Government & Politics

The proposed $174M budget would make fiscal year 2024 “our largest year yet,” according to Marion’s assistant finance director, Brian McKenzie. He attributed the growth to a number of capital projects, including the Public Services Department facility, Uptown Plaza and Depot development, and continued streetscape work.

The department has approved 16 million applications nationwide, assuring borrowers the administration will discharge the debt if it prevails in court.

Developer Brandon Pratt is asking the city to be a financial partner in the project, which would include an indoor recreation area for sports and community events, a Pizza Ranch restaurant, and a family entertainment center, which will include bowling, ax-throwing, billiards, an arcade and shuffleboard.

The Iowa Department of Transportation is adding adult changing rooms to four interstate rest areas this year. Each room has an adult-size changing table that can be raised and lowered with a remote control so caregivers can safely change the clothes of a dependent child or adult.

Freight trains have been getting longer — nearly 3 miles in some cases. But railroads say it’s up to the federal -- not state -- government to decide.

A condemnation hearing Wednesday provided the first test that city officials and neighbors are looking to as the precedent for how future eminent domain proceedings may pan out for the city’s flood control system.

A rush is on in the Iowa Legislature to fix an oversight resulting from a previously passed property tax reform package that could mean potentially millions of dollars in lost revenue for some Iowa cities.

Iowa Democrats recently were stripped of their envied leadoff position in the nation’s presidential nominating process