The Courier and KWWL are partnering together to host an online forum tomorrow, aimed at ending violence in Waterloo.

It’s a complex problem with multiple causes and no easy solutions. But, we’re hoping that providing an accessible outlet for people to log on and share information with generate some fresh ideas.

While community leaders and residents are definitely welcome, we’re especially hoping that teens and young adults will join in. We want to hear what they think, how they feel and what they see on a daily basis. What can be done to reach out to the youth in the community?

The chat will last for half an hour. It’s anonymous, so you can participate without people knowing who you are.

You can go to the chat page now and sign up for a reminder. Otherwise, I hope to see all of you in the chat room tomorrow!

Posted under Uncategorized

The Iowa Democratic Party is making an addition to its State Fair booth that features the famous 140 character limit.

The booth will feature a display with 140-character comments from Iowans about why they chose the Democratic party.

Party leaders say it’s a chance to recognize the importance of social media and provide an opportunity for party members to explain their choice.

They are accepting submissions via Twitter, Facebook, email and even snail mail. Click here for more info.
*link fixed – thanks everyone for noticing!

Posted under Politics, Web/Tech

This week, UNI began replacing the Astro Turf in the UNI Dome. The process is expected to last through the beginning of August – and you can watch the whole thing from your computer.

UNI has a web cam following the whole process. While a lot of it involves people walking from one end of the field to the other, it’s interesting to see the progress from day to day.

Watch for yourself.

Posted under Web/Tech

Gov. Chet Culver announced a new partnership between the state of Iowa and Microsoft to provide free tech training for up to 5,700 unemployed Iowans.

The whole idea is that many people may have worked most of their life at a job with a very specific skill set, and now they may be interviewing for a job that requires computer skills.

The state is offering vouchers for free training courses on using Microsoft Office. Vouchers can be requested by phone, at 1-800-JOB-IOWA, or online. Participants can also take a “Microsoft Certification Exam” for a reduced cost, which could benefit people who already have advanced computer skills but want a way to show the quality of their knowledge and feature it on a resume.

The courses are offered as part of Microsoft’s Elevate America program. The software giant has already partnered with several other states to offer similar training opportunities.

Click here to find out more.

Posted under Web/Tech

Recent Facebook changes have made 1,000 a magic number for businesses on the social networking site. It takes 1,000 fans to be eligible for a custom URL on a fan page, and that has started some recruiting by local businesses like Jameson’s in Waterloo.

Jameson’s Public House is no secret to the Irish Pub connoisseur in Iowa. With more than half a million votes, the bar narrowly beat out Dubuque’s Busted Lift as the best Irish Pub in Iowa as part of Iowa Public Television’s online contest.

Jameson’s petitioned its patrons to become fans, and has surpassed the 1,000 fan goal. And now the owner would like to say thank you with a 1,000 Facebook Fans Luau.

The party kicks off at 5 p.m. this Saturday with free beer (while it lasts) and music. There will also be $5 all you can eat burgers and brats.

Click herefor Jameson’s Facebook page and more on the event.

It’s rare to see someone celebrate our social networking addiction.

Looking for other Waterloo businesses on Facebook? Check out the Waterloo, IA page.

Posted under Food and Drink, Web/Tech

Last week I sent out a tweet – alerting my followers that Michael Jackson would be carved out of butter and on display at the Iowa State Fair as part of a long-standing butter sculpting tradition.

Then organizers released a clarification. Jackson would be part of a larger sculpture depicting the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s moon walk. The sculpture would feature an astronaut, flag, moon and the pop star doing his most famous dance move – the moon walk.

Fair organizers say Jackson was also picked for his role in fair history. The Jackson 5 performed at the Iowa State Fair in 1971.

Now, after mixed feedback on the controversial star’s inclusion, organizers are putting it to a vote. Voting starts in the online poll tomorrow and runs through July 16.

Whether you love it or hate it, the only way to influence the outcome is to vote.

Posted under Uncategorized

I love fireworks. I always have. I think it’s because I also like stargazing. Fireworks are just a little more sparkly and noisy.

There’s nothing like being outside on a warm July night, with your family, watching fireworks. One of my favorite 4th of July celebrations was on the banks of the St. Clair River, which separates Michigan from Canada. It was the biggest Independence Day celebration I had ever been to. The kind where the blankets and lawn chairs are lined up so close together you can barely walk between them. I was probably six or seven and I remember being fascinated by the fact that Canadians were across the river enjoying our fireworks.

Of course, just a few years later I was celebrating on foreign soil when my family moved to Africa. Fireworks were one of the things I missed most. We managed to always have a celebration with other Americans in the area. We would buy expensive imported mayonnaise for egg salad and make homemade marshmallows for our desserts. One year my sister had to go to school on the 4th of July because her school went year round and was run by a British administration, so an American holiday was not a reason to miss lessons.

Of course nothing beats the year I spent Independence Day in the United Kingdom. My American roommates and I spent the whole night at Planet Hollywood because it was the only place in London that we felt our red, white and blue attire would be properly understood. Drinking a Coca-Cola and staring at a poster of Elvis made it seem okay to celebrate our independence from the British. And while there were the bright lights of Piccadilly Circus, there were no fireworks.

Maybe that’s why I like fireworks so much – I’ve spent so many 4th of July nights without them.

But, I’m excited to have a front row seat for one of the best firework displays in the area this year! I’ll be helping out with the live broadcast of the Dubuque Fireworks Spectacular on the Mississippi River.

Since I firmly believe that everyone should get to see fireworks this weekend, we’re streaming the Dubuque fireworks online, just in case you’re stuck at work or at home. So be sure to check it out on KWWL.com tomorrow.

Otherwise, we’ve also got a list of firework celebrations across eastern Iowa.

Happy 4th!

Posted under Holiday