Des Moines

Picture of the Des Moines skyline with DSM written across it.

blue

Axios Des Moines Partners

Axios Des Moines Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

Get smarter, faster on what matters in Des Moines with Linh Ta and Jason Clayworth.

Axios Des Moines

Standard

Axios Des Moines Deep Dive

Deep Dive

Des Moines Members

Membership

The fire at Metro Park East Landfill earlier this month is suspected to have been caused by lithium batteries or rechargeable electronics that ignited when compacted. Video: Courtesy of Metro Waste Authority

One of the largest landfill fires in metro history erupted hours after waste officials warned Des Moines leaders this month about their growing battle against improper battery disposal.

Why it matters: Unbeknownst to many residents, rechargeable devices such as vapes, smartphones and electric toothbrushes are turning household trash into fire hazards.

Landfill fires — such as the 2012 fire in Iowa City that burned shredded tires for 18 days — expose workers to hazardous conditions and release harmful smoke from plastics, chemicals, electronics, and other materials, potentially threatening the health of nearby communities.

Driving the news: The May 4 fire broke out at the Metro Park East Landfill in Mitchellville just after dark.

About a dozen Metro Waste Authority (MWA) employees fought the fire for about 12 hours in what CEO Michael McCoy tells Axios was the most widespread fire in his tenure and, likely, the agency's nearly 60-year history.

The intrigue: The fire followed a city meeting where the MWA highlighted the growing risks of improper battery disposal and the educational efforts it is making to curb the problem.

By the numbers: MWA recorded 21 fires across its facilities last year, nearly triple the 2024 total, and has recorded at least seven so far this year.

After a 2023 fire caused $2.5 million in damage to its Grimes recycling facility, Metro Waste Authority installed a $163,500 AI-assisted Fire Rover system to scan the facility for excessive heat. Photos: Courtesy of the MWA

State of play: This year's legislative session concluded earlier this month, but MWA officials are already advocating that lawmakers revive broader battery-recycling system bills when they return next year.

House File 726 and Senate File 2477 would require battery producers to develop and fund plans to collect and recycle batteries, subject to DNR approval and annual reporting.

The big picture: Battery stewardship bills have faced some opposition in states such as California and Washington, where they have become law, amid concerns about costs, compliance burdens and the potential to disrupt sales of battery-powered products.

Worthy of your time: These free metro-area battery drop-off sites.

What we're watching: Whether the issue sparks discussion on the 2026 campaign trail, before a new Legislature heads to the Capitol next year.

Massive landfill fire erupts in Des Moines hours after city warning

Metro Waste Authority fires nearly tripled in 2025.

<figure><img alt="A video of a landfill fire." height="450" id="f3fc9e56-ff7f-4647-ac80-bc2b95907d9f" src="https://images.axios.com/HxfGd9MD4TbUyByiTFDZ1NDQQKI=/2026/05/19/1779190402770.gif" width="800"/><figcaption>The fire at Metro Park East Landfill earlier this month is suspected to have been caused by lithium batteries or rechargeable electronics that ignited when compacted. Video: Courtesy of Metro Waste Authority</figcaption></figure>One of the largest landfill fires in metro history erupted hours after waste officials warned Des Moines leaders this month about their growing battle against improper battery disposal.Why it matters: Unbeknownst to many residents, rechargeable devices such as vapes, smartphones and electric toothbrushes are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="turning household trash into fire hazards" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2026/03/25/discarded-batteries-causing-fires-in-des-moines-metro-landfills" data-vars-content-id="0c001f30-bc03-4a29-969c-6c3a037202be" data-vars-headline="Massive landfill fire erupts in Des Moines hours after city warning" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2026/03/25/discarded-batteries-causing-fires-in-des-moines-metro-landfills" target="_self">turning household trash into fire hazards</a>.

News

Environment

Iowa cattle producers are urging Congress to allow more cattle to graze on conservation land, arguing that doing so could help the nation's herd size recover from a 75-year low.

Why it matters: The changes could benefit farmers and, over time, help ease supply pressures that are contributing to near-record-high beef prices.

Driving the news: The Iowa Cattlemen's Association launched efforts last month to create a new working lands option tied to expiring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts.

The goal is to incentivize landowners to keep acres in grass and allow managed cattle grazing rather than plowing them back into row crops, CEO Bryan Whaley tells Axios.

Catch up quick: CRP has for decades paid landowners to take environmentally sensitive cropland out of production and plant long-term cover, such as native grasses or trees, to improve water quality, control soil erosion and enhance wildlife habitat.

Iowa is among the states that benefit most from the program, receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in annual payments.

Friction point: It can also take potential grazing land out of production for 10- to 15-year contracts.

Iowa cattle producers face limited access to grass and grazing land, which Whaley said is one factor constraining the state's cow herd.

Ranchers in Colorado, North Dakota and Texas are also facing grazing pressure from development, drought, rising land costs or competition over public and conservation lands.

Stunning stat: More than 1.6 million acres in Iowa were enrolled in the CRP as of January — approaching the state's total pastureland acreage reported in the 2022 Census of Agriculture.

By the numbers: U.S. cattle inventory totaled 86.2 million in January, the lowest since 1951.

Iowa Cattlemen's is requesting more flexibility as roughly 570,000 acres of contracts expire or are renewed this year and next.

Reality check: Major CRP changes are likely to be a heavy lift since any new working lands program would likely require USDA rule changes, farm bill language or both, Whaley said.

What we're watching: Whether CRP updates can make their way into the broader farm bill debate, which remains mired in disputes over nutrition, conservation and commodity programs.

Iowa pushes for more pasture as beef prices spike

Grazing pressures are affecting ranchers across multiple states.

Cows in Cumming, Iowa, in 2019. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Iowa cattle producers are urging Congress to allow more cattle to graze on conservation land, arguing that doing so could help the nation&#x27;s herd size recover from a 75-year low.Why it matters: The changes could benefit farmers and, over time, help ease supply pressures that are contributing to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="near-record-high" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/19/beef-burger-prices-record-high-usda-supply" data-vars-content-id="307a097e-764f-442b-98d9-87ab0ddac096" data-vars-headline="Iowa pushes for more pasture as beef prices spike" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/19/beef-burger-prices-record-high-usda-supply" target="_self">near-record-high</a> beef prices.

Polk County Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously agreed to pay $6,500 to a photographer and his legal counsel for using a photo of a whale without permission.

Why it matters: AI-powered copyright tools are making it easier for rights holders to find online infringements, increasing the risk for governments and other agencies that use photos on websites and social media.

State of play: The photo from Tokyo-based underwater photographer Tony Wu was used online to promote a program presented by one of Polk County Conservation's naturalists Older, Wiser, Livelier, Seniors (OWLS) series, spokesperson Jessica Lown tells Axios.

What's next: The department is now reviewing photos used for program promotions to verify they have the rights to use them and will conduct annual staff training, Lown said.

Polk County pays $6.5K for using an unauthorized whale photo

AI-powered copyright tools are making it easier to spot unauthorized uses.

Illustration of a whale’s tail emerging from a sea of pixelated coins.

⬆️ Sorry, we also don't have permission to use Tony Wu's amazing pics. Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios

Polk County Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously agreed to pay $6,500 to a photographer and his legal counsel for using a photo of a whale without permission.Why it matters: AI-powered copyright tools are making it easier for rights holders to find online infringements, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="increasing the risk" data-vars-click-url="https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/24/24252410/nintendo-dmca-notices-mario-fan-art-ai-image-detection" data-vars-content-id="52dd56e8-f9b2-4f18-9d65-10a66a548274" data-vars-headline="Polk County pays $6.5K for using an unauthorized whale photo" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/24/24252410/nintendo-dmca-notices-mario-fan-art-ai-image-detection" target="_blank">increasing the risk</a> for governments and other agencies that use photos on websites and social media.

An Iowa homeowner's fight to keep his house over a $2,441 tax debt could test whether the state's tax-sale system unlawfully strips property owners of their home equity.

Why it matters: If successful, the lawsuit could have widespread implications for how governments collect tax debt and whether they can be compelled to compensate former owners.

How it works: Iowa counties hold annual tax sales to collect unpaid property taxes, issuing investors interest-bearing certificates until the owners pay.

If the tax debt remains unpaid for more than one year and nine months, investors may begin the 90-day process to acquire a tax deed.

Stunning stat: Iowa has used tax sales to collect delinquent property taxes for more than 170 years.

State of play: Alan Woods, now 60, has lived in his Maynard home for over 35 years.

The Ohio-based Equity Trust bought the tax-sale certificate for his property in 2022 and, last year, received the deed to his home, which was assessed at nearly $37,500.

Friction point: Woods, represented by Iowa Legal Aid, says in a lawsuit that Iowa's tax-sale laws violate the U.S. and Iowa constitutions by allowing private investors to take a property owner's equity beyond the amount owed.

Equity Trust has filed a separate action that could result in Woods' eviction, but a judge has delayed it pending a ruling on his constitutional case.

What they're saying: Fayette County and Treasurer Kyle Jacobsen deny liability, saying in court documents that they were merely following state law and fulfilling mandatory duties.

Iowa Department of Revenue Director Mary Mosiman says the state agency has no role and that legal doctrine generally shields the state government from being sued.

The other side: Iowans with limited income — often the elderly or those with disabilities — are commonly losing their most significant asset over modest tax debts, while investors can reap an unfair windfall, Woods' attorney, Todd Schmidt, tells Axios.

The big picture: Woods' case is part of a growing legal fight over "home equity theft" after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that a Minnesota county could not keep more than it was owed after seizing and selling a condo for unpaid taxes.

Nebraska courts later applied that ruling to tax-deed cases involving private investors.

Zoom in: Iowa's next annual tax sale is set for June 15.

Hundreds of delinquent tax sale entries are listed in Polk County.

The intrigue: An Iowa bill that didn't pass this year would have created a process for distributing "overplus" proceeds.

What we're watching: If Woods' case is successful, whether the excess equity would be reimbursed to him by private tax-sale investors, counties, the state, or a combination.

Iowa's unpaid tax sale challenged as unconstitutional

The system unlawfully strips property owners of their home equity, an Iowa man contends.

Alan Woods bought this Maynard home in 1999 after first living there as a renter, court filings show. Photo: Google maps

An Iowa homeowner&#x27;s fight to keep his house over a $2,441 tax debt could test whether the state&#x27;s tax-sale system unlawfully strips property owners of their home equity.Why it matters: If successful, the lawsuit could have widespread implications for how governments collect tax debt and whether they can be compelled to compensate former owners.

Construction of a nearly $7.1 million mass timber townhome project near Drake University could begin next year.

Why it matters: It would be among the city's first townhome developments to use the building method that relies on engineered wood rather than steel and concrete, Molly Cutler of Cutler Development tells Axios.

Driving the news: The Des Moines City Council last month approved a $640,000 preliminary award to the project at 3125 Kingman Blvd.

It's being co-developed by Cutler and the nonprofit Home Inc. on land owned by Invest DSM.

Zoom in: Mass timber is glued and pressed in specialized ways to make it comparable in strength to concrete and steel.

It's lighter than concrete, is designed to meet strict fire-resistance standards and can add aesthetic appeal to people who like exposed wood.

International building code changes in recent years have allowed the material to be used in increasingly larger projects.

State of play: Cutler has used mass timber in multiple metro projects, including Star Lofts and in the ongoing construction of Goldfinch Lofts, both along Ingersoll Avenue.

Catch up quick: The project site was previously a multi-unit home damaged in a 2021 fire and demolished last year by Invest DSM as part of a broader revitalization effort.

Reality check: The project still needs to secure final financing approvals and complete additional design work before construction can begin.

Yes, but: The project's financing model already assumes today's higher interest rates and includes backup funding options, Cutler said.

What's next: The City Council is expected to finalize agreements in the coming months, with homes opening as early as spring 2028.

Mass timber townhomes planned near Drake University

The project will rely on engineered wood rather than steel and concrete.

A modern building with brick first floor and dark wood upper stories stands in a sunny, landscaped area. People walk paths, sit on benches, and play near trees and shrubs.

The project would have 20 one- and two-bedroom units in three three-story buildings, according to preliminary plans submitted to the city. Illustration: Slingshot Architecture via Cutler Development

Construction of a nearly $7.1 million <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="mass timber" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/04/26/wooden-skyscrapers-mass-timber" data-vars-content-id="a821144d-ec68-4f9a-9ae2-b7315b4eab36" data-vars-headline="Mass timber townhomes planned near Drake University" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/04/26/wooden-skyscrapers-mass-timber" target="_self">mass timber</a> townhome project near Drake University could begin next year.Why it matters: It would be among the city&#x27;s first townhome developments to use the building method that relies on engineered wood rather than steel and concrete, Molly Cutler of Cutler Development tells Axios.

Jason Clayworth

Featured stories

Iowa pushes for more pasture as beef prices spike

Massive landfill fire erupts in Des Moines hours after city warning

Polk County pays $6.5K for using an unauthorized whale photo

Mass timber townhomes planned near Drake University

Iowa's unpaid tax sale challenged as unconstitutional