Art Project Bombs Away at Iowa Art Festival, Million Dollar Data Farming in West Des Moines, and Iowa State Names Top Athletes: Top 9 of Iowa

By Stephen Schmidt

Why nine? Because the Patch community includes nine sites in Iowa: Ames, Ankeny, Cedar Falls, Iowa City, Johnston, Marion,Urbandale, Waukee and West Des Moines.

And now, here in no particular order, are the Top 9 of Iowa Patch for the past week.

9. I am glad no one was killed, and having my art and poetry eviscerated by a bomb-destroying robot is the thing I realized I never knew I always wanted. Thus said the poet Russell Jaffe, whose art piece made of found electronics items proved to be a show stopper at the Iowa Art Festival, as Iowa City police who feared it was a bomb decided to blow it up.

8. Des Moines and its suburbs have a popular bike trail system, and it's about to get better as a new Urbandale bike trail project named after a former city manager will provide Urbandale bikers with more options.

7. There's a new form of farming proving popular in Iowa -- data farming. This holds even more true in Central Iowa, where $140 million data farming project could be coming to West Des Moines.

6. The Cedar Falls government has been looking for cost savings lately, and that includes possibly switching to a part-time mayor, but they've tabled talking about that issue for now.

5. From saving to money in Cedar Falls to possibly spending it in Johnston, where a $41 million school bond referendum is coming up.

4. Not quite as exciting as $41 million, but the Waukee School Board does have a new member.

3. Iowa State has named its male and female athletes of the year, and they might surprise you.

2. The Ankeny Miracle League and All-Inclusive Playground Project isn't done yet,  but volunteers to help disabled children play are already being recruited for the coming year if you're interested.

1. In Marion, we got mixed reactions from our readers on Linn-Mar Community School District's plans to invest in buzzers at school entrances as a way to improve school security.