Amie Rivers

Amie Rivers

Amie Rivers

Amie Rivers is Iowa Starting Line’s newsletter editor. She writes the weekly Worker’s Almanac edition of Iowa Starting Line, featuring a roundup of the worker news you need to know. Previously, she was an award-winning journalist at the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier; now, she very much enjoys making TikToks and memes and getting pet photos in her inbox.

Have a story tip? Reach Amie at amie@new.iowastartingline.com. For local reporting in Iowa that connects the dots, from policy to people, sign up for Amie’s newsletter.

Latest from Amie Rivers

  • Local

    From Queersgiving to Friendsgiving, 8 free Thanksgiving meals around Iowa

    Thanksgiving is traditionally a time for a meal at home with family. But if you want to break bread with your community, plenty of places in Iowa offer that, too. So if you’re looking for a free community meal, courtesy of the kindness of your fellow Iowans, here are eight around Iowa coming up. A…

  • Politics

    Cedar Rapids $220M school bond fails, 3 school board members hold on

    Though the largest school bond in state history failed, three out of four sitting Cedar Rapids school board members kept their seats, with only the District 4 seat changing hands. Seven board members serve staggered four-year terms. Four of those (two at-large as well as the District 1 and District 4 seats) were open this…

  • Politics

    In Waukee, progressive candidates win the day

    Two incumbents and a progressive candidate endorsed by both the teachers’ union and One Iowa were voted onto the Waukee school board Tuesday. Three school board seats were open this year. Current board president Wendy Marsh took the most votes, with an even (unofficial) 5,600, or 23.4%. Incumbent board member Michael Trettin garnered the next-highest…

  • Politics

    Progressives sweep in Urbandale School Board race

    Progressives endorsed by the teachers union swept the Urbandale school board race, though the lone incumbent just squeaked back into her seat. Six candidates were running for four open seats, all at-large. Katherine Howsare, who has been on the school board for eight years—or two four-year terms—was the only incumbent school board member running. She…

  • Local

    8 Diwali celebrations across Iowa to check out this month

    Diwali, known as the festival of lights, is a huge celebration in India and among Indian folks around the world. That includes Iowans of Indian descent, who bring some light into our dark fall nights with celebrations across the state this month. What is Diwali? Briefly, the holiday is a celebration of the legends of…

  • Local

    Iowa City mobile home residents protest skyrocketing rent

    When Judy McKillip and her husband neared retirement 24 years ago, they bought a mobile home in Iowa City’s Modern Manor and found a close-knit community. “It was good to stay among friends,” McKillip said. “We played cards together, we bowled together. It was a good group of us all together.” She said Modern Manor’s owners…

  • Local

    It’s Banned Books Week. Iowans told us their forbidden faves

    In honor of National Banned Books Week, which takes on even more importance this year in Iowa, we asked you for your favorite banned books. Starting Line readers put 48+ books on this list. But a few rose to the top of the pile.

  • Local

    Iowa native celebrates new deal after 5-month writers’ strike

    After 148 days on strike, Hollywood writers—including Iowa native Romen Borsellino—reached a tentative agreement with the major studios last week that Borsellino told Starting Line was “an incredible deal” for Writers Guild of America members.

  • Local

    How to celebrate Banned Books Week in Des Moines, Iowa City

    Banned Books Week seems especially relevant in Iowa this year. Here are a couple events to help you celebrate this week, both free and open to all: