WEST DES MOINES, IOWA (November 15, 2023) — The American Farm Bureau Federation reports the average cost of this year's Thanksgiving meal for ten is $61.17, a 4.5% decrease from last year. However, the cost is still 25% higher than in 2019.

Those living in the Midwest will reap the benefits of a more affordable Thanksgiving meal, averaging $58.66.

ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS (November 15, 2023) — November 15 is America Recycles Day. As we enter Fall and tidy up for the holidays, consumers can create a large amount of waste. In 2022, citizens of Rock Island County landfilled 410,854 tons of waste. A single garbage truck weighs ten tons. The total amount of annual landfill material in Rock Island County equates to 41,085 garbage trucks. The goal is to reduce 50% of the waste going to landfills.

DES MOINES, IOWA (November 15, 2023) — Iowa Workforce Development is celebrating National Apprenticeship Week, with a focus this year on the innovation that is driving new growth in Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs across the state. Iowa has remained a leader in not only the growth of new RA programs, but also in the unique ways that partnerships have formed to build the workforce pipeline in more professions than ever before.

DES MOINES, IOWA (November 15, 2023) — Iowans are shelling out hundreds of millions of dollars to treat their drinking water and pay for treatment of life-threatening health-care issues caused by nitrate pollution from concentrated animal-feeding operations (CAFOs) in the state, according to a new report published today by the Iowa Environmental Council (IEC).