Local
-
Guest post: My name is mine, not the government’s
In the fall of 1972, I was a shy ninth-grader entering Mt. St. Ursula in the Bronx. My legal name was Mary Bernadette, but I always went by my middle name, Bernadette. The first day of classes, teachers had us standing in the front of their rooms until our names were called to be seated.…
-
Nontraditional Thanksgiving dinner ideas from Iowans
Turkey, mashed potatoes, some kind of casserole, stuffing, rolls, pumpkin pie: That’s the equation for a “traditional” Thanksgiving meal. But is it? Does it have to be? We asked the Iowa Starting Line audience—on Facebook and in the newsletter—how they break the traditional equation and bring some creativity and newness to their Thanksgiving tables. Here…
-
How to get help for—and support—transgender Iowans
Max Mowitz started the Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund in 2021 because they saw a need they knew they could fill. “I was connected with so many mutual aid organizations that were doing incredible work, especially after the protests of 2020,” they said. “And I really saw a profound need for this kind of care…
-
Trans Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20 time to grieve, gather, hope
Transgender Day of Remembrance, founded in 1999 and falling on every Nov. 20, has a straightforward goal of remembering and mourning the trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse people who have died because of anti-trans violence and hatred. Max Mowitz, program director for One Iowa, a statewide LGBTQ advocacy group, also sees it as an opportunity to…
-
Group to give away banned books in Sergeant Bluff, Sioux City this weekend
Annie’s Foundation, a nonprofit group started by Iowans to spread the word about book banning and give those books away, is hitting the road—and coming to Western Iowa for the first time.
-
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…
-
Reproductive health care in Iowa ‘not going anywhere’
While the abortion landscape across the country has changed dramatically since the overturn of Roe v Wade, Francine Thompson is confident abortion care isn’t going anywhere. “I’ve been here for 36 years, and there’s been a number of challenges—and a number of potential threats—to not being able to provide abortion over those years,” Thompson said.…
-
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…
-
As Iowa housing costs soar, Biden wants to turn empty offices into housing
In Sept. 2020, the median home sale price in Iowa was $188,500. As of Sept. 2023, that figure had risen to $229,600, a 21% increase, according to Redfin. Renters are also paying more in Iowa. They paid an average of $947.54 between January and March 2020. Now, they’re paying $1,085.55, a $138.01 increase.
-
Iowa is in its longest drought since the 1950s. Here’s why it’s ‘odd’
Iowa has seen some kind of drought conditions in the state for 174 weeks—just under three-and-a-half years—making this the longest drought Iowa has had since the 1950s. But Iowans haven’t seen widespread water restrictions or serious crop failures. So is there anything to worry about? “It depends on who you are and where you are,”…
