Latest Iowa Headlines

Iowa Governor Appoints Consumer Advocate for Insurance

Oct 24 2008 // Iowa Gov. Chet Culver has appointed the state’s first consumer advocate for insurance. Angel Robinson will fill a post that only two other states, Florida and West Virginia, have on the books. In a statement released...

FEMA Trailers in Iowa Exceed Formaldehyde Levels Considered Safe

Oct 23 2008 // A local television station has found high levels of formaldehyde in trailers issued to flood victims by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The agency responded Tuesday by questioning the survey’s...

$395 Million Approved for Flood, Tornado Recovery in Iowa

Oct 20 2008 // Iowa communities are getting help recovering from a series of natural disasters this year with nearly $395 million in state and federal funding. The money will go to at least 3,200 projects. The biggest chunk of it, about...

Oct 20 2008 // American International Group Inc. (AIG) elected Edward M. Liddy as chairman and CEO. Liddy, 62, succeeds Robert B. Willumstad. Stephen F. Bollenbach, who was named lead independent director in June 2008, continues in that...

Storms’ Toll Takes on Many Forms

Oct 20 2008 // The industry group says at least $553.1 million in insured losses were left by remnants of Hurricane Ike, which swept through the state on Sept. 14. The economic crisis with the failures of Lehman Brothers, then AIG, and...

University of Iowa Appoints 14 Member Flood Task Force

Oct 10 2008 // The University of Iowa has named a 14-member task force that will assist in planning changes to reduce the risk of future flooding from the Iowa River. Officials say the flood mitigation task force will meet throughout the...

Iowa Announces Flood Buy Out Deadline for $200 Million in Federal Aid

Oct 7 2008 // State officials say nearly three dozen Iowa communities vying for about $200 million in federal aid to buy out homes in flood-prone areas have until early next year to make formal applications. Bret Voorhees is a spokesman...

National Group Honors Faga as 2008 Professional Farm Mutual Manager

Oct 7 2008 // The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) recently awarded Patrick Faga, president/CEO, Central Iowa Mutual Insurance Association, Story, Iowa, the Professional Farm Mutual Manager of the Year Award...

Iowa Town to Give $1 Million in State Flood Aid Directly to Homeowners

Oct 6 2008 // Waterloo, Iowa got its flood money. Now, the city has to figure out what to do with it. The city council voted on October 2 to approve more than $1 million in aid from state agencies. Mayor Tim Hurley says now he and his...

Iowa Governor Threatens Special Session Unless $85 Million Released

Sep 8 2008 // Iowa Gov. Chet Culver on on September 5 demanded that federal officials release $85 million in disaster assistance within the next 10 days, or he’ll summon the Legislature back into a special session to find money to...

University of Northern Iowa Arsonist Released From Prison After 10 Months

Sep 5 2008 // A man who set fires on the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) campus in 2005 causing millions of dollars in damage has been released from prison, surprising university officials who did not expect his 30-year sentence to be...

Iowa Task Force Reviews Flood Aid; Special Legislative Session Considered

Sep 4 2008 // A task force created to assess damage from this year’s flooding and make recommendations for recovery released a report on Tuesday, September 2, that called for expanded housing programs for flood victims and...

Iowa City Officials Deny Newspaper’s Flood Damage Request

Sep 3 2008 // Cedar Rapids city officials said address-by-address flood damage data is not public record, despite a U.S. Circuit Court ruling in Florida in 2007 that said the data is public. An assistant city attorney in Cedar Rapids...

Flooding Causes Classes to be Held in New Buildings at University of Iowa

Sep 2 2008 // The site of a former hardware store is now home to the University of Iowa’s theater performance, music and ceramics classes, a move that reflects the possible confusion after flooding pushed a slate of old classes...

It Figures

Sep 1 2008 // $15 Million Iowa officials estimate it will cost $15 million to bring the state up to speed on flood plain maps. Only 50 of Iowa’s 99 counties have complete maps that meet federal standards. The outdated or...

Governor Culver: Rebuild Iowa Office to Remain Open Indefinitely

Aug 27 2008 // The newly formed Rebuild Iowa Office which is responding to recent natural disasters around the state will remain open indefinitely, said Iowa Gov. Chet Culver. He said it’s “very likely” that the office...

Firm Sues Iowa City Challenging Decision on Flood-damaged Buildings

Aug 22 2008 // A Florida company has filed a lawsuit against Cedar Rapids, Iowa challenging the city’s decision to reject its bid to demolish flood-damaged buildings. Bunnell, Fla.-based Bamaco Inc., filed its lawsuit on August 19...

S&P Advises Floods Could Lead to Ratings Actions on Midwest-Focused Insurers

Aug 21 2008 // An aerial photo shows a flooded area of downtown looking North over Cedar Rapids, Iowa, June 13, 2008. Interstate I-380 can be seen on the left while Mays Island, with Cedar Rapids City Hall, is seen on the right with its...

Flood Recovery Efforts in Iowa Slowed by Government Estimates

Aug 20 2008 // Victims of record flooding are paying mortgages, taxes and repairs on houses that might need to be destroyed, and some are blaming federal and state officials for a slow response. The lengthy process to get federal buyout...

Iowa Insurance Division Rescinds Rebate Bulletin

Aug 19 2008 // A national insurance trade group is praising the Iowa Insurance Division over its decision to rescind a bulletin that would restrict gifts and other small items under the heading of charities or advertising. The Property...