In 2023, the Iowa Legislature overhauled our property tax system with overwhelming bipartisan support. Part of that overhaul changed the way that many Iowa libraries and museums are funded, and the consequences of that change are making themselves known. On this episode, we talk with Billie Bailey, the retired executive director of the Grout Museum District in Waterloo, and Cindy Wells, president of the Board of Trustees for the Waterloo Public Library. Over 90% of the affected libraries and museums are at risk of budget cuts before the end of the 5-year sunset period, according to a report compiled by Bailey and Wells. Then, when tractors replaced horse-drawn implements, it revolutionized agriculture, and competition among tractor makers was fierce. We talk with Peter Tubbs, producer of Tractor Wars and Tractor Wars II from Iowa PBS, which tells that story. (Iowa PBS is an underwriter of IPR.)
Gavin McGough
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Iowa Public Radio
Gavin McGough
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Iowa Public Radio
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This summer, the Grout Museum District is preparing to demolish its former science center, the Bluedorn Science Imaginarium. The decision was made in the face of funding uncertainty stemming from property tax reform in Waterloo. -
The beloved music duo came to Iowa from Brazil in 2006 and has been entertaining crowds with their energetic performances that blend pop covers with electric string instruments. -
How did Iowa become the home to one of the largest publicly held Haitian art collections in the world?
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The mural created by students from the University of Northern Iowa’s Interactive Digital Studies program had sustained storm damage shortly after it was installed in 2020. -
The Waterloo Center for the Arts is home to the largest publicly held collection of Haitian art in the country, having grown to over 2,000 pieces. Though facing NEH grant cuts, a collaborative exhibition at the Des Moines Art Center hopes to bring attention to the full collection. -
For the first time in its nearly 30-year history, the African American Cultural and Historical Museum is opening to the public. It was previously open by appointment only, but that is changing this month thanks to a nationwide fundraising effort.
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The Waterloo after-school literacy program co-founded by Nikole Hannah-Jones will host the city’s 19th African American Read-In after the city’s school district withdrew from the statewide program last month. -
The Waterloo Community School District reversed its decision to participate in the 19th African American Read-In, hosted by the University of Northern Iowa Department of Education on Feb. 20, and returned free children's books intended to be sent home with students. -
Iowa native Luke Stoffel wrote coming-of-age story that blends outrageous schemes, deeply personal moments and sharp cultural critiques in a journey through the 1980s and beyond.
