On this episode of Talk of Iowa, we talk with Dan Roche, author of Eyes By Hand: The Prosthetics of Art and Healing, a book on how prosthetic eyes are crafted and how ocularists provide care for those that have experienced eye loss. We hear about his experience losing an eye, how he became interested in researching prosthetic eyes and what he’s learned. We also talk with Lindsay Wagner-Pronk, one of just a few ocularists in Iowa, who is featured in the book. (This show was originally produced August 18, 2025.)
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Police are investigating a shooting that happened early Sunday morning at the downtown Ped Mall near the University of Iowa campus. Five people were taken to area hospitals. No arrests have been made. -
Larger-than-life bison sculptures made of bronze will make a stop at the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History on March 15 as the exhibit heads to Washington, D.C. It's one of several ways Iowa is participating in the 250th anniversary celebration of the U.S. -
The single-day food, literature and music experience is scheduled for April 25 and will take place across several Iowa City venues.
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The new, multi-site, month-long festival in Iowa City centers on Afrofuturistic art, fashion, literature, media and community dialogue. -
Hundreds gathered in downtown Iowa City over the weekend to mourn the death of Alex Pretti, the second Minnesota resident shot and killed by federal immigration enforcement officials this year. Many said they were horrified, disgusted and angered by what they saw in videos of the shooting. -
The prestigious James Beard Awards, which recognize culinary excellence in the U.S., released its list of 2026 semifinalists. It includes a bakery in Iowa City, a cocktail bar in Des Moines and chefs at two Des Moines restaurants.
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The brand-new, two-day music festival will bring artists like Pieta Brown and Frankie and the Witch Fingers to Iowa City in April 2026. -
Voters in three of eastern Iowa’s largest cities will see a question about a Local Option Sales Tax on their ballots this November. If approved, the revenue generated by the tax would fund affordable housing and various capital improvement projects in Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty. -
Three Iowa City West high schoolers founded a book club that reads some of the country's most frequently banned books after a state law removing books with sexual content was signed in 2023. Two years later, many of the books have been reshelved and parts of the law can't be enforced.
