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December 11, 2023 by Brent Antisdel in Stray Thoughts

Secret gov’t settlements are wrong — period

City leaders in Davenport have forgotten that city government there belongs to the people. It does not belong to the folks who were elected to city offices. This reminder is necessary because a troubling series of events that is unlike any I have seen in five decades of monitoring the

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December 07, 2023 by Brent Antisdel in Morain

12/07/23

The U.S. House last Friday voted 311 to 114 to expel Republican member George Santos. It was only the sixth time in the history of the House that members have taken such an action. Republicans split pretty evenly on the vote, with 105 GOP members voting to expel Santos and

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December 06, 2023 by Brent Antisdel in The Culture Buzz

Greetings, Cultural Catalysts:

From Iowa’s cultural epicenter, MainFrame Studios at 900 Keosauqua Way in Des Moines, comes your Listener-supported Community Voice, the Award-Winning independent radio station, KFMG-LP 98.9 FM (streaming simultaneously at www.kfmg.org), bringing you music, literature & cultural content. – John Busbee for The Culture Buzz The Culture Buzz Archive Library –

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December 06, 2023 by Brent Antisdel in Feature 1

’Twas the night before… — A 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 ran in the Register and years

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December 06, 2023 by Brent Antisdel in Feature 2

Thrill of the chill

Even with record-high temperatures in 2023, a trend that is expected to continue, do not underestimate Iowa’s ability to accumulate enough snow to last into the spring season. The snow will eventually fall, and the lakes will eventually freeze, turning your favorite parks and hills into ice skating, sledding, skiing

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December 06, 2023 by Brent Antisdel in Business Feature

The business of pawn

Weekdays are typically quiet at A Quality Pawn and Jewelry at 1135 Army Post Road in Des Moines. The owner, Adrian Welch, says she only sees up to five customers on any day of the week. But she knows all her customers and wants the best for them. On a

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December 06, 2023 by Brent Antisdel in Civic Skinny

DART funding concerns. Campaign donation totals. Business Record subscribers. And lung cancer.

DART recently released information on how much Des Moines and the surrounding communities contribute to the public transportation service. They say a 40% cut to their services is looming if additional funding is not received. Des Moines has contributed $9.8 million this year, but under the new funding formula needs

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December 06, 2023 by Brent Antisdel in Political Mercury

A pioneering Iowa Democrat

Six-year-old Hayes Hofmeister of rural Cedar Rapids, a Springville, Iowa, farm kid, can’t stop talking about Josh Turek — “that guy in the wheelchair” — the one who plays basketball and has Paralympics gold medals. The one who inspired him at Camp Sunnyside. Born with Spina Bifida, Hayes, a bright-eyed kindergartener,

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December 06, 2023 by Brent Antisdel in Film Review

‘The Killer’ embodies an amalgamation of missed opportunities

“The Killer” is a cinematic puzzle, a blend of genres that struggles to find its footing, oscillating between the mundane realms of a tepid thriller and the barren landscape of humorless satire. In the hands of a celebrated director like David Fincher, one anticipates an intricate tapestry of storytelling, yet

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December 06, 2023 by Brent Antisdel in Food Dude

Oak Park — an anthology of love stories

Oak Park opened in October generating more buzz than any restaurant since 801 Steak & Chop House opened in 1991. Much about the recent debut was remarkable. The restaurant was the first hospitality industry venture for Kathy Fehrman, a retired investments manager. It arose quickly amid an Ingersoll Avenue reconstruction

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