Had an interesting conversation with Phil Hemingway at the Iowa City Farmer’s Market July 2nd. I’ve known Phil for decades — he was our go-to auto mechanic for many years. He’s now running for Johnson County Board of Supervisors for the fifth time. He’s a Republican, and I’m a left-wing progressive-to-radical. I asked him about […]
Eastern Iowa
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City Public Library stops charging overdue fines
The Iowa City Public Library will no longer charge fines for overdue books or other materials. ICPL eliminated overdue fines on books for children and young adults in May 2019. Now that no-fine policy will apply to everything on loan at the library. “Creating financial barriers to public library use is counterproductive and goes against […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
What to see (for free!) at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art this summer
Summer heat got you down? Consider cooling off with A/C and art. Starting Friday, July 1 and continuing through Sept. 4, entry to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art will be free to all for the 13th year in a row. This summer the museum’s curator Kate Kunau has put together a “fun, vibrant collection […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
Gov. Reynolds won’t ask lawmakers to outlaw abortion yet, will try to get the courts to do that
Gov. Kim Reynolds said on Wednesday she’s waiting until state courts decide whether to revive a never-enforced 2018 law banning almost all abortions in Iowa, before she’ll announce if there will be a special session of the Iowa Legislature this year to further restrict reproductive rights. The so-called “fetal heartbeat bill” was struck down as […]
Posted inWeekender
Weekender Eastern Iowa! Fourth of July, FemmeDecks, John Hopkins Record Sale
READ THE LATEST | SUPPORT LITTLE VILLAGE | SHOP PERKS THE WEEKENDER Your weekly editor-curated arts compendium Celebrate your freedom this weekend the best way you know how, whether that be taking in the fireworks show or marching in defense of your rights. You can also catch one of countless kickass shows! Top pick of […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Street closures and bus route changes for Iowa City Jazz Fest start on Friday
The music starts at 5 p.m. on Friday for the Summer of the Arts Jazz Festival in Iowa City, as the Mike Conrad Trio takes the Weatherdance Stage on the Ped Mall, but downtown street closures for the festival start even earlier. City crews will close Iowa Avenue from Dubuque Street to S Clinton Street, […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City pools: City Park is seeping, rec center swimmers fight likely closure and Mercer may be heating up
The Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department has recommended closing the 58-year-old pool at Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center, and instead adding a warm water pool at Mercer Park Aquatic Center and Scanlon Gym, as part of its Gather Here Recreation Master Plan. The plan also includes a redesign of City Park pool, introducing […]
Posted inEastern Iowa Community/News
Man drives his truck into protesters marching for abortion rights in Cedar Rapids
A man drove his pickup truck into protesters crossing a street in Cedar Rapids on Friday night. This happened at the end of a march in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision overruling Roe v. Wade and eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion, as protesters who had gathered for a rally and march […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
Watch: Hundreds protest Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in Iowa City
“I want to encourage you to gain strength and purpose from this collective body here today,” Francine Thompson, executive director of the Emma Goldman Clinic, told the hundred gathered at the Pentacrest on Friday night, June 24. “Because we have a long, hard fight ahead of us.” The protest in response to the Republican-appointed majority […]
Posted inEastern Iowa Community/News
The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, rescinding a right for the first time in its history
“As of today, this Court holds, a State can always force a woman to give birth, prohibiting even the earliest abortions,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote, summing up what the Republican-appointed majority on the U.S. Supreme Court did in its decision Friday that stripped Americans of the federally protected right to abortion. “A State can thus […]
Posted inWeekender
Weekender Eastern Iowa! Trek Fest, Volta Youth Music, Henry V
READ THE LATEST | SUPPORT LITTLE VILLAGE | SHOP PERKS THE WEEKENDER Your weekly editor-curated arts compendium Iowa is well-known for its abundance of quirky festivals, and some of the best are going down this weekend! Dip south to Riverside for the 37th annual Trek Fest or get some tasty sips at the History Museum […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Live music, silent disco, almost-beach volleyball, pro wrestling and much more planned for Iowa City’s Downtown Block Party
The chance to dance like everybody is watching, but nobody watching can hear your music returns on Saturday, as the Downtown Block Party’s Silent Disco takes over the stretch of Dubuque Street in front of Pullman Bar & Diner (17 S Dubuque St). The Silent Disco is just one of the familiar favorites returning to […]
