GRINNELL, Iowa, Sept. 27 -- Grinnell College issued the following Q&A on Sept. 26, 2023, with Belinda Backous, assistant dean for academic success: * * * "Part city dog, part country frog." This is how Belinda Backous, assistant dean for academic success, describes herself, a result of growing up in rural Iowa with her mother and living a more urban and worldly lifestyle with her father. After graduating from Iowa State, Backous moved to Walla Walla, Washington, and later to Fort Collins, Colo  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept. 28 -- Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig issued the following news on Sept. 27, 2023: Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will again offer its crop insurance discount program for acres that are planted with cover crops. Farmers and landowners who plant fall cover crops will have the opportunity to apply for a $5 per acre discount on their spring crop insurance premiums. Farmers and lan  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept. 28 -- Gov. Kim Reynolds, R-Iowa, issued the following news release on Sept. 27, 2023: Today, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the State of Iowa will end Fiscal Year 2023 with a balance of $1.83 billion in the General Fund, $902 million in reserve funds and $2.74 billion in the Taxpayer Relief Fund. "Some see a surplus as government not spending enough, but I view it as an over collection from the hard-working men and women of Iowa," said Gov. Kim Reynolds. "We've seen what t  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept. 28 -- Iowa Secretary of State Paul D. Pate issued the following news release on Sept. 27, 2023: Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate and his Auditor Advisory Group are once again working together to serve as trusted sources for information leading into the 2023 City-School Election. Together, the election officials are preparing to dispel election misinformation and disinformation ahead of the election this November and are urging Iowans to turn to trusted sources for elect  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept. 28 -- Iowa Workforce Development issued the following news release on Sept. 27, 2023: Iowa Workforce Development and the Iowa Department of Education today announced the second round of the Build Iowa's Future Design Challenge, a unique opportunity for K-12 students to create innovative projects, connect to careers and compete for up to $1,000 in prizes for their schools. Community Colleges for Iowa, Master Builders of Iowa (MBI) and Pella Corporation are sponsoring the   more

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Sept. 28 -- Mount Mercy University issued the following news: Members of the music department have advocated to add a string ensemble to Mount Mercy's musical offerings for years. Thanks to a generous anonymous donation, this opportunity will be available to current and future musicians on campus. As a result, Joshua Reznicow, an award-winning director and composer, has been selected as the new Director of Strings. Reznicow brings to the Hill his abundant expertise in compo  more