When Ed Pettus finished building his bullet-shaped Lockheed Lakester a year ago, he didn’t plan to sell it. But, after a whirlwind tour of the car that’s a cross between a jet airplane, a Bonneville Salt Flats racer and a 1930s biplane, he changed his mind. “I do all of these projects and when I’m [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — When Slayton Thompson was 4 or 5 years old, he imitated his father by beating on the floor with sticks. And he’s never stopped, whether it’s playing the drums, beating the bushes for Democratic causes or emphasizing the difference between right and wrong through his church, Bethel AME in Cedar Rapids. “Wherever [...]

SWISHER — Zip, click, zoom. Up, over and around. The little 1/32nd-size slot cars eat up the 10 curves on the 57-foot long track in less than five seconds, a scale speed of about 250 miles per hour. No wonder guys like Jerry Hightshoe, 68, of rural Swisher have revived a hobby of their 1960s [...]

As brothers in arms and the sons of a black man, the six Littleton brothers of Toolesboro, Iowa, not only fought to abolish slavery but gave their lives for the North during the Civil War. Thomas, William, George, John, Kendall and Noah all enlisted, all fought in bloody battles and all were buried (from 1862 [...]

MANCHESTER — Kali Rose Pillard of rural Ryan didn’t really feel like going out for dinner. So what if mom suggested, more than once, that she shower. It was only a date with Jed Meeker, her longtime boyfriend. He’d understand if she kept her hair tied back, didn’t change out of her T-shirt and jeans, [...]

SPRINGVILLE — Laird Daniels’ knuckles don’t look any the worse for wear, but there were plenty of times decades ago while working on airplanes that he scraped them ‘till they bled. “In New Hebrides,” he says, “if you scraped the back of your hand, the flies there would keep it clean and infection free. But, [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — He sounds like Dean Martin one minute, Frank Sinatra the next. He holds a glass of light brown liquid (not always whiskey) in one hand. He banters with the audience as if everyone is his best friend. Who is this man in the tux behind the mic? At this Sunday’s Melodies d’ [...]

“Clang, clang, clang went the trolley/Ding, ding, ding went the bell/Zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings/As we started for . . . . . . any station the trolley stopped. Or, so hopes Linda Betsinger McCann, a historian/writer from Shell Rock who has put out a call for memories of electric trolley cars, particularly those [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — As Del Block and Dale Siems grew up in Franklin County, they were well aware of the family resemblance. They just thought, as cousins, genetics had played a trick on them. “We each grew up about ten miles from Hampton,” says Dale who now lives in Charles City. “I was north at [...]

GARRISON — In 2009, the Garrison Public Library librarian died. In 2010, the new librarian was charged with taking most of the operating funds. In 2011, a wind storm blew the roof off. “Is our library worth it?” wondered board members, including 10-year member Christy Leckband. “Yes,” she answers. “It’s my personal mission. Our kids [...]