Amie Rivers

Amie Rivers is Iowa Starting Line’s newsletter editor. She writes the weekly Worker’s Almanac edition of Iowa Starting Line, featuring a roundup of the worker news you need to know. Previously, she was an award-winning journalist at the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier; now, she very much enjoys making TikToks and memes and getting pet photos in her inbox.

Have a story tip? Reach Amie at amie@new.iowastartingline.com. For local reporting in Iowa that connects the dots, from policy to people, sign up for Amie’s newsletter.

Latest from Amie Rivers

  • Local

    Find the perfect Christmas tree at these 24 Iowa farms

    Iowa farmers only plant corn and beans, you say? Tell that to the 100+ Christmas tree farms dotted across Iowa’s snowy landscape this time of year, where you can pick out the perfect Scotch pine, white pine, Canaan fir, Douglas fir, Frasier fir, Colorado blue spruce, or other varieties of evergreens to have your living…

  • Local

    Shop your values: Get holiday gifts made at these Iowa small businesses

    Looking for a special Iowa-made gift? We’re here with inspiration from fellow Iowans, who told us their favorite local places to shop at the holidays. As a bonus, we’ve added the causes those businesses support—so you can see how your gift goes further than anything you can buy on a big box site. Follow the…

  • Politics

    Why the Dec. 5 Waterloo run-off election is big for the LGBTQ community

    The Dec. 5 run-off election in Waterloo will be a match-up between a progressive voice on the city council who fights for LGBTQ protections and one who “clearly doesn’t.” That’s according to Jonathan Grieder, the progressive voice in that race and the current Ward 2 representative on the Waterloo City Council. He gave up his…

  • Local

    From Queersgiving to Friendsgiving, 8 free Thanksgiving meals around Iowa

    Thanksgiving is traditionally a time for a meal at home with family. But if you want to break bread with your community, plenty of places in Iowa offer that, too. So if you’re looking for a free community meal, courtesy of the kindness of your fellow Iowans, here are eight around Iowa coming up. A…

  • Politics

    Cedar Rapids $220M school bond fails, 3 school board members hold on

    Though the largest school bond in state history failed, three out of four sitting Cedar Rapids school board members kept their seats, with only the District 4 seat changing hands. Seven board members serve staggered four-year terms. Four of those (two at-large as well as the District 1 and District 4 seats) were open this…

  • Politics

    In Waukee, progressive candidates win the day

    Two incumbents and a progressive candidate endorsed by both the teachers’ union and One Iowa were voted onto the Waukee school board Tuesday. Three school board seats were open this year. Current board president Wendy Marsh took the most votes, with an even (unofficial) 5,600, or 23.4%. Incumbent board member Michael Trettin garnered the next-highest…

  • Politics

    Progressives sweep in Urbandale School Board race

    Progressives endorsed by the teachers union swept the Urbandale school board race, though the lone incumbent just squeaked back into her seat. Six candidates were running for four open seats, all at-large. Katherine Howsare, who has been on the school board for eight years—or two four-year terms—was the only incumbent school board member running. She…

  • Local

    8 Diwali celebrations across Iowa to check out this month

    Diwali, known as the festival of lights, is a huge celebration in India and among Indian folks around the world. That includes Iowans of Indian descent, who bring some light into our dark fall nights with celebrations across the state this month. What is Diwali? Briefly, the holiday is a celebration of the legends of…

  • Local

    Iowa City mobile home residents protest skyrocketing rent

    When Judy McKillip and her husband neared retirement 24 years ago, they bought a mobile home in Iowa City’s Modern Manor and found a close-knit community. “It was good to stay among friends,” McKillip said. “We played cards together, we bowled together. It was a good group of us all together.” She said Modern Manor’s owners…