Good morning from Iowa Capital Dispatch.
“When you have less people at your local office, less hours at your local office … you may not get the same person who understands your farm and that you’re familiar with — it’s causing a lot of stress.” — Polk County farmer and Iowa Farmers Union President Aaron Lehman on cuts to U.S. Department of Agriculture staff at county-level offices in Iowa.
A report shows that the nation lost 8% of Farm Service Agency county staff and 23% of Natural Resources Conservation Service staff in 2025. These staff, pictured here at a Carroll County Maryland office, work directly with farmers. (Photo by Preston Keres/USDA)
U.S. Department of Agriculture staffing cuts in 2025 have left county-level service offices understaffed, according to an analysis of federal data from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
The report found that Iowa lost nearly 19% of its Natural Resources Conservation Service, or NRCS, staff and 8% of its Farm Service Agency staff between January 2025 and January 2026. Both agencies staff local USDA offices and help farmers with federal programs and loans.
Pine Acres Rehabilitation and Care Center in West Des Moines was recently cited for 39 regulatory violations by state inspectors who reported the home’s quality-of-care issues and recurring, pervasive urine odors. (Photo via Polk County Assessor's Office)
A West Des Moines nursing home could be facing more than $60,000 in fines after being cited for dozens of violations tied to allegations of neglect, physical abuse and three resident deaths.
Citing the home’s quality-of-care issues and recurring, pervasive urine odors that inspectors describe as “overwhelming,” the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing recently cited Pine Acres Rehabilitation and Care Center for 39 regulatory violations – an extraordinarily high number for the 81-resident care facility in West Des Moines.
An Ottumwa physician accused by state regulators of failing to comply with an order to submit to a clinical competency evaluation has agreed to surrender his license.
As outdoor celebrations and events marking the nation’s 250th anniversary and the World Cup reach their peak, local officials across the country are urging caution amid a heat wave blanketing many East Coast and Midwestern states, including Iowa.
Several laws restricting access to medications that can be used to terminate a pregnancy took effect Wednesday in Iowa, Mississippi and Tennessee. Another new Iowa law places limits on minors’ access to the HPV vaccine.
At least nine states have passed voting laws this year that will make it more difficult for some voters to cast their ballots during the midterm elections in November.
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