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Posted November 05, 2025in Feature 2

A city of screens

The first movie I saw in a theater was “Ghostbusters II” at the Showcase Cinemas in Milan, Illinois. My parents asked if I wanted to see that or “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.” It was 1989, and I was a mere 4 years old. “The Real Ghostbusters” cartoon was on

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Posted November 05, 2025in Business Feature

Promoting from within

At Bankers Trust, promoting from within is a core pillar of the organization. To make that happen, leaders participate annually in talent reviews to discuss succession planning for key roles and employee development plans. They also map out the current and future needs of the organization so they can align

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Posted November 05, 2025in Civic Skinny

Guess which nonprofit CEO earned $4,926,772. See how Des Moines schools are ranked. And quit talking with chatbots.

Each November, we take a look at some of the highest salaries among nonprofit organization employees in the state of Iowa. Using candid.org, we sort by the highest-grossing nonprofits in the area and review their most recent 990 tax form. Here are the largest salaries we found: Prairie Meadows Race

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Posted November 05, 2025in Political Mercury

Art Cullen’s new book tells us the rent is due for Iowa

With a rare sense of place, a know-it-when-you-see-it Iowa-ness, Art Cullen’s roaring new book is nothing short of an unsparing mirror for 3.3 million of us in the state. With still-night whispers of truth and bar-fight ferocity, this western Iowa newspaperman reveals the masquerade-ball leadership that’s turned so many of

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Posted November 05, 2025in Film Review

‘Roofman’ is a charming heist in a criminally underused setting

Derek Cianfrance’s “Roofman” is a stranger-than-fiction dramady that finds both humor and heartache in one man’s misguided pursuit of the American dream. Based on the true story of the “Roofman Robber,” the film boasts a charming performance from Channing Tatum and a premise ripe with comedic and dramatic possibility. The

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Posted November 05, 2025in Food Dude

Waterfront Seafood Restaurant — a classic

Waterfront Seafood Restaurant is a trump card Des Moines can play against similarly sized cities in a game of “Whose food scene is better?” Its 247-seat mother store in West Des Moines has been busy for so long that metro diners take it for granted. Big mistake. Independent seafood market-restaurants

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Posted November 05, 2025in Des Moines Forgotten

Adult movie theaters in Des Moines

The first adult movie theater I ever encountered was when I was staying in Hollywood during my days on “The Bachelor,” the reality television series on ABC. I was living with a buddy who lived off Santa Monica Boulevard and Western Avenue, very close to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. It

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Posted November 05, 2025in Joe's Neighborhood

Where’s my toast?

We are in that dreaded in-between time — that dead time caused by making it through airport security way too fast and having two hours before our plane departs. A harrowing situation for my wife who generally likes to hook a wool rug, send instructional messages to our middle-aged kids,

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Posted November 05, 2025in Center Stage

I love a cabaret

Liza Minelli belted the signature song of this musical in the film version of “Cabaret,” and its seductive allure continues to resonate. Michael Howland has accepted the invitation and has been producing a series of themed cabaret shows in central Iowa. Dans and performers alike are packing the house to

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Posted November 05, 2025in Walks of Life

Costume creations

When it comes to Halloween, some people like to pull out all the stops. They turn their yards into haunted or cartoon landscapes. They carve pumpkins, bob for apples, and offer the best treats to their trick-or-treaters. And, they put their energy and holiday spirit into making sure their costumes

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