Little Village Issue 351 — April 2026 by Little Village Magazine

Independent Iowa News, Arts & Culture

Get a Hobby!

Model planes | Three-person bicycles | Pro wrestling

Music | Fancy dance | Messy art | 420 in Iowa

INDEPENDENT IOWA NEWS, ARTS & CULTURE

Since 2001 LittleVillageMag.com

24 Unmanned Aircraft

The IC Aerohawks have been flying by the dump for decades. 26

Blood, Sweat & Jeers

Wrestlers describe “becoming something other” in the ring.

Little Village (ISSN 2328-3351) is an independent, community-supported news and culture publication based in Iowa City, published monthly by Bayleaf, LLC, 623 S Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 52240. Through journalism, essays and events, we work to improve our community according to core values: environmental sustainability, affordability and access, economic and labor justice, racial justice, gender equity, quality healthcare, quality education and critical culture. Letters to the editor(s) are always welcome. We reserve the right to fact check and edit for length and clarity. Please send letters, comments or corrections to editor@littlevillagemag.com. Subscriptions: lv@littlevillagemag.com. The US annual subscription price is $120. All rights reserved, reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. If you would like to reprint or collaborate on new content, reach us at lv@littlevillagemag.com. To browse back issues, visit us online at issuu.com/littlevillage. 30

puff puff

Not passed

Iowa’s too red to go green—at least for the time being.

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: lv@littlevillagemag.com

EDITORIAL

Publisher

Jordan Sellergren jordan@littlevillagemag.com

Editor-in-Chief

Emma McClatchey emma@littlevillagemag.com

Arts Editor

Chuy Renteria chuy@littlevillagemag.com

News Director

Paul Brennan paul@littlevillagemag.com

Graphic Designer

Kellan Doolittle kellan@littlevillagemag.com

En Español Editor

Claudia Pozzobon Potratz

Corrections editor@littlevillagemag.com

April Contributors

Brad Visser, Britt Fowler, Elisabeth Oster, Jane Claspy Nesmith, Jes McCauley, Jessie Kraemer, John Busbee, Juan A. Meraz, Kellee Forkenbrock, Kembrew McLeod, Lauren Haldeman, Malcolm MacDougall, Nicole Yeager, Ramona Muse Lambert, Rob Brezsny, Sam Locke Ward, Sarah Elgatian, Sara Williams, Skylar Gonzalez, Tom Tomorrow, William Lowell

Interns

Carly Fedler, James Valentin,

INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & CULTURE

Since 2001 LittleVillageMag.com

Julieta Ortiz, Lani Krull, Liz Rosa, Quincy Rose, Seth Coughlin

LITTLE VILLAGE

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Drew Bulman drewb@littlevillagemag.com

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Issue 351

April 2026

Cover by Jordan Sellergren

Rec’d, LV’s annual recreation issue, returns to highlight quirky stuff that gets Iowans off the couch: RC planes, trishaws, local pro wrestling, “emotionalist” art, the proudly DEI UI Powwow and more. Plus: Legal weed envy and Iowa’s hemp drink boom.

Meet this month’s contributors!

Brad Visser is a librarian at the Iowa City Public Library. He likes listening to books and is partial to sci-fi and fantasy.

Britt Fowler is a Des Moines photographer specializing in documentary style, landscape and portraiture. Her active project Shoot Des Moines (Shoot DSM) catalogues sights and stories from the Mecca of the Midwest.

Elisabeth Oster is a freelance writer and designer, and collector of dad rock.

Jane Claspy Nesmith is a writer who loves to feel the wind in her hair.

Jes McCauley is an adult services librarian at the Des Moines Public Library who truly believes in the power of a good book recommendation. When she’s not behind the desk helping patrons, she’s busy tending to her numerous houseplants, chilling with her cat Little Edie, and of course, reading.

Jessie Kraemer is a writer and artist living in Iowa City. Follow her on Instagram (@jkraem).

John Busbee produces The Culture Buzz, a weekly arts & culture radio show on kfmg.org, covering Iowa’s arts scene with an inclusive sweep of the cultural brush.

Juan A. Meraz is a part-time Spanish student with an interest in secondary education at the University of Iowa. He lives in West Liberty and works in construction.

Kellee Forkenbrock is the award winning Public Services Librarian for North Liberty Library. She writes romance under the pseudonym Eliza David.

Kembrew McLeod is a founding Little Village columnist and the chair of Communication Studies at the University of Iowa.

Lauren Haldeman is a graphic novelist and poet. She has received an Iowa Arts Fellowship, a Sustainable Arts Foundation Award and fellowships from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

Malcolm MacDougall is a writer, sewist and father living in Cedar Rapids on a small proto-farm with his spouse.

Nicole Yeager is a critical psych nerd, freelance writer and photojournalist from the driftless, now based in Iowa City.

Ramona Muse Lambert makes art and music. Sometimes she’s in charge of dinner, too. Buy her art at ramonamuselambert.com.

Sam Locke Ward is a cartoonist and musician from Iowa City. He self publishes the comic zines Voyage Into Misery and ‘93 Grind Out

Sarah Elgatian is a writer, activist and educator living in Iowa. She likes dark coffee, bright colors and long sentences. She dislikes meanness.

Sara Williams is a multidisciplinary artist who was raised in Bondurant, Iowa. She currently resides near Amana.

Skyler Gonzalez is a library worker and musician based in Iowa City. Catch him waxing Beatlemaniacal at Tuesday night Gabe’s jams.

William Lowell is an Iowa City native. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from Old Dominion University.

LITTLE VILLAGE TICKETS

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Martin Construction (58)

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— Des Moines Mercantile

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Destinations

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Farm to Film Festival (48)

Porchlight Literary Arts Centre (37)

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Mission Creek Presents Flock of Dimes

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Interactions

LV encourages readers to submit letters to Editor@LittleVillageMag.com. Please include your name, city of residence and any relevant job titles or affiliations. Letters may be edited for accuracy and style. To be considered for print publication, letters should be under 500 words. Preference is given to letters that have not been published elsewhere.

Coralville City Council ends Flock contract signed by police chief after backlash; residents tell city ‘never again’ (Feb. 26)

USING YOUR VOICE TO FIGHT BACK WORKS! —Sam V.M.

So important to show up for both organizing and voting. You have to elect your opponent (not your ideological opponent, just who’s across the table), but once you get a pliable elected, you still have to hold their feet to the fire to do the right thing! Do not ever let electeds feel safe. —Kurt

Now, do North Liberty and Washington. —Alex W.

I did notice while driving the Coralville mall parking lot that they use them there too. Target’s not the only place to avoid in those parts… —K. Michael M.

Yeah, they’re all around the mall property, Lowe’s has them, etc. We got them off municipal property only but we want them gone completely so the work continues. In the meantime, we invoke Ireland’s greatest gift to the world, the boycott. —Tara M.

Hy-Vees use them, too. —Joe D.

Well I, for one, am shocked that Americans Don’t want to be surveilled. —Y.B.

Claiming Flock is just a license plate reader is crazy. —Chris H.

HAVE AN OPINION?

Iowa House votes to make driver’s license exams English-only (Feb. 27)

What a solution. Thank goodness!

Because Tricia from Ankeny, with 1 child, texting while driving after 2 margs for lunch on a Tuesday in her 7 passenger Yukon isn’t the problem. Iowa, the forefront of solutions. —Matthew L.

Republican Gov Ray would have vetoed this. He spearheaded the settlement of thousands of refugees in Iowa. —Sarah P.

How do I invest in rickshaws. —Aloe M.

We still have cancerous chemicals in our water btw. —Jax

Way to combine xenophobia with objectively making life in Iowa worse for everyone. Bravo Iowa lawmakers. —Shawna L.

SARA WILLIAMS

INTERACTIONS

All roads signs are only in English. Driving is a privilege, not a right. —Nicholas M.

If you need something in order to function in society and survive, do you really think we should prevent people from doing it when they’d otherwise be capable? Also signs are easy to understand for all languages, not just English. —Beans

Don’t speak English? Can’t drive (therefore work) in Iowa! We will see how this impacts profits. —Bailey R.

Letter to the editor: Community ID has only helped Johnson County. It is under threat by the state. (March 2)

This is not meant to be derisivebut why not just get a state ID? I don’t understand the purpose of the Community ID when you can get an ID at the DMV. —Michelle S.

I got them for my kids when they were little. They’re nice because you can put contact information on them for parents. They’re easier to get than state non-operator IDs. —Kelcey P.F.

‘God bless the president’ for attacking Iran: Iowa Senators, Senate candidates react to Operation Epic Fury (March 2)

Then send YOUR kids/ grandkids!! —Julie K.

Talk your kids out of joining the military if you can’t see them doing their job. This is coming from an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran. Military personnel know the risks when they join. —Brian G.

I think it’s disgraceful that anyone’s child is put at risk simply due to the hubris of a madman. —Julie K.

We’re resuming the medieval crusades. This can be the Pedophile Crusade. —Jeff M.

However much the Iowa Peanut Gallery might try to fake enthusiasm, the polls say only 27% of Americans support the attacks. Watch even that shrink as the spring and summer disappointments roll in. —John W.

INTERACTIONS

She [Ernst] only goes on Newsmax because she knows she’d embarrass herself on any legitimate outlet. These Republican ghouls love the idea of war because it makes them feel tough and they know, in the end, it’ll be some other person’s kids who end up dying. —Zark W.

Trump is doing the bidding of Netanyahu when no other President was stupid enough to do it. —Stella C.

The fact that any Republican considers themselves a patriot after all of the murderous self-defeating crap they have done is beyond insane. They spend the lives of our service men and women like tokens at an arcade. Not to mention, as we often don’t, the many thousands of lives lost in the countries they attack. And, of course, burning trillions of dollars even as they continue to protect billionaires from taxation. Is it any wonder that America’s enemies help Republican campaigns? —Randy K.

To all 6 Iowa Reichstag members. Pedophile protectors. You are pitiful examples of human beings. 245 days. VOTE BLUE! —Brad S.

“Epic fury” may also be used to describe the mid-terms coming up. —Glenda O.

Private college officials say they’re being threatened by Rep. Taylor Collins, House education chair (March 3)

So they don’t like the bill and he’s going to punish them for advocating against a bill. Could maybe not be so obvious? —Sharon F.

How short-sighted. Another way to inhibit a robust education of Iowa’s students. Educated students would have critical thinking skills that would see through this nonsense. —Garry B.

Soooo…they give public money to send children to private schools (no questions asked), now they want to take away public funds supporting private higher education. —Susan C.

Give higher education the Freedom to Flourish. —Charlie K.

Des Moines resident Norma Jean Warner has bequeathed her estate to a range of Iowa charities, including 485 libraries and 121 senior centers located in small towns. Warner died at the age of 85 on May 12, 2023; earlier this year, the law firm representing her estate sent letters to the beneficiaries to inform them of Warner’s gift. In recent years, public libraries have faced funding challenges and derision from state legislators accusing librarians of fostering “obscene” material, especially in the rural areas recognized by Warner.

INTERACTIONS

He attended a private university..... —Laura R.

This is the same a-hole who wants to take counties from Illinois. —Andy H.

Iowa used to be such a respected state for its high quality schools. Our current government seems to be doing everything it can to send us to the bottom of the pile. —Sandy K.S.

Licensed mental health providers are ethically prevented from providing conversion therapy, they would lose their state license. So the only ones who would provide it are unlicensed and untrained. Putting families and children at risk on many levels. —Jen G.

Iowa City arts organizer Nina lohman, publisher of Brink literary journal and co-founder of the upcoming Day Party festival, has been selected to take part in a literary programmers roundtable in Melbourne, Australia, a UNESCO City of Literature. Lohman is the sole representative from Iowa City and one of seven international guests representing Cities of Literature invited to experience the Melbourne Writers’ Festival in May and participate in the roundtable.

Attorney and 2004 Grinnell College graduate Chase Strangio has been selected to deliver the commencement speech for Grinnell’s Class of 2026 this spring. Strangio is the co-director of the ACLU LGBTQ and HIV Rights Projects and, in 2024, became the first openly transgender lawyer to deliver oral arguments in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. Skrmetti. Prior to that, he worked on Obergefell v. Hodges, which saw same-sex marriage legalized nationwide, and other Supreme Court cases challenging discrimination against LGBTQ Americans.

Letter to the editor: Two bills would require Iowa schools remove and punish kids who are even mildly disruptive (March 3)

This bill is terrifying. Even my teacher friends and family say it goes way too far. —Lydia F.

This may result in disruptive students staying in the classroom when behaviors are happening, rather than helpful intervention occuring in real time. Teachers and paras may hesitate to send the students to the office. This law would not solve the problem, but instead make the issue worse. —Marge W.

Let’s be clear what this “therapy” is. Done by religious leaders and counselors not licensed mental health professionals. Often includes the ritual abuse called exorcism and even includes sexual assault because religious zealots believe it will make one “straight“. The pedophile patriarchy has told us what they believe is normal and it’s time to face it all and protect trans lives. —Jennifer A.

‘Chipping away at the rights of Iowans’: House passes bill to eliminate local civil rights protections for trans people (March 6)

Conversion therapy, affirmative action bills pass Iowa House (March 5)

Once a leader in civil rights, no more. —Natali J.P.

JESSIE KRAEMER

via the Norma Jean Warner Trust

via the Author

• KCCK’s Taste of Jazz, Friday, April 24 at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center, $200 value (drawing on 4/6)

• William Elliott Whitmore’s sold-out show, Saturday, May 2 at Codfish Hollow (drawing on 4/20)

• Built to Spill, Wednesday, May 13 at Codfish Hollow (drawing on 4/27)

Winners will be randomly selected from our list of donors and active print subscribers. You’ll have 24 hours to respond before we draw the next name, so please check your emails!

“I

-Parent

Sadly, this is a constituency that Rob Sand has made clear he won’t protect. —Chris E.

If the state won’t protect us, we will protect ourselves, arm up girls. —Rat T.

Gov. Kim Reynolds kicks off her ‘Legacy Tour’ just days after signing bill undermining the rights of trans Iowans (March 11)

If you need a ‘tour’ funded by constituent donations, you don’t have a legacy, just a business model. —Michael W.

What is there to celebrate? —Lisa M.

that she’s leaving we can all tell her don’t let the door hit you and the arse. —Rondalyn W.

Every arsonist eventually leaves the scene, I guess; she just waited until nothing was left but ashes. —Lisa M.

It will take decades to recover our rights from her “legacy” of hate. —Tish A.S.

A legacy of corruption. —Joe P.

Shocking that she’s the most unpopular governor in America 3 years running… —Mike M.

Undermining civil and human rights... a failing standing and undermining of public Education and Budget... hateful divisive legislation...that is her legacy. —Marion Alliance for Racial Equity

Letter to the editor: Stop asking young people to defend the status quo (March 16)

When real leftist candidates are an option, the kids show up (and the establishment tells them they’re wrong). —Nick B.

Terry Branstad endorses Randy Feenstra for governor, The Family Leader endorses Adam Steen (March 18)

But, is he tall enough? —Jayne H. Did Terry show him how to cook the books too. —Nick M.

Rob Sand being labeled as extreme liberal is hilarious. —Steven C.

Oooh, mommy and daddy are fighting. —Cindy O.P.

Iowa has been under a Republican governor since 2011. Time for a change. —Carla J.

I’m sorry but I exported myself bc I don’t feel safe being pregnant or a woman in Iowa anymore. But cool narrative TerBear! —Lauren B.

Young person here….Feenstra would make me run to the east coast. —Mira G.

I’m sorry, you spelled POS supports POS incorrectly. —Matthew L.

In Case You

Missed It

Catch up on LV’s top arts stories from March.

237 Collective to mark its new nonprofit status with a cozy night of poetry and storytelling in Cedar rapids

By Jessica Cline, March 12

ago became Jason Biggs’ directorial debut By Liz Rosa, March 17

review: Descendants

lead Q.C. punk fans in a night of aggression and joy, joined by Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Nobro By Broc Nelson, March 18

Des Moines screenwriter Joshua Johnson on how a Hitchcock spoof he penned 10 years

BAX

THE BACHELOR OF ARTS EXHIBITION

APRIL 16 – MAY 18, 2026

This exhibition features work in the creative arts by third- and fourth-year Grinnell College students. This year’s juror is New York-based artist Kevork Mourad.

UNRULY LINES

THE ART OF SONJA SEKULA

JANUARY 22 – JUNE 1, 2026

Left: From BAX 2025: James Snyder. Permanence, 2025.

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Fully Booked: Recommendations from Local Librarians

Prose Books Authored By Poets

Iam a lifelong poetry lover. It began with my Shel Silverstein obsession as a child and carried through into my adulthood, as I discovered amazing poets like Lucille Clifton, Sharon Olds and Sandra Cisneros. I love poetry the same way I love short stories; it’s incredible the way a skilled writer can distill complex emotions and themes into a short form.

Although my love for poetry stems from childhood, I acknowledge that reading poetry as an adult can be an acquired taste. So, in honor of National Poetry Month in April, I want to offer a different way to celebrate, by recommending prose written by poets. It might even inspire you to pick up a volume of their poetry.

I’ll start with one of my favorite nonfiction books of the last decade, How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith. Smith takes you on a tour of monuments and landmarks that share the essential stories of enslaved people, often hidden in plain sight. The writing in this book is some of the best I’ve ever read, and I attribute that to his lyrical style.

All Night Pharmacy by Ruth Madisky is written in a chaotic, intoxicating prose that drops you right into the seedy underbelly of L.A. and doesn’t let up until you turn the last page. We follow our unnamed narrator as she confronts her toxic relationship with her sister (who has just disappeared), her addiction and her sexuality. Medisky’s sharp and visceral imagery jumps off the page.

Although this novel clocks in at around 800 pages, The Love Songs of W.E.B. Dubois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers is well worth your time. It chronicles Ailey’s journey through her family’s complicated past in Jeffers’ gorgeous prose. Over the course of the novel, Ailey comes to terms with her heritage and learns how to build her own life against the backdrop of her family’s history in the American South.

The alchemy of language is powerful, and these poets are masters of the craft. Whether you are picking up one of their books or a volume of their poetry, you will always find beauty in their work.

—Jes McCauley, Des Moines Public Library

New DC Comics Absolutely Worth Your Time

DC Comics’ Absolute titles are reimagined and radical new takes on their most popular heroes, and have genuinely got me excited about reading comics again. The set-up is fascinating: The characters of the Absolute universe are at a disadvantage, because this world bends towards darkness and evil.

Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were the first wave of titles, featuring exceptional stories and fantastic art. The next three— Green Lantern, The Flash and Martian Manhunter—are amazing as well.

Absolute Green Lantern diverges wildly from the mainline title. In the first volume, Without Fear, there is no Green Lantern Corps. Instead, there is an alien who has trapped the small town of Evergreen inside an impenetrable green barrier. After the alien begins passing judgement and disappearing the people of Evergreen, Jo Mullein and Hal Jordan confront it and are greatly changed by the encounter (and not in a good way). Writer Al Ewing sets up engrossing mysteries that really draw you in.

powers after interrupting a science experiment at the military base in which he lives. Though the nature of his powers aren’t clear, he appears to have super speed and may be unmoored from time. A group of soldiers, the Rogues, are tasked with tracking him down. The art by Nick Robles is vibrant, and it captures Wally’s youth well.

The best title of the three is definitely Absolute Martian Manhunter. Martian Manhunter is probably the least well-known character to get the Absolute treatment, and writer Deniz Camp, along with artist Javier Rodriguez, take advantage of that to create a truly trippy experience. After FBI Agent John Jones’ brain is infected by an alien being known as the Martian, the two reach an uneasy understanding. It’s good that they do, because the powers they’re up against can warp reality and minds.

Absolute Flash, on the other hand, is not a massive departure from the usual DC character mythos. In Of Two Worlds, Wally West is given

The second Absolute volumes of DC’s three main heroes are now available as well. I read both Absolute Batman and Absolute Wonder Woman Volume 2, and they continue to excel; the latter, in my opinion, is the finest comic book currently published. You can find all of these and many more at the library!

—Brad Visser, Iowa City Public Library

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pOr JUAN MErAZ

l 22 de febrero fue abatido Nemesio Osegera, alias “El Mencho”, líder de un cartel mexicano. La noticia de su muerte fue rápidamente difundida por medios de comunicación de todo el mundo, junto con fuertes imágenes de las represalias por integrantes del cartel. La impresión es de un México sin gobernabilidad. Nadie niega que la situación es preocupante y que el gobierno frecuentemente parece ser superado por el crimen organizado. ¿Nos hemos preguntado cuál es la raíz de la violencia?

La desigualdad económica es la causa principal del narcotráfico. Las armas, la demanda de droga, el dinero y la incompetencia o negligencia del gobierno en turno estadounidense avivan el fuego de la violencia en México. El 75% del tráfico de armas es de Estados Unidos. Fabricantes y vendedores de armas venden impunemente sus productos a los carteles.

México sufrió un largo periodo de abandono social por parte de presidentes mexicanos educados en EE. UU. Los gobiernos neoliberales de 1982 a 2018 olvidaron al pueblo; millones de mexicanos se vieron obligados a emigrar a ciudades mexicanas o a EE. UU., y muchos se vieron obligados a unirse a algún cartel. El capitalismo voraz moldeó la economía mexicana. Los derechos se convirtieron en mercancía.

La descomposición de la sociedad en EE. UU. también contribuye a la violencia en México. El mercado estadounidense mantiene esclavizados a muchos de sus ciudadanos en trabajos de bajos salarios y sin prestaciones donde se sienten atrapados; éstos mismos trabajadores encuentran en las drogas una salida efímera de la realidad. Cada día vemos más gente sin hogar, viviendo y mendigando en las calles por toda la unión americana. México es vecino del mercado de droga más grande del mundo; que es también la economía más grande.

El gobierno estadounidense poco hace para combatir las causas reales de su descomposición social y de la drogadicción en su país. Se enfoca principalmente en medidas coercitivas, represión y cárcel. No se combate la raíz del problema. ¿Acaso la violencia en México le conviene a EE. UU.?

El territorio mexicano es inmensamente rico en recursos naturales; petróleo, minerales y tierras raras, estratégicas para el desarrollo de cualquier nación. El subsuelo mexicano pertenece a la nación; algunos

de estos recursos fueron nacionalizados por López Obrador para garantizar el bienestar de la población.

En el 2018 México cambió el rumbo político; López Obrador sentó las bases de la cuarta transformación. En el 2024 México eligió a Claudia Sheinbaum para continuar con la transformación. La estrategia cambió; los recursos naturales que antes estaban a la venta, pertenecen nuevamente al pueblo.

Ya vimos y seguimos viendo lo que el gobierno de Estados Unidos es capaz de hacer por petróleo y otras materias primas. El imperialismo estadounidense ha saqueado históricamente a toda Latinoamérica; cualquier país progresista que difiera de los intereses de Washington es intervenido. Un país inestable y debilitado es más fácil de manipular en favor de las transnacionales. La violencia es solo la punta del témpano de hielo.

Why the Violence in Mexico?

TrANSlATED BY ClAUDIA pOZZOBON pOTrATZ

On Feb. 22, Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” leader of a Mexican cartel, was killed. The news of his death spread quickly through global media, along with graphic images of the reprisals carried out by cartel members. The impression is one of a Mexico without governability.

No one denies that the situation is alarming and that the government often seems overwhelmed by organized crime. But have we asked ourselves: what is the root of this violence?

Economic inequality is the main cause of drug trafficking. Weapons, drug demand, money and the incompetence or negligence of the U.S. government in power fuel the flames of violence in Mexico. Seventy-five percent of all arms trafficking comes from the United States. Weapons manufacturers and dealers sell their products to the cartels with impunity. Mexico endured a long period of social abandonment by Mexican presidents educated in

the U.S. The neoliberal governments from 1982 to 2018 forgot about the people; millions of Mexicans were forced to migrate to Mexican cities or to the U.S., and many were pushed to join a cartel. Predatory capitalism shaped the Mexican economy. Human rights were turned into merchandise.

The deterioration of U.S. society also contributes to violence in Mexico. The U.S. market keeps many of its citizens enslaved in low-wage jobs without benefits, where they feel trapped; these same workers turn to drugs as a fleeting escape from reality. Every day we see more unhoused people living and begging on the streets across the United States. Mexico borders the largest drug market in the world, which is also the world’s largest economy.

The U.S. government does little to address the real causes of its social decay and drug addiction crisis. It focuses mainly on coercive measures, repression and incarceration. The root of the problem is not addressed. Does violence in Mexico perhaps benefit the United States?

The Mexican territory is immensely rich in natural resources: oil, minerals and rare earth elements (REEs) that are strategic for any nation’s development. Mexico’s subsoil belongs to the nation; some of these resources were nationalized by López Obrador to guarantee the population’s wellbeing.

In 2018, Mexico changed its political direction; López Obrador laid the foundations for the Fourth Transformation. In 2024, Mexico elected Claudia Sheinbaum to continue this transformation. The strategy shifted; the natural resources that were once up for sale now belong once again to the people.

We have seen, and now continue to see, what the U.S. government is capable of doing for access to oil and other raw materials. U.S. imperialism has historically plundered all Latin America. Any progressive country that differs from Washington’s interests is subjected to intervention. An unstable and weakened country is easier to manipulate in favor of transnational corporations. Violence is only the tip of the iceberg.

Juan A. Meraz es estudiante de español a tiempo parcial, con interés en la educación secundaria en la Universidad de Iowa. Vive en West Liberty y trabaja en construcción.

A burnt car in Jalisco, Mexico, after attacks by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in retaliation for the killing of El Mencho. La Prensa Gráfica Noticias de El Salvador / CC BY 4.0

OverAirplanes the Landfill

Airspace is rare, but RC flying has kept local hobbyists grounded since the ’70s.

BY WIllIAM lOWEll

If you jump on Melrose Avenue and drive west out of Iowa City, you’ll pass Chatham Oaks, the historic Poor Farm and the National Reserve base. The speed limit is 35 mph, but I’ve never seen anybody go less than 50. You’ll know the dump is coming up when you see huge flocks of birds swelling and settling in the distance. Almost at the gates of the dump, there is a small green building. It’s solid, although somewhat brutalized by the weather.

On the other side of the building—it almost looks like a control tower—there is a small landing strip. This is the Aerohawks Flying Field, an official FRIA (Federal Aviation Administration Recognized Identification Area) and home to the Iowa City Aerohawks RC Flying Club.

When the gate is locked and no one is there, it gives the same feeling as the county fairgrounds in the off-season. But the Aerohawks have been flying here since before the first RAGBRAI. They’ve been around so long that members are unclear about the date the club was founded; there is even debate about the spelling of their name.

It was sometime in the ’50s that people first started getting together down at the Iowa City Municipal Airport to fly control-line planes—precursors to radiocontrolled planes. Two cables attached the plane to a remote control. The range was limited to something like a kite, and members took turns flying in circles.

When the Aerohawks switched to RC, they had to find a new home, because it wasn’t safe to have small planes puttering freely around the airport. In 1972, the municipal landfill lent them the space. Since then, it has been a local quirk: When you go to the dump you might also get a mini airshow.

Utilizing small club dues, fundraising and the borrowed skills of its members, the Aerohawks constructed the clubhouse. They built and rebuilt the landing strip as the landfill shifted the ground under their feet. Perhaps because I had only seen them from a distance, they felt mysterious, the same way the dump is mysterious to kids. It seemed as though there was a secret waiting to be stumbled upon.

It turns out the Aerohawks are an open book. The club hosts float shows, barbecues, swap meets and an annual airshow out by the landfill. It’s open, free to the public and attracts as many as 2,000 spectators.

When I met longtime member Rich VeDepo at his workshop, there were two things I noticed: These RC planes are bigger than I expected, and these guys seem really nice.

VeDepo got involved with RC because of his kids. Together, they learned how to build and fly their own planes. Thirty-eight years later, VeDepo is still working on his collection, and a lot has changed in the RC world.

It used to be you bought kits of balsa wood parts, and everything was stuck together with Elmer’s glue. The engines were taken and modified from yard trimmers, running on a combination of nitromethane, methanol and castor oil. Building an RC plane took an entire winter, and there were no guarantees. If you crashed your plane on your first flight, you might be out of luck. Now, specialty retailers sell ARF—almost ready to fly—planes that can be put together over one or two weekends. You can find foam planes with built-in gyros, and tiny, light battery engines. The only tool needed is a screwdriver.

When VeDepo went to his first meeting, dragged by his eldest son, the Aerohawks gave him a list of things to buy and some flying lessons. It’s the same

The entrance to the Iowa City Aerohawks Flying Field at 3900 Hebel Ave SW, Iowa City. William Lowell / Little Village

way now, he said—before you purchase anything, you should come to a meeting. The club is full of people who will point you in the right direction and work to save you from the pain of watching your first prized flyer fall out of the sky.

Two of VeDepo’s sons grew up to be actual pilots, and it’s not surprising. A lot of the knowhow translates, and there are many members who fly full-scale and model planes. A control stick between the legs is a lot like the joystick on a remote. The difference is, as VeDepo explained, “RC is a lot cheaper, and you walk away from all your crashes.”

VeDepo put me in contact with Marc Shelstrom, the former assistant vice president of the Academy of Model Aeronautics. The AMA represents flying clubs all over the country, and they tout a membership of nearly 200,000, but the future of RC still feels uncertain to Shelstrom. He’s noticed local hobby shops have closed down or face strain from tariffs. A good hobby shop used to be the heart of a flying community.

Even the companies behind the model kits are in flux. Dumas Products, a manufacturer in Tucson, Arizona used by many Aerohawks, will be closing operations in May after 70 years in business. With the advent of consumer drones, new regulations have limited American airspace. As of 2024, all drone and model aircraft use must be confined to FRIA-designated areas without Remote ID broadcast technology. As you might imagine, the government can be skittish about unmanned remote aircraft.

Another challenge for the RC hobby is time. Part of Shelstrom’s job involves visiting clubs around the Midwest, and he says a vast majority of membership is made up of retired men. It’s not such a terrible thing, except it seems there are too few newbies waiting to take up the mantle.

Shelstrom built his first balsa wood plane when he was 8 years old. He was taught to fly by his dad and,

like VeDepo, he taught his own son. I heard a few stories like this talking to Aerohawks: dads passing the hobby down to their kids. It makes flying sound like an inheritance. But VeDepo and Shelstrom both agree that the future of the hobby depends on attracting a more diverse membership.

Sensing the strength of their community, Shelstrom joined the Aerohawks 10 years ago. There have been members as young as 11 and seniors pushing 100, high school kids and college students, working-class guys and actual rocket scientists. It’s decidedly maledominated, but a few women have joined as well. Not so long ago, while still in high school, Liz Peters was acting president.

There’s turbulence ahead, however. The Iowa City Landfill is expanding and reclaiming their cell of land after more than 50 years. By June 2028, the Aerohawks have to be gone. They are on the lookout for a new field and following a lead on some private farmland, but it’s still unclear where they will end up.

It’s like 1972 all over again. What must the original members have thought when they first drove up the road to the dump, with all the birds, trash and mud? Trucks driving by all day, kicking up gravel? How long did it take them to make it the perfect airfield?

I asked VeDepo to describe the ideal situation, and he said it would be great to get some help from the city, perhaps access to a park or a baseball field. A lot of RC clubs can only exist if a city lends them flying space. The return is a public good, a place where community is fostered.

The Aerohawks are optimistic about the future, because the club has already renewed itself so many times. Adjusting to changing winds is old hat.

The municipal dump can do whatever it wants to do, the guys told me. It’s their land. But it reminds me of The Mill being torn down and replaced with a parking lot, or the Centennial Building being shuttered by state officials. In their place is left a shell. It’s too bad, because these novelties make our town unique.

Without this field, the Aerohawks won’t have enough room to host their annual airshow. It’s their biggest event, and this year’s show on July 12 may be their last. VeDepo will serve as announcer. His son will be one of the flyers. Members will come together from as far out as Wisconsin.

When talking about losing the field, Vedepo smiled and scratched his chin.

“Time marches on,” he said.

Iowa

Sunday, July 12, 11 a.m.,

Lowell / Little Village

RC-curious? Check LV’s guide to clubs and hobby shops around Iowa to help get you flying. Club information gathered from modelaircraft.org. For corrections please email editor@littlevillagemag.com

Iowa RC Clubs

Iowa City Aerohawks Inc, Iowa City iowacityaerohawks.com 66 members

Cedar rapids

SkyHawks rC Club, Skyhawks Field, Marion crskyhawks.org, 88 members

Cedar rapids Quiet Flyers, Seminole Valley park, Cedar rapids cedarrapidsquietflyers. com, 34 members

Des Moines Modelaires, Knapp learning Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Des Moines desmoinesmodelaires. com, 127 members

NW Iowa rC Club, Storm lake Airport, Storm lake modelaircraft.org/club/ nw-iowa-rc-club, 20 members

Black Hawk rC pilots, prairie lakes park, Cedar Falls bhrcp.org, 36 members

Cobras rC Club, COBrA Field, Council Bluffs facebook.com/ cobrasrc, 55 members

Central Iowa

Aeromodelers, Swallow Field, Cambridge centraliowaaero modelers.weebly.com, 30 members

Ottumwa radio Control Flyers, 150th Ave, Ottumwa, 21 members

Burlington Model Airplane Club, North 3rd Street, Burlington tiny.cc/bmac, 19 members

river City rC Club. North Iowa Fairgrounds, Mason City rivercityrcclub.com, 31 members

Hobby Shops

Crash’n Bash Hobbies 4601 6th St SW Ste B, Cedar Rapids, 319-377-1567

Dan’s rC Hobby House 2515 Horton Rd, Waverly, 319-352-1867

The Hobby Corner 1606 Sycamore St, Iowa City, 319-338-1788

Hobby Haven 2575 86th St, Urbandale, 515-276-8785

The Hobby Shop 200 Main St, Ames, 515-232-6321

HobbyTown 1701 SE Delaware Ave #100, Ankeny, 515-964-0443

Major Art & Hobby Center 201 E 2nd St, Davenport, 563-323-9042

Star Collectibles Hobby Center 810 Division St, Muscatine, 563-288-3429

City Aerohawks Annual Air Show

Iowa City Aerohawks Flying Field

The Aerohawks clubhouse is filled from floor to ceiling with RC planes.

William

You Can’t Fake Gravity

In the ring, boos are as good as cheers and wrestlers become something out of their childhood imaginations.

BY MAlCOlM MacDOUGAll

t this point, it’s cliche to declare “pro wrestling is fake.” Everybody, the audience and wrestlers included, knows the outcomes are predetermined and nobody’s actually assassinating each other offring. But as wrestlers jump six feet in the air and hurl headfirst towards a thin layer of foam laid over wooden boards, which rattle like a drumroll every time a body smacks against them, I doubt the word “fake” is running through anyone’s mind.

Between tribute bands, themed raves and touring acts, Des Moines venue Wooly’s hosts events produced by 3XWrestling, an independent wrestling promotion company based in Central Iowa, active since 2005. I attended 3XW’s bout on Friday, March 6 for a crash course in kayfabe.

The first match was between the Irish Haggernaut, a chunk of a man who looks like an inflated Paul brother, and Leon King, a slimmer, acrobatically built guy who strutted out arrayed in a shimmering sequined robe to his own theme music. He had it commissioned specifically.

There’s about two weight classes between the two, but that’s part of the fun. King skittered like a balletic spider, pouncing on the larger man, whirling around him, and somehow slamming him to the ground with his feet around Haggernaut’s head. It created a kaboom that caromed off of the walls.

Families sat in the front row and kids jumped up and down, holding out hands for high-fives, shouting requests like “Crossbody him!” or “Sleeper hold!” as wrestlers climbed up the ropes, perched

gargoyle-like on the corners, scanned the room back and forth to build the tension. Youngsters love pro wrestling, and they’re the ones who scream first and loudest. It makes sense; a lot of pro wrestling feels like adolescent wish fulfillment in the form of musclebound adults in Spandex—a lifesize version of a kid banging action figures together.

“I think it allows [adults] to touch their imagination and inner child,” wrestler Mark “The American Bulldog” McDowell told me in an interview after his fight. “So much gets sucked out because of all the responsibilities they have … So, you really get to delve into your inner psyche, becoming something other—maybe what you always wanted.”

I also talked to Rory Fox, a wrestler from the second match who preened and snarled at the audience, dressed in preposterous St. Patrick’s Day sunglasses and bowler. He was slick with sweat, straddling a folding chair in a little room backstage as the rumble of the ring shook the walls. “They don’t know me,” he said, “but out there they know Rory Fox is an asshole. They believe Rory Fox is an asshole, and I’ll try every dirty tactic out there.”

He talked like he was cutting a promo, his voice booming in the small space. “I can get them to suspend their belief for just a little bit, get some real emotion. That doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years and years of dedication to the craft, the psychology, the manipulation of the fans.”

There was a spark in the eyes of every wrestler I interviewed, a fanatic love that drives them. It’s not just the money—they get paid, but sometimes it’s a “hotdog and a handshake,” King said. It’s a gig that can take wrestlers across the country, but it’s more a side hustle than a full-time job for most, with variable pay and lots of travel.

It’s not really about the prestige, either. Sure, you can strive for a shot at the major promotions, but even if you’re lucky enough to get booked, all it takes is an injury or an executive’s casual decision not to renew your contract and you’re back fighting your way to the top.

From top: Jon West “The American Fury” takes on Luke Langley in the 3XW Tag Team Championship at Wooly’s in Des Moines on Friday, March 6; Positive or negative, “that crowd reaction is a drug to me,” says wrestler Rory Fox; Blair Onyx (right) and Shazza McKenzie face off in the 3XW Women’s Match. Britt Fowler / Little Village

It’s the crowd, the hooting layers of people surrounding the ring, the booing and cheering and chanting, that keeps them going.

“Oh, my God, pro wrestling is the greatest when it’s done right,” Fox said. “When you elicit those loud reactions at the point in the match where you were expecting it to happen, when that all comes together, it’s the greatest. That crowd reaction is a drug for me, the booing, it just makes me so happy. That is my standing ovation.“

For such an aggressive sport, there was a surprising range of ages on the March 6 roster. American Bulldog McDowell is a 51-year-old with the broad build and hulking shoulders of a bear. A former football and rugby player, cheerleader and Army vet, he’s not only a wrestler but a promoter for 3XW, putting together the graphics and pre-bout intro videos. Pro wrestling, his passion for two decades, is the hardest thing he’s ever done.

“I always, always say you can’t fake gravity. It is very much a dance of sorts with partners … [but] things do get physical. I mean, I accidentally kicked somebody in the nose and there’s blood and all that stuff.”

Next was a match between Bruss Hamilton, the Gentleman Barbarian, who looks like three #menswear guys from the 2010s mashed together into a scarily yoked strongman, and Sam Stackhouse, a hulking 450-pound dude. It was “a couple of big meaty men slapping at each other,” as the announcer put it. Then Bruss picked Stackhouse up and hurled him to the ground, and I found myself grabbing the sides of my head in disbelief. There’s no way to get around it, no tricks or theatrical manipulations—it’s just a guy pulling off a genuinely incredible feat of strength.

There’s more to it than a typical sport, though. In WWE, AEW or the other big promotions, the storylines between wrestlers can last for months, with extensive ad campaigns and recap segments. It’s harder to pull it off on the indie level, where it’s always someone’s first encounter with the company. Still, it’s worth it to follow individual wrestlers that strike your fancy and see the effort they’ve put in.

“I did a storyline out in Arkansas,” King told me. “It was months of story. Me and this guy, we had a ‘Three Stages of Hell’ match. We wrestled for an hour and nine minutes. It was just brutality. I put skewers in his head. When I got to the back after we did what we did and the crowd got into the story, I started crying, so much emotion came over me.”

Story is important in wrestling, and there’s a skill to it that has a lot in common with improv theater.

KJ Orso, the headliner of the bill and a former AEW wrestler, was the best I’d seen all night, a wiry ball of nasty charisma who strode out with an assured cockiness to a chorus of boos—many people in the audience knew him enough to hate him. He wore white wrestling boots with SAVANT plastered down the side. His slim, wiry build made him look tiny next to his matchup, Camaro Jackson, a musclebound guy who stands a head taller and glistened with body oil. His

voice carried over the crowd noise as he howled that he’s gonna “pin his opponent in record time and get outta this dump town of Des Moines, Iowa.”

Orso’s been at this for a long time, too. At 14, he used a Christmas-gifted camera to record videos of him and his brothers backyard wrestling on the family trampoline. He kept at it until, by 17, he was pulling in around $1,500 a month from YouTube monetization, by his estimation. That was before the adpocalypse, when YouTube kneecapped incomes for creators covering controversial subjects—simulated violence included, apparently. After that, Orso started officially training and adopted the luchador-inspired persona of Fuego Del Sol.

During the pandemic, when international travel restrictions meant that AEW was short wrestlers, he joined in on Jacksonville tapings and eventually worked his way into a two-year TV career with AEW, the second-largest wrestling promotion after WWE.

During his Fuego del Sol era, Orso was a good guy, a “face” in wrestling vernacular, but 10 months prior to the match, he took off the mask and turned “heel,” a holdover term from the days when pro wrestling was a carnie gig. The heel is the villain of the show, and also the ringleader. The face has an easy job: get the bad guy, win. The heel, though, has to convince the audience that he’s worth taking down, worth booing and screaming and taunting.

Orso loves it. There was a glee in his eyes as he sauntered around the ring with his jaw thrust out, snapping his head towards the most vocal audience members to glare them down.

What surprised me the most was that, although the endings are predetermined by the producers to serve a longer-term narrative goal, everything between the walk-in and the finishing pin is improvised. Most moves are generally recognized between wrestlers,

and it’s a partner dance at the end of the day. That’s where the showmanship comes in—and the skill.

During the final match, Orso slammed Jackson into the corner and somehow barred his entire body across him, pinning him in as he did one of those paint-me-like-your-French-girls poses on the middle rope while blowing kisses at the camera. Jackson got him back, though, dragging him to the front row and inviting the kids—who at this point are practically foaming at the mouth—to slap Orso in the chest. He was lucky to get away with some patches of red skin.

“There is no, ‘hey guys, don’t hit me hard’ … I did this three months ago in Wichita, Kansas, and this little girl rears back and I think she’s going to slap my chest, and she just punches me in the jaw,” Orso said. “Luckily, she’s 8 years old, and I can take a punch, but even my opponent had to stop themselves from corpsing and breaking because they found it hilarious.”

When he finally won the match by slamming his opponent into a corner where he’d pulled back the protective padding, then choking him into submission, it felt hard-won, earned. He’s a bad guy, for sure, an asshole par excellence, and the ending was a tragedy where the bad guy wins.

“There’s a story of a match that can be told in one night that you can try to get over,” Orso explained. “That’s what you focus on, because you want to get them enamored in the story [so] that they will lose themselves and cheer, and boom.”

“There’s no art form like this, right?” he continued. “We are circus performers. We are stuntmen. We are comedians. We are improv actors. Illusionists. Athletes. We are all of this rolled into one, right? It’s all on the fly. It’s on the spot. There’s no retakes. There’s no redos. There’s no yelling ‘cut!’s. We have to just go out there and do it. And if you can allow yourself to get lost in it, it is the best live experience.”

Defending champ KJ Orso grapples with Camaro Jackson in the 3XW Heavyweight Championship. Britt Fowler / Little Village

Hands-Free

Everyone and their dog is welcome to enjoy a ride on one of Johnson County’s new bicycles built for three.

BY JANE ClASpY NESMITH

There’s nothing like the feeling of freedom when riding a bicycle, attached to the earth only by a couple of spinning tires, the road spooling out in front of you, the wind in your hair. But for some people, the delight of riding a bike is just a distant memory. Limited mobility, injuries, or the changes of aging can make cycling a thing of the past.

Enter the trishaw: a bicycle built for three. Like a backwards rickshaw, the vehicle is powered by a rider pedaling and steering in the back, while the passengers sit in front with a great view and the wind in their hair.

You may have seen a trishaw trundling along the bike paths near City Park in Iowa City. A new chapter of an international nonprofit organization, Cycling Without Age Johnson County (CWA-JC), purchased the vehicle and has been taking local residents on trishaw rides. Its overall goal is to bring the joy of cycling to those who cannot cycle independently.

Cycling Without Age is fairly new to eastern Iowa, its first trishaw delivered to Iowa City in August 2025. But the group’s founders and volunteers are

Years ago, she’d been hit by a car, and was confined to a wheelchair with serious injuries and seven pounds of pins in her legs.

“I was living in San Francisco, and it was not easy to get out,” she said, recalling the steep hills and busy streets. But then a friend came to the rescue and took her out to Golden Gate Park.

“It was almost psychedelic,” she said, laughing. “My senses had become so dull from being inside that I became hyper-aware of everything when I was out in that park.”

That experience stayed with her, and when she discovered an organization that was dedicated to helping people of all abilities get outdoors, she knew she wanted to be a part of it.

Footner invited me to come take a ride in a trishaw and find out more about the program.

Their current base of operations is Ashton House, home of Iowa City’s Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation programs. The location is perfect; wide, well-maintained trails fan out from the area through neighborhoods, parks and the nearby campus.

People gather at Ashton House on Nov. 3, 2025 to celebrate Cycling Without Age Johnson County’s newly acquired Nihola Combo trishaw, on display next to chapter co-founder Nancy Footner (center-right). CWA-JC’s newest set of wheels allows a passenger in a wheelchair to easily board the trishaw for a ride. Nicole Yeager / Little Village

Denmark, a country with a strong cycling culture as well as a tradition of beautiful design.

Behind the elegant carriage was a sleek black e-assist bicycle with two wheels in front under the carriage, and one in back.

This particular trishaw works well for passengers like me, who can step into the seat on our own. A second trishaw, which arrived in late October, has a removable seat. Wheelchair users can roll up a ramp and into position without having to navigate a transfer.

When I arrived, the trishaw was sitting out in the sun, ready to go. The front-facing passenger seats,

“It’s got a Danish design look,” said Footner.

The trishaw—and the organization Cycling Without Age itself—are from

The pilot is responsible for peddling the bike and propelling the trishaw. Our pilot was none other than Michelle Voss.

Voss is an avid cyclist and volunteer with the Iowa City Bike Library. She worked with Footner on establishing a Johnson County chapter of Cycling Without Age—the first in Iowa. Once the fledgling nonprofit had raised funds to buy a trishaw, the Bike Library invited them to be a partner, generously helping to fund the program and sharing space on their website.

My fellow passenger, Tom McMurray, had heard of the Bike Library through his wife, who donated a bicycle there. McMurray had recently taken his old yellow Schwinn down to the consignment store, so he was ready for the delight of a bike ride once again.

Once we had signed our waivers and been offered bike helmets to wear (we both declined, preferring to “feel the wind in our hair” as the organization’s website promises), we climbed aboard, buckled ourselves in, and were off.

A trio sets out for a trishaw ride from Ashton House. Nicole Yeager / Little Village

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Rolling along in the beautiful Iowa sunshine at about 10 miles per hour, we waved at neighbors while people on the trail moved aside with a smile. The slow speed of the trishaw seems to invite interactions with others. In fact, helping people overcome social isolation is one of the goals of the nonprofit.

As we rolled through City Park, an older couple with a dog stopped to talk with us.

“We’ve seen people out in that before, and we wondered about it,” the woman said. Voss quickly handed them a card with information about Cycling Without Age.

“We could give you a ride—and we could give your dog a ride, too,” Voss said with a smile.

Pilots like Voss go through training before they’re able to take people out. Though the vehicle is designed to be very safe, it still takes a bit of practice for pilots to get used to its wider turns and large dimensions. Before CWA-JC got its first trishaw, volunteers were able to train on a trishaw owned by Legacy Senior Living in Iowa City. CWA-JC still gives trishaw rides at Legacy.

Riding along in the front of the trishaw, I was able to see areas of Iowa City that I wasn’t familiar with before. The prospect of blazing new pathways for her passengers is exciting to Voss. A professor in the University of Iowa Department of Psychiatry and Brain Science, she’s been studying the connection between physical fitness and healthy brain aging.

“When people are on these rides, the part of the brain dedicated to navigation is active,” Voss said. “It’s activated by the physical experience of moving through the environment.” So even without physically pedaling a bicycle, passengers are exercising their brains.

In the fall of 2025, the organization purchased a wheelchair-accessible trishaw with funds from a Community Challenge Grant from AARP. Wheelchair users can roll their chairs up a ramp and right onto the trishaw for a no-transfer ride.

At the Ashton House, Iowa City resident Bob Molsberry, a longtime wheelchair user, maneuvered athletically into and out of this new trishaw with the ramp. Although Molsberry is perfectly able to cycle on his own with an adaptive handcycle (he’s ridden in RAGBRAI 31 times), he enjoyed a ride in the trishaw.

“It’s fun to have someone to talk to,” he said.

Iowa springs can be cold. Fortunately, underneath the seat of each trishaw is a cozy fleece and canvas blanket to make sure passengers stay warm. A retractable awning offers shade and some wind protection.

“The trishaws came from Scandinavia,” Voss said. “They’re tough.” As long as the paths are clear, volunteer pilots plan to keep giving rides all year round.

Seeds & Stems

Iowa Republicans fire up a Weedwacker every legislative session, ensuring the funds and freedoms of a legalized cannabis program can’t sprout.

BY pAUl BrENNAN

Some bills die quietly in the Iowa Legislature. HF 2206 did this year. It attracted minimal attention among lawmakers when it was introduced on Jan. 29, even though the bill had 15 House members as sponsors. It drew even less attention outside the Capitol Building, despite the fact it would have done something polling suggests most Iowans want: legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

HF 2206 was introduced and referred to the House Judiciary Committee. That was it, nothing else happened. Compared to HF 2206, HF 442—the bill to legalize recreational marijuana during the 2023-2025 session of the legislature—almost looks successful. Almost.

HF 442 had more than twice as many sponsors as HF 2206, and it almost had a subcommittee hearing. A subcommittee was appointed, but the hearing didn’t happen and the bill died. Still, HF 442 did attract attention when it was introduced in February 2023.

House Democrats held a news conference that was covered by major Iowa media outlets when they introduced the bill.

“This issue is ready for prime time in the state of Iowa,” Rep. Jennifer Konfrst, then the House Minority Leader, said at the news conference.

It wasn’t the first time a bill to legalize recreational marijuana had been introduced. In 2019, Joe Bolkcom, the Democrat who represented Iowa City in the state Senate from 1999 until his retirement in 2022, introduced a bill to treat marijuana the same as alcohol, making it legal but subject to state and local regulation.

Judiciary Committee, said, “I’m not open-minded to recreational marijuana in the state of Iowa.”

The bill was assigned to Zaun’s committee. It died.

Just before Bolkcom introduced his bill in 2019, Little Village published a letter to the editor from the senator in which he explained why it was time for a change.

“By legalizing and regulating the sale of marijuana to Iowa adults, we can refocus our criminal justice system on serious crime and expand substance abuse treatment programs,” he wrote.

“We can also capture our state’s share of the businesses, jobs, revenue and commerce created by regulating marijuana like alcohol.”

“It’s time to face facts,” Bolkcom continued. “In Iowa, marijuana is available to about anyone that seeks it. Iowans objectively know that it’s less toxic, less addictive and less lethal than the alcohol that is available at every Hy-Vee, Casey’s and Kum and Go.”

All of those arguments remain relevant seven years later (although Kum and Go is now Maverik), and the chance that recreational marijuana will soon become legal in Iowa remains zero.

“It’s a partisan issue among legislators,” Bolkcom said, speaking to Little Village last month.

The Iowa Republican Party’s official platform states, “We oppose legalizing the recreational use of marijuana.” That plank comes right after one stating, “We support drug testing for welfare, food stamps and Medicaid recipients.”

Bolkcom knew the bill wouldn’t pass, since Republicans controlled the House, the Senate and the governor’s office, but he wanted to get a serious discussion started.

“I think as long as Republicans are in charge of state government, the chances of us ending marijuana prohibition are about zero,” he said at his news conference announcing the bill in February 2019.

Responding to Bolkcom’s bill, then-Sen. Brad Zaun, the Urbandale Republican who chaired the

Since Republicans took control of both chambers of the legislature in 2017, they’ve been dismissive of legislation introduced by Democrats in general, and have shown no interest in the bills on recreational marijuana Democrats have introduced. No Republican has signed on as a co-sponsor of any of those bills.

Bolkcom said that when he first started talking about the possibility of treating marijuana like alcohol during his Senate years, his older Republican colleagues “couldn’t wrap their heads around it.”

“They said it would have to wait for younger Republicans to replace them,” he recalled.

A change in attitude has yet to happen in Des Moines, even as states neighboring Iowa legalized

Illustrations by Lani Krull / Little Village

The Grass is Greener

Annual retail sales of medical and recreational marijuana for the 2025 calendar year totaled $1.5 billion in both Missouri and Illinois. Minnesota reported $31.7 million in retail sales since state-licensed dispensaries started selling recreational marijuana in September 2025. Missouri and Illinois collected $281.3 million and $255 million respectively in taxes on marijuana sales for fiscal year 2025. At the time of publication, Minnesota has not reported cannabis excise tax revenue for FY25. Kellan Doolittle / Little Village

recreational marijuana. In May 2019, three months after Bolkcom introduced his bill, the Illinois Legislature legalized it. In 2022, voters in Missouri approved an amendment to the state constitution legalizing it. The following year, the Minnesota Legislature made it legal.

Retail sales of marijuana, both medicinal and recreational, at Illinois’ licensed dispensaries totaled $1.5 billion in 2025. For fiscal year 2025, which ran from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025, the state collected $281.3 million in taxes from those sales. Missouri also reported sales of approximately $1.5 billion in 2025, and $255 million collected in taxes. The state-licensed dispensaries in Minnesota didn’t start selling recreational marijuana until September last year, but the state had $31.7 million in retail sales between then and the end of December.

Even in the states bordering Iowa where recreational marijuana remains illegal, there have been some changes.

In 2020, voters in South Dakota approved a constitutional amendment legalizing recreational

marijuana, but the following year, the South Dakota Supreme Court ruled that the amendment was improperly drafted and therefore invalid.

Pro-legalization groups tried again in 2022 and 2024 with ballot initiatives instead of a constitutional amendment, but lost both times.

Nebraska still outlaws recreational marijuana, but last July the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska’s Tribal Council voted unanimously to create “the first fully legal and regulated medical and adult-use cannabis system” in the state.

$31.7 million in sales from Sept.-Dec. 2025 $1.5 billion in sales from Jan.-Dec. 2025 $281.3 million in taxes collected for fiscal year 2025 $1.5 billion in sales from

In addition to establishing the tribe’s own medical marijuana program, the new law allows adults 21 or older on tribal lands to purchase and possess up to one ounce of cannabis for recreational purposes.

In its statement on the vote, the Tribal Council cited “Nebraska’s slow and uncertain rollout of its voter-approved [in 2024] medical cannabis program” and said its law established “clear rules, strong protections, and a responsible timeline.”

South

“The Omaha Tribe is not waiting on broken systems to deliver,” Omaha Tribal Attorney General John Cartier said after the vote. “We are asserting our sovereign right to govern, protect our community, and build a sustainable economy that reflects our values.”

In Wisconsin, the state’s two largest cities, Milwaukee and Madison, have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana. Instead of being arrested, in most cases you get a ticket and a fine that can be as low as $1.

The first states to legalize recreational marijuana were Colorado and Washington. In 2012, voters in both states approved ballot measures to legalize use for adults 21 and over, and set up regulatory systems for growing and selling. Since then, 22 other states, two U.S. territories and the District of Columbia have also legalized recreational use for adults.

Iowa Republican leaders may not have changed their opinions on recreational marijuana since other states began legalizing it, but other Iowans have.

An Iowa Poll conducted in January 2018 found that only 38 percent of respondents were in favor of legalization, while 58 percent were against it. One year later, opinions had shifted.

In 2019, the Iowa Poll showed an even split on legalization, 48 percent for it, 48 percent against it, 4 percent undecided. In March 2020, the Iowa Poll found majority support for legalization for the first time, with 53 percent in favor. The following year, it was 54 percent in favor.

In September 2022, Democratic leaders in the Iowa House cited that 54 percent figure when they announced that legalizing the use of recreational marijuana for adults would be one of their top four priorities in the 2023 legislative session.

Along with legalization, the other top priorities Democratic House leaders announced ahead of the 2022 election were defending the right to an abortion, increasing school funding and stopping Gov. Reynolds’ plan to create a school voucher system. All four priorities received majority support in polls, but that didn’t help Democrats in the election. They lost four seats in the Iowa House.

(It’s probably unnecessary to point out that with the Republicans still in charge of the legislature and Reynolds winning reelection in 2022, Iowa now has one of the country’s strictest abortion bans, school funding hasn’t kept up with inflation and the governor’s voucher program not only exists, but continues to grow.)

The House Democrats followed through on their announcement that legalization would be a top priority in 2023. Unlike 2019, when no other Democrat joined Bolkcom as a sponsor for his bill, this time Democrats were united behind their bill. Or at least, as united as Democrats get. Thirty-one of the House’s 36 Democrats signed on as sponsors of HF 442.

That show of unity didn’t stop HF 442 from meeting the same fate as Bolkcom’s bill.

HF 442 and this year’s bill, HF 2206, would have created a regulatory framework for the retail sale of recreational marijuana to adults 21 and older at state-licensed dispensaries.The state would collect a 10 percent excise tax on retail sales, and county governments would have the option of imposing a 1 percent surcharge on sales.

Both bills specified that 35 percent of the excise tax collected by the state would be deposited in a community reinvestment fund, 32.5 percent would go to mental health services and substance abuse prevention programs, and the remaining 32.5 percent would go to a local public safety fund.

The bills also give county boards of supervisors the authority to prevent the establishment of a dispensary in their county, and gives citizens a mechanism to overturn such a decision with a ballot measure.

Both bills lessened the penalties for various marijuana-related offenses, and allowed for people with convictions for simple marijuana possession to have those convictions expunged in most cases. Iowa currently has a limited expungement program for misdemeanor possession conviction.

Bolkcom’s bill also had an expungement provision. Erasing prior convictions for what would no longer be an offense if recreational use is legalized is important to advocates of legalization—not only as a matter of general fairness, but even more importantly, as a means of addressing the racist ways marijuana laws have been enforced since they were first introduced over a century ago.

“The enforcement of marijuana prohibition has been grossly unequal. Even though Black and white Iowans use marijuana at the same rate, Black Iowans are four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession,” Bolkcom wrote in his 2019 letter on legalization. “A law that cannot be equally enforced is blatantly unfair and erodes trust in our justice system.”

A 2020 report by the ACLU documented just how unequal enforcement has been in Iowa. Its analysis of data on arrests for marijuana possession in all 50 states found that Iowa had one of the worst racial disparity problems in the country. Nationwide, a Black person was 3.64 times more likely to be arrested for possession of marijuana than a white person, according to the report. In Iowa, a Black person was 7.26 times more likely to be arrested.

Only Montana, Kentucky, Illinois and West Virginia had worse racial disparities in arrests for marijuana possession.

Even if HF 2206 had somehow miraculously risen from the dead and been passed by the Iowa Legislature this year, it wouldn’t have mattered. Gov. Reynolds would veto it. She has been very clear about her opposition to legalizing marijuana. But it’s possible that next year Iowa will have a governor with a different attitude.

Deidre DeJear, Reynolds’ Democratic opponent in the 2022 election, was the first major party candidate for Iowa governor to come out in favor of legalization.

“We know that a majority of Iowans want to see recreational cannabis in the state,” DeJear said at an Iowa City campaign event in July 2022. “We know that a majority of Iowans want to see extended access to medical cannabis in the state. We also know last year, over the course of eight to nine months, Iowans went to Illinois and spent $26 million. And that wasn’t on shoes.”

“And we did not get any benefit from it. So, it is time that we not only legalize it in this state, but we also create some regulations around it because we know that it is happening.”

Rob Sand, this year’s Democratic candidate for governor, called legalization “a top priority” in a written statement responding to questions from Little Village

“After a decade of one-party control and reckless budget practices, Iowa is now facing a $1.4 billion budget hole,” Sand said. “A great way to help fill that hole would be to legalize adult-use cannabis and tax and regulate it like we do alcohol. This would help generate new revenue, keep our tax dollars in Iowa instead of crossing into neighboring states where cannabis is legal, and support Iowa farmers. We should not be using our tax dollars to throw people in prison to pay for three hots and a cot for using cannabis in 2026. As governor, legalizing adultuse cannabis would be a top priority.”

Little Village emailed questions about legalization to the campaigns of all five Republicans running for governor. None replied.

Regardless of who wins the governor’s race, Joe Bolkcom is pessimistic about the chances of Iowa legalizing recreational marijuana in the near future. Republicans will almost certainly retain control of the legislature, but that’s not the only reason for his pessimism.

Legislators only engage on difficult issues when they feel pressure from constituents, Bolkcom

explained. It’s never been easy to organize people in Iowa to bring that sort of pressure when it comes to legalizing marijuana. And he thinks the success of Illinois, Missouri and Minnesota in creating retail markets may make it harder.

“It’s just easier for people to drive across the border and buy what they want.”

could be subject to the same criminal and collateral issues as marijuana,” the Congressional Research Service concluded.

“It would wipe the entire company away,” Ashley Lambson, CEO of Des Moines’ The Happy Can, told KCCI. “This could have a ripple effect. This is an ecosystem issue. It’s going to affect farmers’ jobs, tax revenue.”

Despite previously encouraging tobacco farmers in Kentucky to switch to hemp, it was Sen. Mitch McConnell who pushed for the provision that’s poised to eliminate up to 95 percent of the U.S. hemp industry and hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Since the 2018 Farm Bill opened the door for delta-9, adults have turned to THC drinks as alternatives to alcohol, whether they’re out and about or relaxing at home. Many craft brewers in Iowa have expanded to offer cannabis seltzers, sodas and gummies, including Lua Brewing and Big Grove Brewery (Climbing Kites, BUBZ), Field Day Brewing Company (Day Dreamer), Toppling Goliath (Merry Rain) and Lion Bridge Brewing Company (MoonDream).

“I was initially surprised by how many people from so many different demographics were out there looking for hemp beverages and gummies, and for such a myriad of reasons,” Quinton McClain, founder of the Cedar

Rapids-based Lion Bridge and MoonDream, told Little Village.

“Stability and predictability is key to me. The legislation passed in Iowa in 2024 started giving us some good guidelines on how to operate. The federal legislation on hemp that passed last year is what could derail this fast-growing segment. The demand for these products was always there and it won’t go away.”

Emily Langenfeld, CEO of Des Moines’ Kind Kulture, concurred. The Des Moines-based company goes out of its way to educate cannabis newbies on terpene profiles, she said—“Hybrid for balance, sativa for an uplifting experience, and indica for relaxation.”

“As regulations evolve, it’ll be important to see clear, consistent federal guidelines.”

Why recriminalize hemp-derived THC? McConnell said he doesn’t want intoxicating products to get in the hands of children, though states already enforce a 21-year-old age limit on delta-9 products. The senator’s flip-flop on hemp last year may have more to do with a massive lobbying effort by trade groups representing big alcohol companies, including Anheuser-Busch, Coors, Bacardi and Hennessy.

McClain, a purveyor of both beer and THC drinks, “would like to see hemp have a lot of the same regulations as alcohol. For some retailers, these hemp products have become one of their top sales categories. To just do away with that in November would hurt so many people.”

Several bills have been introduced by Democrats and Republicans alike to amend or reverse the 2025 provision while codifying age restrictions nationwide. President Trump even asked Congress to reconsider the hemp ban a month after he signed it into law.

In the meantime, Iowans invested in the industry are speaking out—and staying optimistic.

“Kind Kulture was created to foster a positive, healthy and uplifting community,” Langfeld said. “And we remain steadfast in that mission regardless of any regulatory shifts.”

Day Dreamer enjoydaydreamer.com

Based in Cedar Rapids Product lines: Sparkling water, Agave Citrus THC mixer (750 ml bottle)

The Happy Can buythehappycan.com

Based in Des Moines Product lines: Soda, sparkling water, gummies, chocolate drops Kind Kulture kindkulture.com

Based in Des Moines

Product lines: Sparkling water, gummies, cotton candy

If You Build It, They Will Come

tgbrews.com/merry-rain-product-info

Since Illinois legalized recreational marijuana in 2020, dozens upon dozens of state-licensed dispensaries have opened or expanded beyond medicinal offerings in the Land of Lincoln. As a result, Iowans willing to hop over the Mississippi for the boutique weed-buying experience have more options than ever.

THC products cannot be legally transported across state lines. This fact is displayed prominently on dispensary walls and doors. But Iowans can spend their money on

Illinois weed with a valid ID. Out-of-state shoppers are limited to half of what in-state shoppers can buy in one visit; that is, 15 grams (or approximately ½ oz) cannabis flower, 250mg of THC in a cannabisinfused product (e.g. edibles) and 2.5 grams of cannabis concentrate (e.g. vape cartridges).

While there isn’t data showing how much Iowans spent on weed products in Illinois last year, it’s estimated in the eight figures. The sales tax (at least 10 percent) goes towards low-cost legal services, youth development, substance abuse prevention, violence prevention, mental health treatments and the General Revenue Fund in Illinois, among other causes.

Below are 10 licensed dispensaries located near the Iowa/Illinois border, listed north to south. Little Village does not encourage you to break state or federal laws (explained in full at cannabis.illinois. gov). Remember: the merchandise, like the social and economic benefits of legalized cannabis, isn’t supposed to cross the border.

1. The Dispensary 1709 IL-35 N, East Dubuque Local brand est. 2014. Small, strip-mall shop

2. Bridge City Collective Dispensary 122 Sinsinawa Ave, East Dubuque Local brand est. 2010. Large, brewery-like space

3. riverBluff Collective 673 Sinsinawa Ave, East Dubuque

Open since 2019. Small, downhome shop with many original products

4. nuEra 20170 US Hwy 20 W, East Dubuque Statewide brand est. 2016. Just off the highway

5. Verilife Dispensary 115 Perry St, Galena National brand est. 2018. Historic brick building

6. The Dispensary 1801 16th Ave, Fulton Spacious spot across the river from Clinton, IA

7. Terrace Cannabis Dispensary 2727 Avenue of the Cities, Moline Brand est. 2013. Mid-sized strip mall space

8. revolution Dispensary 4301 44th Ave, Moline National brand est. 2021. Small, strip-mall shop

9. Terrace Cannabis Dispensary 800 Tech Dr, Milan Newer location, high-volume, often busy

10. Nature’s Treatment of Illinois 973 Tech Dr, Milan Open since 2016. Large, highvolume, often busy

Photos by Kellan Doolittle / Little Village

Illustrations by Lani Krull / Little Village

Party People

Two of Iowa City’s busiest arts organizers have whipped up a bitesized feast of music, literature and culinary arts for April 25.

BY KEMBrEW MclEOD

Day Party is a brand-spanking-new arts festival launching this April on the southside of Iowa City. Spring in town has long been associated with Mission Creek, which in 2025 celebrated its 12th (and final) year as a multi-day festival.

The first thing that strikes one about Day Party is that it packs an ambitious amount of events and energy into a single day, hence its name. The festival is a collaborative endeavor of the Mission Creek Festival and Brink, the Iowa Citybased nonprofit independent publisher behind the Brink Literary Journal and Brink Books. The collaboration seeks to create intimate arts experiences rooted in food, literature, hybrid art and music. Like Mission Creek, Day Party’s concurrent programming gives participants the opportunity to talk about art and experience it directly.

“Throughout the day,” festival coorganizer and Brink publisher Nina Lohman said, “from about noon until early evening, we’ll be hosting multi-modal conversations at Little Village, food and music at Plated Table, and music and food at Trumpet Blossom. Public Space One, both the Close House and the Cloud House, will hold our literary and hybrid art experiences. And there will be food trucks outside PS1!”

Day Party can be thought of as a hybrid crop— one that has been spliced together from the roots of the venerable Mission Creek and Brink. Brink Literary Journal was founded by Lohman to create a space for cross-genre and unclassifiable forms of writing. After starting out as a magazine, Brink has evolved into an organization dedicated to multidisciplinary voices in literature.

“I really feel like Brink is leaning into that multidisciplinary hybrid form,” Mission Creek co-founder and Hancher executive director Andre Perry said, “and it’s almost like literature-plus, in its understanding that narrative stories or poetry or

abstract expression can happen through the word and it has also been happening with these other mediums. And I think Nina and her team are really open to that idea.”

Day Party builds on the same collaborative work that Perry has done with others for decades.

“When Mission Creek Festival started,” Lohman observed, “Iowa City wasn’t home to any major festivals. But now we have Infinite Dream, Refocus, Stop/Time, Open Air Media Festival, and several more.”

With these cultural cornerstones now in place, Lohman and Perry were curious about how (and what) they could program for the community that wasn’t going to replicate or compete with those existing festivals. The two wondered, first, how they could create an artist-focused event that fosters connection between artists and audiences and, second, how that could be done sustainably as people with other jobs and families and creative pursuits of their own.

“Day Party is our answer to those questions,” Lohman said. “It’s our way of nurturing the creative community that exists in this corner of the Midwest. It’s the next iteration of the Mission Creek Festival, and it’s a step forward into the literary production work Brink hopes to do more of in our community.”

Day Party is a delicious gumbo of bands, chefs, multidisciplinary artists and writers. Most participants are from Iowa, with a few visiting artists like Chicagoans Sima Cunningham (of Finom) and Sam Prekop. Cunningham, who released the album High Roller in 2024, will perform with her full band while Prekop offers a solo set of synthesizer and electronic works.

From top: Vivian Pei, co-owner of Snacky Mini Mart, serves up an order of pork dumplings. Karla Monroe / Little Village; Alyx Rush of Sun Centauri and Elijah Mickey of Dearborn perform at Lost Woods Music Festival. Elliot Tensen / Courtesy of Lost Woods Music Festival; Sima Cunningham of Finom. Photo by Shannon Marks, via the artist; Freegrass. Photo by Elly Hofmaier, via the artist; Collage by Kellan Doolittle / Little Village

Left: Nina Lohman. Courtesy of the author; Right: Andre Perry. Jason Smith / Little Village

Lohman said that additional musical acts include indie rockers Dearborn, jazz-experimental ensemble Freegrass featuring Alyx Rush, avant-rock duo KL!NG, ambient musician Glab II, experimental composers Dayvyd Lunch and Gabi Vanek, and art-rockers Younger, who will be releasing their new album at the festival—a Day Party release party, if you will.

Writer Nora Lange, based in Salt Lake City, will appear at Day Party in support of her new book Day Care. Lange will be joined in a reading series by Iowa City-based writers Sarah Anjum Bari and Pia Struzzieri. Other writers and artists include poet/artist Annelyse Gelman in collaboration with musician Ramin Roshandel, author/screenwriters Rachel Yoder, Laura Conway and Ben Donehower in conversation, literary/visual/performing artists Johanna Winters and Sarah Minor presenting new puppet-based work, installation artist Jason J. Snell, filmmaker Auden Lincoln-Vogel debuting an Iowa City-based workin-progress film and writer/artist Kate E. Hinshaw in conversation with Sima Cunningham.

Lohman said that food will also play a central role in Day Party. It features the work of a range of chefs, including pioneering vegan chef Katy Meyer of Trumpet Blossom Cafe, chef Alex Smith of Plated Table, Sandy and Vivian Pei of Snacky Mini Mart, Dolly Sperry of Mazee’s Food Truck and Pete Kerns of Lambs Quarters Livestock.

“All the energy happening down there on the south side of Iowa City is incredible,” Perry said. “I’m thinking about Little Village, Plated Table, Trumpet Blossom, Public Space One. The Bike Library is not very far, Honeybee is not very far. I could keep going, but it just seems like there’s so many people committed to having awesome community spaces down there, whether it’s literally getting your hair styled at Honeybee, or eating food, and then maybe later in the day, seeing a show at Trumpet Blossom.”

With Day Party, Lohman and Perry wanted to tap into the energy that the south side’s been building for years and to make those connections stronger. Another key goal of the festival is rooted in its name.

“It’s a one-day festival for several reasons, some of them practical and logistical, others

Porchlight Literary Arts Center

Iowa City’s Community Writing Hub 1019 E Washington St | porchlightliterary.org

maybe more on the spiritual and creative side,” Perry explained. “It seemed like a fun challenge to see what we could cook up in such a small timeframe, from early afternoon to earlyish evening. Having a shorter timeframe means putting it together and not stressing out all the people involved, because all the people involved are stressed out doing a million other things.”

In other words, Lohman and Perry wanted to create an event that’s engaging but low-pressure. Part of that means making it accessible to multiple audiences—a bite-sized celebration of community and the arts for all ages.

“Over the course of 20 years,” Nina Lohman said, “Mission Creek Festival evolved from a small, grassroots festival into a springtime staple in Iowa City. We’re proud of that legacy, equally stoked to usher in the next iteration of the festival in collaboration with the hybrid writing and arts focus central to Brink’s mission.”

Andre Perry added, “Day Party is a reminder that, alongside all the challenges we might face in our community, we can still spend some fraction of our time leaning into and celebrating those really good things.”

Day Saturday, April 25, 12-8 p.m. Various locations, South side Iowa City

From top: Still image from TO WAYT by Johanna Winters.

artist; Alex Smith poses for a portrait outside of New-Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City. Sid Peterson / Little Village; Prekop. Photo by Lena Shkoda, via the artist; Rachel Yoder. Jason Smith / Little Village; Collage by Kellan Doolittle / Little Village

May He Be Frank

A farm boy turned avant-garde artist is filling Des Moines with colorful characters. BY

JOHN BUSBEE

“Frank Hansen openings always flirt with lawlessness,” reads a description of the Des Moines artist’s work from 2009. “This year his show will feature a painting that needs to be driven like a car.”

At that point, Hansen was well on his way to carving out a niche in the Des Moines art scene. Twenty-five years ago, as an explosion of new artists began making their mark in Central Iowa, Hansen was among this new vanguard of creatives. They formed the 218-1/2 Paintpushers, a mutually supportive effort to regularly meet for networking, critiquing and development. Their original meeting hall was in Historic Valley Junction, 218-1/2 5th St (once an International Order of the Odd Fellows lodge, now a marketing/branding company).

Since his Grand View days, Hansen has been featured in Des Moines’ Moberg Gallery, among others, and has had numerous exhibitions in Zanzibar’s Coffee Adventure. He collaborated with his artist wife, Holly, for “The Frolly Show,” “over 200 cute, affordable, little drawings” for Zanzibar patrons to choose from: “pick out your favorite, or a group of freaks, and hang them together…”

One of his best-known works is a mural at 809 Pennsylvania Ave in Des Moines, Sarah and Leland

With Bees, a multi-story mural depicting two children who’d be right at home in a Klasky-Csupo cartoon, among smiling bees wearing top hats. Sarah’s face is awash with pink and yellow and contorted—the aftermath of a sting, perhaps? Leland seems happier, though he is the one who looks like the teeth are falling right out of his head.

Captured in a wide range of media (plywood boards, film, apparel, canvas, city walls and more), Hansen depicts moments of silliness, defiance, sassiness and rage. It’s a style he calls Emotionalism. Little Village chatted with the artist to learn more.

Can you describe your early years? What were some formative influences in your career? Jim Engler, design professor at Des Moines’ Grand View University, definitely influenced me. He didn’t play games. A lot of people were kind of scared of him, but if you played on his level, he would tell you if something was not going in the right direction. He forced you to find your own way. Jim Engler gave me the least input, but trusted my vision. I found freedom in that.

[At Grand View] I learned to draw from Dana Schaeffer. I learned about composition and techniques from Dennis Kaven. I earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in fine and commercial art.

I learned how to think outside the box, and break the rules from Stew Buck, my friend and high school teacher for 50 years. Before I took his art classes, I took gymnastics. That taught me how to do a cartwheel. Stew suggested I go to college for art, when I didn’t even know that was a thing. [Traditional art teachers] tell you to find someone that you could follow, someone that you could emulate their art. I didn’t care for that idea, so that’s how Emotionalism was born.

Talk more about the origins of Emotionalism. It was first coined by Martin Andrew Button Gwinnet, a sculptor at Iowa State who wanted to learn how to paint. He’d never painted before and asked me to guide him. Once he got into it, he was just running with it. He came up with “Emotionalism” because not only does it evoke emotions in the viewer, but you paint what your emotions are. If I had a bad day at work, I’d come home and paint about it and then I could breathe again and I usually ended up with a good product because it was real.

So what does your work and process look like? Messy. Child-like yet mature, exciting, bright colors, words, sometimes I assemble things on the surface with it. With Emotionalism, it changes so much depending on your emotion. When I do a commission piece, I like some input and then, let me go with that.

April 10, 5-8 p.m. & April 11, 1-4 p.m. 1214 19th St, West Des Moines

Sarah and Leland with Bees by Frank Hansen. Courtesy of the artist

Flower City by Frank Hansen. Courtesy of the artist

Frank Hansen live at the Finkin’-Engler House

Boom, Pow

As government officials shadowbox DEI, one of the University of Iowa’s longest-running cultural events is staging a comeback.

llEE FOrKENBrOCK

he University of Iowa’s inaugural powwow was held at Iowa City’s Robert A. Lee Recreation Center in April 1990. Organized by the American Indian Student Association—renamed the Native American Student Association (NASA) in 2013—and the Chicano Indian American Student Union—now the Latino Native American Cultural Center— the powwow drew 400 people to celebrate the talents of 30 dancers, four drum groups and three vendors of Native arts and crafts.

Considered a great success, the Annual Powwow returned for 15 years straight; by 2004, there were 350 dancers, 18 drum groups and 60 vendors hailing from across the continent and featured over three

The Annual Powwow has continued—but not every year. Organizing such a large, free event for the community has proved difficult for student groups subject to shifting operating budgets, constant member turnover due to graduations and the occasional historic flood or pandemic. Still, UI undergrads since 1990 have had at least one powwow to attend during their four years on campus.

“I’ve been planning this event for a number of years,” said Cherie Haury-Artz, a faculty advisor. “I’m just amazed that a small group of students can put together such a large event.”

There have been 28 UI Powwows since April 1990. Unfortunately, 2025’s event was canceled—not due to a natural disaster, but a political one. Following the lead of the second Trump administration, the Iowa Legislature and the Board of Regents have worked to eliminate programs having anything to do with DEI and DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility) at institutions that receive public funding. New guidance was issued in 2025 prohibiting UI departments from making donations to student groups, likely as part of this antiDEI push. NASA relied on $1,000 donations from the UI Center for Human Rights and the former Council on the Status of Women for the Annual Powwow.

But organizers haven’t backed down. The Annual Powwow returns on April 18 for its 29th iteration, with an apt theme—“Here: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow.”

Photos by Justin Torner / Courtesy of the University of Iowa Native American Student Association

“I GET EXCITED AND EMOTIONAl SEEING THE DANCE TrADITIONS THAT COME FrOM All OVEr THE UNITED STATES.”

—CAROLINA KAUFMAN, POWWOW PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBER

The 2026 planning committee secured new funding sources. Donations came in from the Indigenous advocacy org Great Plains Action Society and Cedar Rapids feed company Diamond V, as well as the community via crowdfunding. The powwow is also being supported by the UI Student Government and two university programs to bolster student-led, nonalcohol-centric programming, Campus Event Funding and Late Night Grant Funding.

NASA members have organized events ahead of the big show on April 18, beginning with a “Powwow Preview: Little Steps in the Circle, Dance & Crafts” program at the Iowa Children’s Museum on March 29. Three more events this month represent partnerships with the Stanley Museum of Art, the Walk It Out multicultural fashion show and FilmScene.

“I get excited and emotional seeing the dance traditions that come from all over the United States,” said Carolina Kaufman, a committee member and former UI employee. “It means a lot to support the Native students and to see them host an important cultural event for the community.”

I joined the latest planning committee Zoom meeting, headed by Joe Maxwell, a lead student

organizer of the event. In addition to a review of the events (including a crafting social and a movie screening), the committee discussed at length the need for more volunteers and vendors (24 were confirmed at press time).

Resilient, the group remains committed to presenting these celebratory programs for all ages and backgrounds to enjoy. From seeking out silent auction donations to signing up afternoon volunteers, the powwow operates at its best with participation from the wider Iowa City community. “We are always looking for a sustainable effort to keep [launching] future powwow events,” Maxwell said.

By the close of the planning meeting, I had signed up to volunteer as an arena runner. I simply couldn’t help myself; the energy of the planning committee was palpable and contagious. They are committed, and it’s easy to see why.

“I’ve had the opportunity of working with some talented graduate students [on this event],” Maxwell said with pride. “It’s been so rewarding to see the growth and gain momentum.”

“Powwow is a really big part of my life,” said Sophie Shuckahosee, lead organizer of the Little Steps event at the Children’s Museum. “Being able to put one on has been amazing.”

Powwow Programming Series

Crafternoon: Native Beading Friday, April 3, 1 p.m., Stanley Museum of Art

Tabling at the Walk It Out multicultural fashion show Saturday, April 11, 6:30 p.m., Iowa Memorial Union

The Business of Fancy Dancing Tuesday, April 14, 7 p.m., FilmScene at the Chauncey

29th Annual University of Iowa powwow Saturday, April 18, 8 a.m.-8:30 p.m., University of Iowa Fieldhouse

Find the full Powwow schedule at Powwow.uiowa.edu/Schedule

April A-liST: MUSIC

DES MOINES/AMES

Fri, April 3, 7 p.m., Astro Brat, Worst Impressions, Bullets & Butterflies, The Modern Era, Locals

Sat, April 4, 7 p.m., Susan Werner, Temple Theater

Sat, April 4, 7 p.m., Minor Cuts, Locals Sat, April 4, 8 p.m., Heads in Motion: A Talking Heads Tribute, xBk Live Sun, April 5, 7 p.m., Subhumans w/ Venomous Pinks + Greg Wheeler & the Poly Mall Cops, xBk Live Sun, April 5, 7 p.m., Veronica Swift, Noce Mon, April 6, 6 p.m., The Knife Kickers, Rutabaga, Sarah Tonin, Locals

Tues, April 7, 7 p.m., Jazz Goes to the Movies: The Des Moines Big Band, Curated by Jazz Historian John Benoit, Noce Tues, April 7, 7 p.m., Spring ‘26 CLASSICS & HYMNS Tour, Franklin Event Center

Wed, April 8, 6:30 p.m., GWAR, Soulfly, King Parrot, Val Air Ballroom

Wed, April 8, 6:30 p.m., Magnolia Park with Silly Goose & Pink Noise, Wooly’s Wed, April 8, 7 p.m., Jazz On The House w/ Napoleon Douglas & Co., Noce Thurs, April 9, 7 p.m., Wave Cage, Noce Thurs, April 9, 8 p.m., Koffin Kats & The Rumours, xBk Live Fri, April 10, 6 p.m., Bloodywood, The Pretty Wild, Ladrones, Ankor, Wooly’s Fri, April 10, 7 p.m., Attica Road, Locals Fri, April 10, 7 p.m., Tim Hawkins Live, Hoyt Sherman Place Fri, April 10, 7 p.m., Joyann Parker album release, Noce Fri, April 10, 8 p.m., DeVotchKa, xBk Live Sat, April 11, 7 p.m., The Runkels, xBk Annex Sat, April 11, 7 p.m., Fivefold, Dead Don’t Lie, Sordid, Locals

Sun, April 12, 6 p.m., Skizzy Mars, Wooly’s Tues, April 14, 12 a.m., The Des Moines Big Band, in residence, Noce

Tues, April 14, 6 p.m., Soulja Boy with Lil Xan, Wooly’s Tues, April 14, 8 p.m., Brigitte Calls Me Baby, xBk Live

Wed, April 15, 6:30 p.m., Larkin Poe & Gov’t Mule, Val Air Ballroom

Thurs, April 16, 7 p.m., Maiah Wynne & Shayfer James, xBk Live

Thurs, April 16, 7 p.m., Nate Smith: Long Live Country Rock And Roll Tour, Vibrant Music Hall April 17-18 & 24-25, 7:30 p.m., Fake Your Way to the Top: The Music of Dreamgirls, The Ingersoll

Fri, April 17, 7 p.m., Joint Pain, Locals Fri, April 17, 7 p.m., Atreyu w/ Fire From the Gods, Modern Tiger, Wooly’s Fri, April 17, 7 p.m., Riley Jane, xBk Annex Sat, April 18, ERF Festival, Locals

Sat, April 18, 7:30 p.m., Des Moines Symphony Orchestra - Hope: Copland and Gershwin, Des Moines Civic Center

Sat, April 18, 8 p.m., Good To Be King: A Celebration of Tom Petty, Wooly’s

Sun, April 19, 3 p.m., Billy Nation: A Tribute to Billy Joel, Temple Theater Sun, April 19, 6 p.m., Reverend Raven & Westside Andy, xBk Live Sun, April 19, 7 p.m., Des Moines Symphony Orchestra - Hope: Copland and Gershwin, Des Moines Civic Center

Sun, April 19, 2:30 p.m., The Des Moines Symphony’s Masterworks 6: Hope - Copland & Gershwin, Des Moines Civic Center

Tues, April 21, 6:30 p.m., Snow Tha Product, Val Air Ballroom

Tues, April 21, 12 a.m., The Des Moines Big Band, in residence, Noce

Wed, April 22, 6 p.m., Zero 9:36 & Downswing, Dakøta, Wooly’s

Wed, April 22, 7 p.m., Happy Accident: Absurdist-Surreal Puppet Show, xBk Live

Thurs, April 23, 7 p.m., The Listening Room: Songwriter Andrew Hoyt, Noce Fri, April 24, 6 p.m., WITCHZ presents ENTER AFTERLIFE World Tour, Wooly’s Fri, April 24, 7 p.m., Alien Parasite, Locals Fri, April 24, 7 p.m., Duke Tumatoe, Temple Theater Fri, April 24, 7 p.m., The Gabriel Espinosa Band, Noce Fri, April 24, 8 p.m., The Pork Tornadoes & Jordan Beem, Val Air Ballroom Fri, April 24, 8 p.m., The Rock Orchestra By Candlelight, Des Moines Civic Center Sat, April 25, 7 p.m., Look at Me, Locals Sat, April 25, 7 p.m., America, Des Moines Civic Center Sat, April 25, 7 p.m., Dethklok & Amon Amarth: The Amonklok Conquest, Vibrant Music Hall

Sat, April 25, 7 p.m., The Grand Marquis, Noce Sat, April 25, 8 p.m., Jon Wayne And The Pain, xBk Live Sat, April 25, 7 p.m., The Lubben Brothers, Temple Theater

Sun, April 26, 6 p.m., Avatar, Frozen Soul, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Val Air Ballroom

Mon, April 27, 6:30 p.m., Buckethead, Val Air Ballroom

Tues, April 28, 6 p.m., Mama’s Broke, xBk Live Tues, April 28, 7 p.m., Arcy Drive at Wooly’s, Wooly’s Tues, April 28, 8 p.m., Devon Allman’s Blues Summit, Hoyt Sherman Place

Tues, April 28, 7 p.m., The Des Moines Big Band, in residence, Noce Wed, April 29, 6 p.m., James McMurtry with BettySoo, Wooly’s Wed, April 29, 7 p.m., Brigham Young University presents Vocal Point and Noteworthy, Hoyt Sherman Place Thurs, April 30, 6 p.m., Joyce Manor w/ Militarie Gun, Teen Mortgage, Combat at Wooly’s, Wooly’s Thurs, April 30, 7 p.m., Jacob Lampman’s Ego Death w/ Jesson, Fleming & Cullen, xBk Live Thurs, April 30, 7 p.m., Jason Plays Danielson, Noce Fri, May 1, 7 p.m., Panchiko, Wooly’s Sat, May 2, 7 p.m., Izzy Starchild, Locals Sat, May 2, 8 p.m., Not Quite Brothers, Wooly’s Sun, May 3, 8 p.m., Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, Hoyt Sherman Place

IOWA CITY

Fri, April 3, 7 p.m., Track Zero presents Clarion w/ Forest & Bed, Gabe’s Sat, April 4, 4:30 p.m., Stop/Time Festival presents Evischen, Gabe’s Sat, April 4, 6 p.m., Stop/Time Festival presents Sharp Pins, Gabe’s Sat, April 4, 8 p.m., Stop/Time Festival presents Golomb, Gabe’s Sat, April 4, 9:15 p.m., Stop/Time Festival presents Tortoise, The Englert Sat, April 4, 10:30 p.m., Stop/ Time Festival presents Frankie & The Witch Fingers, Gabe’s Mon, April 6, 7:30 p.m., Miski

Dee, Chad Price, Dr. Princess, The Heated Rivalries, Gabe’s Thurs, April 9, 6:30 p.m., Loudon Wainwright III and Chris Smither, Englert Fri, April 10, 7:30 p.m., Dobet Gnahoré, Hancher Auditorium

Photo by Lorenz Van Berckelaer, via the artist

MUSIC

Fri, April 10, 8 p.m., Jammy Buffet, Wildwood Sat, April 11, 6:30 p.m., Girl Named Tom w/ Andrew Pauls, Englert Sat, April 11, 7 p.m., Good Habits, Dead Level Set, Stare into the Night, Oxy-Gendron Sun, April 12, 7 p.m., Alborn, CMD/ LINES, Silvertung, Soulcage, Wildwood Sun, April 12, 6:30 p.m., North Mississippi Allstars, Englert Thurs, April 16, 7 p.m., Reunion Redux, The James Fri, April 17, 7 p.m., Manual Cinema’s The 4th Witch, Englert Fri, April 17, 7 p.m., Summer Camp On The Road Tour, Gabe’s Sat, April 18, 6:30 p.m., sunn O))), Englert Sat, April 18, 8 p.m., Lissie, Wildwood Sat, April 18, 8 p.m., Stormy Rose, Danny Russell Wolf, BanjoKat & The Sit-Ins, Luke S. Williams & The Many Genres Band, Gabe’s Tues, April 21, 6 p.m., Soulja Boy w/ Lil Xan, Wildwood Tues, April 21, 6 p.m., Undeath w/ Mutilation

Barbecue, Toxic Hell & DirtGod, Gabe’s

Thurs, April

via the artist

23, 6:30 p.m., The Wailers, Englert Sat, April 25, 9 p.m., Emo Nite LA, Gabe’s Tues, April 28, 7 p.m., Demon Hunter w/ Convictions & Cultist, Wildwood BBQ & Saloon Tues, April 28, 6 p.m., There Was A Light Here Tour 2026, Wildwood Wed, April 29, 6:30 p.m., Mama’s Broke, Englert Thurs, April 30, 6 p.m., Walker Montgomery, Wildwood

Fri, May 1, 7:30 p.m., Carol Montag, The James Fri, May 1, 8 p.m., Not Quite Brothers, Wildwood

Sat, May 2, 6 p.m., Jay Webb, Wildwood Sun, May 3, 6:30 p.m., Iron and Wine, Englert

CEDAR RAPIDS

Thurs, April 2, 7 p.m., Yagody, CSPS Hall Wed, April 8, 7 p.m., 2 JAMS 1 CUP, The Olympic South Side Theater Sat, April 11, 6 p.m., A Night with Jay Allen, The Olympic South Side Theater Sat, April 11, 8 p.m., Dickie, The Ideal Theater & Bar Sat, April 11, 7:30 p.m., Orchestra Iowa Presents Masterworks V, Paramount Theatre Sun, April 12, 2 p.m., An Evening With The Fab Four, Paramount Theatre

Tues, April 14, 6 p.m., University of Iowa and Orchestra Iowa Present Key Change – #6 Brahms and His Legacy, Opus Concert Cafe

Thurs, April 16, 6:30 p.m., Jim Dreier Fabulous Trutones, Opus Concert Cafe

Fri, April 17, 7:30 p.m., Sushi Roll, The Olympic South Side Theater Fri, April 17, 8 p.m., The Talbott Brothers, CSPS Hall

Sat, April 18, 8 p.m., Duke Tumatoe, CSPS Hall

Wed, April 22, 8 p.m., The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight, Paramount Theatre

Fri, April 24, 8 p.m., John Gorka, CSPS Hall

Sat, April 25, 7 p.m., Frontal Assault’s 10 Year Anniversary Show, CSPS Hall

Sun, April 26, 7 p.m., Aba Diop & Jason Hosier w/ John Medeski, CSPS Hall

Sat, May 2, 7:30 p.m., Broadway Pops with Orchestra Iowa, Paramount Theatre

CEDAR FALLS/ WATERLOO

Fri, April 3, 8 p.m., Party Girl and the Dawgs, Bagel Steak, Placeholder, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Sat, April 4, 8 p.m., Taiyamo Denku Traveling MC Show w/ Blax, Unique Vibrations, Chuck T, DJ No Relation w/ Cracka Don, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Fri, April 10, 6 p.m., Your Last Breath, Elegy, Visions of Terror, Beyond Labotomy, Project 1044, The Loft, Waterloo Fri, April 10, 8 p.m., David Zollo, Octopus, Cedar Falls Sun, April 12, 7 p.m., UNI Jazz Combos, Octopus Cedar Falls Fri, April 17, 7 p.m., Alborn w/ Soulcage, The Loft, Waterloo Fri, April 17, 8 p.m., Swamp Donkey Trio, Octopus, Cedar Falls Sun, April 19, 7 p.m., UNI Jazz Combox, Octopus, Cedar Falls Thurs, April 23, 7 p.m., Sybyr, Proxoxie, Vitamin, Mobbs Radical, The Loft, Waterloo Fri, April 24, 8 p.m., Nebula, Get Up! Get Down! and Analog Saints, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Sat, April 25, 8 p.m., Dave Helmer and Camp Regret, Octopus, Cedar Falls Sun, April 26, 4 p.m., Cedar River Group Sunday Funday Benefit, Octopus, Cedar Falls

QUAD CITIES

Sat, April 4, 7 p.m., Kelly Moran w/ Randall Hall, Rozz-Tox, Rock Island Tues, April 7, 6 p.m., The Go Rounds, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

SATURDAY | APRIL 4

9:30 am - 5:00 pm

MUSIC

Thurs, April 9, 7 p.m., Soundscape with DJ Obie, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Fri, April 10, 7 p.m., Boy Golden & Cat

Clyde, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Fri, April 10, 7 p.m., Charles Joseph Smith w/ Nonnie Parry ft. The Personals, Rozz-Tox, Rock Island Sat, April 11, 7 p.m., Wonderful Smiths, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Wed, April 15, 6 p.m., PAST SELF, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Thurs, April 16, 6 p.m., CMD/LINES & High Desert Queen, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Fri, April 17, 7 p.m., Alash Ensemble, Rozz-Tox, Davenport

Fri, April 17, 7 p.m., The Goddamn Gallows & Jayke Orvis, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Sat, April 18, 7 p.m., Something to Do & Flatfoot 56, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Sun, April 19, 6 p.m., Temptress, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Thurs, April 23, 6 p.m., R.A.P. Ferreira & Milo (Rapsmith), Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Fri, April 24, 7 p.m., Big Bright Karl Fire, Creation/Heap, Nolan, Rozz-Tox, Rock Island

Thurs, April 30, 6 p.m., Ringo Deathstarr, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Fri, May 1, 9 p.m., Gates of Dawn w/ Lady Igraine & Everlasting Light, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Sat, May 2, 7 p.m., Yea Big, Dann, Nakatani Trio w/ Ishmael Ali, Rozz-Tox, Rock Island Sun, May 3, 7 p.m., Matt Corman & Ollie Joseph, Raccoon Motel, Davenport Mon, May 4, 6 p.m., ZG Smith w/ Moe Reen & Madison Hughes, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

DUBUQUE

Fri, April 3, Ramona’s Ryot, The Lift Sat, April 4, 7 p.m., Cedar County Cobras, Maquoketa Brewing

Fri, April 10, 7 p.m., Tony John & the Flatland String Band, Maquoketa Brewing Sat, April 11, Dredge, Big Sloth, Thy Kingdom Dead, The Lift Fri, April 17, 9 p.m., Dylan Doyle, The Lift Sat, April 18, The Hooten Hallers, The Lift Sat, April 18, 7:30 p.m., Monarch Sessions: Tennessee Twisters Amelia White & Linda McRae, Maquoketa Brewing Sun, April 19, Jada Brown, DZ Jazz Combo, The Lift Fri, April 24, 7 p.m., Marques Morel, Maquoketa Brewing

via the artist