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A surprise election result, good news in Jefferson, heartwarming essays

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A surprise election result, good news in Jefferson, heartwarming essays

...and fodder for several Iowa road trips

Sep 3, 2023
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A surprise election result, good news in Jefferson, heartwarming essays

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Welcome to our new subscribers. This column appears on Sunday mornings and contains links to columns by some of the 36 members of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. The staff at Substack say no other state has undertaken this kind of endeavor, where professional journalists, each writing independently in their own column platform, refer to one another. Each writer establishes his or her own base of subscribers; then, they are introduced by the Substack ‘recommendations’ tool to others. We are linking readers to writers. And writers to readers.

We came together a little over a year ago to enter a void created by legacy media, cutting back on commentary and statewide coverage of feature stories.

The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative is growing exponentially thanks to those of you who share this with others. Combined, we reach up to 30,000 readers. This effort is not supported by advertising, so your individual paid subscriptions are what keep us going. If you have the means, choose up to five of our writers and become paid subscribers. Your commitment makes a difference.

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This week, there are a few surprises.

There was a surprise in Warren County. When a far-right conspiracy theorist was appointed by an all-GOP Board of Supervisors, a group of concerned citizens came together to call for a special election. It was held on Tuesday, and the results were stunning. Columnists Laura Belin and Robert Leonard reported on this fascinating turn of events.

If you read the column by John Naughton, you know the answer to this question: Where did 92,000 show up to watch volleyball?

Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump. Veteran TV news director Dave Busiek, questions media coverage of the former president. And from Storm Lake, our own Art Cullen says the man who could conceivably run for president from prison owns the race in Iowa. And, more about Trump, from Barry Piatt (who says it’s time to for him to leave).

Dave Price points out other GOP candidates are worthy of attention.

Ed Tibbetts heard from the ‘tax man’, and we get to read about it.

We don’t usually place Suzanna de Baca’s evocative poetry under the Politics category, but this week’s piece refers to the ‘freezing’ of the U.S. Senate Minority Leader in two public settings.

FOOD

Hola Iowa’s Christina Fernández-Morrow writes about a Mexican delicacy found in Mexican white corn that is grown and sought-after here. Her feature stories regularly introduce us to neighbors in this growing culture in Iowa.

In yet another classic example of the joy that comes from reading members of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, check out Kurt Meyer for a story that will make you want to take an Iowa road trip.

Beth Hoffman grows food. She’s also in the midst of building a new barn out of an old barn. It’s a project! Www.Inthedirt.com

Add Ames to the road trip. Fern and Joe post their banter about favorite food haunts in Ames with a flourish of their humor. Julie Gammack posted a podcast of her interview with Wini Moranville, the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative reporter of dining in Iowa. Wini put Fern and Joe up to writing this week’s column, so thanks, Wini.

Jeff Morrison is tops when it comes to Iowa road trips. He’s made a mission to discover parts unknown to most. His thorough study of the state and depth of knowledge is compelling. Subscribe!

SPORTS

Rob Gray tells us about a special kind of annual Victory Day in Ames that will touch your heart.

IOWA LIFE

Big news out of Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger’s town of Jefferson this week. Their plan to grow is working.

Are you a Gen Xer? Alison McGaughey has a column you can relate to. On a more serious note, Alison writes about a disturbing true crime story unfolding in the Quad Cities.

Mary Swander bought a tombstone, and if that doesn’t grab your attention and you don’t know about Mary’s writing talent, trust us. You’ll love this writer. She also brings new talent to us through her Emerging Voices column. This week, she has a beautiful piece written by Anne Marie Easker Miller.

Water quality is one of the top issues facing the planet. A mutual concern crosses party lines. Robert Leonard says the Iowa GOP doesn’t want Iowans to know the truth about it.

Who heard this phrase growing up?

"Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it."

Cheryl Tevis says the saying takes on new meaning today.

Macey Spensley offers her reading list, and Suzanna de Baca mentions an upcoming poetry reading.

Pat Kinney has a fascinating feature story about a veteran facing a debilitating illness.

And Julie Gammack interviewed Iowa Writers’ Collaborative columnist Wini Moranville for her weekly podcast. Learn about her approach to food writing. Gammack also introduces the newest member of the family:

J. Dudley Gilbert

Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!

Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Columnists

Laura Belin: Iowa Politics with Laura Belin, Windsor Heights
Doug Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll
Dave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des Moines
Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, Roundup
Steph Copley: It Was Never a Dress, Johnston
Art Cullen: Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm Lake
Suzanna de Baca: Dispatches from the Heartland, Huxley
Debra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison County
Julie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji
Joe Geha: Fern and Joe, Ames
Jody Gifford: Benign Inspiration, West Des Moines
Rob Gray: Rob Gray’s Area, Ankeny
Nik Heftman: The Seven Times, Los Angeles and Iowa
Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilla
Dana James: New Black Iowa, Des Moines
Pat Kinney: View from Cedar Valley, Waterloo
Fern Kupfer: Fern and Joe, Ames
Robert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, Bussey
Letters from Iowans, Iowa
Tar Macias: Hola Iowa, Iowa
Alison McGaughey, The Inquisitive Quad Citizen, Quad Cities
Kurt Meyer: Showing Up, St. Ansgar
Wini Moranville: Wini’s Food Stories, Des Moines
Jeff Morrison: Between Two Rivers, Cedar Rapids
Kyle Munson: Kyle Munson’s Main Street, Des Moines
Jane Nguyen: The Asian Iowan, West Des Moines
John Naughton: My Life, in Color, Des Moines
Chuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson and Des Moines
Barry Piatt: Piatt on Politics Behind the Curtain, Washington, D.C.
Dave Price: Dave Price’s Perspective, Des Moines
Macey Spensley: The Midwest Creative, Norwalk
Larry Stone: Listening to the Land, Elkader
Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, Kalona
Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Emerging Voices, Kalona
Cheryl Tevis: Unfinished Business, Boone County
Ed Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, Davenport
Teresa Zilk: Talking Good, Des Moines
The Iowa Writers Collaborative is also proud to ally with Iowa Capital Dispatch.
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