Iowa’s new COVID-19 cases dropped by 50 percent over the past two weeks, the New York Times reported. The state has been averaging 135 new cases a day this week. The 102 new cases reported Thursday was one of the lowest numbers since the pandemic began to take off in April 2020. Gov. Kim ...

TIMES-REPUBLICAN Tourism Director Andrew Potter is seeing a return to normal for Marshalltown after a year marred by a pandemic. Sporting events, large gatherings, meetings and conferences highlight a turning of the corner in terms of tourism for the city. “People are getting back ...

DES MOINES — Most Iowa counties declined any more coronavirus vaccine for this week amid a slack in demand, and an official in a county with one of the lowest vaccination rates said Wednesday that she has given up arguing with people to get shots. Iowa Department of Public Health officials ...

DES MOINES — The leader of Iowa’s largest school district violated his duty by not complying with a law intended to ensure students could learn in classrooms during the pandemic, an administrative law judge ruled, without specifying how he should be punished. Administrative Law Judge ...

WASHINGTON — Fewer Americans sought unemployment benefits last week — the latest encouraging sign for the rebounding U.S. economy — just as Republican-led states are moving to cut off a federal benefit for the jobless. Twenty-two states, from Texas and Georgia to Ohio and Iowa, plan to ...

The action of Gov. Kim Reynolds signing a law banning mask requirements in schools left Marshall County Public Health Nurse Pat Thompson with a feeling of surprise. “I did not know that was coming,” he said. “Now it’s a law. No one expected that. I certainly did not expect it.” Even ...