Nikoel Hytrek is Iowa Starting Line’s longest-serving reporter. She covers LGBTQ issues, abortion rights and all topics of interest to Iowans. Her biggest goal is to help connect the dots between policy and people’s real lives. If you have story ideas or tips, send them over to nikoel@new.iowastartingline.com.
Nikoel Hytrek
Latest from Nikoel Hytrek
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American Rescue Plan Dollars To Boost Iowa Tourism
The Iowa tourism industry is getting a big boost from President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan, which also includes funding for outdoor recreation and tourism industries so states can rebuild. Monday, the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the first round of tourism projects in Iowa. The first round funds four projects,…
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Long-lost photographs capture Dubuque history in 1912
History buffs in the Dubuque area should check out a pair of books that trace a century of Dubuque history. In 1912, one of the most popular ways for photographers to make a living was to travel the country and offer their services to anyone they found. So it was when at least two photographers…
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‘We Don’t Do Abortions In Dubuque.’ An Iowan’s Experiences In The 70s And Beyond
After her second time having sex, Julie Brown began experiencing severe pain on the right side of her abdomen. It was 1979 and Brown, a now-Des Moines resident, was 16 and living in Dubuque. In the hospital, after blood tests, a nurse quietly asked if Brown could be pregnant. After saying “yes,” she went into…
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Where Iowa Stands Now After US Supreme Court’s Abortion Decision
Iowans may eventually lose their rights on reproductive health care, but for the time being, abortion still remains legal in the state following today’s US Supreme Court decision. Friday, the court released its 6-3 decision in Dobbs v Jackson, which upheld the restrictive Mississippi abortion law banning abortion after 15 weeks. That was the core…
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Iowa DOT Will Use Federal Funds To Build New EV Charging Stations
New electric vehicle charging stations in places such as Mason City or Newton, which already have decent numbers of electric vehicle owners, could spark even more interest in them. That’s what the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Biden Administration hope for, and why they want to make life easier for the growing number…
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‘A Clear and Present Danger to American Democracy’: Five Things We Learned in the Latest Jan. 6 Hearing
Former Vice President Mike Pence had no authority to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, and his refusal to do so at former President Donald Trump’s direction put him in direct danger on Jan. 6, 2021. That was the main argument in the third hearing of the US House Select Committee investigating the…
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New Podcast Series Explores Iowa’s Puppy Mill Problem
An Iowa businesswoman is considered a ringleader in a nationwide scheme to sell dogs bred at puppy mills to pet stores across the country, even in cities and states with puppy mill bans in place. A new podcast details how she did it. A seven-episode podcast series called “Smoke Screen: Puppy Kingpin” was released Thursday.…
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Major Iowa Road Plans Bolstered By Federal Infrastructure Law Approved
From Lyon County to Lee County, Fremont to Allamakee, Iowans all over the state will see improvements to their roads and bridges. The Iowa Transportation Commission approved the Iowa Department of Transportation’s five-year Transportation Improvement Program on Tuesday, greenlighting the hundreds of proposed highway infrastructure projects across the state. A large part of the funding…
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Biden’s Rescue Plan Will Fund Major Iowa School Safety Push
Federal money from President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan will make it possible for an Iowa school safety program to get off the ground after two years of going unfunded. The state is investing $100 million from the American Rescue Plan and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to fund the School Safety…
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Biden’s Rescue Plan Funding Could Help Iowa’s Teacher Shortage
Once again, the Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan is coming through for Iowa. Nineteen Iowa schools were selected for awards under the Teacher and Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship Pilot Grant Program, according to an announcement made by Gov. Kim Reynolds Thursday. The program was created with $9 million in education relief funds (ESSER III) from the…
