Posted August 12, 2014in Iowa Watchdog
DES MOINES, Iowa — Kayden’s Law seemed like a “no-brainer” when it was passed in 2012. Named for a 7-year-old girl who was killed in 2011 by a speeding motorist, the law imposed mandatory penalties for anyone not stopping at least 150 feet from a school bus when the bus’
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Posted August 11, 2014in Iowa Watchdog
DES MOINES, Iowa — They say college is nothing like the real world. The state university system’s Board of Regents is proving that lack of realism isn’t confined to undergraduates. The board is paying over $200,000 in undocumented expenses to a consulting firm it hired to help it save money.
Read More →DES MOINES, Iowa — U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley knew he was on safe ground when he made a campaign stop at La Querica in Norwalk, where he promoted his plan to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. The company, which produces “unique dry cured meats of the finest
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Posted August 06, 2014in Iowa Watchdog
DES MOINES, Iowa — People can now buy a bowling shirt in Iowa without paying sales tax. But if you want to buy tax-free bowling shoes to go with that shirt, you’re out of luck. Taxes still apply. That’s just part of the confusion built into Iowa’s annual sales tax holiday “on
Read More →DES MOINES, Iowa — There’s good news and bad news in the new state budget. First, the new state budget spends $171 million more than it takes in during the coming year. Weirdly, that’s the good news. “This is a sustainable budget. This is a budget making good progress,” State
Read More →At first glance, “Jersey Belle” (Monday, 9 p.m., Bravo) comes on like one of those housewife reality series everyone loves to hate. Jaime is a brash Jersey girl with an Italian/Jewish heritage who follows her husband to a high-society suburb in Alabama. You brace yourself for the usual inanities, but
Read More →Spoon “They Want My Soul” Anti Spoon is the band that can do no wrong. For the bulk of its career, the Austin, Texas, four-piece has enjoyed the mantle of “critical darlings” — a term usually reserved for bands that manage to impress the people who wield pens for a
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Posted August 06, 2014in Belly Up To...
Every friend group needs a go-to spot outside of their living space. For the “Friends” crew, it was the Central Perk; for “How I Met Your Mother” it was MacLaren’s Pub. There are four requirements to finding your group’s own special place: the environment needs to allow for conversation (i.e.,
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Posted August 06, 2014in The Sound
We’ve had to deal with 311 a bit longer than everyone else. For most of the music-listening world, 311 seemed to start around 1995, with the release of its self-titled album that contained the mega hits “Down” and “All Mixed Up.” But by the time the rest of the world
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Huge week for Des Moines hotels and restaurants
The National Junior Olympics came to town last week. Unless you were in a hotel lobby or somewhere around Drake Stadium, you might not have known. It didn’t register with the city’s daily newspaper. The reporters and editors didn’t even mention it in their “Area Events” listings. That’s a pity,
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