Catch up on the biggest headlines, videos and photos published by Little Village in the past week.
Basketball Divorce Court making slam dunks all across town
Published Sunday, July 21
Basketball Divorce Court starts their show with an excellent buildup. The guitars and the drums meet, sounding spontaneously flawless with long notes that shift in and out of harmonies.
The opening song, their traditional show starter, has no standard lyrics, but it still speaks with words. The audience gets the chance to hear what it sounds like for a woman to scream, and their July 7 show at the Yacht Club was the first time I had a chance to see people gather to hear it. Continue reading…
Janice Weiner is running for the Iowa City Council
Published Monday, July 22
On Monday, retired diplomat Janice Weiner announced she is running for an at-large seat on the Iowa City Council.
“I’m running because public service matters,” Weiner said in an announcement video on Facebook.
Weiner grew up in the Iowa City area and attended Iowa City West High School, before going on to Princeton University and Stanford Law School. After 26 years in the U.S. foreign service, including diplomatic postings in Canada, Mexico, Turkey, Germany and Poland, Weiner returned to Iowa City, where she is currently raising her granddaughter, Alaska. Continue reading…
Mental health care providers in flood-stricken rural areas are short-handed, but expecting more demand (IowaWatch)
Published Tuesday, July 23
Iowa does not have enough psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists or other mental health care providers to handle an increasing need to care for farmers dealing with relentless flooding this year, several mental health experts IowaWatch interviewed warned.
Many health care specialists don’t want to work in small, rural areas for reasons ranging from a lack of local resources to seeing few options for personal growth that comes from cultural events or entertainment, the interviews revealed. Continue reading…
Gov. Reynolds says the public doesn’t have a right to know why she forced DHS director to resign
Published Tuesday, July 23
Former Department of Human Services Director Jerry Foxhoven said last week he was forced resign after he refused a request from Gov. Kim Reynolds’ staff “to do something I thought was illegal.” Foxhoven has not explained what that request was, and in an interview aired on Monday, Reynolds told KCRG she doesn’t think the public has the right to know why she forced Foxhoven out. Continue reading…
Report: Gannett, owner of the Press-Citizen and Des Moines Register, will be bought by rival GateHouse
Published Tuesday, July 23
According to multiple reports, GateHouse Media is preparing to buy Gannett, the media company that owns the Press-Citizen and the Des Moines Register.
GateHouse is the largest owner of daily newspapers in the country with 156 dailies, mostly in small markets. It also owns 328 weeklies. Gannett, which owns 109 daily papers across the country, has the largest circulation of any American newspaper chain. Between them, the two companies publish one out of every six daily newspapers in the country, with a combined daily print circulation of approximately 8.7 million. Continue reading…
Rummage in the Ramp returns for 13th year
Published Wednesday, July 24
The 13th annual Rummage in the Ramp will be held on the second level of Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp July 25 through Aug. 3. Donors can drop items — including furniture, decor, books, clothing, kitchenware and electronics — at the ramp, or request large items be picked up within Iowa City limits for $16. The donated items are then sold for low fees, the vast majority under $20. Cash and credit are accepted. Continue reading…
Cedar Rapids man charged with making threats of violence against a Jewish organization
Published Thursday, July 25
A 31-year-old Cedar Rapids resident has been charged with making violent threats against a Manhattan-based Jewish organization, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Tuesday.
Garrett Kelsey called and emailed an organization only identified as the “Victim Organization” by the U.S. Attorney, and made threats that were laced with obscene and anti-Semitic language. He demanded the organization remove an online video about Nordic neo-Nazis. Continue reading…
Jerry Foxhoven says he was forced to resign because he wouldn’t approve using DHS funds to pay a Reynolds staffer
Published Thursday, July 25
Former Department of Human Services Director Jerry Foxhoven believes his objection to using DHS funds to pay the salary of a member of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ staff is what led to his forced resignation, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.
Foxhoven told Pitchfork magazine last week, “[Reynolds’] staff asked me to do something that I thought was illegal and I wouldn’t do it and so they said, ‘O.K., well then you need to go.” Continue reading…
Goldfinch Tap + Eatery set to open in Marion
Published Friday, July 26
Goldfinch Tap + Eatery, the second restaurant owned by 32-year-old real estate agent Josh Immerfall, is expected to open in uptown Marion in late August or early September.
A Marion native and Iowa City resident, Immerfall is the owner of Donnelly’s Pub in downtown Iowa City. Immerfall said he transitioned from specific sales roles to the food industry because of his passion for hospitality, bars and restaurants. Continue reading…
Current issue: Little Village issue 267
