DES MOINES, Iowa, April 29 -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources issued the following news release: * * * Black bear sightings on the rise in Northeast Iowa Black bears in Iowa? Yep, it's a thing, and seeing one is likely to become more common. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been meeting with officials from local conservation boards, police departments, sheriff's offices and dispatchers from counties in northeast Iowa to discuss how to respond when black bears co  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, April 29 -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources issued the following news release: * * * DNR to temporarily close Clare Wilson Bridge for repairs Okoboji, Iowa - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources announces a temporary closure of the bridge, fishing piers and parking lot at Clare Wilson State Recreation Area beginning May 5, 2025, for critical repairs. The project, expected to last approximately six weeks, will address deteriorated decking and railings caused by y  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, April 29 -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources issued the following news release: * * * Exceptional season allows DNR crews to achieve walleye egg collection goals Walleyes spawn once a year using water temperature and photoperiod (length of day) as cues to spawn. DNR crews captured 1,910 adult female walleyes at East Okoboji, Rathbun, Spirit, and Storm lakes, as well as the Mississippi River. Crews began netting operations on Rathbun Lake on April 5, while gillnetti  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, April 29 -- Gov. Kim Reynolds, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: * * * Gov. Reynolds appointee Kurt Tjaden confirmed to Iowa Board of Regents Governor Kim Reynolds' appointee to the Iowa Board of Regents, Kurt Tjaden, has been confirmed by the Iowa Senate. Tjaden is an experienced business executive, having served in senior roles at several US companies, including Procter & Gamble and Gateway, Inc. He also served as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice Presi  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, April 30 -- Iowa Workforce Development issued the following news release on April 28, 2025: * * * Iowa Awards $3.4 Million in New Grants to Support Registered Apprenticeship Programs Two annual grant programs to support a number of existing programs and new occupations in high-demand fields. DES MOINES, IOWA - - Iowa today announced new grant awards for Registered Apprenticeship (RA) sponsors whose programs are building the workforce pipeline across the state. A total of $  more

DECORAH, Iowa, April 28 -- Luther College posted the following news: * * * Luther College awards honorary degree to travel writer Rick Steves # In honor of Rick Steves' four decades of promoting the value of travel as an educational tool, Luther College awarded Steves a Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa on Sunday, April 27. Luther College President Brad Chamberlain (left) and Maren Johnson, director of the Torgerson Center for Nordic Studies (center), awarded travel writer Rick Stev  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, April 29 -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources issued the following news release: * * * Time to start planning to control plants in Iowa ponds A healthy pond needs aquatic plants, but too many plants can limit the pond's use and cause imbalances in the fish population. If you had problems using your pond last year because of aquatic plant growth, you could have similar problems this year. In an existing pond, mechanical and chemical control methods are the best optio  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, April 29 -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources issued the following news release: * * * Walleye season opens May 3 on Iowa's Great Lakes The 150th walleye fishing season officially opens May 3rd at Spirit Lake, East and West Okoboji lakes. "A very robust and healthy walleye population was observed this spring during broodstock collection efforts at the Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery," said Mike Hawkins, Northwest Regional Fisheries Management supervisor for the Iowa Depar  more