poverty

The disposable income for people in rural communities decreased by 38 percent from the year prior. That means less financial security for small town residents.

A year ago this month, a freak storm comparable to a Category 4 hurricane carved a path of destruction across Iowa, damaging scores of homes. One year later, some residents are still discovering storm damage from the Aug. 10 derecho, are fighting for insurance payments and struggling to rebuild.

Advocates are continuing to call on officials in Johnson County to allocate federal pandemic relief money to undocumented immigrants and low wage workers. Activists with the Fund Excluded Workers Coalition marched in the streets of Iowa City Wednesday as they headed to a public hearing with city staff on the American Rescue Plan Act.

On August 10, 2020, a derecho swept across the state tearing up trees, flattening crops, knocking out powerlines and cell phone towers and damaging homes and buildings. Charity Nebbe and her guests talk about the scars of this storm that are still visible and recovery efforts that continue to this day.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation's annual Kids Count report ranked Iowa ninth in the nation for well-being, but researchers say Iowa still has work to do for the state's children and families.

A homeless services organization in Iowa City officially broke ground on a new "housing first" project Thursday. The development will provide long-term supportive housing to people experiencing chronic homelessness regardless of drug or alcohol use.

Central College is doing away with its requirement that students submit ACT or SAT scores in order to apply. It's part of a nationwide trend towards being "test optional," a shift that has accelerated during the coronavirus pandemic.

A lawsuit brought by five incarcerated Iowans challenging the Iowa Department of Corrections’ handling of the coronavirus crisis will go forward. A judge has blocked an effort to have the case dismissed and the inmates are slated to go to trial next year.

The Iowa Utilities Board approved new agreements with three companies Tuesday lowering the cost of phone services for Iowans held in county jails. The changes are part of a years-long effort to cut the price of making and taking phone calls in Iowa’s jails.

This week's winter storm blanketed some Iowa communities in 10 inches or more of snow. That's an added challenge for Iowans still struggling to repair their homes in the aftermath of last fall's derecho.