A surprise election result, good news in Jefferson, heartwarming essays
...and fodder for several Iowa road trips
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.
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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:
Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!