*Even though it is summer, advocates worry about a winter heating program for Iowans.
The Trump administration's proposed budget includes eliminating funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP.
Jean Logan is with the Community Action Agency of Siouxland in northwest Iowa.
Logan says almost $1.4 million was spent to help almost 2,900 households in Woodbury County over the winter, which covers senior citizens, people with disabilities, and others.
She also oversees a cooling program through LIHEAP that provides window air conditioners and helps people get their utilities turned back on.
Logan says her non-profit only has $2,000 left to help this summer.
*Additionally, a new study has found that illegal tobacco sales to underage Iowans spiked in 2021.
The study looked at Food and Drug Administration Tobacco Compliance checks in Iowa from 2017 to 2023.
It found about 7 percent of inspections resulted in violations. But they dropped significantly in 2020 during the pandemic when many inspections were suspended, and then spiked in 2021 to more than 10 percent.
Tony Fischer is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Iowa. He says this shows a need for these inspections.
“It's likely that we need to do more surveillance to keep retailers honest and not sell tobacco to underage persons,” Fischer said.
The study found tobacco and vape shops, liquor stores and some gas station chains had the highest number of violations.
