Rural Iowa dog breeder charged with seven counts of animal neglect
This dog was photographed by a federal inspector during a 2021 visit to Henry Sommers’ Happy Puppy kennel in Cincinnati, Iowa. (USDA photo, courtesy of Bailing Out Benji) The owner…
Offshore wind will need major investments in transmission, supply chain, reports say
A rendering of Dominion Energy’s offshore wind installation vessel, which is expected to be completed this year. (Courtesy of Dominion Energy) Achieving the aggressive offshore wind power goals of the…
Public lands near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters withdrawn from federal mining leases
Seagull Lake in the Boundary Waters. Superior National Forest is home to 20% of all fresh water in the entire national forest system. (Photo by Christina MacGillivray for Minnesota Reformer)…
Affordable, reliable and sustainable: report compares utility performance
With three hurricanes in 2020, Louisiana had the worst performance among states for getting the power back on after a major event, according to a new report that compared how…
Judge set to decide whether pipeline trespassing case will proceed
Some farmers have argued that their land shouldn’t be subject to eminent domain for liquid carbon dioxide pipelines. (Photo by Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch) There is no evidence a carbon…
More federal dollars coming from climate law for Western wildfire management
A high-intensity prescribed fire consumes trees on the Fishlake National Forest in Utah. (Photo by Roger Ottmar/USDA Forest Service) The U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend nearly $500 million on…
U.S. House agriculture leaders discuss anti-hunger measures in upcoming farm bill
The top Democrat on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee said he is worried about potential cuts to federal food assistance programs. (Photo by Scott Heins/Getty Images) WASHINGTON — The new…
Town’s drinking water contamination returns after testing ends
John O’Connell holds a jar of tap water in his Nichols home. (Photo by Greg Boll/Special to Iowa Capital Dispatch) NICHOLS, Iowa — Four years ago, John O’Connell was told…
U.S. House GOP would make it easier for feds to give public lands away to states
House GOP rules would make it easier for the federal government to give away public lands, like this one on the Colorado River. (Photo courtesy of Bureau of Land Management)…
Metro growth promises opportunity, conflicts for rural water utility
Xenia Rural Water System is trying to hold onto service territory as the Des Moines metro expands. (Photo via Canva) The expansion of Des Moines’ suburbs and nearby communities has…
Four steps the Iowa Legislature can take to end hunger
Iowa is seeing increased demand for emergency food aid due to an end to pandemic-era relief programs, inflation and rising food cost. (Stock photo/Getty Images) As we begin 2023 and…
3M to provide new drinking water wells for Camanche
Several Mississippi River towns have water supplies contaminated by PFAS. (Photo by Perry Beeman/Iowa Capital Dispatch) The Mississippi River town of Camanche is set to get two new deep wells…
Iowa’s ethanol production sets new record, group says
More than half of Iowa’s corn is used to produce ethanol each year. (Photo by Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Ethanol plants in Iowa produced an estimated 4.5 billion gallons in…
Farmers endured a rough year, but fertilizer companies cashed in
Lance Lillibridg, a farmer in Benton County, stands in his machine shed at his farm on Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo by Emily Kestel for Investigate Midwest) This story was originally…
USDA fines Iowa dog breeder with long history of violations
This dog was photographed by a federal inspector during a 2021 visit to Henry Sommers’ Happy Puppy kennel in Cincinnati, Iowa. (USDA photo, courtesy of Bailing Out Benji) A rural…