Iowa Unemployment Remains Steady, Fewer Residents In Workforce
(Des Moines, IA) — Unemployment remains steady in Iowa. Georgia Van Gundy of Iowa Workforce Development says the unemployment rate held at 3.2 percent in July, the same as in May and June. However, fewer Iowans were working in July, with 22,000 people leaving the workforce, mostly due to retirements. A few sectors are seeing higher demand, including health care, construction, and finance and insurance. Annually, job losses are the highest among the trade and transportation industries.
>>Record-Breaking Number Of Heritage Farms Earn Designation At Fair Ceremony
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa State Fair is honoring a record-breaking 240 Heritage Farms. The designation recognizes Iowans whose families have owned the same farmland for at least 150 years. More than 500 Iowa farm families received Century or Heritage Farm designation during a ceremony Thursday morning at the Iowa State Fair. The Heritage Farm Program has recognized more than 20-thousand Century Farms and 24-hundred Heritage Farms since it was established in 2006.
>>Iowa Sees Slight Easing of Drought Conditions
(Des Moines, IA) — Iowa’s drought conditions are easing a bit. This week’s national Drought Monitor Map shows less moderate and severe drought in Western Iowa compared to last week. Small areas of near-drought in far southeast Iowa are also gone. Right now, 70 percent of Iowa is drought-free, up from 64 percent last week.
>>Baby Animals Draw Big Crowds At Iowa State Fair
(Des Moines, IA) — Dozens of goats, pigs, cows, and chickens born at the Iowa State Fair over the past week have drawn hundreds of visitors. A superintendent at the Fair’s Paul R. Knapp Animal Learning Center says the goats were born toward the beginning of the fair, the piglets were born sporadically throughout, and five of the lambs were all born on the same day. The Animal Learning Center is open daily from 9am to 8pm throughout the rest of the fair.
>>Caitlin Clark Foundation Gives Gift to Des Moines’ Blank Children’s Hospital
(Des Moines, IA) — Patients at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines will be able to pick out new books for free thanks to a gift from the Caitlin Clark Foundation. This week, the foundation installed a free book vending machine as part of its Turning Pages, Healing Hearts program. The hospital says the new addition will help patients pass the time more easily during their stay. Blank is one of three children’s hospitals to receive a free book vending machine so far.
>>Iowa Signs Athletic Director To Multi-Year Contract Extension
(Iowa City, IA) — The University of Iowa is announcing a new contract extension for Athletic Director Beth Goetz [[ GETS ]]. She will remain in the role through at least January 31st, 2032. Goetz hired Ben McCollum to lead the men’s basketball program after parting ways with Fran McCaffery following the 2024-25 season. McCollum’s first season in Iowa City was one of the program’s best in decades, reaching the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987.
