Note: The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation created a disaster fund for derecho recovery. If you can, please donate at: www.gcrcf.org CEDAR RAPIDS — A small crowd of both Trump supporters and protesters never saw a glimpse of him Aug. 18 at the Eastern Iowa Airport. Air Force One touched down at the airport about […]
Iowa’s slow road to recovery after derec
UPDATED 6:45 p.m. Aug. 17 and Aug. 19, 2020, with National Weather Service information and Aug. 17, with a statement from congresswoman Abby Finkenauer regarding Trump’s failure to approve federal disaster declaration for individual assistance. Iowans still waiting for assistance a full week after a devastating derecho tore through the state can’t be blamed for […]
Force of Nature: photos from Iowa’s dere
(NOTE: Story/photos will be updated as electricity/Internet become available) UPDATED: 6:30 p.m. Aug. 14, with more photos; comments from Stacey Walker Dutch elm disease and invasive pests such as emerald ash borer change landscapes over time, but the Aug. 10, 2020, derecho windstorm that swept through Iowa with hurricane-force winds dramatically altered many parts of […]
Facebook called me an impersonator; here...
UPDATE: July 9, 2021 — One year after Facebook “unpublished” Homegrown on Facebook, still no answer as to why and no reply from them. Original Post: One month ago, on July 9, 2020, I found that my Homegrown Facebook page had been “unpublished.” No reason was given and there was no recourse. I thought it […]
Mistaken identity in Iowa: Cicada killer...
Donald Lewis, entomology professor at Iowa State University, reported this week that the department has been busy responding to reports of large wasps in Iowa, after extensive publicity about Asian giant hornets, also known as “murder hornets,” in Washington state. “As expected, and after abundant publicity about Asian giant hornets in the Pacific Northwest earlier […]
Naked Ladies: a flower out of sync?
Among the most reliable perennials in the Midwest are surprise lilies, also known as Naked Ladies and a host of other names. But, 2020 — a year full of unwelcome surprises — seems to have spawned another twist. Typically, the flowers are like clockwork. See them in one yard across town and you can be […]
“This is not the end” neighbors vow afte
CEDAR RAPIDS — Homeowners near a prairie where Cargill wants to build an industrial railyard are considering their options after a judge ruled against them. “We are extremely disappointed with Cargill’s plans to ruin this prairie to the public’s detriment and the property damage that it will inflict on surrounding neighborhoods,” Jeremiah Kenny, president of […]
One last hurrah? Fate of Iowa prairie po...
CEDAR RAPIDS — Acres of prairie transform in summer to a sea of lavender and gold in southeast Cedar Rapids. Years in the making, the Prairie Pollinator Zone, at Stewart Road and Otis Avenue SE, provides a tranquil sanctuary in the city for butterflies, bees and other pollinators that dance flower-to-flower, with milkweed — the […]
“Special place for veterans” to open in
UPDATE Nov. 11, 2020: The Foxhole “Charlie” Bar & Grill is expected to open later in November after the roof was damaged during the Aug. 10 derecho windstorm. None of the artifacts in the exhibition hall sustained damage. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The legacy of a Vietnam War veteran who was an avid collector of […]
Preservationists pore through the past w...
Scores of musicians, presidential hopefuls, writers and other luminaries have passed through the doors of The Mill in Iowa City during its storied history. Now, advocates hope that legendary past will serve as a lifeline to help carry the restaurant and live music venue into the future. “I love The Mill and I really love […]