Et Cetera

In the late 1920’s a celebrated author with a troubled past disappears, along with the sequel to her best-selling novel. In 1950s America, her daughter receives a message from England telling her that her mother’s documents along with a personal unopened letter have been found. Is it a hoax, like many that have come before? Is the risk of taking her asthmatic daughter abroad during London’s Great Smog worth the potential reward? In ‘The Story She Left Behind,’ Patti Callahan Henry once again weaves a fairy tale into a lovely novel, perfect for lovers of heartfelt fiction like me.

A fan of the TV show 'Golden Girls'? Then check out this cozy mystery 'Murder by Cheesecake' by Rachel Ekstrom Courage! Dorothy tries out a VHS dating service whilst Rose is planning a St. Olaf-themed wedding for her niece/cousin (yes, she is called both!) when a murder ensues in Miami where they are planning the wedding and the four ladies try to solve the case.

 Kirkwood Community College will hold its 2025 Commencement ceremony at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in downtown Cedar Rapids on Saturday, May 17, beginning at 10 a.m. More than 2,300 students are expected to graduate with approximately 650 students taking part in the ceremony. A total of 3,525 credit degrees, diplomas and certificates are expected to be awarded in the current academic year.

"Olivetti" by Allie Millington is a middle-grade novel that blends together themes of memory, grief, and healing through the eyes of a child and a typewriter. Twelve-year-old Ernest is a quiet boy who enjoys being alone reading the dictionary; Olivetti, is quiet because he is a typewriter, but he is the Brindle family's secret keeper and observer.

Looking for a meaningful scholarship opportunity for your student? LifeServe Blood Center offers students the chance to earn up to $500 for college by hosting a blood drive during high-need times. Students gain real world skills and make a positive community impact. A LifeServe representative supports each student throughout the process. This opportunity is open to all high school and college students pursuing higher education.

East-Central Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative is proud to announce it has awarded $12,000 in scholarships. The $1,000 scholarships will go to two young men who plan to further their education in the Powerline Technician program and 10 graduating seniors who plan to further their education in a diverse range of programs.

By Brooklyn DraiseyHawkeye Community College will use more than $250,000 in state dollars to expand its apprenticeship programs alongside schools and businesses throughout the state.According to a news release, the Waterloo community college received $262,326 from Iowa Workforce Development, managed by the Iowa Office of Apprenticeship. As a registered apprenticeship partner, the college stated in the release it will put the grant funding toward its offered apprenticeship programs in electric work, carpentry, HVAC, flooring installation and plumbing.

I recently watched the 2014 documentary 'Alive Inside' with the hopes of gleaning some insight into how to incorporate music into our library's Memory Cafe. The film follows one man over the course of three years as he brings customized music playlists to nursing home residents as a form of music therapy. He found that by playing music from their youth, the residents were able to access memories, feelings, and joy unlike anything they had experienced in years.

Julia Bartz takes on abuse, sexual harassment, and bullying in 'The Last Session' and how childhood trauma can shape our sexual identity as adults. Thea, a psychiatric hospital social worker, who is dealing with her own unresolved traumas, meets a catatonic patient who bears an uncanny resemblance to her and even has the same exact birthday. When the patient suddenly becomes lucid, she mysteriously vanishes with a couple posing as her parents.

There’s an old adage that you can't put a value on human life, but insurance companies manage to make an offer. All kidding aside, on this National Life Insurance Day you may be wondering just how far your policy will stretch for your loved ones the day you’re no longer there to provide for them. But the best insurance you can invest in that keeps you in the family picture – is clicking your seatbelt every trip.