Winners

To all the little ghosts and goblins and their parents who traipsed their neighborhoods, going door-to-door telling jokes in exchange for a piece of candy, we hope your treat bags runneth over last week in celebrating Halloween. Beggar’s Night is more than just a holiday for the kids; it’s an opportunity to bond with your neighbors, and we would be remiss if we didn’t give kudos to those who left their porch light on and handed out candy, too. As for all the lazy parents who dropped their kids off at the mall to leave them standing emotionless in long lines to get a piece of candy without having to tell a joke, as well as the increasing number of homeowners who purposefully turned their house lights off to avoid participating in the Beggar’s Night tradition, we say bah, humbug.

Des Moines residents know what it feels like to be without food, water and other necessities. Anyone remember the flood of 1993? That year The Salvation Army from other states pitched in to help us out, so it seems only fitting that the local Salvation Army canteens return the favor to fellow Americans by serving more than 15,000 meals and drinks to those affected by the Southern California fires. Nine mobile canteens have been deployed to California and six others are on the way, we’re told, to help residents and rescue workers with supplies and spiritual care.

We’re not sure if you had to do this when you were in school, but if you did, you’ll understand the satisfaction 20 Merrill Middle School students will experience while working with senior citizens through a year-long service learning grant the school has received. The $5,000 grant is from the Corporation for National Service in conjunction with Learn & Serve America and the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service. The project includes five programs that assist senior citizens in their daily lives, including oral recordings of their histories. Anytime a young person can show seniors they care about them, and in return, can impart some wisdom, it’s a good thing.

Iowa State University received straight A’s from PETA2 — the world’s largest youth animal rights organization — and has been nominated as one of the “Most Vegetarian-Friendly Colleges in America.” ISU’s smart food choices earned the school its nomination. The public can vote for the winner at www.peta2.com/College. The winner will be announced this month.

Shuda Jarboe, 10, of Urbandale is one of 10 finalists selected from hundreds of entries across the country competing for 10 $5,000 awards as part of the first annual LEGO Creativity Awards essay contest. The contest asked kids to share a way that they have been creative at home, at school or in the community, and how it made them feel. Jarboe designed a newsletter for her school’s extended Learning Program to provide classmates with updates, book and movie reviews, teacher messages and student profiles.

Losers

The University of Iowa football team continues to have problems off the field as two former players were arrested last week in separate incidents. Wide receiver Dominique Douglas, who was already suspended from the team on suspicion of unauthorized use of a credit card, pleaded guilty to fifth-degree theft last week after allegedly stealing three DVDs from an Iowa City Wal-Mart. He was fined $100 and released on bond. His tenuous status as a member of the Hawkeye’s football team and student at Iowa is likely to end. Meanwhile, former Iowa and all-conference defensive back Antwan Allen was charged last week with driving while his license was suspended and assault on a female. Allen was the only Hawkeye to start in four consecutive January bowl games for Iowa.

Animal protection organizations like PETA and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have sent a letter of complaint to the Iowa Board of Veterinary Medicine calling for an investigation into the conduct of Dr. Paul Armbrecht of Lake City. The groups claim that Armbrecht violated Iowa law when he testified under oath that strangling pigs to death does not constitute cruelty to animals though industry standards do not include hangings as a humane method of euthanasia. The Iowa veterinarian gave the testimony — for which he was paid — at the trial of the owners and employees of the Creston, Ohio-based Wiles Hog Farm, who were accused of strangling pigs. They say his testimony violated the Iowa Veterinary Practice Act, which prohibits “knowingly making misleading, deceptive, untrue, or fraudulent representation in the practice of the profession.” The farm’s employees were documented in an undercover investigation killing sows by fastening a chain around their necks and then attaching the chain to a front end loader. The loader was then lifted as the sows struggled and were slowly strangled to death over a period of 4 to 5 minutes. CV

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