The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has about $9.6 million annually of state appropriated money to improve water quality and recreational opportunities at Iowa lakes. Most of these projects take […]
‘You’re My Waterloo’: How a very 1982 tourism song became a Cedar Valley sensation
In 1982, the inaugural My Waterloo Days Festival was held as a celebration of the beginning of the summer. Replete with a parade, laser light shows and hot air balloons, […]
Letter to the editor: Downtown Iowa City’s 500-foot rule for bars matters
By Karen Kubby, Iowa City Fifteen years ago, there were public health initiatives that launched the current era of downtown Iowa City. Downtown had an overabundance of bars. Our city […]
Iowa Democrats want early nominating spot back in 2028, survey shows
Iowa Democrats largely agree that they want to return to their historical spot as an early state in the 2028 Democratic presidential nominating cycle, according to survey results released by […]
Christmas mirth and murder, a Seyfried/Sweeney showdown and all the films you need to see in local theaters this month
Hey folks, welcome back to Little Big Screen: On the Big, Big Screen, where film columnist Benjamin McElroy recommends five screenings happening at Iowa’s independent movie theaters. Keep scrolling for […]
Worth a Rewatch: ‘The Idiot’ (1951) is a Kurosawa deep-cut from a Dostoevsky superfan — and an idiotic film studio
Akira Kurosawa seems keenly aware of the improbability of translating literature into film, especially in the case of Dostoevsky, who Kurosawa calls more psychological than visual. But Kurosawa wanted to make The Idiot.
The Black Rose will continue as an online bookstore after closing its West Branch location
The Black Rose, the West Branch bookstore and cocktail lounge that opened earlier this year, has closed its brick-and-mortar location, owner Ashley Kofoed announced on Sunday on social media. “This […]
Iowa City’s favorite bell disappeared after an incident involving a ‘madman,’ a mob and the Mormon Trail. Now, 177 years later, it’s back.
After 177 years, 1,200 miles, $35,000 and a 70-page report by historians from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a 782-pound church bell was returned to its original […]
LV at 25: How did Little Village get its name?
LV at 25 is an occasional series about the history of Little Village, as the magazine celebrates its 25th year in print. What’s in a name? In Little Village‘s case, […]
This Iowan is the voice of competitive marble racing
The number-one marble racing entity on the internet is Jelle’s Marble Runs. The Netherlands-based YouTube channel has 1.5 million subs, nearly 800 videos, dozens of “teams” and race “venues,” surprisingly elaborate lore, and a sheen of professional quality rivaling any ESPN sportscast. Part of that quality comes from the stellar commentary of Iowan Greg Woods.
Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret photographed presidents, everyday Iowans and her own son’s birth. But her legacy goes well beyond the lens
In 1951, Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret was fired from her job as a photojournalist at the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The reason: she was pregnant. She responded by photographing the birth to […]
Factory farms in Iowa generate 110 billion pounds of manure per year. No one tracks where it’s going.
More than a thousand hogs grow fat in the enclosed shed-like structures on Gene Tinker’s farm in northeast Iowa, while a few hundred cattle pace in open feedlots. His farm […]

