This story originally appeared in LV Daily, Little Village’s Monday-Friday email newsletter. Sign up to have it delivered for free to your inbox. The Des Moines Public School Board voted unanimously on Tuesday to appoint Dr. Ian Roberts as the district’s new superintendent. Roberts will be the first person of color to lead the state’s […]
Central Iowa Community/News
Posted inCommunity/News
Photo Gallery: Skate DSM hosts ollies and kick flips for cancer patients
Skate DSM hosted the Grind for Life Series (GFL Series) at Lauridsen Skatepark on Saturday, May 13. All ages and all skill levels competed against each other to win the street and bowl competitions while also helping the Grind for Life Organization raise money for cancer patients who need assistance with traveling expenses. The competitions […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Contact Buzz: Getting to the roots of STEM in Iowa
“Creativity is the capital of the 21st century.” When Robert Bluestone shared this insight during his inspirational keynote for the 2010 Arts Advocacy Day in Des Moines, he was on target. Back then, tying arts to economy and education as an integral part of a comprehensive learning process was still in a formative stage. One […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Photo Gallery: Who let the dogs out in Johnston?
New sniffs and new friends were made in Johnston on April 11. Little Village joined Fitness Sports in Johnston for a Dog Wog and Cat Dash to celebrate National Pets Day. Pet owners were invited to bring their dogs and cats for a walk to the beautiful scenery of Terra Park. Some did laps around […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Pole to pole: Visiting every Des Moines strip club in one night
The Des Moines metro is home to five adult entertainment venues, a.k.a. strip clubs, and as far as I can tell, no publication has attempted to visit and compare them all. Someone had to do it eventually, and who better than myself, a gay man who has never set foot in a strip club? And […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Hundreds rally for LGBTQ Day on the Hill, protesting bills ‘meant to scare us back into the closet’
Around 200 demonstrators filled the Capitol Rotunda to protest anti-trans bills making their way through the Iowa Legislature, and meet with their representatives. The rally was hosted by One Iowa, a nonprofit founded in 2005 to advance LGBTQ rights, and One Iowa Action, for LGBTQ Day on the Hill last Wednesday, Feb. 1. Courtney Reyes, […]
Posted inCommunity/News
A new Oakridge mural celebrates the life of 14-year-old Yore Jieng
Six years following the death of 14-year-old Yore Jieng, who was killed by a stray bullet while riding in his older sister’s car, a new mural in the Oakridge Neighborhood will memorialize his life. This is the second mural dedicated to Jieng. Des Moines-native Jordan Weber designed and painted “King Yore I,” which was completed […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Iowa church wages four-year fight with IRS over hallucinogenic drug ceremonies
An Iowa-based church that allegedly charges members up to $800 to use a hallucinogenic drug in religious ceremonies is continuing to pursue a four-year battle to win tax-exempt status. Last year, the Iowaska Church of Healing sued the IRS in U.S. District Court, challenging the federal agency’s decision to deny the church status as a […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Des Moines’ historic Varsity Cinema reopening after four-year, $5 million renovation project
The Varsity Cinema near Drake University is reopening its doors to the community after being closed for four years. The historic Des Moines theater features “a variety of programming including prestige new releases, the best of art house & international, curated repertory series and classics, upscale genre and late-night movies, kids and family series” according […]
Posted inCommunity/News
DART buses will provide free rides to warming centers and overnight shelters for ‘the foreseeable future’
As winter begins to tighten its grip on central Iowa, DART buses will provide free rides to warming centers and overnight shelters in Polk County “beginning Wednesday, Dec. 14 through the foreseeable future due to extremely cold temperatures and wind chills,” the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority said on Wednesday. “Riders should tell bus […]
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What makes Ames’ tap water hooray-worthy?
Your drinking water has to be pretty top notch in order to get mentioned in a song like “Hooray! For Ames Water” by Smiling Stone Soup. But lucky for Ames, it’s just that good. Water Treatment Plant Superintendent Lyle Hammes says that good drinking water starts with a good water source. “We’re sitting on a […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
With polkas, live reindeer and lots of Krampi, Christkindlmarket Des Moines brings Old World holiday charm to Principal Park
The sixth annual Christkindlmarket Des Moines kicked off at Principle Park on Thursday night. The Christmas market, inspired by by the centuries-old European tradition of holiday markets is a celebration of German and Austrian heritage infused with seasonal charm. So if you can’t make it to Munich, or even Chicago, the Christkindlmarket in Des Moines. […]
