Like most small town fire departments, the all-volunteer Badger Fire Department has a small budget. The cost of the specialized gear needed to fight fires, perform rescues and provide emergency medical care is not small, however. The Badger firefighters have dealt with that reality for ...

To experts in the field, Webster County is a child care desert. This desert has nothing to do with sand, however. Just as a desert is an open and empty space, Webster County is open and empty when it comes to available positions in programs for children who need care while their parents are ...

When Joe Biden was running for president, he was asked if — unlike then-President Trump — he would punish senior Saudi leaders for the 2018 murder of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Biden answered "Yes," and went on to say that he believed ...

Tom Vilsack is back at the helm of the United States Department of Agriculture. The former Iowa governor was confirmed by the Senate on Feb. 23 to begin his second stint as secretary of agriculture, having served in the role for eight years under former President Barack Obama. Having an ...

Corn growers and ethanol producers finally got a bit of good news from the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA has reversed its position on a policy issue in a move that, in the long run, will grow the market for ethanol. Refineries are required by federal law to blend billions of ...

U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley is well known for visiting all 99 counties in Iowa every year. Many of his annual stops are in small, rural towns often overlooked by politicians. But Grassley, a Republican, is a farmer who knows all about life in rural communities because he has lived it. He ...