Posted July 31, 2019in Your Neighbors
A childhood dream comes true. “I’m a military wife,” explains Meghan Drane. “I’m a mom of four. I’m from Iowa. We’ve lived on the East Coast, West Coast and Europe.” That is her story, but it is not her whole story. “That is who I’m married to,” she continues. “That
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Posted July 03, 2019in Your Neighbors
Safety comes first for Pleasant Hill’s first full-time female fire chief. Of the 30,000 fire departments in the United States, about 150 of them have a female fire chief — according to womeninfire.org. Less than 5 percent of firefighters are female. On June 11, Pleasant Hill’s City Council voted unanimously
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Posted June 05, 2019in Your Neighbors
When Frank Perez hears footsteps, the 76-year-old can still shift into another gear. Thump, thump, thump. “I heard these footsteps,” says 76-year old Frank Perez, as he remembers his best competitive moment at the Iowa Senior Games. Perez led after making the turn in the 200-meter dash. But behind him…
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Posted May 01, 2019in Your Neighbors
Dave Baker is working on the first of five photography books highlighting Iowa. There is nothing to do in Iowa. You have likely heard it before. But Dave Baker wouldn’t accept it. “In 2009, I was having a discussion with a college friend who was complaining that there was nothing
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Posted April 03, 2019in Your Neighbors
U.S. Army Reserves welcomes new ambassador. Dale Andres retired in 1995 after spending nearly a quarter of a century serving in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve where he attained the rank of brigadier general. During his first retirement, Andres took a position as chief pathologist and chief medical officer
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Posted March 06, 2019in Your Neighbors
How did opera singing happen to a girl who grew up in Waukee? Opera is a bit of an unknown in the Hawkeye state, but for people who appreciate classic plot lines containing eternal human relevance performed by arguably the world’s strongest vocalists and elite level orchestras, it might be
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Posted February 06, 2019in Your Neighbors
The Golden Oldies barbershop quartet produces joy for others while enjoying the music themselves. Energy immediately fills the air as the four gentlemen, in perfect unison, burst into deep chords of harmony, singing: “This is just the kind of day you dream about, when you open up your mouth
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Posted January 02, 2019in Your Neighbors
Local rodeo rider gears up to haul full-time professionally. Earning hourly wages at a 9-to-5 is all well and good, but for Briar Dittmer, he prefers to be paid eight seconds at a time. The Southeast Polk graduate is majoring in physical education while competing on a rodeo scholarship at
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Posted December 05, 2018in Your Neighbors
Drake Neighborhood Community Garden offers a place to grow, learn and share at no charge. Those who know Eddie Robinson well say that he is multilingual — speaking English, Spanish and French — and a world-class pool player, mountain climber, master gardener and a breeder of unique types of hot
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Posted October 31, 2018in Your Neighbors
Licensed to hate and “officially awesome,” this Terrorhead helped orchestrate an official Guinness Book world record. A certificate hanging on Charlie Edrington’s wall says he helped organize “the loudest roar at a sports stadium” in the history of mankind. When one hears this sort of far-fetched claim, usually it’s a bunch of hot air, but
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