Tens of thousands of balloon lovers from throughout the Midwest and beyond turned out for the National Balloon Classic in Indianola. Mike Paulsen with the Classic tells the Torch there are more than 30 pilots just in Warren County. A hundred balloons were in the air during the event. A federal judge has tossed out…… MORE
Urbandale is going to be a guinea pig for the EPA, according to the city manager. Agency officials will be checking out the city and its leaders at the end of the month to see how Urbandale plans to handle future development. They’ll specifically look at the city’s housing needs.… MORE
The new Fort Madison prison is open for business. More than 500 inmates were transferred there over the weekend. The 166-million dollar facility was supposed to open in March of 2014, but sat empty while a number of problems were fixed, including the ventilation and heating and cooling system.… MORE
Iowa drivers could be paying two dollars a gallon for gas by next year…that’s the word from GasBuddy. A slowing economy in China and the easing of sanctions against Iran could mean a big increase in oil supplies, which lowers prices. The drop in oil prices appears to be inspiring more investment in factories, according…… MORE
Scratch tickets have boosted the sales for the state’s lottery over the past year. Lottery sales are 3-and-a-half percent higher than this time last year, setting a new record at 212 million dollars.… MORE
The Central Iowa Regional Drinking Water Commission is pulling together a technical committee to consider a regional water system. Bill Stowe of Des Moines Water Works says now may be the time to think about a regional plan. He’s also willing to talk to water districts upstream about clean water solutions. … MORE
Trade secret-stealing charges against the wife of a Chinese billionaire’s wife have been dismissed in a Des Moines court this week. Mo Yun, her brother and five other Chinese nationals were accused of stealing seeds from Iowa cornfields and shipping them out of the country. Prosecutors asked that the charges against her be dropped when…… MORE
The best part of the fair is the sights, sounds, and tastes. Luckily they can help you out with two out of the three. Come on by! 3368 100th street in Urbandale and register to win free fair food on us. Signature Sign & Graphics is your one stop shop to get your business state…… MORE
Today is Day 2 of the bird flu summit in downtown Des Moines. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack told poultry producers, state officials and businessmen they have a bird flu vaccine that works on chickens, and they’re testing it on turkeys. Vilsack says they’ll leave it up to the state to decide whether to use the…… MORE
The dates for Iowa’s annual tax free holiday for back to school shopping have been set…families can start shopping tax-free on August 7th and 8th…they’ll get discounts on everything from school supplies to backpacks.… MORE
