Polk County Supervisors are drafting a letter to object to Navigator CO2 Venture's proposed 1,300-mile pipeline project, multiple supervisors tell Axios.

• The route would cross 33 of Iowa's 99 counties, including the northeast portion of Polk.

Why it matters: It's a showdown between property owner rights and a business that contends its project offers widespread economic and environmental benefits to the public.

Catch up fast: Navigator CO2 is a spinoff of the Dallas-based company Navigator Energy Services.

• Its proposed Heartland Greenway project would capture carbon dioxide from ethanol and fertilizer plants in five states and permanently store it underground in central Illinois.

Driving the news: The pipeline route has been adjusted since it was first proposed in November. As a result, additional public meetings have been set as part of an approval process through the Iowa Public Utilities Board (IUB).

• A Polk County meeting is at noon on Sept. 21. A location hasn't yet been set.

What's happening: Polk plans to join about two dozen other Iowa counties in objecting to the project in a letter to the IUB prior to next month's meeting, supervisor’s chairperson Angela Connolly told Axios.

• The driving concern is the use of eminent domain but there's also worry about its impact on soil quality, supervisor Matt McCoy said.

The other side: Navigator wants landowners to hear them out so they better understand the project, company spokesperson Elizabeth Burns-Thompson told Axios Tuesday.

• Property owners would be compensated for easements and loss in crop production. Restoration projects would help return soil to pre-pipeline conditions.
• The project is a $1.8 billion investment in Iowa that will generate millions of dollars in property tax revenue and thousands of construction jobs, she said.

Full story

The Des Moines School District has hired a woman to coach football for the first time ever.

Yes, but: Being the only woman on the football field is nothing new for Renate Rice.

• "I've always been a rough-and-tumble kind of girl," Rice told Axios. "I like to compete."

State of play: In seventh grade, Rice was the only girl playing in Little All-American Football in Des Moines.

• But the next year, her dad wouldn't let her play, saying she wouldn't fit in with the boys.
• She moved on to other sports, playing everything from basketball to volleyball.

What happened: By chance, Rice returned to football as an adult when a friend surprised her by signing her up for tackle football tryouts in 2007.

• Since then, it's played a huge part in her life. Rice played for the Iowa Crush for 12 years, winning three All-Star rings and a championship.

So when Rice got a call from East Scarlets new head football coach, Tyrone Tyler, about coaching, she didn't hesitate.

• "I love to see that spark," Rice said about coaching football. "I love to see that 'aha' moment when it all clicks together."

What's next: The Scarlet's first home game is Aug. 26 versus Roosevelt.

Giving birth at the Iowa State Fair ain't happenstance.

• It's a science and it takes months of planning, Emily Wynn, a spokesperson for the fair, tells Axios.

Catch up fast: The daily live animal births debuted as an ongoing attraction at the fair about 15 years ago and are now one of the fair's most popular exhibits.

• Some families wait hours to watch an event.

🐮 State of play: Key the moo lighting. Gestation calculators and apps are used to help select the perfect time to inseminate an animal.

• Births aren't always precise but farmers and animal scientists have greatly fine-tuned the process, Wynn said.

1 fun thing: Here are the estimated due dates should one of these creatures have a steamy encounter at today's fair.

• Cow: May 27, 2023
• Duck: Sept.14, 2022
• Human: May 10, 2023

Go see the babies: The Paul R. Knapp Animal Learning Center, just east of the midway from 9am-8pm.

🐼 A Dallas County firefighter is suing Panda Express after allegedly finding shards of glass in his meal at the Valley West Drive location. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

👇 Des Moines metro home sales are down nearly 15% in comparison to last year — a sign the market is cooling off. (Des Moines Register)

⛳️ The Wakonda Club is planning major golf course improvements following the Principal Charity Classic next year. (WHO-13)

✔ Check out our Local Job Board.

1. Lead Qualification Specialist 1 at Hyland.
2. Project Manager at R&R.
3. Manager of Experience & Insights at Athene.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Post a job.

What could be better than a corn dog made of alligator meat?

• A second one made of elk.

State of play: Get one of each in a two for $14 deal at Pioneer Wagon.

• It comes with a side of avocado sauce.

Jason’s thought bubble: Surprisingly good.

• The alligator tastes more like a traditional corn dog.
• The elk is a little gamier.

🧈 Butter ranking: Out of five

• Aesthetics: 🧈🧈🧈
• Creativity: 🧈🧈🧈
• Overall taste: 🧈🧈🧈🧈

Try it: Located near the front of the Grandstand.

🫒 See our other fair food reviews, including fried olives on a stick