AGP Executive Report

Iowa Education & Equity: The Iowa Supreme Court ruled the University of Iowa can’t swap a “black student” scholarship requirement to “first-generation,” sending the case back for a new plan. Local Culture & Community: Webster City’s City Council will hold public hearings on an Edible Gardens development agreement, budget amendments, and how new TIF money will be split. Public Safety & Youth: Newton High School reported 567 personal electronic device violations and plans to revise cellphone practices for the next school year. Health & Lifestyle: A local program in Chariton is offering free summer meals for kids, no charge for ages 18 and under. Civic Life & Pride: Des Moines tattoo shop Black Magic Tattoos spent 12 hours doing Pride Fest flash tattoos to raise money for LGBTQ youth. Conservation & Outdoors: Northeast Iowa residents can weigh in on REAP conservation funding at a June 24 assembly in Decorah. Human Rights Education: Van Diest Medical Center is hosting a free human trafficking awareness program June 30 in Ellsworth.

Iowa Education & Community: Coe College in Cedar Rapids is launching a three-year online bachelor’s in business administration aimed at working adults, with shorter credit requirements and support services built in. Local Culture & Events: Waterloo’s Chroma 63 festival drew more than 1,000 people despite rain, spotlighting music, art, skateboarding, and local organizations. Sports & Pride: The Second City Sisters marked the 10th anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub massacre in Chicago with remembrance and a Pride Month-style community celebration. Public Life & Policy: Cedar Rapids is rolling out a “carry in, carry out” park trash policy after Linn County’s long-running version, sparking debate about litter and convenience. Global Health: The Pan American Health Organization is urging caution over reports of a Russian COVID-19 vaccine being negotiated in parts of Latin America before standard safety trials are completed. Tech & Regulation: States are moving ahead with more targeted AI rules as federal action stalls, focusing on how chatbots and AI systems affect children and workplaces. Politics & Religion: A new look at how American Christianity shifted toward Christian nationalism traces the roots of today’s church-and-state entanglement.

Iowa Politics & Conventions: Iowa Democrats say “hope has returned” as they lock down fall ballots at their state convention, with U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek and State Auditor Rob Sand energizing supporters, while Crawford County Supervisor Dave Muhlbauer is confirmed as Sand’s lieutenant governor pick. On the GOP side, Zach Lahn and running mate Derek Wulf were approved at the Republican state convention, with Lahn framing his campaign as “put Iowa first” and a fight against insider influence. Local Culture & Community: Waterloo’s Chroma 63 festival drew more than 1,000 people despite rain, spotlighting music, art, skateboarding, and local organizations. Everyday Life in Iowa: Cedar Rapids begins enforcing a “carry in, carry out” park approach by removing trash cans, echoing Linn County’s long-running policy. Sports & Pride: Des Moines’ East Village gears up for Capital City PrideFest, expecting a big weekend boost for local businesses. Remembering & Identity: In Chicago, The Second City Sisters marked the Pulse massacre’s 10th anniversary with a remembrance-and-joy Pride Month event.

Local Transportation Rules: Newton tightened its rules for electric scooters, e-bikes, and motorized bicycles after safety complaints—scooters and personal transit devices are barred from roadways and limited on trails/sidewalks. Public Safety & Justice: A Waterloo felon, Dana Lee Scott Jr., was sentenced to a year in federal prison for illegal firearm possession, with the case tied to DOJ’s Operation Take Back America. Community Pride & Business: Des Moines’ East Village is gearing up for Capital City PrideFest, with organizers expecting a major weekend boost for local shops and events. Arts & Culture in Waterloo: Downtown Waterloo has a packed weekend of music and art, including Chroma63 at the RiverLoop Amphitheatre, blending punk and skate culture with local performers. Health & Community Services: Orange City Area Health System named Chris Sietstra as its next CEO, starting July 6, as the region plans for continued healthcare leadership. Education & Policy Watch: Iowa’s latest school-athletics change could lower the age for varsity participation to 13, leaving districts waiting on state guidelines. Sports on the Calendar: NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series returns Saturday at Pocono with TV coverage on CW.

Local Government & Nonprofits: Henry County is revising funding agreements after a state audit found its donations to groups like Main Street Mount Pleasant and the county historical society violate the Iowa Constitution. Education & Youth Sports: A late-signed Iowa bill could lower the age for high school sports participation to 13, pushing districts to scramble for guidance before practices start. Faith & Community Values: A local op-ed argues that “tradition” can’t replace Scripture, using Matthew 15 as a warning against man-made doctrine. Libraries & Lifelong Learning: Kendall Young Library in Webster City rolls out adult summer programs, from plant-themed bingo to iris-folding crafts and a craft-a-thon. Arts & Weekend Plans: Downtown Waterloo is gearing up for a busy weekend, including Friday Loo and the Chroma63 festival blending local music, art, and punk/skate culture. Health & Workforce: Fort Madison schools received a $75,000 grant to expand concurrent enrollment with Southeastern Community College, while a registered apprenticeship effort targets Iowa’s auto technician shortage. Culture & Lifestyle: A Fort Dodge couple launches “World As One,” a clothing line built around unity and equality, with a launch party at River Hops Brewing.

Live Music & Local Culture: Iowa City’s summer lineup is heating up, with 10 standout concerts plus festival energy—starting with The Wallflowers at the Englert Theatre (June 18) and indie rocker Greg Mendez at Gabe’s (June 19). Faith & Community Leadership: Golden’s Point Church in Hamilton, Illinois, welcomed Rev. Joe Prainito, who brings youth ministry, hospice experience, and even a music-and-recording program tied to his chaplain work in Keokuk. History & Regional Identity: A look at how the transcontinental railroad reshaped Omaha and Council Bluffs—turning rough frontier terrain into a major hub for immigrants and commerce. Education Watch: New Kids Count data ranks Iowa schools 27th, while reports also say Iowa teacher pay still lags the national average despite raises. Iowa Politics (Gov Race): Iowa’s GOP and Democratic conventions are set for June 13, with Rob Sand and Zach Lahn formally accepting nominations and naming running mates. Workforce & Manufacturing: ALPLA opened an Iowa City Learning & Development Hub, expanding apprenticeships, technical training, and leadership programs. Local Sports/Community: Algona is weighing how the new rule letting eighth graders play high school sports will work in practice.

Education Watch: Iowa’s education ranking slipped into the bottom half of states, with the Anne E. Casey Foundation reporting big gaps in reading, math, and on-time graduation. Local Schools Leadership: Bettendorf Community School District named Dr. Lorry Wilson as Executive Director of Student Services, starting July 1. Faith & Community: Rural Clutier’s St. Wenceslaus Oratory hosted a Corpus Christi Mass and procession under Father Michael McAndrew, a tradition that’s rare in Iowa. Youth & Inclusion: UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s celebrated 12 Project SEARCH interns graduating, a transition-to-work program for young adults with disabilities. Culture & Pride: Dixon Pride Festival returns to Page Park with drag, music, and vendors, aiming for 4,000 attendees. Community Giving: Upper Des Moines Opportunity launched its “One Dollar Difference” fundraiser to support food, housing, early childhood, and utility help across 12 counties. Weather: Severe storms hit the Midwest, including Iowa, where a man died after being struck by a falling tree.

Local Events: Rock Falls is rolling out “Sick Summer” for a third straight year, with a downtown mini-block party and a drag-and-drive checkpoint on Monday, June 15, bringing hundreds of race vehicles and visitors to support local businesses. Education & Workforce: Iowa State’s Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex is expanding hands-on training for feed and grain careers, linking classrooms, labs, and livestock/crop production in a $35 million, donation-funded facility. Community & Learning Grants: Iowa educators and youth groups can tap the new WBL-LIFT grant to build work-based learning educator pipelines, while Dekko Foundation announced $71,000 in new local youth-focused grants across Iowa and the region. Health & Daily Life: P&G and the American Academy of Family Physicians are highlighting a big awareness gap—most Americans care about oral health, but few connect it to whole-body health. Culture & Books: Davenport hosts the Miss Iowa Scholarship Program June 11–13, and a new review spotlights Charlotte McConaghy’s “Wild, Dark Shore” as a slow-burn, gothic-feeling island novel. Public Safety & Weather: More severe weather is possible in the region after recent storms, with flood watch concerns mentioned for parts of Iowa.

Community Celebrations: Webster City Market Nights is back tonight (5:30–7:30 p.m.) with Classic Car Night, live music, local vendors, and youth entrepreneurs—plus classic car trophies at 7:20 p.m. Local Arts & Music: Fort Dodge’s Karl L. King Municipal Band keeps rolling with a Father’s Day-themed concert Sunday, June 21 at 7:30 p.m., preceded by a free-will-donation ice cream social. Health Equity: Poweshiek County Public Health is joining a statewide rural cancer initiative to boost prevention, screening, early detection, and radon testing/mitigation, with telehealth and financial help. Faith & History: A new Catholic sisters archive center in Indiana will preserve records from 10 congregations, including Iowa, through interactive exhibits and programming. Education & STEM: Two Iowa educators are highlighted for long careers shaping classrooms—Jessica Meier’s 27 years in art and second grade, and Erin Madigan’s push to make STEM “for everyone” at W-SR. Sports & Community Pride: Oelwein student Jason Recker is staying local for Upper Iowa University, while Iowa State’s triathlon club continues year-round racing across the Midwest. Public Accountability: Iowa City CSD faces state School Budget Review Committee scrutiny after financial-control problems, with possible corrective action coming in October.

Community & Education: Iowa State University’s Northern Research and Demonstration Farm will host a free public summer field day June 25 in Kanawha, with crop tours, an oat production session, and a herbicide injury demonstration plus lunch and optional Certified Crop Adviser credits. Local Schools & Youth: Des Moines Public Schools is partnering with the USDA Summer Food Service Program, offering free meals at 31 sites for kids 18 and younger; some Wednesday locations closed due to weather. Arts & Culture: Drake University will launch an Ed.D. Leadership program in Singapore in fall 2026 through a partnership with Nanyang Science and Technology College, expanding the university’s global education footprint. Community Spotlight: Cedar Rapids has named Jasmine Almoayyed director of Economic Development & Development Services, bringing 18+ years of experience in workforce and redevelopment. Obituaries: Lisbon educator Marilyn Pleasant is retiring after decades shaping students’ lives in the Lisbon Community School District.

Youth & Fitness Culture: A new wave of kid strength influencers is turning elementary-school powerlifting and wrestling into a social-media phenomenon, with parents and coaches leaning on technique and training rather than hype. Heritage & Community Memory: Fort Dodge’s Oakland Cemetery Walk returns with actors portraying local history figures, while southeast Iowa’s Historic Hills Scenic Byway adds a new interpretive panel in Milton to guide travelers through local stories. Education & Civic Life: Iowa’s new American history and civics requirements could cost public universities more than $2M a year, with the UI Center for Intellectual Freedom preparing for required courses starting in fall 2028. Local Schools & Facilities: Dubuque’s district approved a $1.9M purchase on Chaney Road, and Waterloo’s Cedar Bend Humane Society opened an outreach and education center. Public Health & Safety: A statewide Move Over enforcement push runs June 8–12, targeting drivers who don’t yield to vehicles with flashing lights. Animals & Research: Davis County is now part of a gray fox study as biologists track a steep Midwest decline.

Homeownership & Community: Iowa Finance Authority named Des Moines’ Serena Moss as the state’s first “Chief Door Opener” for National Homeownership Month, winning a $10,000 prize after sharing her homebuying journey. Arts & Culture Leadership: Iowa City Downtown District launched a search for a director to lead a new Iowa City Arts Alliance, aiming to coordinate arts groups and sustain initiatives like Free Week. Education & Schools: Iowa City Community School District faces a School Budget Review Committee hearing amid a financial crisis, including a payroll loan and an overdue audit. Public Health & Recovery: Community and Family Resources’ new Grays Woods Recovery Center in Des Moines is set to expand addiction and detox services with 74 beds, built to reduce stigma. Civic Learning: The University of Iowa’s Center for Intellectual Freedom must scale up to deliver required civics courses for thousands of students by fall 2028. Local Leadership Changes: Union Middle School in Dike will hire a new principal after Wayne Slack’s resignation, while Waterloo Community Schools named Danielle Hakeman as Hoover Middle School principal. Tech & Health Equity: An AI screening tool helped increase diabetic eye exam referrals for African American patients at community clinics.

Local Education & Community: Des Moines Public Schools broke ground on middle school expansions under its “Reimagining Education” plan, adding a 6,000-square-foot career and technical education makerspace for 6th–8th graders. Public Health & Mental Wellness: A Bloomfield mental health expert says newer treatments like ketamine infusions can help quickly, but stresses care still has to treat the whole person—sleep, nutrition, exercise, and connection matter. Sports & Local Pride: Fort Dodge’s Badger Lake Dragon Boat Bash returns for its 30th year, with racing, a Friday concert, and a silent auction supporting the Norma Schmoker Cancer Center. Arts & Learning: Webster City’s summer library programming keeps rolling with teen lounge events and a book discussion at Kendall Young Library. Democracy & Civic Life: An administrative audit in Cass County found a one-ballot mismatch that was corrected after a rescan, confirming the paper and machine totals match. Iowa Demographics: Iowa’s birth rate has dropped more than 13% over the past decade, with long-term impacts for schools and the workforce.

Rural Health & Growth: Cass Health in Atlantic will break ground June 11 on a major expansion and interior renovation, adding space for surgery, emergency, and rehab services to meet growing local demand. Kids & Education: Iowa’s Kids Count report lands the state at No. 10 nationally, but education indicators are slipping—preschool participation, reading, and math proficiency all lag, with most eighth graders below math proficiency. Community Schools: Des Moines Public Schools is kicking off the first Reimagining Education groundbreakings, starting with middle school CTE maker spaces and classroom additions funded by last fall’s $285 million bond. Local Politics: Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand named Crawford County Supervisor Dave Muhlbauer as running mate, leaning into western Iowa farm roots for the general election push. Healthcare Careers: Central Lee senior Jayden Mueller received a $2,000 scholarship from the Iowa Hospital Education and Research Foundation to pursue nursing at the University of Iowa. Culture & Music: Brigitte Calls Me Baby brings its post-punk-meets-20th-century flair to Des Moines, promoting its new album. Agriculture & Food Safety: Iowa Pork Industry Center offers an online Pork Quality Assurance Plus advisor certification session July 7.

Local Culture & Travel: Clayton County Museum Crawl is back for summer road-trippers, starting at the Wilder Memorial Museum in Strawberry Point; grab a stamped passport, hit 8 of 17 participating museums, and submit it by June 30 for a $250 grand prize. Community Spaces: Marshalltown’s Apgar Family Water Plaza held its grand opening, with hundreds of kids enjoying the new splash feature after a ribbon-cutting and dedication. LGBTQ+ Health & Pride: Capital City Pride in Des Moines is leaning hard into wellness—rides, a 5K, and even powerlifting—aimed at tackling LGBTQ+ health disparities and making sports feel safer. Pride Month Pushback: In Des Moines, activists protested a church sign reading “Ditch Pride. Embrace Humility,” arguing it clashes with inclusion goals during Pride Month. Books & Local Business: Ames’ Dog-Eared Books spotlights the power of independent bookstores, community events, and a small café—built by two longtime Ames friends. Education & Civics: Iowa’s new law requires public university students to take American history and U.S. government courses to graduate, framed as a civics reset ahead of America’s 250th. Sports & Identity: A Pride-linked “Embrace the Race” 5K in West Des Moines celebrated inclusivity for all bodies, paces, and abilities as part of Iowa Juneteenth festivities. Food & Summer Support: Iowa continues expanding free summer meal sites statewide, offering free lunches for kids and teens.

Iowa Politics: Tuesday’s primaries reshaped the state’s November map: Belle Plaine businessman Zach Lahn won the GOP nomination for governor, setting up a showdown with Democrat Rob Sand, while state Sen. Lynn Evans and House candidate Keith Glienke cruised to reelection/nomination in their districts. Congress Watch: In Iowa’s U.S. House races, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Christina Bohannan both advanced to a third straight rematch. Local Governance: Johnson County’s new district-based supervisor system is already driving fresh matchups, including V Fixmer-Oraiz winning the District 4 Democratic primary. Community & Health: The Central Iowa Heart Walk drew hundreds for CPR training and support for heart disease and stroke research. Culture & Lifestyle: Favorite Creamery in Alton is turning goat milk into new favorites, while Fort Yukon potter Sarah Beaty’s “useable art” is drawing attention far beyond Alaska. Environment & Public Life: A new look at Iowa water pollution ties algal blooms and bacteria to real summer disruptions and health risks.