March 05, 2025 by Brent Antisdel
in Collections & Hobbies
If you’re a musician in a band or attend live music in the Des Moines metro, you have likely encountered Bryan Mehmen. Mehmen is “that guy” — a bandana-clad rocker, often dressed in a black T-shirt located in front of the stage, dancing and singing to the driving beat. Booze
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March 05, 2025 by Brent Antisdel
in Cars in the City
Road trip. That’s what I imagined when I hopped into the new Volkswagen I.D. Buzz. Yet, my setup was lacking. I didn’t wear flowery bell bottoms, bring a stack of 8-track tapes, or invite a bevy of friends with Grateful Dead concert tickets. The 2025 VW I.D. Buzz promises nostalgia
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March 05, 2025 by Brent Antisdel
in Lunch With...
Darwin Salas is the president of Salas Investment Group, which includes Que Buena’s two FM radio stations, one AM station, and the streaming site La Q Bueno.com, plus the Iowa Demon Hawks professional men’s and women’s soccer teams competing in the Major Arena Soccer League and in the outdoor National
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March 05, 2025 by Brent Antisdel
in Sound Circuit
Irish music grown in popularity around the globe. Yet, some folks only listen to Irish music when they have a green beer in one hand and a shamrock in the other. Times are a changing in Des Moines. You can hear music beyond St. Patrick’s Day with a local Irish
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March 05, 2025 by Brent Antisdel
in Iowa Artist
Entering Mary Kline-Misol’s home art studio is like walking into a high-end art gallery. Exquisite artwork spanning 50 years covers multiple walls, while Kline-Misol recounts stories and inspiration behind the pieces. One element stands out, and it is not just one type of artwork, such as portraits. She has expanded
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March 05, 2025 by Brent Antisdel
in Walks of Life
These days, kids often grow up, move away and start families and careers far from where they grew up. Dinners with the extended family is now regulated to the holidays, when those who are able make the trip “back home.” But there is something about grandkids that brings about another
Read More →I am mostly Irish. At least that’s what my mother said. She also told my siblings and me that our great-great-grandmother was a full-blooded Cherokee Indian from the “Crow’s Feet” clan. Through a bit of research, I could not find any evidence of this. Mom is likely correct on
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March 05, 2025 by Brent Antisdel
in People & Pets
Reptiles. Most people cringe or back off when encountering a slithering snake, a prehistoric-looking lizard or any other sticky-toed reptile. Other folks keep these animals as pets but find they can no longer care for the reptiles. That’s where Cam and Cole Reiman come in. They established Spock’s Sanctuary, a
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March 05, 2025 by Brent Antisdel
in Your Neighbors
The soccer community in Iowa is a strong one. There is a sense of belonging that spans generations of players who chose to play the game over Iowa’s more popular sports like football, basketball or wrestling. People like Ben Brackett and the members of the Kick It Forward (KIF) team
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