Iowa

Iowa regulators issue permit for Summit’s CO2 pipeline

Published

1 year ago

August 29, 2024

Iowa regulators issue permit for Summit’s CO2 pipeline

Construction cannot begin in the state until the Dakotas OK the project

The Iowa Utilities Commission held its evidentiary hearing for Summit Carbon Solution’s pipeline project starting in August 2023 in Fort Dodge. (Lily Smith/Des Moines Register via AP)

The Iowa Utilities Commission has issued a permit to Summit Carbon Solutions to construct and operate a carbon dioxide pipeline system in the state.

That issuance, granted Wednesday, was mostly a foregone conclusion after the commission announced in June the project met state requirements, pending some revisions to the initial proposal.

Summit wants to build a 2,500-mile pipeline network in five states to transport captured carbon dioxide from nearly 60 ethanol plants to North Dakota for underground storage.

About half of those ethanol sites are in Iowa. The new permit covers the company’s initial request to build about 690 miles of pipe. Summit is seeking further permits to expand the project by more than 350 miles in Iowa.

“The pipeline will grow markets and work with ethanol partners to drive economic growth, supporting the long-term viability of our farmers and rural communities,” said Sabrina Zenor, a Summit spokesperson.

The project would make Summit and the ethanol producers eligible for federal tax incentives that reward the sequestration of carbon dioxide and the production of low-carbon fuels. The ethanol industry is a key market for crop farmers — more than half of Iowa’s corn is used to produce the fuel.

Zenor said sustaining that demand for corn is critical, especially now when corn prices are low enough to make growing the crop potentially unprofitable. Corn’s current value is about half of its recent peak in 2022. Ethanol producers who connect to Summit’s project could sell their fuels in low-carbon markets in other states and countries, or to be used to produce sustainable aviation fuel.

The commission said in its Wednesday order that Summit has “substantially complied” with the requirements laid out in June, and that any remaining discrepancies “can be addressed after the issuance of the permit.”

A condition of the Iowa permit is that Summit cannot start construction until it has approval from state regulators in the Dakotas. Both states have rejected the company’s initial proposals. North Dakota is reconsidering an amended pipeline route, and Summit has not yet filed a new permit application in South Dakota.

The South Dakota Supreme Court recently overturned lower court rulings in favor of Summit in regard to land surveys, and in that decision justices questioned whether the project is eligible to use eminent domain to acquire easements.

Summit wants to use eminent domain to force unwilling landowners to host its pipeline. Without it, the project would be imperiled.

The Sierra Club of Iowa, a leading opponent of the project, decried the commission’s permit approval given the uncertainty in the Dakotas and the court challenges that are expected in Iowa.

“This is unbelievable,” the Sierra Club said in a statement Thursday. “It’s a permit to nowhere.”

Comments: (319) 368-8541; jared.strong@thegazette.com

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Iowa

US kills ‘terrorist’ linked to attack on Iowa troops in Syria

Published

2 hours ago

January 18, 2026

Press Room

US kills ‘terrorist’ linked to attack on Iowa troops in Syria

Susan Heavey and Deepa Seetharaman
| Reuters

U.S. military forces on Jan. 16, killed an al Qaeda affiliate leader linked to an Islamic State attack on Iowa National Guard soldiers in Syria last month, U.S. Central Command said in a statement on Jan. 17.

Bilal Hasan al-Jasim had “direct ties” to an ISIS gunman who killed and injured U.S. and Syrian personnel on Dec. 13 in Palmyra, Syria, Central Command said.

Iowa National Guard Staff Sgt. William Nathaniel “Nate” Howard of Marshalltown and Staff Sgt. Edgar Torres-Tovar of Des Moines were killed in the attack. They were serving as part of ongoing federal counter-ISIS and counterterrorism missions.

Three other Iowa National Guard soldiers were wounded in the Dec. 13 ambush by a suspected “lone ISIS gunman.” Two were medically evacuated and treated for serious injuries, while a third sustained minor injuries and was treated locally. All three survived.

“The death of a terrorist operative linked to the deaths of three Americans demonstrates our resolve in pursuing terrorists who attack our forces,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, in a statement.

Since the Dec. 13 attack, U.S. forces have been conducting strikes in Syria, with the U.S. military saying it has hit more than 100 ISIS targets.

“We will never forget, and never relent,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an X post that included Centcom’s statement.

U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, who represents the central Iowa communities where the two soldiers lived, called the attack “cowardly.”

“I’m grateful to the warfighters who carried their mission forward and delivered justice,” he wrote in a social media post. “America will never stop hunting those who harm our servicemembers.”

Des Moines Register reporter Nick El Hajj contributed to this report.

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Iowa

Five takeaways from IU basketball’s loss to Iowa

Published

15 hours ago

January 18, 2026

Press Room

Five takeaways from IU basketball’s loss to Iowa

IU basketball lost its third straight game, falling 74-57 on Saturday afternoon to Iowa at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

Here are five takeaways from the loss to the Hawkeyes:

Indiana’s second-half woes continue in third straight loss

For a third consecutive game, Indiana was outscored in the second half.

While Saturday’s final 20 minutes weren’t as bad as performances against Nebraska or Michigan State, it’s a concerning trend that the Hoosiers can’t finish games strong.

In his postgame press conference, Darian DeVries mentioned fatigue as a possible reason for IU faltering down the stretch.

“It’s been pretty similar, and we’ve got to figure out a way to get a little more rest probably for those guys,” DeVries said. “As we get into the middle of the second half, there’s 10, 12 minutes to go — and it’s been consistent the last three games — we look fatigued. That’s where some of that maybe sloppiness and the turnovers, and that’s where you start to see some of that showing up.”

If fatigue is an issue, that problem doesn’t appear fixable with this roster. Indiana’s depth is limited, as the Hoosiers play only eight players.

Whether it was recruiting misses in the portal or an inability to get anything out of the players deeper on the bench, the Hoosiers have five scholarship players who have been invisible this season.

Indiana’s defense continues its regression in Big Ten play

Early in the season, the Hoosiers were ranked in the top 20 nationally in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency.

That lofty ranking now feels like a distant memory.

After surrendering 1.29 points per possession in Saturday’s loss against Iowa, Indiana is now allowing 1.147 points per possession in conference play.

That number ranks 10th in the league and the Hoosiers haven’t even hit their toughest stretch of the league schedule. Thus far, IU has played the 13th-toughest schedule in league games, per KenPom.

Overall, the Hoosiers rank just inside the top 60 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency.

Indiana has now given up over 1.24 points per possession in three straight games and in four of its last five.

Struggles continue for Tucker DeVries

Tucker DeVries, a two-time Missouri Valley Conference player of the year at Drake, was expected to be one of the top forwards in the Big Ten.

DeVries, however, has struggled to find the shooting stroke that has led him to scoring more than 2,000 career points between stops at Drake, West Virginia and now Indiana.

In Saturday’s loss to Iowa, DeVries failed to reach double figures in scoring for the fourth time in five games.

He was just 2-for-9 from the field and finished with seven points in 33 minutes. Through seven Big Ten games, DeVries is 12-for-47 on 3-pointers, which is just 25.5 percent.

“He’s certainly in one of those shooting slumps that everybody goes through at some point in time, but for him, has been an extended one here for a good chunk of time,” Darian DeVries said. “He’s certainly been putting in the work in our practices and stuff. He’s shooting the heck out of it.

“It’s just one of those things. He’s just got to get it going and got to continue to find those better looks and opportunities that we can get him free a little bit more.”

Indiana can’t stop fouling in Big Ten play

Iowa, a team that isn’t built to get to the free-throw line, got there 23 times on Saturday in its 17-point win against the Hoosiers.

The Hawkeyes posted a free-throw rate (FTA/FGA) of 50 percent on Saturday.

Iowa capitalized on the opportunities the stripe, finishing 21-for-23.

Indiana now ranks 16th in the league in opponent free-throw rate in conference games at 40 percent.

In five of IU’s six losses this season, the Hoosiers have allowed an opponent free-throw rate of more than 45 percent.

The Hoosiers had no answer for Bennett Stirtz

Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz, who is showing up as a potential lottery pick in next June’s NBA draft, showed off his well-rounded game on Saturday afternoon.

Stirtz, who began his career at Northwest Missouri State, a Division II school, followed Ben McCollum to Drake last season and established himself as one of the nation’s best mid-major guards.

This season, Stritz is proving himself to be one of the best guards in the country.

On Saturday, he controlled the game offensively, finishing with 27 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the field and a 10-for-11 mark from the free-throw line.

Stirtz also dished out five assists in 38 minutes.

“He was terrific. He’s so good in two-man game actions, and you’re going to see it over and over and over again,” Darian DeVries said. “He just plays until he gets an advantage, either for himself or for a teammate. They do a great job of that. He’s so crafty and smart at being able to take advantage of those and then creating and drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line. He certainly was really good tonight.”

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

See More: Five Takeaways, Iowa Hawkeyes

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Iowa

IU Basketball vs Iowa — Live Updates and Discussion Thread (FINAL)

Published

1 day ago

January 17, 2026

Press Room

IU Basketball vs Iowa — Live Updates and Discussion Thread (FINAL)

Follow along with live updates below as the Hoosiers take on Iowa at home.

Feel free also to join the discussion thread below to share your views.

Indiana and the Hawkeyes tip off at 2:00 p.m. ET on FOX.

———————————————————————–

FINAL: Iowa 74 – Indiana 57

SECOND HALF

70-52 Iowa with 2:59 left.

Not much to report other than a majority of fans have fled to the exits. The only few times the crowd really got into it were after a few consecutive shots made, but that did not happen often. Iowa has shot 51 percent from the field compared to Indiana’s 40 percent.

Iowa is pulling away, 60-48 with 7:55 to play.

Bennett Stirtz has caught fire. He’s up to 25 points on 7-for-12 shooting so far. He has beaten Indiana’s defense in multiple ways today. There’s a reason he’s expected to be a high pick in the upcoming NBA draft.
Tayton Conerway had to hop off the floor after he went down holding his lower right leg. He has since returned to play, but had to go to the locker room to get it checked first.

49-43 Hawkeyes with 11:33 to play.

Indiana is hanging in there. Despite some offensive setbacks, the Hoosiers have held Iowa scoreless in the past two and a half minutes.
Tayton Conerway leads IU with 16 points so far, and that’s mainly been of the dribble drive. His speed downhill has yet to be matched on the defensive side. If he can pass out when Iowa collapses, that can open up more favorable looks from beyond the arc.

Iowa up 42-37 with 15:37 left to play.

IU with a much-needed energetic start to the second half. They’ve started with three made shots, including a three-pointer from Nick Dorn, who is in place of Enright.
Lamar Wilkerson has been quiet today with just seven points. Bennett Stirtz has been matched up with him today, which is a large reason why. Stirtz can hurt you on offense, but backs it up on the defensive side as well.

HALFTIME: Iowa 38 – Indiana 28

FIRST HALF

IU cuts it to 30-25 with 3:47 remaining in the half.

When Tayton Conerway plays well, the entire team benefits from it. I think it was four straight possessions he took it to the rack and had easy layups, and then followed that up with some good defense to force a shot clock violation.
Indiana has been able to break in a little bit of Iowa’s defense as they’ve hit nine of their last 10 from the field. Defensively, though, they have allowed seven makes of Iowa’s last eight attempts.

28-17 Iowa after a long segment between timeouts. 6:35 to go in the half.

Indiana just looks a step behind the Hawkeyes on both sides. They can’t move, find many open looks on offense, and Bennett Stirtz is cutting through the defense on nearly every possession.
On the plus side, Tucker DeVries has made two from beyond the arc so far. He’s contributing in other ways as well, with three rebounds and two assists to add.

10-5 Hawkeyes with 11:47 in the half.

Enright gets one to fall from beyond the arc after two ugly misses from his first few attempts. Outside of that, Iowa has a pretty good gameplan executing on defense. Wilkerson and DeVries are doubled after every dribble handoff on the perimeter, which has forced Indiana off the three-point line and late into shot clocks.
IU is doing a decent job on the defensive side so far. Iowa is 4 of 11 from the field so far with two turnovers. Stirtz has five points to lead them.

Iowa leads 7-2 with 15:25 left in the half.

Sluggish start on both sides for the Hoosiers. They’ve started 1-for-8 from the field and have given up a few easy looks on defensive miscues. Iowa’s defense hasn’t given up an easy look yet.
Both Conerway and Enright have one foul each through the first media timeout. DeVries is going to need both of them to help mitigate Bennett Stirtz as much as possible.

PREGAME NOTES

Jason Drake and Josh Harris are both listed as out. Otherwise, it’s a clean injury report for both teams.
Same starters for Indiana: Enright, Conerway, Wilkerson, DeVries, Bailey