Winners

Memo to Keno Davis: Thanks for everything. We hate to see you go to Providence College, but we understand the reasons why — and there are probably more than seven million of them, like the chance to compete in a big-time league and further your career. You had to strike while the iron was hot — that’s the nature of college sports, as you told us last November when you graced our cover. Nobody blames you, especially since you handled yourself during your short time at Drake University with such class and humility. Thanks for uniting Bulldogs fans, for putting a winning team on the floor and in the classroom, and for generating some excitement about college basketball in Iowa. You reminded sports fans that sometimes the good guys win — even when they get beat at the buzzer. We wish you and your family the best and hope that new coach Mark Phelps, Drake officials, players and Bulldogs fans can build on the foundation you and your father built at Drake.

In other coaching news, Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands has been named W.I.N. Magazine’s Dan Gable Coach of the Year award. Brands led the Hawkeyes to a 21-1 record, a Big Ten Conference tournament championship and their first NCAA championship since 2000 in only his second season. That’s quite an accomplishment. And, oh, by the way, he’s staying at Iowa.

Lest we need any reminding of Mother Nature’s power, witness last week’s biggest weather headline. Residents across the Midwest — including Des Moines — were awakened Friday by a 5.2 magnitude earthquake that rattled skyscrapers in Chicago’s Loop and homes in Cincinnati, but appeared to cause no major damage or injuries. Dozens of aftershocks followed, one with a magnitude of 4.5. The quake hit at 4:37 a.m. and centered six miles from West Salem, Ill., just 45 miles from Evansville, Ind.

Ambitious Des Moines high school students will be able to complete an Associate of Arts degree at the same time they receive their high school diploma, with the help of a joint venture between Des Moines Public Schools and Des Moines Area Community College. The program not only allows students to build college credits before actually stepping foot on a college campus, but it allows them to do it for free because there is no tuition cost as courses will be taken during regular school day hours. As for those students who don’t participate, they’ll have to wait and experience college after high school — like most kids.

Losers

Have Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie and Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly nothing else better to do than seek photo opportunities with bloated rockers? Case in point, last Tuesday’s official proclamation of “Billy Joel Day in recognition of the legendary entertainer Billy Joel’s first-ever performance in Des Moines,” which included the presentation of a key to the city. Don’t misunderstand us; Joel has his appeal [piano bars, waiting rooms and adult contemporary radio]. But aren’t we going overboard a bit because a guy finally “graces” our town with reruns of 30-year-old hits at $50 and $96 a ticket? God help us should Elton John play here, our entire government might shut down. Meanwhile, Des Moines natives and internationally renowned rockers Slipknot can’t even get a key… not that any of that matters anyway.

We understand why Pizza Hut fired James William Spiers III after he broke company policy by carrying a handgun on the job and shooting would-be robber Kenneth Jimmerson after Jimmerson pointed a gun to his head on March 28 while delivering a pizza to the Sutton Hill Apartments in Des Moines. But we’re not sure we agree with it. Yes, Spiers’ actions were grounds for dismissal, but we wonder if a temporary suspension or warning might have sufficed. After all, we’re willing to bet that the people who wrote Pizza Hut’s policy never had a gun pointed at them while delivering pizza late at night. At first glimpse, it appears as though Spiers is the one who loses in this scenario after being kicked to the curb with two months of minimum wage pay and counseling. But Pizza Hut might be paying a bigger price for losing a dedicated employee and potential customers given the outpouring of public support for Spiers.

An Associated Press study found that Gov. Chet Culver spent nearly one-third of the days that this year’s legislature has been in session traveling out of state, including an 11-day family vacation in Florida and three outings on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama. In total, Culver spent 34 days out of the state this session. Aides say the governor was promoting Iowa to the rest of the world during his travels. But is it too much to ask that he stick around during the relatively short time that the legislature is making the laws that affect Iowa’s citizens? CV

Comment on this story | Return to top