MARION — Larry Hoffman will never forget his first bicycle. The year was 1948. A trip to Hebron, Neb., led to the purchase of a 1943 U.S. Army bicycle. “My dad bought it in a junkyard after World War II,” Hoffman says. While the U.S. Army had used bicycles before World War II, they [...]

  The Hill’s yard rolls out before your eyes, unfurling like a lush green carpet into the far distance, finally ending at a “T”, at a long beige ribbon of a driveway. That driveway belongs to Brucemore, the 19th century Queen Anne mansion now on the National Register of Historic Places. The Hill yard’s, nearly [...]

  CEDAR RAPIDS — At first glance, the concrete flowers, vines and leaves of the plaster mural wrapping around the walls of Brucemore’s sleeping porch are beautiful. Look closer. The mural is whimsical, too. Exotic birds and squirrels perch on several branches while a tiny mouse hides underneath a window. “I still find things I [...]

  IOWA CITY — A few summer showers couldn’t dampen their pride. Rainbow umbrellas dotted downtown Iowa City, which quickly were replaced by rainbow flags as the sun began to shine. “To fight for the right to be yourself it’s important to show up,” said Jewell Amos, chair of Iowa City Pride. “Water is nothing [...]

Water extremes are starting to become the norm in Iowa. It is important to know what to do to counter the side effects of drought as well as excess water. Linn County Master Gardener Lisa Slattery fills you in on what to expect with all this moisture. Q: What are the effects of too much [...]

The door between the bank and the theater opened onto a food related business more often than anything else. As far back as 1918, 310 Third Ave. SE was Sleight’s Restaurant. W.L. Sleight and his son ran the restaurant for a little more than a year, but on April 1, 1919, patrons were given notice [...]

  Models weren’t just walking on metal runways at the spring fashion shows, they were wearing metal as well. Metallic fabrics create a space-aged futuristic look that can be out of this world. They time travel too with flapper-inspired looks made popular by the release of the film, “The Great Gatsby.” The dress pictured here combines the [...]

Pedal cars and ambulance tours are not a part of a normal summer camp experience – but are mainstays of the two-week long annual camp called Safety Village in Iowa City. Children ages 5, 6 and 7 get the opportunity to learn about safety through hands-on presentations, demonstrations by groups like local law enforcement, ambulance services and Mercy [...]

NORTH LIBERTY — Summer and ice cream go together like peanut butter and jelly, or, well, ice cream and cones. To satisfy summer’s sweet tooth with a cool creamy cone (or bowl), head to the local ice cream shop, hit up the grocery freezer aisle or make your own. Sound complicated? It’s not. And you [...]

Great Harvest Bread Company will open its first bakery in Iowa this August in Cedar Rapids. Cedar Rapids residents Dion and Laurel Williams will own and operate the store, at 5070 Lindale Drive NE, across the street from Lindale Mall. Laurel Williams said the space will be about 2,500 square feet, most of which will [...]