Dog-friendly baseball game benefits Animal Rescue League
DES MOINES — Watch a baseball game with your dog at Dog Days of Summer in this special gathering to benefit the Animal Rescue League (ARL). You and other dog-lovers will gather in the reserved pet-friendly section for Tuesday’s  Iowa Cubs versus Memphis Redbirds game. The night kicks off with a pre-game dog parade at 5:30 p.m., continues with the game at 6:38 p.m., and features dog ice cream and a raffle. Tickets are $16, with all proceeds going to the ARL and its work as a nonprofit shelter and animal advocacy group. Dog owners have to sign a waiver to bring their dogs into the park. The fun happens at Principal Park, 1 Line Dr.
Ottumwa Pride: less turning out to be more
OTTUMWA — Four smaller events are replacing one big Pride fest this June, in this south-central Iowa city. Ottumwa Pride is offering a June 6 Pride Market, a June 12 Pride Skate Night, Drag Bingo June 18, and an adults-only Drag Brunch June 28. The nonprofit announced earlier this year that its volunteer base could no longer support its traditional one-day Pride Block Party, held for five years. Details for all of the smaller events can be found at the Ottumwa Pride Facebook page, but here’s a quick summary: Pride Market is 10 am. to 2 p.m. Sat., June 6 at Ballingall Park, 210 W. Main St. Pride Skate Night is 5:30 to 8 p.m. Fri., June 12, at the Ottumwa YMCA, 611 N. Hancock St. Adults-only Drag Bingo is 5 to 9 p.m. Thurs., June 18, at the Amore Italian Restaurant, 322 E. Main St. ($10 admission and feat. to play, and Andromeda VonTeeze Valentino and Zafira Marie Valentino). Location and time for the June 28 Drag Brunch are yet to be announced. Vendor applications for the June 6 market are accepted through May 30; apply here.
Early voting underway for June 2 primary
STATEWIDE — Early voting throughout Iowa began May 13, with five federal-level primaries, two statewide positions, eight state senator races, and 23 state representative races facing primaries. For progressive readers, some Democratic primaries will decide who fills the seat. They include the three-way primary of Blake Clyde, Ivette Muhammad and Cody Smith for District 33 State Representative in Des Moines, and the two-way primary of Ken Croken versus Adam Peters in Davenport’s District 33. If you’d prefer to vote early rather than on primary Election Day June 2, head here to find your county auditor’s office, where each county lists its early voting locations and hours. Iowa holds “closed primaries,” meaning only party members can vote in each party’s primary. Independent voters, which account for more than one-third of Iowa’s voters, cannot participate in early voting, mail-in voting or primry election day June 2. For a complete list of all candidates running for which office, head to the Secretary of State’s official listings here.
