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Government Policy and Law

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Urbandale moves forward with community recreation complex plans

The Urbandale City Council last week directed city staff to prepare preliminary plans for a community recreation complex on the southeast corner of Meredith Drive and 152nd Street in Walnut Creek Regional Park. “The Recreation Complex will …

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Supreme Court to hear pork producers’ challenge to California animal anti-cruelty law

Los Angeles Times: The Supreme Court today agreed to hear a constitutional challenge to a California ballot measure that would force pork producers across the country to end “extreme methods” of confining breeding pigs. The justices …

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USDA releasing another round of grants for meat lockers

Radio Iowa: The U.S. Department of Agriculture is releasing $23.6 million in a second round of grants for existing meat lockers, a department official said Friday during a visit to Iowa. The grants can be used …

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Iowa’s unemployment rate slips to 3.5% in February

Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in February was 3.5%, down slightly from January’s rate of 3.7%, according to Iowa Workforce Development. The total number of unemployed Iowans fell to 59,400 in February, down 3,300 from the …

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WDM gets Iowa’s only Google Fiber office, giving access to fast fiber-optic internet

Des Moines Register: Google Fiber opened its only Iowa office and retail space in Valley Junction Thursday to welcome its first customers to its ultra-fast network. West Des Moines is one of 17 metro areas …

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Renderings released of proposed north-side rec center

Architectural renderings of a proposed North Side Community Recreation Center at Ninth Street and College Avenue were unveiled Thursday at a community meeting. The rendering above is of the large gymnasium and elevated track. More …

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State park staff would get eviction reprieve under Iowa budget proposal

Cedar Rapids Gazette: Iowa state park rangers who had been told they have to move out of state-owned housing in the parks by Nov. 30 would get an eviction extension to at least 2024 under a …

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‘Roadmap’ unveiled for combined Iowa Health and Human Services Department

The Iowa Department of Public Health and the Iowa Department of Human Services today released documents outlining the plan for the two agencies to be combined into a single department. The final change package and functional organizational chart “serves …

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House, Senate approve bill reducing unemployment benefits

The Iowa House and Senate late Wednesday passed a bill that would reduce the number of weeks a person who loses their job would be eligible for unemployment benefits.

Reforming the state’s unemployment system was …

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Des Moines passes $1 billion budget with an increase in police department funding

Des Moines Register: The Des Moines City Council approved its $1.02 billion budget for 2023 on Monday. The budget includes a general fund of about $207.87 million. It takes effect on July 1. Des Moines’ tax …