Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley was up early Thursday morning, and judging by Twitter, he wasn’t happy. At 5:23 a.m., Iowa’s senior senator vented to fellow early-morning tweeter President Donald Trump about not being appointed to the conference committee that will reconcile the tax bill passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate. On Wednesday evening, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell appointed eight Republicans to the committee.
Community/News
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa has the nation’s highest overall graduation rate again, but some students are still left behind
Iowa had the highest high school graduation rate in the country in 2016, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). Last year’s graduation rate was 91.3 percent, much higher than the national average of 84.1 percent. The statistics track the on-time graduation rates of students who have attended high schools for four years.
Posted inCommunity/News
Robert A. Lee to close for renovations
The Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center will be closed to the public from Dec. 11 through Jan. 7, while the center undergoes renovation. The center’s recreational programs and activities will be shifted to other city facilities, and the normal pool schedule at the Mercer Park Aquatic Center will be altered to accommodate programs from Lee Center.
Posted inFood & Drink
Devotay sold to new owner
Devotay, a fixture on the Iowa City food scene for more than two decades, has been sold, according to press release from Kurt Friese, the restaurant’s owner and “chef emeritus.” The change of ownership won’t take effect until New Year’s Eve, but Friese said he wanted to make the announcement on Dec. 5, because the day marks the 21st anniversary of the Devotay’s opening.
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids bans fireworks
Once was enough when it comes to fireworks in Cedar Rapids it seems. The Cedar Rapids City Council voted on Tuesday to ban the use of consumer fireworks within city limits. Last week, the council voted to restrict the sale of consumer fireworks to areas zoned for industrial use.
Posted inCommunity/News
The best and worst of 2017
Last year’s Dumpster fire has spread to the landfill. But there were some good parts. Little Village contributors weigh in on the highs and lows of 2017.
Posted inCommunity/News
The GameCube classic Super Smash Brothers Melee still has a hold on gamers
The 2001 Nintendo game was a fun way to pit the likes of Mario and Kirby against Pikachu and Donkey Kong. For many that was all it ever was, but for Iowa City’s Melee community, it is anything but an outmoded party game.
Posted inCommunity/News
Holiday traditions out of eastern Iowa, from conventional to crab legs
No matter our family or personal tradition, we look at the holidays through the lens we choose. We celebrate, we mourn, we do a little of both. I asked four eastern Iowa residents what this holiday season means to them, how they celebrate, what home means. This is what they said.
Posted inCommunity/News
En Español: The Center for Worker Justice celebrates five years of service
This November the Center for Worker Justice celebrated its fifth anniversary. Thanks to their efforts, workers whose labor rights had been infringed have received more than $60,000 for their losses.
Posted inOpinion
Democracy in Crisis: James O’Keefe and Project Veritas have no claim to the word ‘truth’
Project Veritas, the creepo undercover right-wing sting team run by James O’Keefe, spent months trying to fool The Washington Post into printing false accusations against theocrat and alleged pedophile Roy Moore in order to undermine the real allegations made by women that he was sexually inappropriate with them when they were minors.
Posted inUR Here
UR Here: Finding the nativity in your own community
Whether one believes in the literal or religious truth of the Christmas story or not, it remains a powerful and influential tale, obviously for Christians, but even for many non-Christians. Over the years, as the Yuletide celebration commences, I have often discovered new ideas in this simple yet profound tale. This year, the story of the nativity has helped me understand something about what is important for community.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Iowa grad’s second novel, ‘Pigeon,’ pulls readers into a Parisian mystery, with a twist
Pres Maxson, a 2002 University of Iowa graduate, published his second novel, Pigeon, in October. The book, a rollicking romp through the made-up world of a Parisian uber-elite sports club, follows a young busboy mistaken for the world’s greatest detective as he tries to solve a decades-old mystery.
