DAYTON, Iowa —The family of a 12-year-old who escaped from Michael Klunder believes the man is capable of kidnapping and killing two cousins in Evansdale. Authorities said two sets of girls about the same age vanished just months apart in two northern Iowa towns about 100 miles away from each other. Investigators said three [...]

Ten AmeriCorps programs across Iowa have been awarded more than $2.6 million from the Corporation for National and Community Service. Sen. Tom Harkin, a longtime supporter of AmeriCorps, called the work done by AmeriCorps members “essential in helping build strong communities.” Included in the grants were: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley: $129,949 [...]

Facing the possibility House Republican leadership will delay a scheduled vote later this week on a five-year farm bill, Iowa Rep. Bruce Braley has launched an effort to force action on the “must-pass” legislation. As he did last year, Braley said today he will seek to get at least 218 of 435 House members to [...]

The gloves are coming off in what is likely to become a three-way race for the GOP nomination in Iowa’s 1st District. While Iowa House Speaker Kraig Paulsen is exploring the race succeed Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley, Dubuque businessman Rod Blum is launching pre-emptive strikes against the Hiawatha Republican, “He’s an opportunist,” Blum said, claiming [...]

DES MOINES — A transparency task force of the state Board of Regents recommends that public comment hearings be held around the state a few days prior to each regents meeting, but a citizens’ group and one task force member say that still insulates the regents from contact with the public. The task force, during [...]

  CEDAR RAPIDS — One giant, ongoing dispute between the Linn County Board of Supervisors and Linn County Auditor Joel Miller has centered on Miller’s assertion that he, as auditor, should be able to investigate the county’s bills and transactions. The three-year-old brouhaha landed in Linn County District Court, where a judge in November sided [...]

  DES MOINES — State officials announced a pair of new mobile apps aimed at giving residents more information about Iowa’s outdoor activities. One is the mobile Iowa State Parks & Recreation Guide. Users can search through the state’s parks by geography and/or the amenities offered. It includes a calendar that lists upcoming events and a rules [...]

DES MOINES — Gov. Terry Branstad signed into law Monday a bill aimed at mitigating the liability risk for farmers who allow people to use their land for recreational purposes. The legislation, House File 649, was in response to a February Iowa Supreme Court ruling that opened up farmers to legal liability if people were [...]

DES MOINES – Gov. Terry Branstad’s support for federal legislation to bolster state efforts to collect sales taxes on Internet sales may land him on the wrong side of a “generational divide” with young voters, opponents of the so-called Marketplace Fairness Act said Monday. Branstad has written Iowa’s congressional delegation, urging them to support legislation [...]

DES MOINES – Fiscal 2013 is turning out to be a jackpot year for the Iowa Lottery. The state-run gambling enterprise already has posted a record $314.8 million in gross sales through May with one month remaining in the fiscal year, lottery spokeswoman Mary Neubauer said Monday. The prize payout also has hit a record [...]