Sarah Hedlund and Diana Mondragon were groomed and sexually abused by the same high school teacher 20 years ago - but their paths to justice couldn't have been more different. Not because of the facts of their cases, but because of where they lived.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith sits down with the co-hosts of "Blooming After Grooming" to explore how a predator moved from Iowa to Illinois after Hedlund ended the relationship, and how state laws either support or fail survivors seeking accountability.

From Iowa's restrictive statute of limitations to Illinois' more progressive laws that still fell short, their story reveals the shocking gaps in our systems meant to protect children. Discover how Hedlund found Mondragon through a cold LinkedIn message, why the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners became the unlikely hero of their case, and what parents, educators, and students need to know about recognizing and preventing grooming.

Toss some bags at survivor accountability... the trauma onion that keeps peeling... and why "why now?" is the wrong question...

Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line. This podcast is produced by me and edited by Rebecca Steinberg. Our music is by Avery Mossman and our show art is from Desirée Tapia.

Iowa has the second-highest cancer rate in the nation, and Dr. Andrew Nish has a blunt explanation: "Politics and big money." After 34 years treating cancer patients in Iowa, the medical director of John Stoddard Cancer Center connects our climbing cancer rates to everything from agricultural practices and contaminated water to our drinking culture and lack of green spaces.

In this episode of Cornhole Champions, Dr. Nish explains the "exposome" - all the environmental factors we're exposed to over a lifetime that influence cancer risk. From ultra-processed foods disrupting our microbiome to nitrates in our water system, he argues that Iowa's health crisis stems from the same forces shaping our economy.

Toss some bags about why politics and big money block solutions to Iowa's cancer crisis and and what one doctor thinks we need to change to save lives.

Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line. It’s produced by me and edited by Rebecca Steinberg. Our music is by Avery Mossman and show art by Desirée Tapia. We are a proud member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative.

SHOW RUNDOWN:
02:00 - Welcome to Cornhole Champions: Accountability and Healing

04:00 - How Two Survivors Found Each Other Through LinkedIn

05:30 - The Grooming Started: From Iowa to Illinois

09:00 - Different States, Different Laws, Different Outcomes

11:30 - Iowa's Statute of Limitations vs Illinois' Progressive Laws

12:30 - How Iowa Board of Education Became the Unlikely Hero

16:30 - The Trauma Onion: When Systems Fail to Protect

22:30 - Why Survivors Wait: The Average Age is 52

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