Iowa
Bill lets Iowa county with two courthouses close one – Radio Iowa
A southeast Iowa lawmaker estimates up to half a million dollars could be saved in his county’s budget due to the wide-ranging tax bill up for debate in the legislature today.
One section in the bill gets rid of a law that dates back to Iowa’s horse and buggy days. It requires Lee County to maintain two courthouses — one in Fort Madison and one in Keokuk. Representative Martin Graber, who’s from Fort Madison, knows the history.
“Originally the county seat was in Fort Madison and the courthouse was there and the people in the southern part of the county said: ‘Hey, we want something,’ so the original act of 1848 established one in Keokuk and they were happy,” Graber said. “They wanted to make sure that somebody who needed to file a court action in Keokuk didn’t have to go to Fort Madison to do it.”
The Lee County Board of Supervisors has passed a resolution asking legislators to repeal the 1848 law, so the board has authority to close one of the courthouses. Graber said the county offices are in Fort Madison, but that courthouse is likely to be closed because the one in Keokuk is larger and has enough space to accommodate trials. Graber described it as a positive budget move for Lee County taxpayers.
“In Fort Madison there’s the courthouse itself. Across the street they own a house. They have to have a sheriff’s deputy present — all of this ongoing stuff,” Graber said. “What I’ve been told is it probably approaches half a million dollars a year because they’re aging buildings, they have to do maintenance on them.”
The courthouse in Fort Madison was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. “There’s somebody somewhere who’s going to want to buy that piece of property,” Graber said. “It’s a tremendous old building. I mean just great architecture, big pillars and I can’t hardly believe there isn’t going to be some business or venue that’s going to want to say: ‘Hey, we’re going to turn this into a restaurant or a speakeasy or whatever it may be.”
Fort Madison was originally a U.S. Army post and the site of a battle in the War of 1812. It’s named for James Madison, the 4th president of the United States. The City of Keokuk is named for Chief Keokuk of the Sauk tribe. There’s also a Keokuk County, about a hundred miles northwest of the City of Keokuk.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) — Volunteers broke ground Saturday for Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity’s 16th Woman Build, honoring a retired University of Iowa nursing professor.
Liz Swanson, a retired nursing professor, was chosen as this year’s honoree for her decades of impact. The Women Build program focuses on including women in every step of home construction.
While the home is built in Swanson’s honor, it will go to a fellow nurse and mother of three. The family applied through the affordable housing program.
Swanson said she’s proud to be part of a project that directly connects to her nursing legacy.
“It’s very special to have the unique opportunity to help the nurse who is working nights,” Swanson said.
Swanson said stable housing gives families the security to plan for the future.
“It means security for families. We talked briefly to the children and they said, ‘we’re gonna have our own bedroom,’” Swanson said.
Volunteers are set to begin work on the home in August. Those interested in volunteering can find more information here.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
The Iowa Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big with rewards ranging from $1,000 to millions. The most an Iowan has ever won from playing the lottery was $343 million in 2018 off the Powerball.
Don’t miss out on the winnings. Here’s a look at Friday, May 8, 2026, winning numbers for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing
37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-3 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 0-5-8
Evening: 9-9-2
Check Pick-3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-4 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 0-2-7-3
Evening: 0-7-0-6
Check Pick-4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing
14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Iowa Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Iowa editor. You can send feedback using this form.
IOWA — Iowa’s new restrictions on SNAP benefits are drawing concern from advocates who say the changes could make it harder for families to buy food and could put future summer assistance for children at risk.
The state’s SNAP waiver took effect January 1, 2026, limiting what items can be purchased based on Iowa’s taxable food list. While that includes widely discussed restrictions on soda and candy, the policy also affects certain prepared foods, creating confusion for shoppers.
“Something as small as whether or not a utensil is included in a food item actually impacts whether or not you can continue to purchase that item using your SNAP benefits,” Paige Chickering, Iowa State Manager for the Save the Children Action Network, said.
Advocates say the rules can be difficult to navigate, especially for people relying on quick meals. Items like prepackaged salads or sandwiches may or may not qualify depending on how they are packaged.
At the same time, new legislation slated for the next session at the statehouse could make those restrictions more permanent by requiring Iowa to continue seeking federal approval for the waiver.
That’s raising additional concerns about the future of Summer EBT, also known as “Sun Bucks,” which provides food assistance to children when school is out.
“This makes that food assistance dependent on a decision made in Washington, D.C. that is just arbitrary and not really dependent on the needs of Iowans and Iowa children,” Chickering said.
The program is expected to help around 220,000 children in Iowa during the summer months. Advocates worry leaving it up to federal approval of the waiver could jeopardize that support if policies change. They also point out that SNAP plays a major role in addressing hunger compared to other resources.
“We know that for every one meal provided by an emergency feeding organization, SNAP provides nine,” Chickering said.
Advocates say they support improving nutrition but argue there are more effective, evidence based ways to do that without limiting food choices.
For now, organizations across Iowa are working to help families understand the new rules, while also pushing lawmakers to reconsider how the policy could impact food access moving forward.
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