Stories

Nearly one year ago the small Iowa town of Palo was decimated by flood waters as the entire town was evacuated. This past weekend, elected officials and volunteers delivered baskets of flowers as their thanks to those who have returned and begun the rebuilding process.
“My father’s home in Palo was one that was flooded last [...]

State Senator-elect Swati Dandekar, who served in the Iowa House before winning a seat in the Senate, has been named Person of the Year by AsianWeek.
The publication, the nation’s oldest and largest English newspaper serving the Asian/Pacific Islander American community, cited Dandekar’s courage in not sitting back and relaxing in the Iowa House seat she’d [...]

If there was one common thread among the volunteers gathered at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Cedar Rapids on Friday it was simply that our nation’s veterans “deserve better than this.”

Roughly 50 veterans — some homeless and others nearly homeless — were offered free services ranging from dental and health exams to haircuts to survival kits. In addition to the veterans, the annual event also serviced about 35 non-veterans who were in need.

Iowa Sen. Tom Courtney, D-Burlington, wasn’t necessarily surprised when a letter critical of him appeared in the Burlington Hawkeye. The newspaper, as far as he knows, prints “pretty much every letter they receive” and criticism, he says, is just a part of political life. While he found the content of the letter questionable, it wasn’t [...]

If the crowd at the announcement reception for Rep. Swati Dandekar is any indication, her upcoming pursuit of a seat in the Iowa Senate will continue to be as bipartisan as her past successes in House District 36.

Dandekar’s special guest at the reception in a Cedar Rapids home was Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal. He [...]

Iowa Rep. Swati Dandekar, D-Marion, made it official this morning by announcing she will seek the state Senate seat currently held by Mary Lundby. Lundby announced Wednesday that she would seek a position on the Linn County Board of Supervisors instead of running for re-election.
“I know that I have some big shoes to fill,” Dandekar [...]