Courtesy of Beaverdale Books Review by Shirley Shiffler Mira Books July 29, 2014 $24.95 350 Pages With her debut novel “The Good Girl,” Mary Kubica has received well-deserved comparisons to Gillian Flynn and Tana French. This psychological thriller kept me turning the pages until well past my bedtime and had
Read More →I can’t take it anymore: The endless updates in Civic Skinny on the sagging circulation and slow death of The Des Moines Register. Enough already. Mr. Gartner, pool your money with the likely windfall to soon come to Commissioner Chris Godfrey and buy the damn paper and save it before it is too
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Posted August 27, 2014in Film Review
“Love is Strange” 3 stars Rated R 94 minutes Comedy Starring: John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Tatyana Zbirovskaya Although it suffers from a glaring third-act jump that makes you wonder where four or five ostensibly missing scenes went, “Love Is Strange” resonates as a heartfelt allegory about committed gay relationships in
Read More →DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Workforce Development may have trouble managing money, but at least its management understands the importance of politeness. In early March, the agency, which oversees unemployment claims in the state, issued unemployment benefits to 85 people who didn’t ask for them. According to a March 13 email sent
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Posted August 20, 2014in Iowa Watchdog
DES MOINES, Iowa — If Dennis Pagel had taken a box of school supplies while working as a teacher at Dallas-Center Grimes Middle School, he could have gotten in serious trouble. Luckily for Pagel, he just showed up for work drunk and on OxyContin. For lighting up a breath test at three times
Read More →Broadway loves a do-over. The Tony awards include “Best Revival,” and every season sees former hits rejiggered. “South Pacific” may have been a smash in 1949, but there’s a streamlined version coming soon to the Playhouse. At the Civic Center this weekend, theatergoers can catch what sounds like “Evita” with
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Posted August 20, 2014in Belly Up To...
One piano is good. Two pianos are better. But two pianos, a drum set, maybe a guitar and definitely some comedic relief in the form of parodies and improvised songs? Now you’ve got something. That’s what Blue Moon Dueling Piano Bar and Restaurant has to offer its customers. On weekend
Read More →Courtesy of Beaverdale Books Review by Harriet Leitch Houghton Mifflin August 5, 2014 $24 304 Pages It took a while, but eventually this book started to fascinate me. At first it seemed as though the main character, Evie, acquired an understanding of the dogs far too quickly. Also, she seemed
Read More →Amount: $871.84 To: Dowco Valve Company Inc. For: One kunkle valve Amount: $1910 To: CDW Government (Illinois) For: Two Kodak scanners Amount: $544.86 To: People Works Staffing For: Payment for regular and overtime hours for a maintenance painter Amount: $1,000 To: Heritage Flower Company (Indiana) For: More than 100 flower
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Posted August 20, 2014in Film Review
“The Trip to Italy” 4 stars Rated PG 98 minutes Comedy Starring: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Rosie Fellner You couldn’t pick two more entertaining companions for a cinematic road trip in Italy than Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. Following on the success of “The Trip” (2010), in which the duo
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