The good
After being trapped in a collapsed mine for more than two months, all 33 Chilean miners returned to Earth’s surface last week in a historic effort to save their lives. The miners were trapped nearly a half-mile underground since Aug. 5 and were recently rescued during the 22-hour mission transporting the miners in the Phoenix capsule through a 28-inch diameter hole. Most all of the miners have now been released from the hospital. The mission to save the men cost an estimated $10-$20 million, but what is the price of life?
After a decade of planning and last week’s award of a $10 million federal grant, the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) is able to move forward with plans for a $21 million transit hub that could be completed before 2013. The push for completion became a reality after the project received $4 million through Gov. Chet Culver’s I-JOBS initiative as well as another $6.5 million from the Federal Transit Administration. The initial funding will help complete the first phase of the hub — the building/waiting areas, public restrooms, a customer service desk, bicycle storage, a coffee shop or cafe and administrative offices. The latest grant will pay for the second phase — four bus lanes, 15 bus bays, public art, covered walkways and real-time bus arrival and departure information at each pedestrian platform. The new transit hub will be located south of Cherry Street between Sixth Avenue and Seventh Street and will replace the transit mall along Walnut Street downtown.
The bad
Criminals usually get what they deserve. But justice can sometimes be bad, especially when a criminal receives a relaxed sentence because of his past. Former Pleasant Hill police officer, Sgt. Daniel Hebert Edwards, was sentenced to five years of probation last week after pleading guilty to possession of a controlled substance, operating while intoxicated and third-degree burglary, after crashing his cruiser with methamphetamine in his system. Probation? Seriously? Did you read those charges? Unbelievable.
Just what we needed, a version of “The View” based right here in Des Moines. Rekha Basu, a Des Moines Register columnist and defender of women’s rights, is now hosting a weekly Web show entitled “Between the Lines with Rekha & Friends.” The show features Basu and three local women — Sophia Douglas, Leslie Gearhart and Barbara Lukavsky — providing girl talk about “thought-provoking conversation on politics, culture, society and more.” The show plans to “get beyond the headlines and analyze issues through each member’s unique lens.” How did she choose her panelists? “The panelists are all women because we don’t hear enough of women’s viewpoints.” Sounds like must-see Web TV.
The ugly
Lock him up and throw away the key. Last week the Polk County jury found Randall Todd Moore guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping, sexual assault and attempted murder of shooting his wife and wounding a Des Moines police officer on Nov. 11, 2009. Moore, 39, kidnapped his wife, TeresaAnn Lynch Moore, 30, from the parking lot of the Target store at Merle Hay Mall. He then took her to the apartment where he shot and killed her. The Polk County jury deliberated for approximately three hours over a two-day span before reaching the verdict.
Someone needs to smash Brett Favre’s camera phone. When we first heard the story of Favre sending sexy messages to New York Jets employee Jenn Sterger while he was the quarterback of the team, we thought it was part of a witch hunt on behalf of pissed-off Jets’ management and the NFL. Then we saw the alleged pictures that Favre sent. Those were disturbing. Brett, we love to watch you play football, but we don’t want to see pics of your penis. Nobody does. CV
