPartners Inc. has expanded into Iowa with the acquisition of the Peoples Insurance Agency (PIA), headquartered in Waverly. PIA has been the family owned and operated trusted insurance...

Iowa Medical Marijuana Industry Unsure About Future

Apr 30 2018 // Serious questions linger about the fate of medical marijuana in Iowa as Republican lawmakers find themselves considering an eleventh-hour deal that would expand the program to more patients. The state’s sole...