EXTRA! EXTRA! Welcome, Craig DeVrieze
...Plus: Art Cullen. Phoebe Wall Howard, Dan Henderson, and Beth Hoffman. Today, we run a 2nd edition of the Iowa Writers' Collaborative
There were a few columns missing from the early morning Roundup, so here is a Second Edition!
Craig DeVrieze is a celebrated Quad Cities sportswriter and author of three acclaimed golf history books, including Magic Happened: Celebrating 50 Years of the John Deere Classic, Craig returns to his storytelling roots here with the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, with a new purpose: to go deeper, richer, and bolder than newsprint ever allowed.
For years, DeVrieze covered the biggest names in local and national sports—John Deere Classic champions, the rise and fall of the Quad City Thunder, Mallards, and Steamwheelers, boxing greats Michael Nunn and Antwun Echols, and hometown NFL heroes like Roger Craig, Brad Hopkins, and Pat Angerer. But now? He’s opening the vault.
In Quad Cities Sports Histories, Craig peels back the curtain on the moments and legends that shaped this sports-loving region—from the QC’s little-known role in launching both the NFL and NBA, to the 1955 U.S. Open stunner by local caddie-turned-champion Jack Fleck, to the rise of Madison Keys, who learned to swing a racquet in Rock Island before storming the 2025 Australian Open.
This is more than nostalgia. It’s a front-row seat to the heart, grit, and greatness of QC sports—told by a writer who lived it. Subscribe now and ride shotgun with one of the region’s best.
Craig joins fellow Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Quad Cities members,
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Craig DeVrieze
Longtime Quad Cities sportswriter Craig DeVrieze is introducing his Substack blog QC Sports Histories this month with a chapter-by-chapter sharing of his 2021 book, Magic Happened: Celebrating 50 Years of the John Deere Classic.
🔗 Read it here
Sports
Phoebe Wall Howard
A behind-the-scenes look at why dozens of Mustangs were shipped to France in the days before the epic 24 Hours at Le Mans -- and what happened next.
🔗 Read it here
No Kings Event
Dan Henderson
Dan Henderson gives his first-hand account of the No Kings Rally in Washington, Iowa yesterday. Washington, Iowa is a small rural town but like the larger cities in the Midwest, has a growing progressive movement. The significance of No Kings rallies in places like Washington and other small rural communities cannot be ignored.
🔗 Read it here
Art Cullen
From Storm Lake with a Stethoscope and Sarcasm: Our intrepid columnist takes you on a harrowing journey through rural Iowa’s health care maze—where access is scarce, bills are monstrous, and the nearest ER might be an hour away (if the bridge holds). He brings receipts, wit, and yet another moment to immortalize Senator Joni Ernst’s chilling mic-drop: “We’re all going to die.” Read it and wince. Read it here
Beth Hoffman
This is a searing, heartfelt, and righteously furious call to conscience—deeply grounded in the sacredness of food and the farmer’s role as a provider, not a pawn. Read it here
Are you coming to the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative bash in Winterset on July 26th? It’s a thank-you to those readers who are paid subscribers to any one of our 80+ members. Come and meet other members of this growing, and engaging community.
We need a head count, so let us know:
There goes the neighborhood! 😉
Just kidding, Craig is one of the good guys. Welcome aboard!
Welcome to the Iowa Collaborative Craig! 🌺🎉