It’s Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023.

Hey folks, it’s Amie. Welcome to the Thanksgiving edition of your weekly good news from Iowa!

This week:

• An Indigenous tribe is a step closer to getting a bit of Western Iowa land returned to them,
• A Southeast Iowa teen has been donating thousands of pounds of produce she grows in her garden to local nonprofits,
• A Central Iowa man is getting ready to give away $40,000 worth of gas,
• and more!

A good read while you’re digesting!

Thanksgiving is a great time to eat, of course (and try out a new recipe on unsuspecting dinner companions), but it’s also a great excuse to start a gratitude practice (otherwise known as “what you’re thankful for”).

For me, that’s family, good friends, good health, being able to follow my passions like writing, and—when we can get it this time of year—good weather before winter sets in. Reading about all the good that Iowans are doing also seems to help keep my spirits up!

Tell me what you’re thankful for, or what good news is happening in your corner of Iowa that everyone should know about. And happy Thanksgiving.

1. Winnebago Tribe Getting Some #LandBack

This Jan. 30, 2009 photo shows statues depicting the various clans within the Winnebago tribe, overlooking a housing development north of Winnebago, Neb., which was built on land purchased by the tribe. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska wasn’t always in Nebraska. According to tribal officials, their ancestral lands are in Wisconsin and Illinois, and they were moved around in the 1800s to Northeast Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota before signing an 1865 treaty with the federal government for a reservation in northeastern Nebraska west of the Missouri River. But even then, some of that land was later illegally taken from them.

The Missouri, as Western Iowans know, has meandered over the decades, and some of the tribe’s land ended up in Iowa as a result. But the Army Corps of Engineers took a section of that land through eminent domain in 1970 for a park that was never constructed.

More than 50 years later, that remaining 1600 acres of improperly seized Winnebago land in Iowa is one step closer to being returned to the tribe, thanks to a bipartisan effort in Congress (and co-sponsored by both Iowa senators and all four Iowa members of Congress).

💬 “We have been waiting for this wrong to be made right, and we are grateful for the leadership demonstrated by our congressional delegation. We look forward to the passage of this important legislation.“

~Winnebago Tribal Chairwoman Victoria Kitcheyan

2. Plenty for the Feast 🍅

Lauren Schroeder of Dixon was 14 when she noticed—as she helped pack food boxes for hungry neighbors—that there wasn’t much fresh produce for them to choose from. She decided she wanted to change that.

So she convinced her parents—and the National FFA Organization, which gave her a grant to get her started—to let her plant a half-acre garden in 2022. She filled it with 15 kinds of vegetables, spent 2-3 hours a day weeding and watering by hand, and harvested enough to send to eight different nonprofits in the area.

This year, as a junior at Calamus-Wheatland High School, Schroeder got a second grant and doubled the size of her garden, adding a fence and even more varieties of veggies. In two years, she’s donated 7,000 pounds of vegetables to area organizations, worth more than $15,000. Her goal is to donate 20,000 pounds by the time she graduates in 2025.

💬 “Many people help you out, but it makes more difference when you help other people out. That’s what makes me most happy.”

~Lauren Schroeder

For the past two years, the Rev. Rob Johnson has celebrated his birthday in January by raising money to give away tens of thousands of dollars of gasoline to more than 500 folks in Des Moines.

This month, Johnson announced his birthday gas giveaway would be back again Jan. 21, 2024, and he hopes to raise $40,000 this year to double his impact.

Companies and organizations who would like to sponsor the Rob Johnson Gas Giveaway can click here, and those who would like to personally donate can click here or text RJGAS to 44321.

💬 “In these challenging times, many of our neighbors struggle to afford the basic necessity of gas, hindering their ability to access essential services, employment opportunities, medical care, childcare, educational resources, groceries and much more … Together, we can drive towards a brighter future.”

~Rev. Rob Johnson

Hunter Schmitt and his wife love eating at Tin Roost in North Liberty, but Hunter *really* loved the restaurant’s unique burrito. To his disappointment, Tin Roost removed it from their menu last year. But the chef kept the ingredients around, and Hunter reported he was still able to order it off-menu by asking for “The Hunter Special.”

Even that had to end,  however, and the restaurant called in Hunter for one last burrito last week. But restaurant staff sent The Hunter Special out in style—not only giving the couple the burrito, but the recipe to make it themselves, a burrito blanket, a burrito swaddle for the couple’s baby, some Buffalo sauce, *and* a bottle of bourbon (because why not).

Hunter was so touched he posted the whole story on Twitter.

💬 “To the staff at Tin Roost: You are more than a restaurant. You are our friends. You are family … You are amazing, and I will always recommend the Roost to anyone looking for a good place to eat.”

~Hunter Schmitt

Iowa can now claim another Guinness World Record.

Aaron Bartholomey of Colfax began collecting pencils in the first grade, when his grandfather took him to a flea market. When he heard the world record was only around 24,000 pencils, he knew he could beat it.

His collection of 69,255 pencils—shattering the previous record—was officially counted in July, and certified last month by Guinness.

💬 “It’s pretty unbelievable to know I hold that title and officially have the largest collection in the world!”

~Aaron Bartholomey

This is Fred. He is not, in fact, a fluffball with eyes. But he does like to keep watch over his humans while they work.

(Photo submitted by my coworker, Nikoel H.)

Send me your pet’s photo here!

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