Sometimes the most memorable trips happen when you seek out unexpected, under-the-radar spots that you never would’ve known about without some prior research.
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How Many of These 50 Classics Have You Read?
Certain books deserve a first, second, or maybe even a third read. Using data from Goodreads released in January 2023, Stacker compiled a list of 50 timeless books, plays, and epic poems commonly found on high school reading lists.
Iowa Worker Advocates On the Laws They Hope Pass (And Don’t Pass) in 2023
As Iowa lawmakers kick off the 2023 session today, advocates for Iowa's working people worry majority Republicans will continue to pass more legislation that will hurt working families. "I just hope there aren't any more economic attacks," said Felicia Hilton,...
4 Budget-Friendly Fall Weekend Staycations in Iowa
The holiday shopping and travel season are coming, so spending a huge amount on a fall getaway isn’t exactly ideal. Fortunately, you don’t have to miss retreating into the crisp autumn air, enjoying the harvest season, and watching the leaves changing color on the...
9 Must-Visit Destinations In Iowa You Can Get Into For Free
Coastal folks sometimes refer to Iowa as a flyover state. To live in or have visited Iowa is to know all the exciting, beautiful, and fun destinations across the Hawkeye State. What’s more is that many of the activities and must-visit destinations in Iowa are free....
A Day On The River With Iowa’s Waterway Clean-Up Crew
Every year, volunteers from across the state and beyond work together to pull, drag, dig and carry trash out of an Iowa river chosen by the leaders of Iowa Project AWARE (A Watershed Awareness River Expedition). And this year, I joined them for a day on the West Fork...
What’s Happening With The Vinton Public Library
Residents of a small Iowa town criticized their library's LGBTQ staff and their displaying of LGBTQ-related books until most of the staff quit. Now, the town's library is closed for the foreseeable future. After having the same library director for 32 years, the...
Amie Takes A Hike: Palisades-Kepler Is A Challenging, Stunning Hike
I've probably never done so many stairs on a single hiking trail before. My calves and the pads of my feet are sore. My dog has never slept so well in his life. But MAN, that VIEW! Palisades-Kepler State Park in Mount Vernon may be an 840-acre M.C. Escher painting....
Amie Takes A Hike: Beeds Lake Offers A Dam Good View
They had me at "one of the most photographed dams in the Midwest" (obviously!). Beeds Lake State Park in Hampton is among the smaller state parks in Iowa. It contains precisely one, 1.79-mile "easy" trail, as rated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR.)...
Ames Church Shooter Had History Of Violence Against Women Accusations
The man who killed two women before turning the gun on himself outside of an Ames church had previously been accused of domestic violence and sexual abuse, and had once been ordered to complete an anger management course, but was still able to legally own and carry...
Ames Update: Ex-Boyfriend, Just Charged With Harassment, Targeted And Killed Ex-Girlfriend, Friend
An ex-boyfriend shot and killed his ex-girlfriend and her friend in the parking lot of Cornerstone Church in Ames Thursday night. Just days earlier, the man had been charged with harassment in relation to their recent breakup and faced an initial hearing on the matter...
Iowa History In Photos: The Civilian Conservation Corps
Iowa Starting Line will be sharing historical photos of our state and our communities every morning on our Facebook page. Sometimes they'll just be one-off interesting photos we find in archives, sometimes they'll be a series on a specific topic. When we do a series,...
5 Iowa Fall Color Road Trips To Take This Season
We’ve compiled five road trips, guided by Iowa’s scenic byways and reaching all corners of the state, perfect for packing up friends or the family for a tranquil weekend drive—and some tasty stops along the way.
Iowa Should Look At Another ‘Vision Iowa’ Initiative
There was a milestone of note recently, and it is a shame there was not a big public celebration. Twenty years ago, Gov. Tom Vilsack and the Iowa Legislature had the foresight to create a program that has brought important changes to communities large and small across...
Iowa Should Look At Another ‘Vision Iowa’ Initiative
There was a milestone of note recently, and it is a shame there was not a big public celebration. Twenty years ago, Gov. Tom Vilsack and the Iowa Legislature had the foresight to create a program that has brought important changes to communities large and small across...
It’s Even Worse Than You Think In Cedar Rapids
Everyone in town warned those who hadn't seen it yet that the level of destruction in Cedar Rapids was "unimaginable." That was somehow understating it. Volunteers and relief groups poured into Iowa's second-largest city this weekend to assist with cleanup and...
No Easy Answers In Des Moines Schools Stadium Controversy
Schools districts struggle in making consequential decisions about returning to learn this fall amid the pandemic. Education is the cornerstone of the state’s future and the economy, yet there is another issue brewing for the Des Moines school district that is causing...
No Easy Answers In Des Moines Schools Stadium Controversy
Schools districts struggle in making consequential decisions about returning to learn this fall amid the pandemic. Education is the cornerstone of the state’s future and the economy, yet there is another issue brewing for the Des Moines school district that is causing...
No Easy Answers In Des Moines Schools Stadium Controversy
Schools districts struggle in making consequential decisions about returning to learn this fall amid the pandemic. Education is the cornerstone of the state’s future and the economy, yet there is another issue brewing for the Des Moines school district that is causing...
Prominent Iowa Pastor Downplays Virus, Wants Church Reopened
A well-known conservative pastor with a large following in Iowa has spent the past weeks railing at Gov. Kim Reynolds' order to halt large gatherings at places of worship, while making frequent Facebook posts questioning the severity of the pandemic. Pastor Cary...
More Late-Deciding Activists Move Warren’s Way
As the presidential candidates battle for that all-important momentum in the final eight-day stretch before the Iowa Caucus, Elizabeth Warren will have at least 40 more Iowa activists helping her persuade their neighbors. Coming off the major endorsement of the Des...
What This Law Student Saw In Steve Bullock During An Internship
Guest op-ed from Josh Smith, a law student at the University of North Carolina School of Law. I drove over 2,000 miles to work for Montana Gov. Steve Bullock in the summer of 2018. And more significant than that, in Montana’s 129 years of statehood, I am likely the...
The World Is Ablaze With Climate Warnings
Worldwide climate reporting is literally heating up with frightening news. Global temperatures continue to spike as July was the hottest month ever recorded since records began in 1880. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that the...
Trauma Surgeons Among Those Calling For Assault Weapons Ban
Any discussion about restricting the sale or possession of assault rifles must include input from trauma surgeons working to repair the monstrous wounds these military weapons create. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump have promised a...
Which Republicans Top Iowa’s Extreme 16 Contest?
Progress Iowa released their ranking of Iowa Republicans' Extreme 16 contest for the year, highlighting which elected officials have had the worst impact on Iowans. Following the Progress Iowa press release, Representative Bobby Kaufmann (R-Wilton) responded to his...
Iowa Students Joining Nationwide Gun Safety Movement
Today, April 20, Iowa students will stage walkouts and demonstrations against gun violence at schools across Iowa. The event is organized by the group Students United Against Gun Violence Walkout. The group has events planned nationwide at over 2,000 schools. In...
Remember, Our Ancestors Were Immigrants, Too
An important anniversary slipped by unnoticed recently. That milestone is a significant reminder beyond just the passage of time, however. Before I get to that, here’s some background: On February 17, 1843 --- 175 years ago this winter --- Davis County was carved out...
John Norris Lays Out Vision For Iowa In Campaign Kick-Off
At a hot and sun-drenched campaign picnic in Urbandale at Living History Farms, John Norris drew a sizable crowd to his gubernatorial kick-off tour. With about 200 people in attendance, Norris' event was the largest yet of the Democratic Terrace Hill hopefuls, as well...
That Was The Weirdest Thing I’ve Seen In Iowa Politics
I've watched as Donald Trump buzzed his helicopter directly over Hillary Clinton at the Iowa State Fair, then come back for a second pass. I've attended a Ben Carson event that turned a downtown bridge into a lavishly expensive family fun concert complete with Disney...
A Day On The Trail With Patty Judge
Patty Judge was running a few minutes behind when she got her travel schedule last Thursday, full of meetings and event drop-bys in northern Iowa. She gathered with her campaign staff in her East Village office housed out of Jeff Link’s consulting firm. “I need a fast...