Today’s list might be the greatest thing since sliced break, as Iowa is home to that incredible advancement!

1. Central Iowa adviser meet-ups at the Blue Shark
2. The appetizers at the Blue Shark
3. Jethros BBQ for lunch at summer IHSPA Board meetings
4. The Iowa Newspaper Association who helps fund the JOY prize
5. News and Yearbook Team of the Year banners
6. State conference at the University of Iowa
7. Adviser PD Day at Drake University
8. An award for our Top 10 Emerging Journalists
9. Iowa Journalist of the Year Celebration – Scholarship
10. Summer journalism workshops at the University of Iowa and Drake University
11. @iowahspress
12. www.ihspa.org
13. The IHSPA Prize Patrol, which will show up at schools and hand out the awards
14. The spring national convention is in Kansas City. No plane ride!
15. National Journalism Teacher of the Year, Jack Kennedy
16. National Journalism Teacher of the Year, Merle Dieleman
17. National Journalism Teacher of the Year, Rod Vahl
18. Past president Journalism Education Association and former National Scholastic Press Association board member, Ann Visser
19. Mini sessions for students with Chris Snider of Drake University
20. The Daily Iowan at the University of Iowa
21. Drake Magazine
22. The Iowa State Daily
23. NSPA Newspaper Hall of Fame, Spartan Shield, Pleasant Valley HS, Bettendorf, (1998)
24. NSPA Newspaper Hall of Fame, The Echoes, Abraham Lincoln HS, Council Bluffs, (1988)
25. NSPA Newspaper Hall of Fame, Beak ‘n Eye, Davenport West HS (2004)
26. NSPA Newspaper Hall of Fame, The Little Hawk, Iowa City HS (1994)
27. NSPA Yearbook Hall of Fame, Crimson and Blue, Abraham Lincoln HS, Council Bluffs, Iowa (1991)
28. NSPA Yearbook Hall of Fame, Red & White, City HS, Iowa City, 1999
29. NSPA Yearbook Hall of Fame, The Dragon, Johnston HS (2003)
30. Top 100 on the Pacemaker list, eighth, The Little Hawk, Iowa City HS, with 15
31. First Amendment Press Freedom Award, Johnston HS
32. Administrator of the Year, Timothy Werentin, principal, Davenport Central HS, 2008
33. Administrator of the Year, Henry Caudle, Davenport Central HS, 2000
34. Carl Towley Award recipient, Ann Viser, Pella HS, 2010
35. Carl Towley Award recipient, Jack Kennedy, Iowa City HS, 2004
36. Carl Towley Award recipient, Jack Dvorak, IHSPA, 2003
37. Carl Towley Award recipient, Dick Johns, University of Iowa, 1982
38. Carl Towley Award recipient, George Gallup, University of Iowa/Drake University, 1973
39. Diversity Award, The Blackhawk Newspaper staff and adviser Deb Buttleman Malcomb, Davenport Central HS, 2007
40. Friends of Scholastic Journalism Award, Paul Jensen IHSPA Executive Director, 2023
41. Friends of Scholastic Journalism Award, Ann Akers, an Iowa girl at heart, 2023
42. Friends of Scholastic Journalism Award, Tyler Buller, now on the Iowa Court of Appeals, 2010
43. Lifetime Achievement Award, Leslie Shipp, Johnston HS, 2022
44. Lifetime Achievement Award, Gary Lindsay, Cedar Rapids Kennedy HS, 2015
45. Lifetime Achievement Award, Ann Viser, Johnston HS, 2014
46. Lifetime Achievement Award, Dick Johns, Johnston HS, 2007
47. Lifetime Achievement Award, Merle Dieleman, Pleasant Valley HS, 1999
48. Lifetime Achievement Award, Rod Vahl, Central and West HS, 1990
49. Linda S. Putney Teacher Inspiration Award, Dick Johns, 2005
50. Medal of Merit, Deb Buttleman Malcomb, 2006
51. Medal of Merit, Jack Kennedy,, 2003
52. Medal of Merit, Ann Visser, 2002
53. Medal of Merit, Jack Dvorak, 1987
54. Medal of Merit, Rod Vahl, 1981
55. Medal of Merit, Dick Johns, 1974
56. Rising Star Award, Natalie Niemeyer, Des Moines East HS, 2014
57. Rising Star Award, Kyle Phillips, Cedar Rapids Washington HS, 2014
58. Rising Star Award, Stacy Haynes-Moore, Cedar Rapids Jefferson HS, 2007
59. Iowa is the only state bordered by two navigable rivers; on the West the Missouri River and on the East the Mississippi River
60. Hogs outnumber people by far. This could be good and bad. We also lead in corn and eggs.
61. Aquaman (Jason Mamoa) and Superman (Brandon Routh) both graduated from Norwalk High School
62. The band Slipknot formed in Iowa
63. Iowa leads the nation is per-capita wind power
64. Iowa leads the nation in literacy rate
65. Twenty Olympic athletes hail from Iowa
66. Once upon a time, Iowa girls played six-on-six basketball with only two dribbles. It made for high-scoring games.
67. The Writers’ Workshop in Iowa City is considered one of the nation’s best
68. Places to visit – Loess Hills along the Missouri River, the only other ones like them are in China
69. Places to visit – A grass tennis court just like Wimbeldon on a farm near Charles City. It’s tennis’ Field of Dreams. You can make a reservation and play on it.
70. Places to visit – The actually Field of Dreams near Dyersville
71. Places to visit – The High Trestle Bridge over the Des Moines River near Madrid. Ride your bike over it.
72. Places to eat – Piper’s Candy in Chariton. Best turtles.
73. Places to eat – loose meat sandwiches at The Canteen in the Alley in Ottumwa. Good pie and only 16 stools at the horseshoe-shaped counter.
74. Places to eat – Dipping carmel for apples at the Iowa Orchard in Urbandale. And the apples are good, too. Try the Evercrisp.
75. Places to eat – Outside Scoop in Indianola and Ankeny. Started by a college student. Try the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake.
76. Places to see a concert – The Val Air Ballroom in Des Moines heralds from the 1950s. A local bought it and revamped it. It’s first concert in years is in February.
77. Places to skateboard – Lauridsen Skatepark along the Des moines River,, the largest open park in the nation.
78. Famous Iowa journalists – George Gallup, the survey guy
79. Famous Iowa journalists – Donald Kaul, Pulitzer finalist twice for his Des Moines Register column and co-founder of the RAGBRAI, a bike ride across Iowa ridden by thousands. His colleague, John Karras, was the other co-founder.
80. Famous Iowa journalists – Michael Gartner, former president of NBC News and Pulitzer Prize winner for editorial writing
81. Famous Iowa journalists – Art Cullen, editor of the Storm Lake Times, Pulitzer Prize for editorials about poor water quality
82. Famous Iowans that impacted journalism – Mary Beth Tinker and her brother John for wearing black armbands to school and taking the infringement of their rights all the way to the Supreme Court
83. Dan Johnston, the young lawyer who argued the Tinker case to the Supreme Court
84. Iowa Code 280.22, which says students are governed by the Tinker Standard. They create and edit their own publications. School officials, parents, other students, anyone who tries to stop them from publishing legal material risks infringing on their First Amendment rights.
85. Revised Iowa Code 280.22 with new subsection 6A which protects advisers from retaliation.
86. U.S. House Representative Ashley Hinson for introducing adviser retaliation legislation as an Iowa House Representative
87. Senate member Amy Sinclair for championing the bill through the Senate
88. Governor Kim Reynolds for signing the adviser retaliation bill into law
89. JEA MJEs: Jeff Browne, JoAnn Gage, Gary Lindsay, Natalie Niemeyer, Timm Pilcher, Leslie Shipp
90. JEA CJEs: Sarah Hamilton, Janell Mikels, Sara Whittaker
91. The Iowa Newspaper Association scholarships
92. Master of Ceremony Natalie Niemeyer at the state convention
93. Student Newspapers Online for hosting the IHSPA website
94. SNO Education and Training Specialist Kyle Phillips for his education and training
95. Designer of the Year contest
96. Writer of the Year contest
97. Photographer of the Year contest
98. Videographer of the Year contest
99. IHSPA is 76 years old
100. Now a judge, Tyler Buller, for his support of student First Amendment rights