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December 06, 2022 by Beckham Miller in The Culture Buzz

Greetings, Cultural Catalysts:

11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Central Time. Broadcast regionally on KFMG 98.9 FM; Simultaneously streaming globally through www.kfmg.org From Iowa’s cultural epicenter, MainFrame Studios Building at 900 Keosauqua Way in Des Moines, comes your Listener-supported Community Voice, the Award-Winning independent radio station KFMG-LP 98.9 FM, bringing you music, literature & cultural news. — John Busbee for The Culture

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December 05, 2022 by Beckham Miller in Stray Thoughts

Iowa D’s shouldn’t lose sight of what is truly important

Judging from the furrowed brows and dire predictions in Iowa, you might have thought a national Democratic Party committee had voted to eliminate motherhood and apple pie last week. Actually, what the committee eliminated were Iowa’s first-in-the-nation Democratic precinct caucuses — a quirky, though coveted, kick-off role for Iowa Democrats

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December 05, 2022 by Beckham Miller in Guest Commentary, Just Released

Christmas rest and peace

Christmas is a good time to catch up on your pumpkin pie eating. Pecan pie seems readily available, so this, too, is a good option. Try to drink one glass of eggnog during the season of joy. Eggnog does have some calories and fat grams, but one glass won’t hurt

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December 01, 2022 by Beckham Miller in Just Released, Press Release

Shade Tree Auto opens 2nd location in Urbandale

Ribbon Cutting to be held December 6th [URBANDALE, IA November 2022] — International award winner, Shade Tree Auto, has expanded services into Urbandale along 70th street and Douglas avenue. The new auto repair facility will share a location with Urbandale Auto Body to offer comprehensive auto service to the surrounding

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November 30, 2022 by Beckham Miller in Feature 1

Breaking barriers

Local organizations provide programs and support for adults with disabilities. Emily Brown loves to sing — and she does it well. The 25-year-old was born with a rare disorder called septo-optic dysplasia, but she hasn’t let that slow her down. “Even though I do have a disability, I focus more

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November 30, 2022 by Beckham Miller in Feature 2

’Twas the night before… — A Christmas classic for the holidays

Publisher’s note: Forty years ago, when Michael Gartner was editor of The Des Moines Register, he walked over to the desk of writer Bob Hullihan and said, “How about writing me a Christmas classic for the holidays?” Hullihan said, “Sure.” And he did. It ran in the Register and years

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November 30, 2022 by Beckham Miller in Business Feature

The return of record shops

Mike Enloe may have been a struggling student at Drake University in 1975, but he kept an eye on the music industry. He decided to take a chance and open his own record store. “My wife and I hopped in a car one day; we drove down Ingersoll Avenue looking

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November 30, 2022 by Beckham Miller in Civic Skinny

Bauder’s for sale. Final election finances. Central Iowa’s highest nonprofit salaries.

A “for sale” sign has been spotted at Bauder’s, Des Moines’ iconic ice cream shop and former pharmacy. Owner Kim Robertson said she is simply looking for a transition.  “I’ve been here 51 years of my life, so I think it’s time that I just pursue options,” she said. “It’s

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November 30, 2022 by Beckham Miller in Christmas Skinny

Merry Christmas…

Twelve drummers drumming… …for Randy Peterson, who has been writing sports at The Des Moines Register for 50 years…and Felipe Nogueira of Brazil, coach of the championship men’s volleyball team at Grand View University. (And how come Grand View (two words) University is on Grandview (one word) Avenue? Sounds like

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November 30, 2022 by Beckham Miller in Political Mercury

Challenges, resilience in a rural Iowa newspaper’s last stand

The talented and intrepid reporter Dave Hoekstra, a former 30-year writer with the Chicago Sun-Times, spent the better part of three years chronicling the struggle of independent newspapers like my family’s to survive amid a perfect storm of challenges and attacks that have shuttered thousands of locally owned papers or

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