On Thursday, the Iowa House approved a bill that prohibits local governments from having any civil rights ordinances that provide greater protections for rights than state law does. Eliminating the power of local governments to protect the rights of transgender and nonbinary people is one of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ stated priorities for her final legislative session as governor.
Ames
Posted inCommunity/News
Ames City Council votes to protect rights of trans residents — one day after legislators advance bill to ban such ordinances
This week, after Republicans on an Iowa House subcommittee advanced a bill to eliminate the power of local governments to offer broader civil rights protections than the state does, Ames became the latest city in the state to amend its municipal code to protect the rights of transgender and nonbinary residents. HSB 664 was drafted […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Excellent tacos from a ‘bad’ place, 30-inch pizzas and other food to wolf down in Ames and Des Moines
For the 2025 Bread & Butter dining guide, Little Village food reviewers visited and reviewed 10 locally owned central Iowa eateries. DES MOINES Clyde’s Fine Diner 111 E Grand Ave Suite 111, Des Moines, 515-243-3686 Clyde’s is one of my staples and legitimately one of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to. Truly putting the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘It was necessary to become activists’: LGBTQ-affirming Iowa religious groups find church in quiet rooms, loud rallies
Sunday services of the Ames Friends Meeting are held at their meetinghouse on S Maple Avenue, marked by a sign in the front yard declaring “All are welcome.” I visited on a sunny spring morning. Beams of sunlight seemed to make the houseplants against the walls glow. Occasional birdsong seeped through a barely open window. […]
Posted inRecreation
Bumper Crops: Ames is for pinball lovers
Valentine’s Day is here, and when I think of Valentine’s Day, I think of love. When I think of love, I think of pinball. The two aren’t that different, really. Both require good timing and the right amount of physical interaction: play too gently and your chances of scoring go down; play too hard and […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
‘Visibility is education’: Pride Corner becomes part of Des Moines’ East Village
Pride Corner was unveiled in Des Moines’ East Village on Tuesday. All four corners of the intersection of East Grand Avenue and East Fifth Street are painted with curving images of the Progress Pride flag to celebrate the history and the presence of the city’s LGBTQ community. “We hope people will enjoy the beautiful art […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Essay: A Floridian encounters beauty, love, bad weather and discomforting deja vu in Iowa
I knew nothing about Iowa before I knew it was taking my partner away from me. The original plan was to break up at the end of the summer, before college; four years later, we’ve somehow made the long distance work. The first time I visited Billy in Iowa was fall 2019. Since then, I’ve […]
Posted inRecreation
From sled hockey to RAGBRAI, Adaptive Sports Iowa wants to give all athletes a team
Wheelchair tennis is kind of like traditional tennis, but with wheelchairs. That sounds obvious, but the two sports are remarkably similar. The only adaptation is wheelchair players get two bounces instead of one. “Maneuvering your chair around and taking the figure eights and stuff on the court is really what I’ve learned, how to hit […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: Morning Bell Coffee Roasters, Iowa’s only worker-owned cafe, keeps Ames fresh and focused
“Take your time, let me know if I can help with some recommendations.” The barista with the circle-rimmed glasses and well-trimmed mustache who greets me at Morning Bell Coffee Roasters (111 Main St Suite 101, Ames) seems to clock my coffee novice immediately. Still, they’re patient and accommodating, which I appreciate more than they’ll ever […]
Posted inCommunity/News
RAGBRAI announces route for 50th anniversary ride this summer
Fifty years ago, the first RAGBRAI crossed the state from west to east, starting in Sioux City and finishing in Davenport. RAGBRAI’s golden anniversary route will begin and end in those same cities, organizers announced on Saturday night. The overnight towns for the weeklong ride from the Missouri to the Mississippi will be: • Sioux […]
Posted inCommunity/News
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 inArts & Entertainment
Five questions with Luke Pettipoole of the Envy Corps
Des Moines music fans know the Envy Corps as an alt-pop band from Ames that has over time become a festival staple. This summer is no exception. In the recent lineup announcement, 80/35 festival revealed that the Envy Corps will take the stage there for the fifth time. I talked with the founder of the […]
