Just over three years ago, residents of Muscatine gathered at Muscatine High School for a big kickoff celebration to mark the start of a community-wide initiative toward better health. Blue Zones Project® began to take our city by storm as we worked together toward well-being.

It has been amazing to see the transformation of our community. Since launching Blue Zones Project, we’ve seen a 17.5% increase in exercise levels, while stress levels have dropped by 13.6%!

In this post, we would like to give you a snapshot of some of the successes of the project and encourage you to read the full guide detailing the story of Muscatine Blue Zones Project and what it means for the future of our community.

By the Numbers:

23,968 Lives impacted

40% People engaged

8,501 Individuals pledged to support well-being

23,595 Well-being actions taken by individuals

41% Believe Blue Zones Project has made a positive…

Special guests Governor Terry Branstad and his wife Chris will attend the Chinese New Year Concert in Muscatine on Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. The concert will be held at Calvary Church, 501 W. Bypass 61 and will feature the Shaanxi Province Song and Dance Theater National Orchestra. The event is free and open to the public. No tickets are required.

The concert will serve as a Chinese New Year celebration for the community as well as a time to recognize Governor Branstad for his commitment to the relationship between the State of Iowa and China before his pending appointment as U.S. Ambassador to China.

In 1983 Branstad was in his first term as governor when he signed the first sister state relationship agreement between the State of Iowa and Hebei Province. Following the sister state agreement, a small delegation from Hebei visited Iowa in 1985 to learn about modern agricultural…

It’s that time of year again! It’s budget season for the City of Muscatine.

The City of Muscatine must adopt an annual budget by March 15 of each year. The process began back in November, when departments received budget materials and instructions on the process. Now that each department’s budget proposals have been compiled, it is time for the City Council to hear the presentations before making their decisions on how to most effectively spend revenues.

Creating a budget for a full service city that meets our community’s needs but is responsible at the same time is no small feat. There are issues and challenges that come along with the budget process.

We want to make sure you have all of the information available to participate and stay engaged in the process. There are numerous opportunities to attend presentations before the Public Hearing, which is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, March 2, but…

One of the things that makes Muscatine a great place to live is the way members of our community come together to serve! From attending public meetings and providing input to serving on Boards & Commissions, it’s always wonderful to see strong participation by citizens.

There are many ways to perform volunteer service in Muscatine, and serving on Boards & Commissions with the City of Muscatine is an excellent place to do so!

We currently have openings on two boards and welcome your applications:

1) Zoning Board of Adjustment

The Zoning Board of Adjustment meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m.

The purpose of this Board is to hear and decide appeals involving an alleged error in any order, requirement, decision or determination made by an administrative official in the enforcement and interpretation of the zoning ordinance and to hear and decide special exceptions to the zoning ordinance.