Monday Morning Read: Luring back rural voters vexes Democrats; landowners unite against rural confinements; Cedar Memorial organist has played since 1965

TODAY'S WEATHER — Sunny, pleasant. High 62, low 43.

LURING BACK RURAL VOTERS VEXES DEMOCRATS — Rural Iowa shifted political direction in 2016, catching Democrats off guard. The conversation of how to earn back those votes is dominating conversation among Democrats these days. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/news/luring-back-rural-voters-vexes-iowa-democrats/

LANDOWNERS UNITE AGAINST ANIMAL CONFINEMENTS — A group of Howard County landowners, tired of Iowa lawmakers' refusal to tighten rules on confined animal feeding operations, has banded together to outlaw these operations on their properties. Further, these 43 families owning more than 5,000 acres combined won't accept liquid manure from large feeding operations — an unusual move they hope will keep those facilities from opening nearby. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/news/iowa-landowners-unite-against-animal-confinements/

CEDAR MEMORIAL ORGANIST HAS PLAYED SINCE 1965 — Karmen Shedenhelm doesn't remember exactly when she started playing organ for Cedar Memorial. She estimates she was hired sometime around 1965, meaning she has been playing for funerals for more than 50 years. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/life/cedar-rapids-organist-pulls-out-all-the-stops-to-help-grieving-families/

IOWA BASKETBALL HOPES TO AVOID SETBACKS — Monday begins a week in which Iowa men's basketball coach Fran McCaffery and his players will meet with media for the first time this season — Monday at Iowa hoops Media Day and Thursday in New York City for Big Ten Media Day — and get a gauge of how the first couple weeks of practice have gone. Until then and until we see the team on the court, preseason predictions and analysis will have to do. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/sports/3-things-hills-the-hawkeyes-have-to-climb-in-2017-18/

QUOTABLE — 'Take care of our piece. It's a lot like taking a child to college. You're happy but a little nervous.' David Janssen, executive director at Brucemore, as workers removed the historic mansion's Skinner pipe organ for restoration. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/news/historic-brucemore-skinner-pipe-organ-sent-for-restoration/