Small town in Iowa keeps prison — and its vital jobs

In January, we reported that Fort Madison, Iowa, home to the state's penitentiary since 1839, was bracing for the possible loss of the prison and its many jobs. Lee County, which sits on the Mississippi River in the southeast corner of the state, had its fourth-highest unemployment rate — 5.6 percent — and was desperate to keep the prison, especially since other major employees, such as a casino riverboat, were leaving or had left. It won the battle, reports Jennifer Jacobs of the Des Moines Register. (The current prison — built in 1870 — is above in Register photo.)

Republican opponents of the decision by Democraric Gov. Chet Culver's administration said the more centrally located town of Newton was a better choice for the $130.7 million 800-bed prison, given Fort Madison's relative isolation. Newton was home to Maytag's last plant, which closed last October, and was a stop on the campaigns of Barack Obama and John Edwards during the Iowa primary. (Read more)