by Guest Post | 10 11, 2023 | COMMUNITY, LOCAL BUSINESS
By Katie Mills Giorgio, Starting Line contributor Spooky season is officially here, and if you’re the type of Iowan who likes a good scare, we’ve got you covered. This list of 13 haunted houses around the state of Iowa is sure to freak you out. Located throughout the...
by Sam Cohen | 10 06, 2023 | COMMUNITY, THINGS TO DO
We asked our colleagues across Courier Newsroom, Iowa Starting Line’s parent company, to share recommendations for books by Indigenous authors. Here’s what they said. Monday, October 9, is Indigenous Peoples’ Day—a holiday to honor, celebrate, and recognize the...
by Amie Rivers | 10 05, 2023 | COMMUNITY, LOCAL CULTURE and IDENTITY
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. The three most popular banned books...
by Amie Rivers | 10 03, 2023 | COMMUNITY, THINGS TO DO
Iowa Republicans have been busy making sure schools only stock certain books—namely ones lawmakers (average age: 55) deem appropriate for teens these days. Iowa teens, meanwhile, have been fighting those efforts however they can (and they’ve been joined by...
by Sam Cohen | 09 28, 2023 | COMMUNITY
One of the things I love about my job is that I often get to cover the topics I’m most interested in. During a meeting with Kimberly Lawson, VP of Community Content here at Courier, I mentioned that I planned to ask our colleagues if they had any recommendations for...
by Nikoel Hytrek | 09 28, 2023 | COMMUNITY, LOCAL BUSINESS
    The nights are getting longer, and the days chillier, and there’s never a better time to get lost in a new book (except maybe the dead of winter). If you’ve exhausted the library shelves and you’re tired of giving your money to big corporations,...
by Nikoel Hytrek | 09 12, 2023 | COMMUNITY, LOCAL CULTURE and IDENTITY, THINGS TO DO
Two new events are coming this month to Sioux City to build a space for and connect the different cultures, backgrounds, and people who have made the city home over the years. Sounds of West 7th The first one is Sounds of West 7th, a free music festival, from 11...
by Amie Rivers | 08 08, 2023 | COMMUNITY, FOOD and DRINK, Uncategorized
Don’t bite into this one expecting it to taste anything like a regular Twinkie. The Iowa Twinkie, one of the Iowa State Fair’s 64 new foods to try in 2023, is a bit hotter than the Hostess snack. It borrows part of its name and recipe from the Texas...
by Katie Giorgio | 08 03, 2023 | COMMUNITY, THINGS TO DO
Iowa is filled with beautiful stones, artifacts, fossils, and gems. Given the drought-like conditions that have lowered water levels at lakes, rivers, and creeks across the state, this year is particularly exciting for rock hunting. Read on for a list of common rocks...
Welcome to the brand new Iowa political news site, Iowa … Read more
On an unseasonably warm Saturday that felt like a spring … Read more
Is the GOP Grooming Joni Ernst for the VP Nomination? … Read more
The midterms before the Iowa Caucus provide an excellent opportunity … Read more
Throughout the caucus season, Iowa Starting Line will check in … Read more
Starting Line will offer a series of Iowa Travel Guides … Read more
Governor Terry Branstad and others described a new pro-ethanol campaign … Read more
Republican leaders and consultants were probably letting out sighs of … Read more