The Daily Iowan WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2024
THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COMMUNITY SINCE 1868
DAILYIOWAN.COM
Emma Calabro | The Daily Iowan
Katie Imborek, far right in the doorway, socializes with Sanctuary pastors and church attendees after a service at Sanctuary Community Church on Oct. 13. Imborek has been a member of the church since 2011, emphasizing the importance of the church’s messaging being positive for herself and her children as well as affirming of her role in the LGBTQ+ community.
Religious change sparks talk on queer advocacy Historically, spirituality and sexuality existed in contrast. However, with new denominations and standards from religious leaders emerging, that relationship is changing. INSIDE
Stella Shipman Managing Editor
stella.shipman@dailyiowan.com
Katie Imborek sat on the patio outside Deluxe Cakes and Pastries in Iowa City, her hands wrapped around a steaming teacup, the baked good she had bought for her son in a paper bag next to her. A rainbow flag hung in the bakery’s window, designating the cozy establishment as queer-friendly. Imborek, however, is familiar with spaces that are not as welcoming. Since leaving her religious denomination more than a decade ago, Imborek explained between sips of tea how she has been skeptical about spaces that call themselves accepting. As a mother and a queer woman of faith, Imborek worries about how welcoming religious spaces are, especially those
CHURCH | 2A
EPA, DNR search for source of pollution in IC Residents of Iowa City reveal reported unexplained medical issues.
Evan Watson News Reporter
news@dailyiowan.com
A women’s wrestling mecca Iowa women’s wrestling head coach Clarissa Chun and the Hawkeyes have found impressive reinforcements in a handful of freshmen who have proved their worth so far this season. SPORTS | 1B
The operations of resale culture in Iowa City Resale store owners in Iowa City describe the different aspects of their stores, both online and in person. Local retailers each discuss the ways their stores serve the community’s ethically conscious shoppers. 80 HOURS | 1C
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Eleven months ago, Iowa City residents asked for an answer and claim they heard silence in return. Men and women who allege they have suffered for years tried to stand against the expansion of an enterprise, but they say their pleas have gone unanswered. Amid a pending investigation, rampant growth, and decades of unexplained health issues, the residents of southeast Iowa City are looking more and more for answers. In January, the Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission met to approve the rezoning of the former Kirkwood campus on Lower Muscatine Road in Iowa City, much to the disapproval of community members, to allow for the expansion of Procter & Gamble plants in Iowa City. They voted to allow the plant to expand, 7-0. Procter & Gamble is a manufacturer of household cleaning products, such as Dawn Dish Soap and Oral B. The manufacturer has plants in the southern part of Iowa City and plans to expand. Nearby residents, however, are worried the expansion of these manufacturing enterprises in southern Iowa City will worsen problems they have been facing. At multiple meetings earlier this year of the Planning and Zoning Commission and Iowa City City Council, community members voiced their concerns about air quality and pollution issues, citing smells that have led them to experience headaches and sickness. Some community members living near the plant claim that chemical pollution is responsible for their physical and mental health issues. Residents of the southeast side of Iowa City, primarily in the area of the Longfellow neighborhood, have worked for years, through various complaints to the city and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, to find what is causing their health issues, which they believe to be pollution-
Danny Enright | The Daily Iowan
Proctor & Gamble labs are seen off Lower Muscatine Road in Iowa City on Oct. 25.
related. Some believe it is the nearby Procter & Gamble plants. Additionally, a Loparex facility operates in the area. It produces siliconized paper and film-based release liners, which are adhesive, sticker-like papers with numerous applications. In a January 2024 statement to The Daily Iowan, when the rezoning was discussed by the city, Procter & Gamble Senior Director of Communications Patrick Blair wrote the company has been in Iowa City for over six decades and is focused on working for the community’s benefit. “For generations, we’ve served consumers from our facilities in Iowa City, supported our employ-
ees, and helped the community — fundamental to our company’s purpose,” Blair wrote. “We look forward to continuing this commitment as good neighbors for years to come.” Two residents, Tracy Daby and Anne Marie Kraus, both of whom have spoken extensively at City Council and Planning and Zoning meetings, report suffering from neurological and physical disability from exposure to airborne chemicals. Daby and Kraus said the smell comes at random intervals and they attribute it to gaseous releases from the Procter & Gamble and Loparex
POLLUTION | 8A
Students restoring prairie terrain across Iowa City UI students in the Prairie Restoration course learn the importance of local ecosystems. Madison Schuler News Reporter
news@dailyiowan.com
Students in the Prairie Restoration course at the University of Iowa have planted new gardens for years throughout the Iowa City area. Michael Fallon, adjunct instructor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the UI, has been teaching the course for the past seven years.
Fallon previously owned a landscaping company for 15 years, which gave him knowledge and skills in restoring prairie, savanna, and woodland areas. Fallon first began prairie restoration projects at the UI when his former student, Megan Lenss, questioned why there was a lack of prairies on and around campus. The pair then worked together to connect with different departments at the UI, such as the Office of Sustainability and Environment, the Athletics Department, and the Biology
Department, to begin restoration. According to the Story County Conservation Center, more than 80 percent of Iowa used to be covered in tallgrass prairie. But over time, the land has changed as cities, roads, and agriculture fields have been built. Today, less than a tenth of a percent of the original prairie remains, which is why prairie restoration among the state of Iowa is essential.
PRAIRIE | 8A