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Reynolds, McMahon celebrate Workforce Pell grant program in Fort Dodge

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Reynolds, McMahon celebrate Workforce Pell grant program in Fort Dodge


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FORT DODGE — The gloomy skies outside were no match for the cheer inside the Decker Auditorium at Iowa Central Community College, where students and alumni gathered to celebrate the approval of the new Workforce Pell grant program.

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There to help commemorate the moment Tuesday, Aug. 4, were Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling.

“Our purpose at Iowa Central is simple: To help students earn a degree of credential as quickly as possible with as little debt as possible so they can build a better life,” Iowa Central Community College President Jesse Ulrich said. “That is exactly why today’s announcement matters.”

To be eligible for a Workforce Pell grant, a press release from the U.S. Department of Education specifies that “a program must meet rigorous earnings, job placement, and completion benchmarks; have been in operation for at least one year; and receive approval from both the governor and the secretary of education.”

The Emergency Medical Technician program at Iowa Central Community College meets all of these requirement. It is first school in the country where students will be able to utilize this type of grant.

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“When programs like these are creating powerful pipelines into essential careers, the Trump Administration stands ready to ensure every door is open for students to enter,” McMahon said. “Iowa Central’s EMT program is making history as the first approved Workforce Pell program in the nation.”

EMT numbers have been dwindling in the state of Iowa over the past several years, especially in rural counties. Reynolds believes the implementation of the Workforce Pell program will help reverse the trend.

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“Recruiting EMTs has been a struggle for many of our communities because of the cost of the training and the time to get certified,” Reynolds said. “That’s why Workforce Pell is such a game changer, by allowing schools like Iowa Central to fast-track students into rewarding careers in just eight to 15 weeks, and with little to no student debt.”

With a program such as this one in place, Iowa’s technical careers will grow stronger over time.

“Today, nearly half of all of our high school seniors are benefitting from hands-on experience or training for real world occupations,” Reynolds said. “By focusing programs on Iowa’s most critical needs, like healthcare, manufacturing, skilled trades and IT, we’re actively and intentionally building our talent pipeline for the future.”

The new Pell grant program was introduced in May 2026 and went into effect on July 1. The program, which was established under President Donald Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts Act, will allow students to put Pell grants toward eight to 15 week accredited career and technical education programs.

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Sonderling said the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, and with it, the new Workforce Pell grant program, will allow American students and workers to stay the best.

“We want American workers to get the first and best opportunities to get these jobs,” Sonderling said. “And thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are taking that bold step to make America skilled again. The Working Families Tax Cut [Act] … is providing students pursuing technical educations and skills training opportunities to receive Workforce Pell grants.”

For McMahon, it all comes down to making sure students in Iowa and across the country are able to access the preparation they need to succeed.

“At a time when too many are saddled with high debt and degrees with limited return, students and workers are seeking faster, more flexible ways to regain the skills employers need,” McMahon said. “Students like all of you here are what ignite President Trump’s conviction that to make America great again, we must make it skilled again.”

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Norah Judson is a reporter for the Register. Reach her at njudson@gannett.com.



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Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announces new judicial district appointment

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Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announces new judicial district appointment


DES MOINES, Iowa (KTTC) – The office of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announces her latest appointment to a judicial district representing parts of northern Iowa.

According to her office, Governor Reynolds has tapped Charity Sullivan as a District Associate Judge in Judicial District 1B.

Sullivan is a Cedar Falls native who currently serves as the assistant Black Hawk County attorney.

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Sullivan’s appointment fills a vacancy created after the resignation of Judge Brooke Jacobsen.

Judicial District 1B includes Chickasaw and Howard Counties.

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Copyright 2026 KTTC. All rights reserved.



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Homemade “Hate Week” banners line Iowa City streets, showcasing UI students’ creativity and Hawkeye pride

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Homemade “Hate Week” banners line Iowa City streets, showcasing UI students’ creativity and Hawkeye pride



As you walk the streets of Iowa City this week, it’s hard to miss the billowing white bed sheets hanging from student houses, draped over porches and covered in black and gold spray paint.

Some mock Iowa State University’s student body or football team with crude jokes, while others feature humorous spray-painted drawings of the Hawkeye and Cyclone mascots going head-to-head. Each banner does its part to add to the city’s school spirit.

With the annual Cy-Hawk football game approaching, “Hate Week” has officially arrived in Iowa City. This longstanding tradition has become an exciting way for students to show off their school spirit and get ready to cheer on the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium this Saturday.

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Students often make their banners with roommates or friends, coming up with ideas for what to paint or write and figuring out how to bring those unique ideas to life.

University of Iowa fourth-year Ava Gregg and UI fourth-year Montana Bil, as roommates, have a banner adorning their house on Dubuque Street. The white sheet hangs from their second-floor window, covering most of the front porch.

Scrawled on the bed sheet in black spray paint, the message reads “ALL CYCLONES ARE UIOWA REJECTS #staymad.” Bil said the idea for the banner came from something she had recently seen online.

“I saw a TikTok of Dave Portnoy at Iowa State, and he was asking [students] questions like, ‘Are Iowa State students just rejects?’” Bil said.

For Bil, the best banners are the ones mentioning something personalized against Iowa State, rather than just putting a random insult on a sheet.

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“What makes a good banner is targeting their weaknesses, like something they’re known for,” Bil said. “[Ava and I] saw the TikTok and thought it would be good since it’s referencing a joke that already exists.”

RELATED: Iowa football full of competition in 2026

The banners also give UI students a chance to see how their ideas compare to other students’ artistic creativity around the city. As more banners appear on houses and apartment balconies throughout the week, Gregg said she enjoys walking around and seeing what other students have created.

“It’s really fun — me and my roommates went on a walk yesterday evening to see [the banners],” Gregg said. “If you look out our front window you can already see two, plus our neighbors have one, and it’s still early in the week.”

Their neighbors’ banner reads “Time to take out the trash!” above a spray-painted depiction of the Cyclone mascot in a trash bag. These banners hanging side-by-side show how neighbors have different takes on what makes an effective banner.

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Isabel Iannacchino, a third-year UI student living in a house on campus, also joined in on the tradition this year with help from her roommates. Their banner takes a dig at Iowa State, specifically their secondary mascot, Cy the Cardinal: “I hate that little ginger b—-” is written in huge black lettering across their sheet.

“We got it from TikTok when the whole Halley Kate thing was happening,” Iannacchino said. “We all made it together and just spray-painted it.”

The phrase came from a trending TikTok sound associated with online conflict between influencers Kennedy Eurich and Halley Kate. Iannacchino and her roommates took the trend from social media and turned it into their own Hate Week banner, displaying how students can use popular online jokes and trends as inspiration for the Iowa City custom.

“I think the banner tradition is really fun, and it makes me happy to go to a place with school spirit like this,” Iannacchino said.

While the jokes and messages vary from house to house, the banners show how students are using simple and inexpensive materials like bed sheets and spray paint to create their own artwork for Hate Week.

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As more banners go up around Iowa City leading up to the big game, this tradition continues to give students a creative way to showcase creativity, celebrate their school, and add to the energy surrounding the Cy-Hawk rivalry.



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Only 1 public university in Iowa grew enrollment. Check 2026 stats.

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Only 1 public university in Iowa grew enrollment. Check 2026 stats.


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Students have quite the choice to make between the Hawkeyes, Cyclones and Panthers. With the fall 2026 semester underway, it’s time to figure out which school enrolled the most students.

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Enrollment numbers for Iowa’s three public universities were released on Sept. 10. Check out how the student populations have changed since 2025.

Which Iowa university had the biggest enrollment increase for fall 2026?

While the University of Northern Iowa saw a modest enrollment drop in 2025, it has now bounced back with a 1.8% increase in its total student population — the only regent university to see an increase in total enrollment this year.

Iowa State University saw a 1.1% drop in enrollment, while the University of Iowa saw a 0.6% drop.

What is the biggest university in Iowa?

The University of Iowa maintains its lead with the highest number of total students at 31,182. Iowa State boasts the highest number of undergraduate students with 26,306 compared to 23,415 at Iowa.

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What is the University of Northern Iowa’s enrollment?

For the fall 2026 semester, the University of Northern Iowa has a total enrollment of 9,366 students. While that’s only a modest gain from 2025, it is driven by the new freshman class. With 1,709 freshmen enrolled, that’s not only a 10.3% jump from last year, it’s also the highest number of freshmen the university has seen in a decade.

That’s quite a few new Panthers.

UNI’s total of 3,426 new students also represents the school’s best figure since 2017. UNI’s freshman class is comprised of 1,449 students from the state of Iowa, equating to nearly 85% of the school’s incoming freshmen, according to a press release.

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  • 2026 fall enrollment: 9,366
  • 2025 fall enrollment: 9,204

What is the University of Iowa’s enrollment?

The total fall enrollment at the University of Iowa for 2026 was 31,382 students, including undergraduates, graduates and professional students.

While total enrollment is down slightly from 2025, the university continues to welcome a large number of freshmen. With 5,266 students in the 2026 incoming class, the university has broken the 5,000 mark for the fifth consecutive year. And this is only the seventh time in university history that first-year enrollment has topped 5,000.

Undergraduates make up 23,415 of Iowa’s total enrollment, with 6,039 graduate students and 1,928 professional students.

Just more than half of the incoming first-year students — 2,670 people — are Iowa residents. 

  • 2026 fall enrollment: 31,382
  • 2025 fall enrollment: 31,563

What is Iowa State University’s enrollment?

Iowa State University has a total enrollment of 30,772 students for the 2026 fall semester. Of that number, 5,872 students are first-year students. About 53% of all students are from Iowa.

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When breaking down the total enrollment numbers, 26,306 are undergraduate students, 3,817 are graduate students and 649 are professional (veterinary medicine) students.

The student population continues to represent students from all 99 Iowa counties, all 50 states and 110 countries.

  • 2026 fall enrollment: 30,772 
  • 2025 fall enrollment: 31,105

Lucia Cheng is a service and trending reporter at the Des Moines Register. Contact her at lcheng@gannett.com or 515-284-8132.



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