Starting a website can be a fun journey for some of the tech wizards out there, and a relative nightmare for the rest of us. So before you take a leap of faith and jump-start this project, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. 1.   The aim matters This is where it all begins, your vision. What is your website about? What is it that you would like for your website to showcase? What is the call-to-action you hope your website’s visitors to make? As you answer the above questions, you will be able to utilize

The post 5 Things You Should Keep in Mind Before Starting a Website appeared first on Photoshop Lady.

In the last post, we looked at the basics of CSS transitions, including how to use easing to control how your animation flows. In this post, I want to look deeper at a very powerful easing feature; cubic bezier curves. In short, they let you define exactly what path your animation will take, and thanks to some awesome community tools, they are extremely easy to use (No maths required at all). This gives you total flexibility with your transitions. One of the best tools is the free Cubic-Bezier.com by Lea Verou. It lets you make new curves and see them in action just by dragging the handles. We'll use it for all of the demos in this post, and it's well worth a bookmark!

On the 5th of March, Twitter is going to retire version 1 of its API. The replacement, version 1.1 is very similar, but with one major difference; every single call must be authenticated. This means that come March, your existing API calls will break; including simple things like displaying tweets on your site. To fix this, you need to move to the new v1.1 API, and authenticate with Twitter.

Editor's note: The Gazette sports staff has compiled lists of its top 15 favorite sports movies. Each day, a different staffer will share some insight into one of their favorites. Some of them are...

Editor’s note: The Gazette sports staff has compiled lists of its top 15 favorite sports movies. Each day, a different staffer will share some insight into one of their favorites. Some of them...

Editor’s note: The Gazette sports staff has compiled lists of its top 15 favorite sports movies. Each day, a different staffer will share some insight into one of their favorites. Some of them...

Editor’s note: The Gazette sports staff has compiled lists of its top 15 favorite sports movies. Each day, a different staffer will share some insight into one of their favorites. Some of them...

Editor’s note: The Gazette sports staff has compiled lists of its top 15 favorite sports movies. Each day, a different staffer will share some insight into one of their favorites. Some of them...

Editor’s note: The Gazette sports staff has compiled lists of its top 15 favorite sports movies. Each day, a different staffer will share some insight into one of their favorites. Some of them...

Editor’s note: The Gazette sports staff has compiled lists of its top 15 favorite sports movies. Each day, a different staffer will share some insight into one of their favorites. Some of them...

Iowa athletics director Gary Barta began Thursday’s meeting of the UI’s presidential committee on athletics with two numbers: It’s been 56 days since the coronavirus pandemic shut...

Editor’s note: The Gazette sports staff has compiled lists of its top 15 favorite sports movies. Each day, a different staffer will share some insight into one of their favorites. Some of them...

Editor’s note: The Gazette sports staff has compiled lists of its top 15 favorite sports movies. Each day, a different staffer will share some insight into one of their favorites. Some of them...

Editor’s note: The Gazette sports staff has compiled lists of its top 15 favorite sports movies. Each day, a different staffer will share some insight into one of their favorites. Some of them...

WooCommerce 4.0 is here! Read all about the new, streamlined dashboard, time-saving store management tools, and enhanced reporting and analytics.

The post WooCommerce 4.0: Better, More Efficient Store Management appeared first on WooCommerce.

In normal times, Chew on This focuses on restaurant openings and closings. These are not normal times, with restaurants closed except to carryout, curbside and delivery. We know these businesses...

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Linn County Fair has canceled grounds and grandstand entertainment at this year because of the novel coronavirus and is looking at ways youths could exhibit their...

In August 1919, the Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette opined in favor of the passage of a $5 million congressional appropriation to “investigate influenza, its cause, prevention and...

This Mother’s Day, April Kelley just wants to give her daughter Jessica Kelley a hug. But she can’t. Jessica, 21, works on the COVID-19 floor at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids. To...

CEDAR RAPIDS
Beverly Medberry, 87, died Tuesday, May 5, 2020. Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Marion.

SOLON
Timothy Beranek, 60, died Wednesday, May 6, 2020. Brosh Chapel and The Avacentre, Solon.

MERVIN L. CHAMBERLIN
Olin

Mervin L. Chamberlin, 89, of Olin, passed away quietly May 4, 2020, at the Clarence Assisted Living Center. Private graveside services will be held at the Olin Cemetery. Dawson Funeral Services of Olin is assisting the family at this time.
Mervin was born Feb. 17, 1931, on the farm between Stanwood and Olin to Clarence and Mae (Jackson) Chamberlin.
He graduated from Stanwood High School. On May 29, 1955, at the Olin Community Methodist Church, he married the love of his life, Mary Ann Hart.
He was a farmer at heart and loved spending time hanging around his farm. He enjoyed bird watching, hunting, fishing and telling a good sports story from the old days. He had a great love for horses and polka music and enjoyed spending his time watching both on TV.
Those left to cherish his memories are his wife, Mary Ann; his five children, Randy (Valerie) Chamberlin of Center Point, Rick Chamberlin of Webster City, Mitzi (Virgil) Matzen of Davenport, Rodney (Kathy) Chamberlin of Jesup and Melody (Chris) Rady of Poplar Grove, Ill., 16 grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren.
He has preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Theola; and a brother, Gerald.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.dawsonfuneral.com.
Memorials may be left in his honor to the Olin Community Methodist church.

IRENE ELIZABETH SCHINDLER
Marengo


Irene Elizabeth Schindler, 90, of Marengo, passed away Wednesday, May 6, 2020, at the Rose Haven Nursing Home in Marengo. Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 9, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Marengo, with Pastor Andrew Gray officiating. Burial will be in the Marengo Cemetery in Marengo. A memorial fund has been established. Kloster Funeral Home, Marengo, is assisting the family with arrangements.
Irene is survived by three nephews, Kevin (Pam) Dye of Cedar Rapids, John (Andi) Schindler of Marion and Bill Schindler of Cedar Rapids; two nieces, Deanne (Todd) Mumm of Parnell and Vera Dye of Williamsburg; a cousin, Will Klotz of Gibson; many great, and great, great-nieces and -nephews; and a sister-in-law, W. Irene Schindler of Marengo.
She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Delmar, Calvin and Milver Schindler; and a sister, Shirley Dye.
Irene was born Jan. 10, 1930, in Marengo, the daughter of Charles and Katie (Klotz) Schindler. She graduated from Marengo High School in 1952. Irene worked at Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids from September 1952, until she retired in 1989 on the circuit board assembly line. She was a lifelong member of St. John's Lutheran Church and was a part of the quilting group. Irene enjoyed watching pro wrestling, going bowling, gardening baking, and was an Iowa Hawkeyes fan. She loved spending time with family and friends.
Online condolences may be left at www.klosterfuneralhome.com.

MANCHESTER
Albert "Bert" Meister, 56, died Wednesday, May 6, 2020. Leonard-Muller Funeral Home, Manchester.

BERNADINE "BERN" CAROLINE MCDONALD ROUSHAR
Cedar Rapids

Bernadine "Bern" Caroline McDonald Roushar, 86, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away on Saturday, May 2, 2020. A private graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 9, at Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Cedar Rapids. A Funeral Mass will be held at a later date.
Bern was the second oldest of six daughters born to John and Mary McDonald in Victor, Iowa, where she grew up. She married John E. "Jack" Roushar on Aug. 12, 1953.
She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, two sisters and several in-laws.
Jack and Bern founded Roushar Pharmacy in Cedar Rapids in 1970. She volunteered and was a gift shop buyer at Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids for 30 years.
She is survived by her daughter, Brenda Roushar (John) Cooney and five grandchildren, Jacklyn Caroline Cooney, Julie and Darryn Records, and John and Candace Cooney; three sisters and spouse's; and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Mercy Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary. Condolences may be directed to the family at www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.

ELIZABETH "BETTY" A. ZOBAC
Cedar Rapids


Betty A. Zobac, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, at the Dennis & Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy. She was 92.
Betty was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Oct. 29,
1927. She was the beloved
and only child to Francis
and Mary (Cahill) Sullivan. Betty attended grade school
at Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Cedar Rapids. Then carried on her education at St. Patrick's High School where she graduated in 1946.
It wasn't long after when Betty married the love of her life; Frank Zobac, in August 1947, at the Immaculate Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids. To this union four children were born. Betty and Frank were married for 69 years. Frank passed away on Dec. 15, 2016.
Betty was very proud of her ancestry and Irish heritage. Betty and Frank actually got engaged on St. Patrick's Day 1947. She loved celebrating her culture every year on St. Patrick's Day by cooking corned beef and cabbage for her entire family.
Betty and Frank were a well-liked and social couple. They developed many friendships throughout their years and were always ready to have fun. The two loved to go out on the town dancing. They would often take a weekend trip to Chicago at the Allerton Hotel on Michigan Avenue. While there they would enjoy Broadway style shows, concerts or even a Cubs game. Later in life Betty and Frank would have season tickets to Iowa Hawkeyes football games. They rarely missed a bowl game during the Hayden Fry era. Neither did they miss a Friday night card group, any bingo game in town or an evening of Frank singing karaoke to Betty.
After having four young children, Betty worked the night shift in the pediatric department of Mercy Hospital for three years. Her endless energy and work ethic were remarkable. Betty also was a true fashionista and carried that passion over into her next career. From Killian's to Armstrong's then Coach House Fashions; she worked in retail women's clothing for over 15 years. While still maintaining her voguish taste, Betty's greatest accomplishment of her career began in 1961. As the backbone of the family business; Betty successfully ran the company as general manager of Frank Zobac Construction Co. Frank Zobac Construction Co. was in business for over 60 years.
Betty was the matriarch of her family. Betty loved to cook for and with her family. Like her taste for fashion, she was ahead of her time when it came to preparing meals for her family. Betty's culinary creativity led to many delicious and sometimes interesting meals. Rarely following a recipe; she inspired many. Her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren have carried on her passion for cooking to this day. What Betty started in her little kitchen back in 1947 will be passed down throughout her family for generations. Betty also had an extraordinary love for dachshunds. Whether on the couch or in Hy-Vee, it was rare to see Betty not carrying one of her many spoiled dachshunds.
Betty's memory will continue to live on through her four children, Susan (Dennis) Draker of Marion, Mark (Connie) Zobac of Vinton, Kathy (Doug) Klinger of Marion and Debra Zobac of Marion; eight grandchildren, Amy (Clint) Houdek, Jeff (Diana) Draker, Barrett (Kiley) Scorpil, James (Christina) Zobac, Christopher Goodrow, Staci (John) Willems, Traci (Jeff) Chisholm and Michelle Ramirez; and her 16 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at a date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House in memoriam of Frank and Betty Zobac. Please mail to: Susan Draker 2845 Hunters Ridge Rd. Marion, IA 52302.
Please leave a message or tribute to Betty's family on our web page, www.cedarmemorial.com, under Obituaries.
"Rest in Peace, Mom"

TIMOTHY JAMES BERANEK
Solon


Timothy James Beranek, 60, of Solon, died on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Celebration of Life gathering will be Livestreamed from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 9, 2020, on Brosh Chapel's Facebook page. Friends and family are encouraged to view, leave a condolence during this time. Private family inurnment will be at a later date. Brosh Chapel and The Avacentre are in charge of Tim's arrangements.
Timothy was born Sept. 15, 1959, in Council Bluffs, the son of Darrell and Judith (Hansen) Beranek. He graduated from Wheatland Community High School, Class of 1977. Tim was united in marriage Jeanine Moore on March 22, 1980, in Toronto. He worked in the water well service industry for over 20 years. He retired from Cedar Rapids WinPump in February 2020 and began working seasonal work at Lake MacBride in April. Tim enjoyed fishing, being outdoors, camping, and spending time with his family, especially his grandkids. He was assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 156 in West Branch and Troop 120 in Solon.
Tim is survived by his wife, Jeanine; children, Megan (Kris) Richardson of Solon and Jonathan (Samantha) Beranek of Tiffin; three grandchildren Eli, Lucas and Henry; his parents Darrell and Judy of Oxford Junction; his siblings Teri (Mike) Wiese, Toni (Andrew) Spurling, Kama (Jeremy) Shoaff and Darren Beranek; his father-in-law, James (Karen) Moore; brothers-in-law, James "J.D." Moore and Jeff (Angie) Moore; sisters-in-law, Joleen (Lance) Henning, Diane Moore (Will Clinton) and Darsha (Jay) White; as well as his nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his son, Louis James Beranek; his grandparents; and his mother-in-law, Doris Lee Moore-Brick.
Memorials may be directed to Scout Troop 120 or 156 in his name.
Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.broshchapel.com.

KENNETH ROBERT MARTIN
Iowa City

Kenneth Robert Martin, our loving father and mentor, paddled off from the dock for the last time on May 8, 2020, joining Raymond and Inez, his parents, brother, Arnold, and dear wife, Alice on the big lake.
He leaves behind many stories of a life well-lived that will be retold in our family for generations. Among them: Just after World War II, he was stationed in Guam as an Army Air Corps staff sergeant, where he adopted a stray dog. Unwilling to abandon the pup after the tour was over, he smuggled him aboard ship in a duffle bag, which was discovered by brass before reaching Hawaii. Though denial of on-shore leave in Honolulu was the consequence, dad didn't forsake the dog, and after the pair crossed the ocean together they lived happily in Gary, Ind., for many years. Such is the compassion, devotion and fortitude (and mischievousness!) Ken would demonstrate over and over in his life. While we will miss his warmth and humor terribly, his legacy is plain to see in his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We are nature lovers as Ken was. We turn over rocks just to see what lies beneath as he taught. We gaze at the stars with the same awe and wonder he showed us. We bless him for these gifts, which will never be forgotten.
To share a thought, memory or condolence with his family, please visit the funeral home website at www.gayandciha.com.

One of the more compelling insights to come from the Joe Rogan interview with Elon Musk is this idea that humanity is actively creating “giant cybernetic collectives.” Through our participation in social media platforms and on the internet in general, we are assimilating knowledge and building connections at a rate that vastly exceeds everything that […]

I’ve had the pleasure of serving you as sheriff of Johnson County for the past 15-plus years and the job is not one that I or anyone else should or can take lightly. The office of sheriff requires a balance of both politics and leading a very large law enforcement agency which means sometimes those two worlds can collide. In these tough situations it takes someone that believes in their co-workers, trusts their co-workers and asks them to always perform at a high level.

I’m confident that Brad Kunkel is up to the task. The sheriff must also always follow the Constitution and enforce the laws of Iowa, in addition the sheriff is responsible for the operation and oversight of the county jail. Brad’s career experience including his years working in the jail are valuable for safe and efficient jail management.

The office of sheriff requires a thoughtful approach to what is best for the citizens of Johnson County. I have worked with Brad Kunkel for over 20 years and I know he has the temperament, intelligence and integrity to excel in the office of Johnson County sheriff. I wholeheartedly believe he is the best person to take the office into the challenging time ahead.

Join me and vote for Brad Kunkel on or before June for Johnson County sheriff.

Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek

Iowa City

Chet Culver really should have known better.

Iowa’s former Democratic governor wrote a letter to current Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds decrying her administration’s declaration that workers who refuse to return to jobs amid COVID-19 fears would be denied unemployment benefits. He was among many who questioned whether Reynolds’ policy is even lawful, considering that unemployment rules allow Iowans to claim benefits for unsafe, intolerable or detrimental working conditions.

“Any such ill-conceived scheme that deprives them of choice and forces those hardworking, yet vulnerable, employees to report to unsafe workplace environments, while the positive incidences of COVID-19 infection are on the rise, is not merely penny-wise and pound-foolish — it is just plain wrong,” Culver argued.

But Culver should have known any overture for the rights of workers during the pandemic would fall on deaf ears. We learned Tuesday that more than 1,600 workers at four meatpacking plants tested positive for the virus. Reynolds continues insisting companies such as Tyson, with more than 1,300 cases at three facilities, are doing all they can to protect workers. In one Tyson facility at Perry, 58 percent of its employees contracted the virus.

Culver lost in 2010 to the Branstad-Reynolds ticket, a team that would go on to gut collective bargaining for public employees and make it far more difficult for injured workers to get compensation, among other greatest hits composed by its big business allies.

And Culver was bounced from office after issuing bonded debt to help Iowa communities, including Cedar Rapids, recover from natural disasters of 2008. Republicans dubbed him “Big Debt Chet” and decried his mismanagement of a crisis.

Strong management, apparently, is Reynolds’ decision to partially reopen 77 counties even as COVID-19 case numbers grow and deaths mount, and before ramped up testing and modeling provide critical information on the scope of the virus.

On Monday Reynolds received a lofty “A” grade from FreedomWorks and the Committee to Unleash Prosperity. Reynolds appeared on a conference call sponsored by the groups to talk about her strategy for reopening Iowa.

FreedomWorks and the Committee to Unleash Prosperity are conservative groups playing a key role in organizing “liberation” protests in Wisconsin, Oklahoma and elsewhere. FreedomWorks, with roots in the Tea Party movement, has been mobilizing local protesters and organizing events, according to The New York Times. It’s also conducting tracking polls in swing congressional districts and sharing data with presidential advisers and congressional staff.

“This isn’t political, and it shouldn’t be for anybody,” Reynolds told reporters this week when asked about her virus response.

FreedomWorks is among 24 groups who sent a letter to the president in April urging him to waive the Renewable Fuel Standard for the rest of the year due to pandemic concerns, potentially freeing Iowa farmers from more of their already scarce income.

So step aside Big Debt Chet. We’re unleashing prosperity. Even if workers get trampled.

(319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@thegazette.com

In August 1919, the Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette opined in favor of the passage of a $5 million congressional appropriation to “investigate influenza, its cause, prevention and cure.”

“We all remember without effort the darkness and terror which engulfed the land last fall and winter as death stalked swiftly from seaboard to seaboard, into crowded city and unto lonely plain, sparing not the cottage of the poor nor the mansion of the rich,” the editorial said. “In four short months, influenza claimed a half million lives and pressed millions of others onto beds of sickness, suffering and helplessness. The nation’s mortality rate leapt high and with astounding speed. The nation was unprepared to cope with a disease calamity such as it has never known.”

The Gazette lamented that billions of dollars in loss were wrought by the pandemic of so-called Spanish influenza, compared with only $5 million being spent to investigate the virus.

“More has been spent in studying diseases of hogs,” the editorial argued.

Just less than a year earlier, The Evening Gazette did not see “darkness and terror” coming. A front page, above-the-fold story Sept. 25, 1918, asked: “Spanish Influenza just the old-fashioned grippe?” “Grippe” is an old-time term for the flu, by the way.

“As a matter of fact, in the opinion of City Physician Beardsley, and a good many other Cedar Rapids men in the same profession, Spanish influenza is just another name for the regular old fashioned influenza and is no different from the influenza we have always had. A bad cold is a bad cold, and a worse cold is grippe, which covers a multitude of things ...,” The Gazette reported, optimistically.

An earlier strain of influenza in the spring of 1918 had been less virulent and deadly. But the second wave was no ordinary grippe.

By mid-October, according to reports in The Evening Gazette, influenza caseloads exploded. On Oct. 12, 1918, the local health board shut down pool rooms, billiard halls and bowling alleys. It pleaded with store owners to avoid allowing crowds to linger. On Oct. 16, stores were ordered to discontinue any special sales that might draw more shoppers.

Restrictions tightened as the pandemic worsened.

Death notices were stacking up on Gazette pages, in rows reminiscent of small tombstones. Many victims were cut down in the prime of life by a virus that struck young, healthy people hardest. Mothers and fathers died, leaving young children. Soldiers serving in World War I died far away from home. Visitors to town never returned home.

Young brothers died and were mourned at a double funeral. A sister who came to care for a sick brother died, and so did her brother.

Ray Franklin Minburn, 24, died of influenza, leaving behind six sisters and two brothers. “Mr. Minburn was a faithful son, a devoted companion, a good neighbor,” concluded his death announcement on Oct. 21, 1918.

On the same page that day came news, tucked among the tombstones, reporting that Iowa Gov. William Harding had recovered from influenza, in the midst of his reelection campaign, and was back in the office. You might remember Harding as the governor who banned German and other languages during World War I and who was nearly impeached for bribery in 1919.

Not far from Harding’s update came news from the prison in Anamosa that “whisky and quinine” were being deployed to attack the grippe.

The pages of The Evening Gazette also were dotted with advertisements for supposed cures and treatments.

“Danger of infection from influenza or any contagious disease can be eliminated by using preventive measures,” prescribed by Ruby S. Thompson, chiropractor and naturopathic physician. Those included “Sulphur-vapor baths, Carlsbad mineral bath.”

You could build up your blood using “Gude’s Pepto-Mangan,” the “Red Blood Builder.” Keep your strength up with Horlick’s Malted Milk.

One ad looked exactly like a news story, carrying the bold headline “Druggists still asked to conserve stocks of VapoRub needed in ‘flu’ districts.” In a tiny notation at the end of the “story” were the words “The Vicks Chemical Co.”

That August 1919 Gazette editorial I mentioned makes me wonder what we’ll be writing in a year or so after our current pandemic.

Death stalking us swiftly from seaboard to seaboard in an unprepared nation, preceded by the casual insistence it’s no worse than the seasonal flu, sounds eerily familiar in 2020. More attention is being paid to hogs than the health of humans working in meatpacking plants.

Will we be writing in 2021 how reopening states and counties too soon led to our own second wave? Here in Iowa, reopening began before we had a fully working predictive model to chart the pandemic’s course and before new testing efforts had a chance to ramp up. Will decisions made without crucial information look smart in 2021? Or will we wish we’d waited just a couple more weeks?

What of the protesters demanding liberation? What about the president, running for reelection in a nation harmed by his crisis mismanagement? What will a new normal look like?

Will there be newspapers around to editorialize in the aftermath? After all, most of the pitches for fake cures are online now, some even extolled at White House briefings.

And will we be better prepared next time? I bet editorial writers in 1919 figured we’d have this pandemic response thing down to a science by now.

Little did they know that in 2020 we’d have so little respect for science. And after a century-plus, the darkness and terror apparently slipped our minds.

(319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@thegazette.com

Please join me in voting for Christina Bohannan for Iowa House of Representatives District 85. Christina is an energetic and passionate leader. She has broad experience as a law professor, an environmental engineer, and an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion. These experiences give her a unique perspective and the ability to comprehend legislative issues from many different points of view. She sees the big picture and knows that she can support economic growth and small business while also advocating for basic human rights and fairness.

Christina shows up for people all over the community and is an advocate for people of color, immigrants, and others from disadvantaged or marginalized backgrounds. She is a strong voice for labor, collective bargaining rights, and a living wage. She will stand up against wage theft and other unfair practices.

In the state Legislature, Christina will be a fearless and energetic advocate for each and every member of her district. She also will be a dedicated and collaborative partner with local government. This is why so many local officials are endorsing her.

Please join me and many others in voting for Christina Bohannan for Iowa House District 85.

Mazahir Salih

City Council member

Mayor pro tem

Iowa City

The next ten years will prove to be one of the most challenging eras in Iowa history.

Whether we meet those challenges with Iowa-smart, progressive responses will depend largely on the quality of legislators we elect to office.

Christina Bohannan, Democratic candidate for the Iowa House of Representatives, would be a remarkably talented and hardworking legislator, if given the opportunity to serve.

The daughter of blue-collar parents.

Trained as an environmental engineer.

A professor of law at the University of Iowa College of Law.

The former president of the Iowa Faculty Senate.

A mother.

These life experiences inform Christina Bohannan’s pragmatic progressivism.

If elected, she has the skill set to get good things done for Iowa.

Please join me in supporting Democrat Christina Bohannan for the House District 85 seat in the June 2 primary election.

Jim Larew

Iowa City

Scrum and Kanban are terms often used interchangeably in project management, though they have their differences. In fact, that’s why they may be used at the same time for tracking and managing various aspects of work. For example, a Kanban board might be used to track work during a Scrum sprint. However, each has its […] More

There are so many different types of hosting that it can be overwhelming to choose the right one for your WordPress site, but at the same time, it just means there are enough options so you can choose the perfect fit.

Dazed Media a interrogé les créatifs et leur a demandé d’imaginer des affiches répondant aux changements provoqués par la pandémie et appelant à un avenir meilleur. Dans le cadre de cette campagne #AloneTogether, plusieurs artistes et designers célèbres ont contribué, tels que Vivienne Westwood, Christopher Kane ou encore la créatrice de mode Katharine Hamnett. Ces […]

En ces temps de confinement, l’heure est à l’évasion de l’esprit. Nous vous proposons aujourd’hui de découvrir le joli travail de l’illustratrice russe Darya Shnykina. Elle est l’auteure d’une série de créations intitulée Places I’d Love To Live In.  Elle a imaginé représenter d’adorables petites maisonnées solitaires en pleine nature. Des petits havres de paix où chacun […]

Darren Rowse from Pro Blogger wrote a great article of a collection of different article to get the beginning blogger of his/her feet. Head over and check this one out!

The post Useful articles for beginers to start a blog right appeared first on WPCult.

Clear, modern and informative website for ecommerce development agency.

The post BelVG appeared first on WeLoveWP.

In normal times, Chew on This focuses on restaurant openings and closings. These are not normal times, with restaurants closed except to carryout, curbside and delivery. We know these businesses still need support from the community to survive, so each week we are going to highlight five local restaurants.

These are just a few of the many places offering barbecue; look up your favorite restaurants on Facebook or call to find out what they have.

If you don’t want to leave the house, try a delivery service like Chomp, GrubHub or MyTown2Go. Check with the restaurant to make sure they’re affiliated with a delivery service before ordering.

124 Second Ave. NW, Mount Vernon; (319) 535-1060, facebook.com/bigsbbq

Get a growler of house-brewed beer to pair with your barbecue. Every Wednesday features a wings special; check the Facebook page for additional daily specials.

6677 16th Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids; (319) 378-4777, facebook.com/austinbluesbbq

Call in advance orders from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday to Friday and pickup from the food truck parked in the parking lot or stop by the truck parked at Cassill Motors, 2939 16th Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays.

1940 Lower Muscatine, Iowa City, (319) 354-7427 and 745 Community Dr., North Liberty, (319) 665-2486; jimmyjacksribshack.com

This Iowa City staple has classic dishes like ribs, smoked chicken and brisket and can even please vegetarians with a portobello sandwich.

525 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City, (319) 338-1419 and 125 E. Zeller St., North Liberty, (319) 626-4227; mosleysbarbecue.com

Try a family-style meal for curbside pickup, featuring four sandwiches or a slab of ribs, plus sides and cornbread, or order off the menu.

288 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE, Cedar Rapids; (319) 206-3806, willieraysqshack.com

This tiny establishment was made for social distancing, with drive-through the only option for service even before the pandemic. Get one of the daily specials or order a la carte.

Comments: (319) 398-8339; alison.gowans@thegazette.com

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Linn County Fair has canceled grounds and grandstand entertainment at this year because of the novel coronavirus and is looking at ways youths could exhibit their work.

“After consulting with Linn County Public Health, the Linn County Board of Supervisors, and other stakeholders, it was determined this was the best decision due to the uncertainty of what the public health situation may look like at the end of June,” Albert Martin, Linn County Fair Board president, said Thursday in a statement.

The fair was scheduled June 24-28.

The Linn County Fair Association said it is working with the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach of Linn County and Linn County 4-H to determine how 4-H and FFA members and other youths will exhibit their work. Those details — which could include in-person or virtual exhibiting — are expected to be finalized and announced in mid-May.

Tom Barnes, executive director of the Association of Iowa Fairs, told The Gazette on Thursday that the Benton County Fair also was canceled for 2020.

Organizers for the Wapello County Fair in south-central Iowa previously announced they would not host the fair this year.

Comments: (319) 339-3155; lee.hermiston@thegazette.com

In August 1919, the Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette opined in favor of the passage of a $5 million congressional appropriation to “investigate influenza, its cause, prevention and cure.”

“We all remember without effort the darkness and terror which engulfed the land last fall and winter as death stalked swiftly from seaboard to seaboard, into crowded city and unto lonely plain, sparing not the cottage of the poor nor the mansion of the rich,” the editorial said. “In four short months, influenza claimed a half million lives and pressed millions of others onto beds of sickness, suffering and helplessness. The nation’s mortality rate leapt high and with astounding speed. The nation was unprepared to cope with a disease calamity such as it has never known.”

The Gazette lamented that billions of dollars in loss were wrought by the pandemic of so-called Spanish influenza, compared with only $5 million being spent to investigate the virus.

“More has been spent in studying diseases of hogs,” the editorial argued.

Just less than a year earlier, The Evening Gazette did not see “darkness and terror” coming. A front page, above-the-fold story Sept. 25, 1918, asked: “Spanish Influenza just the old-fashioned grippe?” “Grippe” is an old-time term for the flu, by the way.

“As a matter of fact, in the opinion of City Physician Beardsley, and a good many other Cedar Rapids men in the same profession, Spanish influenza is just another name for the regular old fashioned influenza and is no different from the influenza we have always had. A bad cold is a bad cold, and a worse cold is grippe, which covers a multitude of things ...,” The Gazette reported, optimistically.

An earlier strain of influenza in the spring of 1918 had been less virulent and deadly. But the second wave was no ordinary grippe.

By mid-October, according to reports in The Evening Gazette, influenza caseloads exploded. On Oct. 12, 1918, the local health board shut down pool rooms, billiard halls and bowling alleys. It pleaded with store owners to avoid allowing crowds to linger. On Oct. 16, stores were ordered to discontinue any special sales that might draw more shoppers.

Restrictions tightened as the pandemic worsened.

Death notices were stacking up on Gazette pages, in rows reminiscent of small tombstones. Many victims were cut down in the prime of life by a virus that struck young, healthy people hardest. Mothers and fathers died, leaving young children. Soldiers serving in World War I died far away from home. Visitors to town never returned home.

Young brothers died and were mourned at a double funeral. A sister who came to care for a sick brother died, and so did her brother.

Ray Franklin Minburn, 24, died of influenza, leaving behind six sisters and two brothers. “Mr. Minburn was a faithful son, a devoted companion, a good neighbor,” concluded his death announcement on Oct. 21, 1918.

On the same page that day came news, tucked among the tombstones, reporting that Iowa Gov. William Harding had recovered from influenza, in the midst of his reelection campaign, and was back in the office. You might remember Harding as the governor who banned German and other languages during World War I and who was nearly impeached for bribery in 1919.

Not far from Harding’s update came news from the prison in Anamosa that “whisky and quinine” were being deployed to attack the grippe.

The pages of The Evening Gazette also were dotted with advertisements for supposed cures and treatments.

“Danger of infection from influenza or any contagious disease can be eliminated by using preventive measures,” prescribed by Ruby S. Thompson, chiropractor and naturopathic physician. Those included “Sulphur-vapor baths, Carlsbad mineral bath.”

You could build up your blood using “Gude’s Pepto-Mangan,” the “Red Blood Builder.” Keep your strength up with Horlick’s Malted Milk.

One ad looked exactly like a news story, carrying the bold headline “Druggists still asked to conserve stocks of VapoRub needed in ‘flu’ districts.” In a tiny notation at the end of the “story” were the words “The Vicks Chemical Co.”

That August 1919 Gazette editorial I mentioned makes me wonder what we’ll be writing in a year or so after our current pandemic.

Death stalking us swiftly from seaboard to seaboard in an unprepared nation, preceded by the casual insistence it’s no worse than the seasonal flu, sounds eerily familiar in 2020. More attention is being paid to hogs than the health of humans working in meatpacking plants.

Will we be writing in 2021 how reopening states and counties too soon led to our own second wave? Here in Iowa, reopening began before we had a fully working predictive model to chart the pandemic’s course and before new testing efforts had a chance to ramp up. Will decisions made without crucial information look smart in 2021? Or will we wish we’d waited just a couple more weeks?

What of the protesters demanding liberation? What about the president, running for reelection in a nation harmed by his crisis mismanagement? What will a new normal look like?

Will there be newspapers around to editorialize in the aftermath? After all, most of the pitches for fake cures are online now, some even extolled at White House briefings.

And will we be better prepared next time? I bet editorial writers in 1919 figured we’d have this pandemic response thing down to a science by now.

Little did they know that in 2020 we’d have so little respect for science. And after a century-plus, the darkness and terror apparently slipped our minds.

(319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@thegazette.com