December 13, 2021 by Beckham Miller
in Stray Thoughts
The past couple of years have been challenging for Iowa’s 327 public school districts.Parents have become very engaged with their schools — and enraged, too, at times. This has revolved around masks and vaccines, what is being taught or not taught, the content of library books, and an assortment of
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December 09, 2021 by Beckham Miller
in Stray Thoughts
The death Sunday of Robert Dole was a potent reminder of what we have lost as a nation. Another member of the Greatest Generation has left us — another of those Depression-era kids who came together to save democracy in the dark days of World War II. The career of
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December 07, 2021 by Beckham Miller
in The Culture Buzz
From the beautiful MainFrame Studios Building at 900 Keosauqua Way in Des Moines, Iowa comes your Listener-supported Community Voice, the Award-Winning independent radio station KFMG-LP 98.9 FM, bringing you music, literature & cultural news from the American Heartland and beyond. ― John Busbee for The Culture Buzz 2014 Iowa Governor’s Award for Partnership & Collaboration in the
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December 01, 2021 by Beckham Miller
in Feature 1
Our Christmas classic for the holidays Publisher’s note: Forty-four 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
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December 01, 2021 by Beckham Miller
in Feature 2
Join us in giving two dozen thumbs ups for two dozen likeable people. More than a half-million people call central Iowa home, and since our state is known for being “Iowa Nice,” it should come as no surprise that when we asked readers to determine the area’s most likeable man
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December 01, 2021 by Beckham Miller
in Business Feature
Consolidation and COVID-19 have driven changes in the automotive industry both nationally and locally. When Mark Hummel’s great grandfather opened a Plymouth-DeSoto dealership in Beaverdale in 1929, his was not an anomaly. Small, family-owned dealerships were the norm, with many towns having multiple locally owned lots in the community.
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December 01, 2021 by Beckham Miller
in Christmas Skinny
Twelve drummers drumming… …for “Max and Amy in the morning” — WHO radio’s morning duo of Max Schaeffer and Amy Sweet — but we miss Van (Harden) and Bonnie (Lucas)…for baseball announcer Alex Cohen…and football announcer Joe Stasi…and weatherman Ed Wilson…and public radio’s Charity Nebbe — but we still miss
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December 01, 2021 by Beckham Miller
in Civic Skinny
After losing a Polk County towing contract despite being the lowest bidder, towing operator Randy Crow, owner of Crow Tow, wrote to CITYVIEW to speak out against the Polk County Board of Supervisors, who he says is steering Polk County in the wrong direction. “Recent news regarding the Polk County
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December 01, 2021 by Beckham Miller
in Political Mercury
And Michael Steele thinks country is in ‘staging area’ for civil war. Gov. Kim Reynolds insists a life in Washington is not for her. But Michael Steele, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee and a high-profile political analyst, sees Iowa’s Republican governor as a strong potential candidate for the presidency. “She should be in
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December 01, 2021 by Beckham Miller
in Film Review
A soft reboot of the original. Being a “Ghostbusters” fan has been a tough gig. The original was one of the greatest movies ever — a perfectly paced, perfectly structured blend of supernatural horror and dry, witty humor that unite in some of the best comedians of their generation to
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