Stories from Tuesday, June 8, 2021

A presentation, “The Underground Railroad in Iowa,” will be offered by the Laurens Public Library, Wednesday, June 16, 7 p.m. The village of Salem in southeast Iowa looks quiet and unassuming, but this small town played an outsized role in the history of the Underground Railroad...

Joe and Vicki Price will perform at Byrons in Pomeroy, Sunday, June 13. Showtime is 5:30 p.m. In a world where words like “legend” get thrown around entirely too lightly, it’s good to know that there are a few people still worthy of the word’s original intent. And when it comes to music in Iowa, Joe Price stands as one of the art’s legendary practitioners...

Omaha band The Fishheads will join the Star Spangled Spectacular party with their island/rock/funk sound. The band is made up of veterans Justin Meyer, Jeff Carlson, Gary Darling, Jeff Rusin and Dave Bontrager, offering a fun, high-energy show that makes them “The Official Band of Summer.” The Fishheads have shared stages with the likes of .38 Special and The Wailers, and performed for U.S. troops in the Persian Gulf...

Each year in June, people across the world go purple to raise awareness and show support for the over 50 million individuals worldwide living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias for Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. The Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter is asking people to go purple in June leading up to The Longest Day® on June 20 to spread awareness and inspire action to help fight Alzheimer’s disease and dementia...

The U.S. is in far different shape today than it was last Memorial Day, and many Americans are, too. According to a recent survey by the American Psychological Association, undesired changes in weight driven by pandemic stress are widespread: 42% of adults reported gaining weight, with a median weight gain of 15 pounds, while 18% reported undesired weight loss. About 66% of people reported changes in their sleep habits, and 23% of respondents reported an increase in alcohol use...

Ginger Snaps must wait a few more months before she dons her wig, tights, and “rhinestones and rhinestones and more rhinestones” to act as the emcee at the Quad Cities Pride Festival.  “The way I look at it, every time I get on stage, the one thing I want is the audience to leave with a smile on their face, because then I know I’ve done my job,” the drag performer and Miss Gay Illinois 2020 champion said. “Especially after this past year, we need that.”...

Bill Smith and his Joyce’s Greenhouse crew planted the Clara Griffel Garden Friday. It is located on the railroad right of way at the corner of College and West 5th Streets. The garden is supported by the Shea Charitable Trust created by Dr. T.E. Shea and his wife Alice to perpetuate good things in Storm Lake. ...

As COVID-19 restrictions lift, Iowa will see more events and tourism returning to regular scheduling in the summer of 2021. “People weren’t able to get out as much as they might have preferred last year, so we’re anticipating a lot of people hitting the road,” said Jessica O’Riley, spokesperson for the Iowa Tourism Office. ...

Iowa college students are going to see new training, resources and public commitments to the First Amendment when they return to school in the fall. The Board of Regents met with university provosts and administrators Wednesday to discuss new policies to protect free speech on campus. ...

The first performance of the outdoor Live at the Lake concert series was held Saturday, but after the lights go down following the final number in September, Historic Arnolds Park Incorporated will start transforming the stage in Preservation Plaza...

Witter Gallery will be reopening to the public on June 8 with a curated exhibit from their permanent collection. The exhibit will feature an eclectic mix of prints, paintings, and drawings by Ella Witter and Dorothy Skewis, the gallery’s founders. Also on display are materials pulled from the gallery’s archives, like wood print blocks carved by Skewis, drawings made by Witter as a child, and a letter written to Witter from Hans Hoffman, one of the artists she studied under...

The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation (Corridor) has announced the hiring of Shannon Landauer, CEcD, as its new President and CEO for the regional economic development organization serving Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson and Emmet counties. She will be replacing the Corridor’s former President and CEO Kiley Miller who resigned earlier this year after six years of service for the Corridor. ...

It has come to Iowa Workforce Development’s attention that a fraudulent website that mirrors IWD’s claims portal is attempting to collect personal information from Iowans. As a reminder, customers applying for unemployment insurance benefits should only file an application through the official IWD website: www.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov Any other variation of this link is not an official IWD website...

Most farmers in Iowa are seeing a significant increase in what they pay for land rents this year, according to a recent survey conducted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. According to the “Cash Rental Rates for Iowa 2021 Survey,” which is conducted annually and available in the May Ag Decision Maker, rates have increased an average of 4.5%, an increase of about $10 per acre, for a total per-acre rent of $232...

Iowa Auditor Rob Sand stood before a small group in front of the steps at the Clay County Courthouse Thursday morning and spoke about his office’s role as the state’s watchdog — calling it his obligation to “demand truth and evidence from state agencies about what they are doing.”...

Farming comes from a long history full of technology and science, but it’s also about family and legacy, and nothing could be truer of North Raccoon Watershed Project participant, Mike Ehlers. Ehlers, who farms just over 2,000 acres in Buena Vista County, Iowa, along with his father and brother, views participation in the watershed project as key to sustainably continuing operation of their multi-generational farm with an eye toward bringing one or more of his children into the mix when they are ready.. ...