University of Iowa Police received two reports Wednesday, April 18 of attempted robberies of people carrying cell phones on the east side of the UI campus.

Mystery writer Ridley Pearson, science writer Carl Zimmer, and novelist Laura Moriarty are among a rich lineup of writers who will take part in the Iowa City Book Festival this summer, the University of Iowa Libraries announced today.

When the College of Public Health announced it was starting a new student ambassador program to put a “face” on the college, Carmen Smith knew she wanted to be a part of it. Her enthusiasm for the ambassador program is eclipsed only by her excitement about her studies and career path.

The International Chemistry Olympiad will be held in July in Washington, D.C.

Come decorate a bag with Meskwaki designs, meet Captain Planet, and learn potato stamping during Family Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, April 21 and 22, at the University of Iowa Pentacrest Museums. The Museum of Natural History and Old Capitol Museum are offering a variety of free public programs for all ages.

The collaborative community art project Stir-Fry, which uses art to focus on how people resettle into new communities and cultures, will culminate its semester-long activities with a series of free public events from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 27, at the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center Assembly Room, 28 South Linn St., Iowa City.

RiverFest is raging through Iowa City April 22-29 with its annual pre-finals spring rush of music, art, and more. Highlights include performances by noise-pop duo Sleigh Bells and rock band Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, as well as a weekend of theme parties in the Iowa Memorial Union.

University of Iowa historian Elizabeth Heineman says there is a sense of urgency as the deaths of Holocaust survivors bring an end to firsthand accounts.

The Iowa City Book Festival will announce this summer’s author lineup at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 18 in a special media event in the Old Capitol Museum Senate Chamber. Several local authors slated to participate in this summer’s festival will be available to the media during this event, including Larry Baker and Zach Wahls.

Lecture will look at the intertwined economic fortunes of Postville, Iowa, and El Rosario, Guatemala after the May 2008 immigration raid on a Postville meatpacking facility.

Students from Mount Mercy University, Coe College and Kirkwood Community College raised $25,691.80 during the second annual Cedar Rapids Dance Marathon on Saturday, April 14.

Hancher and Working Group Theatre have added a fifth show of Mayberry. Tickets are now available for a performance on Saturday, April 28 at 2 p.m. at Riverside Theatre in Iowa City.