Iowa Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls diverge little in debate- Iowans who remain undecided on which of a half dozen Democrats to vote for in next month’s gubernatorial primary got their first look at the candidates on a debate stage Sunday.
Voters who have been following the race may not have learned much new about Nate Boulton, Cathy Glasson, Fred Hubbell, Andy McGuire, John Norris or Ross Wilburn, the six Democrats vying to be their party’s nominee for Iowa governor.
Voters who are just now tuning into the race were introduced to the candidates, who stressed their professional experiences and differed on precious few policy topics. Read more...
An Iowa GOP grand slam? Looking back at two years of Republican control- The opportunity was not wasted.
For the past two years, Iowa Republicans have had complete control of the state lawmaking process for the first time in 20 years, and they took full advantage.
Swept into unfettered power by the 2010 and 2016 elections, Republicans during the 2017 and 2018 sessions of the Iowa Legislature passed at least a half-dozen significant laws that never would have seen the light of day under a Democratic or even split-control state government. Read more...
Rockwell Collins supports outdoor and environmental initiatives with grants- Rockwell Collins plans to award $82,000 in Green Communities grants in 2018, with 29 of 50 funded projects located in Eastern Iowa.
One of those projects is the Edible Forest at Wetherby Park in Iowa City. Backyard Abundance, an Iowa City nonprofit, will receive $1,100 this spring from Rockwell to oversee and improve the Edible Forest, said Backyard Abundance co-director, Fred Meyer.
“We want to purchase more plants, hold more events, get some steppingstones for paths and buy gloves for volunteers,” Meyer said. Read more...
Local entrepreneurs bring farming to the city with Urban Greens- From the outside, the house at 1135 E. College St. in Iowa City does not appear to be a farm.
In their basement, entrepreneurs Chad Treloar and Ted Myers grow arugula, sunflowers, sweet corn, cilantro, broccoli, lettuce and several other varieties of baby green vegetables.
The co-owners of Urban Greens sell their crops — many of them grown year-round in a hydroponic greenhouse system — to New Pioneer Food Co-op, local restaurants and at the Iowa City Farmers Market. Read more...
Coaching youth basketball with passion and positivity- Amid referees’ whistles, players’ squeaking sneakers and parents’ chatter Saturday in Northwestern Mutual Iowa Sports Center, you could easily hear a grandmother with the vigor and volume of anyone who coaches anywhere.
Kelly Reed of Cedar Rapids played basketball into college. Her daughter, Micah Reed, is Grand View University’s all-time women’s basketball assists leader. Her grandson is among the hundreds of boys playing Saturday and Sunday in the Hardwood Alliance League tournament here, featuring teams from Cedar Rapids, the Quad Cities, Omaha and Des Moines.
This weekend, Kelly coached Team Iowa’s sixth-grade boys’ team because Micah was in Arizona for a bachelorettes party. She grabbed the reins with gusto. Read more...