It’s Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024.
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Put down that snow shovel and come get your good news!
This week:
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- Cyclone wrestlers find missing baby 👶
- No more library fines in Des Moines 📚
- Meeting Grandma for the first time 👵
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Mother Nature thought it’d be funny to dump snow on us as the Iowa Legislature kicked off this week—and I hear she’ll be bringing us sub-zero temperatures by the time of Monday’s Iowa Caucus, too.
But even though winter may officially have taken up residence again, you can still get your dose of warm fuzzies right here!
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1. Athletes find missing baby 🕵️♂️
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After easily defeating two other wrestling teams on a road trip to Walnut, California, on Sunday, Iowa State wrestlers were enjoying some victory pizza in the lobby of their hotel when coach Kevin Dresser asked a passerby if they wanted a slice.
That passerby said no—he was frantically trying to locate his 1-year-old son, Marley, who didn’t get off the elevator with his dad and two other siblings.
The entire team jumped into action, searching the hotel grounds for 20 minutes until ISU senior Julien Broderson found Marley (pictured), huddled in a corner of the hotel’s parking garage, crying.
The feel-good story has been naturally taking off on social media.
💬 “Before Marley wandered off, he seemed so fascinated by the big guys sitting in the lobby and I think it was really comforting to him when one of them found him … All those guys were so helpful, and I could tell they really cared.”
~Marley’s dad, Matt Harley
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2. Des Moines goes fine-free 💸
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As a kid, I remember Mom making sure we rounded up every library book (along with the VHS of “Milo and Otis” I checked out all the time) so we wouldn’t get the dreaded overdue fine at Musser Public in Muscatine.
Musser got rid of their fines for good last year, joining other libraries across Iowa and the country. Now, Iowa’s largest public library system is joining them.
Des Moines Public Library announced last month it would be dropping late fines on books, CDs, and DVDs, and retroactively getting rid of past late fines on all accounts, starting next Tuesday. (Find their full policy here.)
It comes after the American Library Association pointed out in 2019 that late fines tend to hit low-income library patrons the hardest.
💬 “We want those who have not been able to use us due to late fines to come back to the library.”
~Des Moines Public Library Director Susan A. Woody
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3. Meeting the grandchildren ✈️
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Lucía García of Oaxaca, Mexico, hadn’t seen two of her sons, Juan Antonio and Salomón—who had immigrated to Des Moines—in two decades. Worse, she hadn’t met most of their children—her 17 grandchildren—nor her three great-grandchildren.
That was before Juan Antonio came across Raíces del Sur (Southern Roots), a group that helps US-based families secure tourist visas so their aging parents can visit from Mexico.
Last year, the family was accepted into the program, and Lucía was finally able to fly to Des Moines for a big, tearful reunion.
💬 “We’re so thankful for Raíces del Sur. Without them, my mother wouldn’t be here with us today.”
~Juan Antonio Garcia
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End with something cute 🌸
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This is Buddha. He wanted us—in these deep, dark wintry times—to remember that it was once warm and blooming and it will be again!
(Photo submitted by Tricia S.)
Send me your pet’s photo here!
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