I can’t believe I’ve never seen a “Tapener” before now. At our most recent viticulture class at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, we used this handy tool to position young grapevines onto trellis wires. A combination staple gun/tape dispenser, the Tapener is ingenious, and as long as it doesn’t get jammed, is fairly simple […]
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Month: June 2013
Eewww swimmer’s itch – what can you do?
This sounds like the water-borne version of chiggers. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources notes that swimmer’s itch is becoming an issue at Okoboji Lake and offers advice on what can be done about this condition: SPIRIT LAKE – Campers last weekend reported cases of swimmer’s itch contracted on East Okoboji Lake in the Iowa […]
Wapsipinicon State Park: a historic trea...
It’s not a bad day when an editor asks if you’d like to spend an afternoon at the park, shoot some photos and write about your experience. Throw in idyllic weather and a friend to serve as my own personal tour guide and how could I say no?
Linn County Fair begins this week; celeb...
UPDATE 2:30 p.m. The 4-H/FFA Livestock shows will be moved to the Delaware County Fair grounds. See schedule below. UPDATE 1:40 p.m. June 26: The latest update from the Linn County Fair notes that events are still on for tonight (Wednesday) but grandstand and grounds events after today have been canceled, due to the projected […]
Driver escapes through sunroof as car sw...
Some tense moments arose during flooding at Yellow River State Forest in northeast Iowa. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reports that no one was hurt during the weekend flooding, but campers were forced to evacuate and one car disappeared in the floodwaters after the driver was able to escape. More details from the DNR:
Oxford offers Iowa farmers market altern...
Kathy Tandy of the Oxford Farmers Market wants people to know about all of the good things happening at the weekly market in Johnson County. The markets operate from 4-7 p.m. Mondays through Oct. 14 at Creekside Park on Mill Street – just a half-hour drive from either Iowa City or Cedar Rapids. Like other […]
Norway, Iowa’s Frontier Natural Products
Frontier Natural Products Co-op, based in Norway, Iowa, achieved a high honor this month, while also marking a milestone in sales. The homegrown business offers a growing number of organic and natural products, including bulk spices and herbs. Those can be found at the Iowa Valley Food Co-op and other outlets. See more about these […]
Bug Soother insect repellent transforms ...
Call it a super-gnatural success. Freda Sojka’s natural bug repellent that she developed for her then 5-month-old grandson has exploded – almost overnight – into a double-shift industry in Columbus Junction.
Will SNAP eliminate pop? American Medica...
I’ve been among those baffled by the use of our nation’s food safety net to allow the purchase of junk food and pop. That isn’t changing any time soon, but word from the American Medical Association is encouraging.
