The good

The Civic Music Association recently kicked off of a new social support group, CMA Backstage, on Sept. 12. CMA Backstage offers opportunities to experience CMA in exciting ways, from casual social events to one-on-one meetings with featured artists. CMA Backstage was created to strengthen the Civic Music Association by growing a dedicated group of support for its educational social events. Organizers hope to further engage and enrich the lives of Iowans through provocative, world-class musical performances by legends and rising stars.

The Polk County Board of Supervisors took two big steps in the right direction last week by awarding funding for local community development grants: the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Iowa to assist with its Annual NAMI Iowa Walk, and Rebuilding Together Greater Des Moines for its Helping Heroes and Senior Repair Programs. NAMI is devoted to helping people living with serious mental illness and their families. The walk is slated for Oct. 6 at the Farm Bureau Campus in West Des Moines. Rebuilding Together’s programs help veterans and seniors find safe housing. It also helps to provide educational opportunities and other revitalization projects to low-income homeowners. The Board of Supervisors was able to fund these causes through revenues of Prairie Meadows. So, apparently some thanks go to the gamblers out there as well.

The bad

The U.S. Marshals Southern Iowa Fugitive Task Force had been searching for Courtney Cortez Chestnut, 29, before asking for the public’s assistance. Chestnut was wanted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for failure to register as a sex offender (second offense) and escape. The Des Moines Police Department received word from an anonymous tip on Sept. 1 that Chestnut had been hiding out at a residence in the 2000 block of 22nd Street in Des Moines. He was arrested and booked and is being held on a $5,000 cash-only bond at the Polk County Jail. Officers commended the public for working together with law enforcement to get this guy off the streets.

A bouncer at Komodo Klub tried to expel an unruly patron last week, but William Tighe would have been wrong to assume that the 4’11-inch, 100-pound Sharron Martin would go quietly. She allegedly resisted by taking off her high heel shoes and assaulting him with them, hitting him in the chin — probably because that’s as far up as her arms would reach — and throwing the shoe at him, before he finally got her removed from the bar. He didn’t sustain any visible injuries, but she was arrested for assault and taken to Polk County Jail anyway.

The ugly

Hey, ladies, have you ever been attacked by a man wearing your clothes? That’s what happened to a woman in Altamonte Springs, Fla. She was doing laundry at her apartment complex last week, when 60-year-old Alden Shepard allegedly walked up wearing one of her shirts he had taken from her washing machine. She told police Shepard had pushed her to the floor and yelled provocative commands at her while touching himself. Luckily, the woman was able to fight him off and call police. The first officer on scene saw the suspect flee on foot. When he was finally restrained, officers asked why he was only wearing pants, and the suspect replied, “he was hot.” Officers then questioned what he was doing in Altamonte Springs when he lived in Orlando, and he proceeded to tell the officers he was “trash digging.” Officers also asked why he was sporting eyeliner, and to this the man admitted he was a cross-dresser. When police searched his car, they found yet another shirt belonging to the woman. Shepard was arrested on charges of kidnapping, battery, loitering, larceny, indecent exposure and resisting an officer. He posted bond later and was released from the Seminole County Jail. On behalf of our local ladies, stay in Florida, weirdo.

This dummy had the wrong idea about the expression, “Put your money where your mouth is.” While at a New York amusement park, 35-year-old Larry Jones tried buying French fries with a fake $50 bill over Labor Day weekend. An employee noticed and alerted security. When authorities came for him, he reportedly tried to stuff the remaining bills into his mouth to hide the evidence. Jones was charged with possession of a forged instrument and tampering with evidence. CV