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Iowa Department of Education awarded $43 million federal grant

The Iowa Department of Education announced last week that Iowa has secured over $43 million in federal funding through a five-year competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support high-quality public charter schools statewide. The grant was awarded through the federal Charter Schools Program. Iowa was one of six states to receive the…

By Business Record Staff | Sep 29, 2025

Interactive map shows August jobless rates by Iowa community

Cedar Rapids had the highest unemployment rate among Iowa’s cities in August, with 6.7% of the community’s workforce unemployed, data from Iowa Workforce Development shows. According to the data, 5,100 people in Cedar Rapids’ workforce of 76,200 were unemployed in August. Cedar Rapids’ jobless rate was 4.6% in July. Likely contributing to the increase in…

By Business Record Staff | Sep 29, 2025

FemCity Des Moines announces change in leadership

FemCity Des Moines president Erin Huiatt announced she will be stepping down from her position after six years. Abby Martinez, owner and founder of Well Balanced Business, will take over the role. Martinez has served on the FemCity Des Moines Board for the past two years. Huiatt launched the conference in 2021. “Leading FemCity Des…

By Business Record Staff | Sep 29, 2025

Kemin Industries acquires CJ Bio subsidiary CJ Youtell Biotech

Kemin Industries has acquired CJ Youtell Biotech, the enzyme and fermentation subsidiary of CJ Bio, in a move designed to strengthen its global position in enzyme innovation across industries including animal feed, food, aquaculture, textiles, paper, and biofuels. The deal gives Kemin full ownership of CJ Youtell’s fermentation plants in Shandong and Hunan, China, along…

By Business Record Staff | Sep 29, 2025

UPDATE: State revokes Ian Roberts’ superintendent’s license

The Des Moines school board is expected to vote later today to place Ian Roberts on unpaid leave after receiving notification that the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners revoked Roberts’ superintendent’s license. In a letter dated on Sunday, Roberts was notified by Michael Cavin, executive director of the educational examiners, that Roberts’ superintendent’s license “is…

By Kathy A. Bolten | Sep 29, 2025

350-mile underground transmission line approved, expected to bring $1B in economic output to Iowa

SOO Green, a jointly owned transmission project being developed by energyRe and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, received approval on its final municipal franchise agreement, giving the project an “all-clear” path to development. The project connects two major electricity markets, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator and the PJM Interconnection, (pictured in the map at right) to improve…

By Business Record Staff | Sep 26, 2025

UPDATE: Des Moines schools superintendent arrested by ICE

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 6:51 p.m. Sept. 26, 2025 with new information. Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Friday morning after a chase and foot pursuit that ended on Des Moines’ south side, the agency said in a news release. Roberts, who became…

By Kathy A. Bolten | Sep 26, 2025

The Empire opening in former Fong’s space on Fourth Street

The former Fong’s Pizza site on Fourth Street has been converted into a neighborhood hangout where customers can grab various traditional comfort food and quick counter service meals to eat in or to go. The new business will be called the Empire, a nod to a bar of the same name that opened in the…

By Business Record Staff | Sep 26, 2025

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