Much like Charles Bradley and Ozzy Osbourne, Altoona is going through changes. This year, the city released an amendment to their 2014 Comprehensive Plan that would put in infrastructure to “recognize the potential growth of the community and propose key concepts to be followed as community growth and change occur.” Among many other measures, the […]
Lily DeTaeye
Posted inCentral Iowa
Forced to downsize, Sweet Tooth Farm focuses on self-care: ‘We can come back stronger’
In the summer of 2021, Monika Owczarski was informed by the City of Des Moines that the land she was leasing for her urban farm, Sweet Tooth Farm, would no longer be rented to her. Owczarski was devastated. On these two plots of land, she had been able to grow a little over an acre […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Des Moines has a big, honkin’ problem. As officials seek solutions, Iowa’s dominant goose species adapts to city life
Growing up in West Des Moines, I became familiar with geese very quickly. They chased me on my bike, pooped all over the trail and flapped their wings menacingly at my brother and I as we walked our nervous dog. Like many a suburban child, I learned that geese were not my friends. They were […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: The return of 80/35 this weekend was just what the doctor ordered
If Des Moines seemed to be asleep these past few years, it certainly woke back up this past weekend as 80/35 Music Festival returned for the first time since 2019. Maybe it was the large variety of food vendors or the diverse lineup. Maybe it was the tie-dyed Kum and Go bucket hats or the […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Clive Library joins the list of fine-free public libraries in Iowa
If you’re an avid library-goer, you may have noticed a change in the way your favorite library is collecting (or not collecting) late fees recently. Following a resolution passed by the American Library Association on Jan. 27, 2019, public libraries across the country have been eliminating their fines to remove economic barriers and hopefully, increase […]
Posted inCentral Iowa Community/News
Five questions with Megan Casey and Jamie Lamb of Paws & Pints, a ‘doggy Disneyland’ in DSM
Des Moines dog-owners have been anxiously awaiting the opening of Paws & Pints, an indoor-outdoor dog park complete with a bar, grooming center, doggie daycare, and restaurant that serves food for both humans and pups. Little Village sat down with co-owner, Megan Casey, and marketing director, Jamie Lamb, ahead of the soft opening of the […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Five questions with: Basket maker Ibechaobi Leishangthem
Ibechaobi Leishangthem (Ibe to her friends) moved into her house in Grimes with her family in October of 2020. In the middle of the pandemic, the Manipur, India native was looking for something to do that would also make their new house feel a little more like home. So she turned to basket-making. Not long […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘We never do anything remarkable just for ourselves’: ‘Buffalo Women’ opens on Juneteenth
Three minutes to curtain on June 19, 2022, the Kate Goldman Theatre at the Des Moines Playhouse was mostly full. The blackbox was decked in a sparse yet effective smattering of western themed set pieces and there was an excited hum emanating from the audience about what was to come. Buffalo Women, which was produced […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Ride your toad into battle: The Rook Room encourages adults to play games, get creative
Because of their similar sounding surnames, their shared love of board games and their charming banter, Annelise Tarnowski and Tony Tandeski almost seem like siblings. But the pair of best friends met while volunteering for the Drake Alumni Board. It was there they realized that they had a lot more in common. “After most meetings, […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Bring your own TP, and other tips from Iowa summer music festival regulars
It’s that magical time of year again! Festival season is back and that means wristband tan lines, sipping craft beer with buddies and seeing all your favorite bands onstage. Although most festivals took a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many are back this year in full force. Alongside national favorites like Coachella, South-By-Southwest, Bonnaroo […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Spots for Spot: Five dog-friendly things to do in the Metro
Our dogs are our best friends. That’s why it hurts a little extra to leave them at home while we go out and enjoy our favorite summer activities. And while there are quite a few dog-friendly patios in the Des Moines area, sometimes our pup deserves a little more stimulation than just sitting on the […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Book Review: ‘Olga Dies Dreaming’ by Xochitl Gonzalez
The fact that Aubrey Plaza will play the main character in an upcoming Hulu adaptation of Xochitl Gonzalez’s debut novel Olga Dies Dreaming is the least interesting thing about the book. Olga Dies Dreaming (Flatiron Books) is everything a novel should be and more. In 369 pages, Gonzalez subjects us to curiosity, heartbreak, lust, intrigue […]
