The good Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) recently received several awards at the 94th annual national convention in Nashville, Tenn., for outstanding state Farm Bureau activities. IFBF was honored with five awards of excellence in all program areas including education and outreach, leadership development, member services, policy development and implementation
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Posted January 23, 2013in Good Bad Ugly
Posted January 23, 2013in Art News
Hollywood’s Des Moines connection
It’s red carpet season in Des Moines. No fewer than five bridal shows are scheduled this month, Bravo Greater Des Moines’ Awards Gala dresses up Hy-Vee Center on Feb. 2, and Des Moines Metro Opera’s Wine and Food Showcase returns to the downtown Marriott on Feb. 15. Those are just
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Posted January 23, 2013in The Sound
Local music, meet your Superfan
Wendy Coon has probably been to more local shows than you. She didn’t start keeping track until June of last year, but from that point on, Coon hit up 264 shows in 2012. She’s been to 25 already this month. “In 2010 I got divorced and really needed to find
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Posted January 23, 2013in Featured Story, Political Mercury
How would Marco Rubio fare in Le Mars?
Will Iowa Republicans in 2013 accept from first-term U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida what they wouldn’t from war-hero, political veteran John McCain in 2008? One could be speaking for the other on immigration, allowing, of course, for five years difference, and taking into account the Republican Party’s suicidal approach
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Posted January 23, 2013in Joe's Neighborhood, Recent Posts
Monster trucks
Really? They tell me that you’re on your high horse about the recent visit of the Monster Trucks to Des Moines. Your artistic nose is out of joint at all the noise and the dirt and the craziness. You’re wondering how an over-sized truck can possibly have one admirer let
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Posted January 23, 2013in Recent Posts, Sound Check
CD Reviews
Blondfire ‘Where The Kids Are EP’ Warner Bros Blondfire’s been something of an indie pop darling since its 2006 debut made it the first unsigned band to hit No. 1 on the iTunes Alternative chart. The band — comprised mainly of siblings Bruce and Erica Driscoll — has been working
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Posted January 23, 2013in Film Review
Mother monster Freaky doesn’t necessarily mean frightening in ‘Mama’
“Mama” 2 stars Rated PG-13 100 mins. Horror Starring: Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier Guillermo del Toro — the director of such minor masterpieces as “The Devil’s Backbone” and “Pan’s Labyrinth” — weakens his sphere of influence by producing a sorely underdeveloped horror movie that manufactures scares from the
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Posted January 23, 2013in Rap Sheet
On the Clock
Published arrest charges are obtained from official law enforcement records, which are available to the public. All who are charged are innocent until proven guilty. Play the “Name that Crime” quiz! GIT-N-GO, LITERALLY A man was paying for his gas at Git-N-Go, 2911 Douglas Ave., just after midnight
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Posted January 23, 2013in Your Money
Paid for by taxpayers in… Polk County
Amount: $630 To: American Jail Association (Hagerstown, Md.) For: Non-member registration fees ($315 each) for Sergeant Tara Cook and Chief Deputy Vic Munoz to attend the AJA 32nd Annual Training Conference and Jail Expo on April 1. Amount: $2,244.75 To: Anderson-Erickson Dairy Co. For: Purchase of cheese, milk and
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Posted January 23, 2013in On The Tube, Recent Posts
Fashionista in training
‘The Carrie Diaries; is a delightfully bad prequel to ‘Sex and the City’ “The Carrie Diaries” (Monday, 7 p.m., CW) is a prequel to “Sex and the City,” featuring a 16-year-old Carrie Bradshaw (AnnaSophia Robb) in place of Sarah Jessica Parker’s adult version. In 1984, Carrie obsesses on “finding her
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