Linn’s Haunted House marks 40 years of scares
Haunted house season is here. I remember being a kid and going to some questionable attractions when I lived in the Quad Cities. There was an old water and power [...]
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Posted October 02, 2024in Des Moines Forgotten
Posted October 02, 2024in Joe's Neighborhood
An unlikely oasis
It’s 3 a.m. I’ve tossed and turned since going to bed four hours earlier. The sheets are twisted around my feet and tying me to the bed in some obscure [...]
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Posted October 02, 2024in Center Stage
Exclusive Jen Silverman interview about ‘Witch’
Iowa Stage Theatre Company (ISTC) will produce Jen Silverman’s play, “Witch,” this month. This bit of news holds a wealth of appeal, as ISTC will produce this compelling play dedicated [...]
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Posted October 02, 2024in Film Previews
Film Previews
“Megalopolis” R | 138 minutes Director/Writer: Francis Ford Coppola Stars: Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel “Megalopolis” takes place in an alternate universe setting called New Rome City and is [...]
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Posted October 02, 2024in Your Neighbors
Bringing peace to dogs, one string at a time
Roughly 3 million dogs are in shelters across the U.S. One Des Moines resident is using her cello-playing abilities to soothe, relax and spread the word that she says music [...]
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Posted October 02, 2024in Publisher
It was a graveyard smash
I was in the fourth grade when my teacher, Mrs. Lensch, noticed how a group of us boys were quite interested in Halloween monsters. She suggested we put on a [...]
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Posted October 02, 2024in Book Review
Book Reviews
‘Blood Over Bright Haven’ Intent versus impact. Does it matter if the result causes harm? Somehow, both compulsively readable and deeply philosophical, I was completely consumed by this book to [...]
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Posted October 02, 2024in Cars in the City
Autocross at the Valley West Mall parking lot
“Come race with us,” they said. “We’ll show you what it’s like to experience a thrilling ride.” Three of the men I recently interviewed for Iowa Living magazines articles on [...]
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Posted October 02, 2024in Iowa Artist
Paola James’ art helps women rise up
Paola James’ studio at Mainframe Studios includes an array of jewelry from around the globe, including her handmade jewelry and items from other artisans. James opened up her studio, Piedras [...]
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Remembering Chuck Betts, a nice man
“When someone asks how you’re doing, they don’t really want to know,” Chuck Betts mentioned over coffee a few weeks before he died at age 93 on Sept. 1. “They don’t want [...]
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