The good
As of Monday, Oct. 29, retail gasoline prices in Des Moines have fallen 9.2 cents in the past week, averaging $3.31 per gallon. This compares with the national average that has fallen 9.6 cents to $3.56, according to www.DesMoinesGasPrices.com. The national average has decreased 23.1 cents per gallon during the last month. The lowest amount recently recorded in the Des Moines metro is $3.18 per gallon. By today’s standards, that’s pretty good, but you don’t have to be an old-timer to remember when it was under $1 for a gallon of gas. Those were the days.
The African American Museum of Iowa (AAMI) received honors at the Friends of Iowa Civil Rights Awards Ceremony at the Iowa Events Center on Oct. 26. The AAMI is a statewide museum based in Cedar Rapids that serves as a resource for educational information on Africa American history and its contributions to Iowa’s culture. The Friends of Iowa Civil Rights Awards are presented annually. Other 2012 honorees include: The Chrysalis Foundation, The Iowa Pride Network and Elizabeth Kruidenier for her lifetime of civil rights advocacy in Iowa. Kruidenier passed away in October, 2011.
The bad
Some people need a splash of water to the head; others need the classic slap to the face. But in the case of 21-year-old Gage Bauer of Altoona, cops resorted to a swift jolt of electricity to wake him from an alleged drunken slumber at Dos Rios restaurant last week in Des Moines. Cops were dispatched to the downtown restaurant just after 3 a.m. after night security responded to an alarm and found a door unlocked. Bauer was discovered asleep inside. Police tried to wake him, but he would not comply. “Bauer continued to actively reach for his waistband,” according to the police report. “So one officer deployed the tazer.” Then they tazed him again, as Bauer continued to not comply to police commands. He was eventually arrested and charged with burglary, interference with official acts and public intoxication.
Two Des Moines residents were tragically killed last week. The body of Stanley “Mike” Golinsky, 56, of Des Moines, was discovered under a downtown railroad bridge. Detectives quickly determined Golinsky’s death to be a homicide. While amid that investigation, Des Moines Police responded to an apartment fire at 2200 Stanton, Building A. One occupant, David Robinson, 65, did not survive the blaze. Investigations continue in both deaths. Des Moines detectives are looking for anyone with information regarding the death of Golinsky. Crime Stoppers has offered a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Call (515) 283-4869.
The ugly
In New York City, a sick-and-twisted cannibal Halloween costume only requires a blue suit, a little blue hat and a shiny badge. Six-year veteran New York City police officer Gilberto Valle, 28, was arrested last week for conspiring to kidnap, rape, torture and cook women and eat their body parts. The investigation began in September when a search of Valle’s personal computer revealed a database of at least 100 women and their personal information, including addresses and photographs. He also allegedly exchanged emails and instant messages with co-conspirators on a website for people who fantasize about cannibalism. But authorities have no evidence he actually carried out any of the acts he discussed in specific detail.
You don’t tug on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit into the wind, you don’t pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger, and you don’t mess around with 83-year-old Edwin Dowdy and his 76-year-old wife, Jutta. Aussie police searched last week for a home invader who was badly injured while burglarizing the couple’s home. Unfortunately for the intruder, he chose a home occupied by two black belts in the Japanese art of Aikido. When they realized they had an intruder, Edwin Dowdy grabbed a knife from the lounge room and went to confront the burglar. When the well-built man in his 30s tried to push past the old man, he “ran on to the blade,” according to reports. Injured and bleeding heavily from his stomach, the intruder took two of Jutta Dowdy’s handbags, ran on to the balcony and jumped to the ground. He tried to steal a neighbor’s car but was unsuccessful and fled on foot, leaving a trail of blood. As of press time, he was still not found by police. CV
