Leave it to the U.S. Census to tell us what we already sort of figured: Iowa’s rural areas are declining and our cities are on the rise. According to the bureau’s latest population estimates, 65 of our 99 counties lost population between 2011 and 2012. More than half of Iowa counties recorded more deaths [...]

Updated by Jim Malewitz 9:01 p.m. A McGregor brewery has announced plans to expand a 25,000-barrel-per-year operation in Coralville’s Iowa River Landing district, which would make it, by far, Iowa’s largest brewery. Backpocket Brewing will open the 15,000-square-foot facility featuring a large tap room and beer garden for the public in Coralville. Backpocket currently has [...]

The Iowa City Community School District board Tuesday night voted unanimously to pursue a controversial redistricting plan intended to accommodate the shuttering of Roosevelt Elementary and the opening of Borlaug Elementary in Coralville. The plan, which was the recommendation of district officials, would send 78 Pheasant Ridge neighborhood students from Roosevelt to Weber, while students [...]

A “demographic hole” continues to depopulate the state’s rural areas, according to Iowa State University sociologist David Peters. “It’s not to the point where towns will be coming off the map,” but the ongoing rural-to-urban shift will challenge the ability of small school districts to remain viable, Peters said. Iowa’s demographic hole — created by [...]