Posted October 06, 2021in Collections & Hobbies
Two local gourd growers plan to smash the world record. Jaws dropped at this year’s Iowa State Fair when Don Young and his son- in-law, Tommy Rhodes, arrived at the Big Pumpkin Contest. Their entry needed a forklift to hoist it onto the scale, and the monstrosity topped out at
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Posted September 01, 2021in Collections & Hobbies
Dangerous on the board, this couple’s life mission is to “fix” chess. GIRL MEETS CHESS Her ride home from school was delayed. Bored, the 15-year-old Ankeny High School student looked for a fun way to fill the time. Since she couldn’t find one, Katie Gordinier stopped into Ankeny High’s Chess
Read More →Dan Umthun excels at finding and accumulating action figures and comic books. Meet Dan Umthun. “When I was 8, I brought a Superman figure with me to Grandma’s farm house in Eagle Grove. A calf jumped a fence and started running towards town. My dad and uncles managed to catch,
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Posted June 30, 2021in Collections & Hobbies
Waldorf professor retraces 300 miles of Dragoon history. Road signs for Iowa’s Dragoon Trail are a common sight in central Iowa. As a boy, Kevin Mason couldn’t help but wonder: “What the heck is a Dragoon?” Now he knows. “They were soldiers who were sometimes on foot and sometimes on
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Posted June 02, 2021in Collections & Hobbies
Local wonder woman wows at bodybuilding competition. The backstage atmosphere before a bodybuilding competition is unlike almost any other. “You go in the competitor entrance, and you see all these beautifully sculpted bodies pumping up and getting ready to get on stage,” says Renee Schneider. It takes gumption, grit, determination
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Posted May 05, 2021in Collections & Hobbies
The Principal Charity Classic is a definite “go” for this year, and the annual PGA Champions pro golf tournament is scheduled to be held June 1-6 at Wakonda Club in Des Moines. Only a limited number of fans will be allowed, but barring the unthinkable, Rich Hoidahl will be there.
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Posted March 31, 2021in Collections & Hobbies
Psst! Wanna know about a century-old local secret? Have you ever wondered about the copper-domed building with limestone walls that sits between fairways on Waveland Golf Course? That’s the Drake Municipal Observatory. Not only is it an architectural curiosity, but in order to stay protected from errant golf balls, the
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Posted March 03, 2021in Collections & Hobbies
Jackpot. Mushroom hunting has been a passion for Steve Roberts since a young age, but in May of 2019, he and a friend hit the motherload. Combined, the duo bagged 47 pounds in one day. That’s a lot, according to Roberts, who has been prowling central Iowa’s countryside since he
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Posted February 03, 2021in Collections & Hobbies
It was Christmas morning in 1986 or so. The unwrapping had ended, and there were no more presents under the tree. “You look a little down,” said Matt Martone’s concerned mother. “Me?” the 11-year-old feigned indignance. “Nah, I’m fine. This is a great Christmas.” Martone knew how hard his mom
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Posted January 06, 2021in Collections & Hobbies
“I buy and sell comics and have a pretty large collection,” says Jeremy Downs. The 34-year-old Des Moines-area resident might be understating reality a bit. “I’d have to get back to you on a count, but probably around 10,000 right now, at best guess.” Downs buys comic book collections of
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