Soon the sleepers shall wake. That sounds like the beginning of either a sermon or a horror story, but it’s not. It’s just an entomological fact. As spring gives way to summer, trillions of cicadas will emerge from their underground burrows throughout the South and in parts of the Midwest, including Iowa. Those cicadas are […]
Paul Brennan
Posted inCommunity/News
‘This is devastating’: Corridor Community Action Network’s mobile resource pantry destroyed by a fire
In November 2021, the Corridor Community Action Network (CCAN) launched its Clothing Cruise, an RV that served as a mobile clothing pantry distributing donated clothing for free to those in need. “We had a lot of people that were talking about needing just regular school clothing and work clothing and items like that,” Mandi Remington, […]
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Great Iowa River Race returns to help raise funds for environmental education in Johnson County
Kayakers, canoers, paddleboarders and others who enjoy a Saturday morning paddle on the Iowa River can still sign up for the 12th annual Great Iowa River Race, which will be held this year on June 8. The race starts at Sturgis Ferry Park in Iowa City (1700 S Riverside Dr), which has a boat ramp […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Iowa City is seeking eight works of public art for an unprecedented two-year showcase
The Iowa City Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) is accepting applications for this year’s Sculptor’s Showcase, which will display eight works of art in three public parks around the city. The city has been sponsoring the showcase since 2021, and this year will be the first time the selected sculptures will be on display for […]
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Famous food, fast cars, a bull named Albert and a free-roaming courthouse: Stories from RAGBRAI 2024’s overnight towns
The route for RAGBRAI LI stretches from Glenwood on the Missouri River to Burlington on the Mississippi. At 424 miles, this year’s route is fairly short, but it will be the “hilliest ever RAGBRAI,” according to organizers. It’s not the first time Glenwood and Burlington have been connected. In 1869, the Burlington and Missouri River […]
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Iowa City Farmers Market opens its 2024 season on Saturday, along with Des Moines, Waterloo and more
The Iowa City Farmers Market returns to the Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp this Saturday. The market’s hours this year will be 7:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays from May 4 to Oct. 26. One new thing at the market this season will be the person in charge. “This is my first season as the supervisor […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Move Ya Body Reggae Fest will add a little Jamaican flavor to Iowa City’s spring
A new springtime festival is coming to Iowa City as the Move Ya Body Reggae Fest makes its debut on the first Saturday in May. The five-hour festival, which is free and open to the public, was the idea of Richiard Rodney, who was born and raised in Jamaica and is better known in Iowa […]
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City Nature Challenge returns to Iowa City and Des Moines this weekend
More than 700 communities around the world will participate in the City Nature Challenge this weekend, including Johnson County and Polk County. It’s a four-day long event that starts Friday and concludes at midnight on Monday, during which time volunteers take photos of any “WILD plants and animals in backyards, in parks, along city streets, […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Public Space One announces a $60,000 grant program for inventive public art projects
Public Space One (PS1) unveiled a new grant program on Monday, which will “support publicly-engaged experimental, collaborative, and connective visual arts projects in eastern Iowa.” The Big Field Fund (BFF) will award $60,000 to selected artists and projects on a yearly basis. “BFF will target artist-led projects that manifest new and inventive models, support under-resourced […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Two gun bills head to governor’s desk: one to prevent tracking of suspicious purchases, one to protect armed school staff from liability
Republicans in the Iowa Legislature have passed two bills dealing with guns this week. On Tuesday, the Iowa Senate gave final approval to a bill to prevent credit card companies from taking steps that would make it easier for law enforcement agencies to identify purchases of firearms and ammunition. A day earlier, the House voted […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Field to Family’s online farmers market opens next week with an Earth Week Fair
Field to Family’s online farmers market is returning for its fourth season, and this year its array of fresh locally sourced foods and other items, including plant starters and baked goods, will be arriving early. Instead of opening in May as it has in previous years, Field to Family’s farmers market will celebrate Earth Week […]
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Months after rejecting $29 million in federal aid for food-insecure families, Gov. Reynolds announces ‘competitive’ grants offering 3% of that funding
A little more than four months ago, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced she would not permit Iowa families who receive federal food assistance from receiving an extra $40 per child a month in benefits over three months to help cover the increased costs of feeding children who won’t be eating school lunches or breakfasts during summer […]
