The Week in Social rounds up the best of Iowa’s uplifting stories, exciting initiatives and fun events from all 99 counties discovered through social media. In a time where every bit of good news is cherished, this series is devoted to being a fun, lighthearted way to stay informed about Iowa’s good news.
Get Spooked with These Haunted Houses
If you’re looking for ways to be scared in Greater Des Moines this Halloween, these haunted houses are sure to do the trick (or treat). #CATCHdsm ??
— Catch Des Moines (@catchdesmoines) October 15, 2021
Find the house for you below: https://t.co/bsvcPIXEN3
If you are looking for some heart-racing fun this Halloween, our friends at Catch Des Moines suggested some of the Best Haunted Houses in Des Moines. Some of their favorites included Linn’s Supermarket which transforms from a locally owned grocery store into one of the oldest haunted houses in Des Moines. After crawling through a pitch-black tunnel, you arrive at a basement of horrors filled with dozens of suspenseful haunted scenes.
Another option is The Slaughterhouse, which stems from a macabre story behind the haunted attraction. Sleepy Hollow’s Haunted Scream Park offers a night of thematic mischief with six different haunted attractions and hundreds of hand-carved pumpkins. If you prefer to experience spooky things from a distance, try out the FOAM Tunnel of Terror Haunted Carwash. You’ll be locked inside your car; you get a clean car out of it and a portion of the proceeds also goes to the ,Food Bank of Iowa.
If Haunted Houses aren’t really your scene, we recommend checking out the Iowa Farm & Fun Passport for more ideas of how to celebrate fall.
Cedar Rapids Ranked as Best Bakery Scene in the U.S.
Cedar Rapids was featured in @livability as one of the 8 cities with the best #bakery scene. ??
— Cedar Rapids Tourism (@CRtourismoffice) October 11, 2021
Click the link to see their suggestions for can't miss #sweets.??#cedarrapids #crtourism #cedarrapidstourism #Iowa https://t.co/iuvTj10406
Out of all the cities providing sweet treats in the United States, Cedar Rapids is ranked No.1 in the country as having the best bakery scene. What makes Cedar Rapids the best contender for satisfying a sweet tooth? According to Livability, Cedar Rapid’s vibrant Czech and Slovak communities that help make some incredible central European pastries. If you feel a kolache calling your name, check out Sykora Bakery, Golden Delight Bakery, The Kettel House or My Mom’s Bakery in nearby Ely.
Counting all the Ways to Makes a Difference
She’s 96 and has collected 10 million pop tabs!
— Eric Hanson (@EricHansonKCCI) October 13, 2021
Althea Buck is from Shelby, Iowa. She’s been collecting tabs for @RMHC for20+ years, just topped 10,000,000 tabs and got inducted into the charity’s Thanks a Million Club.
Isn’t that amazing?
Keep counting, Althea! #ThisIsIowa pic.twitter.com/J3CXUA9znr
Althea Buck, a 96-year-old in Shelby, keeps busy by collecting and counting tabs for Ronald McDonald House Charities. The Ronald McDonald House of Omaha collects tabs for its recycling program to help run its program to house families seeking medical treatment at metro hospitals. After visiting a facility, Buck made it personal mission to donate to the cause. For the last 20 years, Buck has accepted soda, beer, vegetable and cat food tabs donations from the community and has counted over 10,000,000 tabs. To celebrate her charitable contribution, Buck was inducted into the charity’s Thanks a Million Club which recognizes individuals and organizations who donate more than a million tabs.
Learn about the Season's Spookiest Creatures
Are you fascinated or horrified (or both) of creepy-crawly animals? Now you can experience the season’s spookiest creatures without having to the leave the comfort of your own home. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will be hosting a free family-friendly webinar to teach about nature’s spine-chilling critters including spiders, bats, owls and snakes. The webinar will take place on Zoom Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. and simulcasted through Facebook Live. Space is limited in the Zoom webinar, so be sure to register right away.
New Grant Opportunities for Iowa's Rural Communities
Good news for Iowa's rural communities! @IAGovernor and @BusinessIOWA have slotted $500k in funds for cities with less than 20,000. Read the full story: https://t.co/MXYJgkvT2k pic.twitter.com/br66IZO3ad
— Iowa Rural Power (@iaruralpower) October 9, 2021
Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) announced four competitive funds are now available for rural communities in Iowa. The total amount of $500,000 will be used across four funds to develop innovation, housing, a childcare market study and attract new residents. Applications are currently being accepted until December 1, 2021.
“By connecting, investing and growing our rural communities through these grant programs, we are elevating creative initiatives that will drive significant change in our rural communities and align with the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative,” said Lt. Governor Adam Gregg, co-chair of the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative. “These projects will keep rural Iowa moving in the right direction.”
