After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Meskwaki Powwow made its return to the settlement in Tama County, Iowa. The 106th annual event — the only powwow of its kind in Iowa — took place from Aug. 11-14, 2022. “The Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, also known at the […]
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Tag: Iowa
“Your buddy, Mike” Letters returned to I
By Cindy Hadish/Homegrown Iowan Monica Morley and her sister, Maria Hamilton, never met their uncle, who was killed in World War II before they were born, but a remarkable coincidence led the Cedar Rapids women to a close friend who had lived near their uncle and corresponded with him during the war. Mike Bisek, 99, […]
Driver charged after protesters hit in C...
A driver who police say struck pedestrians who were peacefully protesting in downtown Cedar Rapids has been charged with two criminal offenses. According to a press release, David Alan Huston, 53, was charged with assault by use or display of a dangerous weapon (vehicle) and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident. Related: Cedar […]
Magic lilies make synchronized appearanc...
As perennial flowers start their fall blooms of yellow and orange, one reliable plant blooms pretty in pink. Magic lilies, also known as surprise lilies or naked ladies, tend to bloom in Iowa in late summer in a synchronized manner. If you see them popping up in one part of town, you’ll see them in […]
At age 99, World War II veteran in Iowa ...
UPDATE Nov. 10, 2023: Mike Bisek turned 100 earlier this year, but still has not received the Purple Heart for which his friends have advocated. By Cindy Hadish/Homegrown Iowan It was 1944. U.S. Army Air Corps photographer/gunner Mike Bisek and fellow crewmates bailed out over Nazi-occupied France after their B-24 bomber was hit by enemy […]
Iowa to reopen beach after deadly amoeba...
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will reopen the beach at Lake of Three Fires on Thursday, July 28, 2022, after officials confirmed the presence of Naegleria fowleri, an amoeba that caused a brain infection that killed a Missouri resident who swam in the lake earlier this month. Related: Missouri resident dies after infection with […]
Bridge of Lions ribbon-cutting celebrate...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Fourteen years after unprecedented flooding forever changed the historic Czech Village and New Bohemia neighborhoods, a new flood protection system was celebrated in Cedar Rapids. A ribbon-cutting Friday, July 22, 2022, on the 16th Avenue Bridge of Lions marked the completion of the $12 million roller gate system that can be […]
Missouri resident dies after infection w...
A Missouri resident undergoing treatment for the brain-eating amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri — likely contracted at an Iowa lake — has died. The Iowa Department of Public Health did not respond to a request about the case, but the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services confirmed the patient had died. “Unfortunately, the patient […]
Identifying the blue flower along Iowa r...
As Iowans take to the road for the summer holidays, they might wonder about the light-blue flowers growing alongside back roads and rural highways. Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is not native to North America, but has become ubiquitous in Iowa, and many others, as well. According to Polk County Conservation, chicory was introduced to North America […]
Photos: A Midsummer Garden Art Fair
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A picture-perfect evening accompanied music, dancing and readings during a Midsummer Garden Art Fair in Ellis Park’s Shakespeare Garden. The event, on Saturday, July 2, 2022, was designed to draw attention to the hidden gem in northwest Cedar Rapids, said Barb Rhame, a member of the Wednesday Shakespeare Club in Cedar […]