The North Liberty City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to ban the use of nicotine and tobacco products at city parks, trails, ponds and ballfields. North Liberty’s 20 parks include the 50-year-old Beaver Kreek Park, the Gooselake designated wetland area, Red Fern Dog Park and the 37-acre Penn Meadows Park, which features nine softball and […]
Emma McClatchey
Posted inCommunity/News
One Iowa among organizations to benefit from Ariana Grande’s trans youth fundraiser
In light of the International Transgender Day of Visibility and recent anti-trans legislation proposed and passed in states around the country, pop star Ariana Grande announced on Thursday the launch of her Protect & Defend Trans Youth Fund, to support 18 LGBTQ+ organizations that are “providing direct services and advocating for the rights of trans […]
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‘There’s no right way to be trans’: One year into her transition, Madeline Trainor is her own woman
The internet is an incandescent sludge of information and toxicity, a vessel for boundless exploration and a minefield of odious rabbit holes. But despite what some may preach, no amount of Tumblr blogs or Twitter threads can turn a person trans. “Sometimes you get like trolls on your social media and they’re like, ‘oh, the […]
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UI’s 10-year facilities plan calls for historic buildings to be demolished, renovated, bought and sold
The University of Iowa presented its 10-year facilities master plan to the Board of Regents Wednesday, earning state approval to move forward with a range of renovations across campus. These changes — which are subject to evolve as UI carries out the plans — will affect historic buildings on both sides of the river. Set […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Eastern Iowa authors, arts organizations awarded $90,000 in NEA grants
Artists and arts organizations across the U.S. received good news Tuesday, as $33.2 million in grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) were announced. Five Iowa orgs and individuals were among the award recipients, receiving a total of $90,000 in grants. All five are located in eastern Iowa — two in Cedar Rapids, […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Belle’s Basix, Cedar Rapids’ only LGBTQ bar, is closing — unless a new owner steps up
After a quarter century, Belle’s Basix, an iconic Cedar Rapids bar and one of only a handful of LGBTQ night spots in eastern Iowa, may soon close for good. “Unless someone buys the business, the bar will be permanently closed on Feb. 1st,” owner Andrew Harrison wrote in a late Sunday night Facebook post. “If […]
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‘We are under spiritual attack’: How Iowa’s anti-mask parents became a GOP force — and why they’re leveraging their power to ban books
This month, central Iowa parents seeking to have books they deem “pornographic” removed from school libraries prepared to kick things up a notch. A few of the parents crafted a letter to send to Polk County Attorney John Sarcone, asking for a criminal investigation of the West Des Moines Community School District. “On a continuous […]
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CR’s Willie Fairley is heading to Kentucky to feed tornado victims
Another storm has ravaged the United States, and Cedar Rapids barbecue-master Willie Ray Fairley is on the move again. An outbreak of tornados Friday left a path of devastation through parts of Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee and especially Kentucky. At least 64 Kentucky residents have been confirmed dead, ranging in age from 5 months to 86 […]
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Best of the CRANDIC Spotlight: Eastern Iowa’s LGBTQ softball league puts the werk in teamwork
Best of the CRANDIC 2021 winner: Best Community Sports League In three short years, the Lambda Softball Association (LSA) of Eastern Iowa was founded, became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and grew to include three beginner rec league teams, three competitive D-division teams and the Dirty Divas, a traveling team that competes in cities across the country. […]
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Best of the CRANDIC Spotlight: Colonial Lanes owner Brad Huff on keeping Iowa City’s oldest bowling alley a safe, retro escape
Best of the CRANDIC 2021 winner: Best Bowling Alley Bowling, putt-putt, arcade games, a lunch counter and sunken bar. That’s how Colonial Lanes rolls. The business opened in 1959, and current owner Brad Huff has overseen the lanes at the CRANDIC’s Best Bowling Alley since 1972. Little Village sat down with Huff to discuss CL’s […]
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Best of the CRANDIC Spotlight: Johnson County’s Juneteenth balanced past and present, education and celebration
Best of the CRANDIC 2021 winner of Best Cultural Event Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers sailed into Galveston, Texas, and read aloud the order freeing the state’s quarter-million slaves. The occasion has long been commemorated by Black Southerners, and the first local Juneteenth festival was organized by LaTasha DeLoach in 2011. Iowa […]
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Shop local online from these eastern Iowa artisans
When the “shop small” ethos combines with a slow supply chain and the urge to huddle at home, a lot of shoppers turn to Etsy. Turns out, you can do that and keep your pennies in your local community! Explore this baker’s dozen of fantastic online shops that craft in (and ship from!) Eastern Iowa. […]
