Latest Iowa Headlines
All the headlines from our Iowa Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Iowa’s Global Insurance Accelerator Lands DuPont Innovation Award
Apr 7 2017 // The Global Insurance Accelerator (GIA) has been selected as this year’s winner of the DuPont Pioneer InnovationLEADER Award by innovationIOWA Magazine, an annual publication of the Des Moines Business...
Opposition Growing Against Iowa 911 Secrecy Bill
Apr 5 2017 // Civil rights groups, media advocates and some lawmakers are opposing an Iowa bill that would end public access to many 911 calls, a broadly-worded measure that also could shield some police videos. The bill declares that...
Iowa Legislative Session: War on Workers or Tough Budget Choices?
Apr 4 2017 // With Republicans in control of state government, Iowa union leaders approached this legislative session with apprehension, but say they never envisioned lawmakers would approve such dramatic changes to laws governing...
Bills Still Active in Iowa: Medical Malpractice Caps, Limits on 911 Call Access
Apr 4 2017 // Legislation capping recoveries in medical malpractice awards and a bill that would limit public access to 911 call information are still alive the Iowa Legislature. Medical Malpractice Caps The legislation would limit...
Iowa Workers’ Comp Overhaul Bill Sent to Governor
Mar 29 2017 // The Iowa Senate has approved a bill to overhaul how workers are compensated for on-the-job injuries, sending the measure to Gov. Terry Branstad. The legislation, which passed with only Republican support, reduces benefits...
Slapnicka Joins Holmes Murphy Team in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Mar 28 2017 // West Des Moines, Iowa-based independent insurance brokerage Holmes Murphy has added Justin Slapnicka in its Cedar Rapids location. Slapnicka has a background in the construction and safety industry. In his new role as loss...
Amended Iowa Workers’ Comp Overhaul Advanced to Senate
Mar 24 2017 // Republicans in the Iowa House passed a bill to overhaul how workers in the state are compensated for on-the-job injuries, though they backed off some key proposals amid internal concern over the extent of the changes. The...
Texas-Based ProAg to Acquire Iowa’s International Ag Insurance Solutions
Mar 23 2017 // Producers Ag Insurance Group Inc. (ProAg), a member of the Tokio Marine HCC group of companies, has agreed to acquire crop managing general agent, West Des Moines, Iowa-based International Ag Insurance Solutions LLC...
Reported Dakota Access Pipeline Vandalism Exposes Risk of Sabotage
Mar 23 2017 // The developer of the Dakota Access pipeline has reported “recent coordinated physical attacks” on the much-protested line, just as it’s almost ready to carry oil. Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners...
Iowa Researchers Say Big Data May Help Improve Trucking Safety
Mar 20 2017 // Helping drivers avoid congestion would increase productivity and improve safety, according to a team of Iowa State University and industry researchers, who believe a solution is using big data technology. The challenge is...
Thousands of Safer Ethanol Rail Tank Cars Sit Idle: Reuters
Mar 17 2017 // While crossing a small wooden bridge in northwestern Iowa last Thursday, 20 rail tank cars in a mile-long train transporting ethanol flew off the tracks, sending fireballs into the sky, while thousands of gallons of the...
After Fiery Iowa Derailment, Safety Official Calls for Faster Rail Car Upgrades
Mar 13 2017 // A federal safety official called on the rail industry to move faster to upgrade aging rail tankers following a fiery train derailment in rural Iowa that spilled ethanol into a creek and was still burning nearly two days...
Mentor-Driven Global Insurance Accelerator Is Enjoying its Own Growth-Spurt
Mar 9 2017 // A three-year-old Des Moines, Iowa-based business startup accelerator focused solely on the global insurance industry has developed into a streamlined organization with more applicants, more investors and more mentors than...
Iowa Firefighter Testing Scandal Expands
Mar 9 2017 // Hundreds more firefighters than initially known were improperly issued nationally-recognized certifications despite failing their exams at Iowa’s statewide fire academy, authorities said on March 8. The Iowa...
Hundreds of Homes, Businesses Damaged by Storms in Midwest
Mar 8 2017 // A severe storm system has pummeled parts of the Midwest with tornadoes, huge hailstones and powerful winds, damaging nearly 500 buildings and injuring a dozen people in one Missouri city. The Storm Prediction Center in...
Iowa Researchers Say Big Data May Be Answer to Improve Trucking Safety
Mar 6 2017 // Helping drivers avoid congestion would increase productivity and improve safety, according to a team of Iowa State University and industry researchers, who believe a solution is using big data technology. The challenge is...
Mentor-Driven Global Insurance Accelerator Is Enjoying its Own Growth-Spurt
Mar 6 2017 // A three-year-old Des Moines, Iowa-based business startup accelerator focused solely on the global insurance industry has developed into a streamlined organization with more applicants, more investors and more mentors than...
Iowa Workers’ Comp Bill Limits Job Injury Claims, Unions Say
Mar 2 2017 // Dozens of public workers gathered on March 1 at the Iowa Capitol in opposition to a bill that would reduce compensation for getting injured on the job, just weeks after legislators voted to severely limit their collective...
Iowa Jury Awards $127M in Teen Party Assault Case
Mar 1 2017 // An Iowa man, who allowed his teenage child to invite friends to his house for a party, provided them alcohol and then had sex with a 13-year-old girl after she was drunk, has been ordered to pay $127 million to the victim...
Oklahoma Pipeline Company to Reimburse Iowa Entities for Spill
Feb 27 2017 // An Oklahoma pipeline company says it will reimburse north-central Iowa agencies for expenses they incurred while responding to a diesel pipeline spill near Hanlontown last month. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that...
