A record number of Iowans — nearly a quarter of the state’s population — have requested absentee ballots for the Nov. 3 election, according to the Secretary of State’s office. Secretary of State Paul Pate announced last Friday there had been 703,768 request forms submitted by voters across the state. The previous record of 693,000 […]
COVID-19
Posted inCommunity/News
Reynolds encourages Iowans to attend Trump rally in Des Moines amid surge in community spread of COVID-19
On the same day Iowa surpassed 100,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Gov. Kim Reynolds encouraged people to attend a rally being held by President Trump in Des Moines on Wednesday. “Protect Iowa’s future, and show your support for President Trump!” Reynolds tweeted from the account she uses for campaign-related items on Monday, just hours after […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Jordan Sellergren on balancing music, motherhood and magazines in a pandemic
Writing and recording music as a mother with a full-time job has been a balancing act for Jordan Sellergren, even before COVID-19 arrived in Iowa. “On a typical day, I would get the kids to school and head to the Little Village office first thing,” said Sellergren, art director at Little Village, of her pre-pandemic […]
Posted inCommunity/News
More than 100,000 Iowans have now tested positive for COVID-19
The number of Iowans who have tested positive for COVID-19 since it was first detected in the state on March 8 surpassed 100,000 over the weekend. At 10 a.m. Monday, the Iowa Department of Public Health was reporting 100,052 confirmed cases of the virus, an increase of 3,011 cases since 10 a.m. on Friday. Among […]
Posted inCommunity/News
New state program to help Iowans with past due utility bills due to COVID-19 losses
The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) launched a new program on Friday to help people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic pay past due utility bills. The Residential Utility Disruption Prevention Program “will provide eligible households with up to $2,000 towards electric, natural gas and water bills if they are at risk of disconnection due to […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Beatrice Thomas returns to Witching Hour to guide us through the apocalypse
Over the past five years, Witching Hour has become an innovator within festival cultures. While many festivals are stops on a circuit of touring bands that parade spectacles for passive participants, Witching Hour, like the Englert’s Mission Creek Festival, has created a different tonality, celebrating the arts as an expression of community. But its core […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Dear Kiki: COVID-19 has halted my sex life. Help!
Questions about love and sex in the Iowa City-Cedar Rapids area can be submitted to dearkiki@littlevillagemag.com, or anonymously using this form. Questions may be edited for clarity and length, and may appear either in print or online. Hi, My girlfriend and I are 60+ years old. We are both concerned about getting the COVID virus. […]
Posted inCommunity/News
White House Coronavirus Task Force points to Iowa’s ‘many preventable deaths’ in new report
The failure to control community spread of COVID-19 in Iowa has caused “many preventable deaths,” according to the latest report from the White House Coronavirus Task Force. The new report, delivered to the state on Sunday, was released to reporters on Thursday morning. “Iowa is in the red zone for cases, indicating 101 or more […]
Posted inLetters
Letter: Saying goodbye to Fired Up Iowa City
By Molly Burt-Westvig, Iowa City “The only constant is change” is a pretty dismal quote we’ve been hearing in our Zoom meetings and seeing in plenty of therapizing Facebook posts — but it’s also something my dad tells me pretty much every phone call lately. The original quote is attributed to Heraclitus, the first to […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Wineries and distilleries in Johnson County allowed to reopen, bars can reopen Monday
Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a new emergency health proclamation on Friday afternoon, allowing wineries, distilleries and breweries in Johnson County and Story County to reopen to the public and serve alcohol starting at 5 p.m. Friday evening. Bars in the two counties may reopen starting at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 5. Reynolds ordered bars […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Brix Cheese Shop & Wine Bar survives the pandemic with creativity and generosity
Communities tend to display their identity in the small businesses that line their streets. When you visit a new community, you likely won’t remember the drive-thru fast food cheeseburger you had in between meetings, but rather the local beer at the watering hole on the corner, or the first edition of your favorite novel at […]
Posted inCommunity/News
UI President Bruce Harreld announces his retirement
University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld announced on Thursday morning his intention to retire before his contract expires in June 2023. “I have commitments to family and other folks that I need to live up to while I still can,” Harreld, who was appointed president in 2015, told the Daily Iowan. “I’ll turn 70 later […]
