Honestly, walking down Clinton Street this week feels a little different than it did a year ago. If you’ve spent any time lately scrolling through social media or catching the snippets of iowa city iowa news popping up in your feed, you might think the town is just a series of orange traffic cones and "closed" signs. But there’s a much weirder, more interesting pulse under the surface right now.
The headline everyone is talking about is Court Street. It’s basically the local obsession. After months of the Muscatine Avenue intersection being a total mess of gravel and backhoes, the city finally announced that—weather permitting—the stretch from Muscatine to 7th Avenue will reopen to cars on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Don't get too excited, though. If you’re a pedestrian, you’re still out of luck. The sidewalks are staying closed until spring because the retaining walls and final grading aren't done. It’s that classic Iowa City trade-off: you can drive on it, but don't you dare try to walk it.
The University of Iowa’s Quiet Reckoning
While the construction crews are moving dirt, the University of Iowa is moving spreadsheets. This isn't the flashy kind of news that makes the front page of every site, but it’s arguably the most important thing happening in the 319 right now.
Provost Kevin Kregel just confirmed on January 15 that the university is officially reviewing "low-enrollment" undergraduate programs. We're talking about majors with fewer than 25 students.
This isn't just some random audit. It’s a direct response to the 2025 Workforce Alignment Review. The university is basically looking at which majors aren't paying their way or filling seats. They’ve already shut down 37 programs since 2015, and more are on the chopping block.
It’s kinda heartbreaking for the liberal arts folks, but the administration is leaning hard into "workforce needs." They want to make sure your $20,000+ a year is actually buying a degree that a company in 2026 wants to hire.
Why the "Small Majors" Matter
A lot of people think these cuts don't affect them. Wrong. When you lose a niche major, you often lose the specialized faculty who teach the weird, cool elective classes that make a university actually feel like a place of higher learning.
🔗 Read more: The Faces Leopard Eating Meme: Why People Still Love Watching Regret in Real Time
- Licensure: Some programs are safe because they’re required for specific certifications.
- Accreditation: If a tiny program supports a huge one, it might survive.
- Viability: If only three people are graduating a year, the "viability" score is basically zero.
Politics, Taxes, and Your Wallet
Governor Kim Reynolds just dropped her 2026 Condition of the State address, and if you live in Johnson County, you probably felt a bit of a sting. She was very clear about one thing: property taxes are rising faster than paychecks.
She noted that over the last two years, they’ve jumped more than 10%. For those of us in Iowa City, where housing is already priced like we’re living in Chicago, that’s a tough pill to swallow.
There’s also a big push for a new, performance-based county grant program for Veterans Affairs. Basically, the more veterans a county successfully helps, the more state money that county gets. It’s a "pay-for-performance" model that’s sparking some debate in the local political circles about whether we should be incentivizing social services like they’re a sales floor.
The Sports Scene Isn't Just Caitlin Clark Anymore
Remember when everyone thought Iowa women's basketball would fall off a cliff after the 2024 season? Yeah, nobody told the current roster. On Thursday night, Jan. 15, the No. 11 Hawkeyes absolutely handled Oregon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, winning 74-66.
They’re 15-2 overall and a perfect 6-0 in the Big Ten.
It was the third quarter that did it. Iowa dropped 24 points in ten minutes, just a total offensive explosion. It’s cool to see the "post-superstar" era of Hawkeye basketball still drawing massive crowds and playing at such a high level. Carver is still the loudest place in the state on a Thursday night, no question.
Local High School Bragging Rights
And hey, if you follow the local preps, Iowa City Regina is holding steady. In the latest girls' basketball rankings released by the IGHSAU on Jan. 15, the Regals are sitting at No. 12 in Class 2A with a 10-3 record. They’ve got a target on their backs, but they’re playing some of the grittiest defense in Eastern Iowa right now.
💡 You might also like: Whos Winning The Election Rn Polls: The January 2026 Reality Check
Small Wins and Big Changes
Sometimes the best iowa city iowa news is the stuff that actually makes your daily life better. Did you know the city is looking for Climate Ambassadors? They just opened applications on Jan. 15. They’re looking for local leaders to help push the city's climate goals into actual neighborhoods.
Also, if you’ve got a broken toaster or a chair with a wobbly leg, save it. There’s a community repair event coming up on Feb. 14. It’s one of those "Iowa City things" that makes this place great—basically a bunch of handy people volunteering to fix your junk for free so it doesn't end up in a landfill.
The JA Dream Accelerator
Over at the Center for Innovation on North Dubuque Road, the school district just opened something called the "JA Dream Accelerator" in partnership with Junior Achievement. It’s an immersive space where high schoolers can basically "test drive" careers. In a town that’s so heavily focused on the university, it’s refreshing to see some serious investment in vocational and career-readiness for the younger kids.
Is Iowa City Getting Too Expensive?
Let's be real for a second. The elephant in the room is the cost of living. Between the rising property taxes mentioned by the Governor and the $11.4 million being spent on the new Tiffin recreation center (which will be "substantially complete" by fall 2026), the area is booming, but it's getting pricey.
Even Coralville is getting in on the action with a $54 million recreation center replacement. That’s funded by a 1% local option sales tax starting July 1, 2026. So, every time you buy a coffee or a new pair of shoes in Coralville, you're helping build that gym.
It’s great for the kids, but for folks on a fixed income, 2026 is feeling a little tight.
What You Should Actually Do Now
If you’re living in or around Iowa City, here is the "so what" of the current news cycle.
📖 Related: Who Has Trump Pardoned So Far: What Really Happened with the 47th President's List
First, check your commute for Tuesday. If you usually avoid Court Street, you can finally put it back in your rotation starting Jan. 20. It should significantly ease the bottleneck near City High, especially during that 3:00 PM rush.
Second, if you’re a student or have one at the UI, keep a very close eye on those "low-enrollment" program reviews. If you’re in a major with under 25 people, you need to be talking to your advisor this week about what the "teach-out" plan looks like if the program gets cut. You won't be kicked out, but the department might start looking like a ghost town pretty soon.
Lastly, get involved in the Climate Ambassador training if you care about the local environment. The city is actually putting money behind these initiatives for once, and the deadline to apply is fast approaching.
Iowa City isn't just a college town anymore; it's a rapidly expanding mini-metro with all the growing pains that come with it. 2026 is going to be a year of finishing what we started—whether that's a bridge, a degree, or a tax reform.
Next Steps for Residents:
- Transport: Plan for the Court Street reopening on Jan. 20, but expect continued pedestrian detours.
- Sustainability: Apply for the Climate Ambassador training by Jan. 25 if you want a say in local policy.
- Community: Mark Feb. 14 on your calendar for the community repair event if you have household items needing a fix.
- Education: If you are a UI student in a small major, schedule an advisory meeting to check the status of your program's review.
This is the state of the city right now. It’s messy, it’s expensive, and there’s way too much construction—but at least the Hawkeyes are winning.