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Posted October 02, 2019in Civic Skinny

Mike Whalen wonders about buying Register. Was appointment of Iowa Corrections chief done legally? Bookings of women jump at Polk County jail; Godfrey bills jump.

An Iowa businessman is poking around to see if he can drum up support from some colleagues to make an offer to buy The Des Moines Register.   “Iowans have looked on as the newspaper’s owners and managers have attempted to stop the bleeding [in circulation and news coverage] by

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Posted October 02, 2019in Political Mercury

Why Ro Khanna should be Democrats’ vice presidential candidate

He’s a little Lyndon Johnson, a little Barack Obama, and that’s just the right blend for the time. Ro Khanna, a son of immigrants who earned a congressional seat in the nation’s most robust economic district, California’s 17th, home to Silicon Valley, is one of the more popular national figures

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Posted October 02, 2019in Film Review

‘IT: Chapter 2’

This sequel might put the franchise to rest for another 27 years. If you came across nightmares from your childhood today, how would you respond? That’s one of the questions at the center of “IT: Chapter 2” that audiences can explore long after they’ve left their seats. And it’s this

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Posted October 02, 2019in Food Dude

Bistro Nomad

Stars of the appetizer menu included the pata de negro Iberico, the leg of the most coveted pig in the world for charcuterie. Bistro Nomad sits downtown with a view of Jaume Plensa’s sculpture Nomade. It certainly lives up to its name. The café is owned by an Ames pair

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Posted October 02, 2019in Your Neighbors

Xnmate

Ex-convict serves heaping plates of home cooking to the hungry. It’s an indisputable fact: Bykrmark Carver (formerly known as Mark Carver) used to be a bad man. Indeed, this truth was confirmed by a jury, adjudicated in a court of law, and if you ever meet him, be ready, because

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Posted October 02, 2019in Joe's Neighborhood

An Italian mother

I want an Italian mother. Don’t get me wrong, the wedding itself was heavenly. It flowed with a gracious ease that can be so elusive at many formal events. For starters, the handsome groom came down the aisle sober. A definite plus. Even his buddies stood by his side with

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Posted October 02, 2019in Center Stage

One mean musical

“Mean Girls” provides different twists to the familiar odd fish in an established hierarchal pool storyline. “Mean Girls” soon will spill onto the Des Moines Performing Arts stage like students packing the hallways at final bell. The Civic Center will be filled with a sensory, bombastic assault of music, comedy

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Posted October 02, 2019in Belly Up To...

Mickey Finn’s

Urbandale bar opens early, closes late. Since 1983, Urbandale folks have kissed — or at least touched — the worn blarney stone located at the entrance just outside Mickey Finn’s. The neighborhood bar, located off Douglas Avenue, is tucked in a strip mall next to the fire station. The bar

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Posted October 02, 2019in Des Moines Forgotten

Remembering Southridge Mall

Did you ride the “Hydrotube”? The new season of “Stranger Things” has sparked nostalgic interest in shopping malls. The show highlighted an abandoned mall that was brought back to life as a surging metropolis complete with a pretzel shop, a food court and shopping options as far the eye could

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Posted October 02, 2019in Financial Strategies

Corporate Citizenship ROI

Des Moines is an amazing place to live, work and raise a family. This is due to many factors, but I believe our culture of corporate support for charitable organizations has a major impact. Unfortunately, due to “Donor Fatigue,” Tax Law and the relocation of philanthropic decision makers, total annual

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