March 06, 2014 by justin
in Iowa Watchdog
DES MOINES, Iowa — If a dog at one of Iowa’s two remaining greyhound racetracks was in the same shape as those racetracks’ finances, it would be euthanized on the spot. Both greyhound racetracks lose millions of dollars each year, only remaining open because state law requires the casinos to
Read More →Courtesy of Beaverdale Books Review by Shirley Shiffler Scribner Book Company 4/2/13 $16 352 pp. If you are like me, you get a little thrill when a book you’ve read stands out as something extraordinary. The “Light Between Oceans” is one such book, captivating me with its strongly developed characters,
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March 05, 2014 by justin
in The Sound
Few states in the Union tout their native sons quite like Texas. And in a state as rich in musical history as the Lone Star State is, few are touted with as much full-throated respect as Robert Earl Keen. The Houston native has been writing, singing and performing his own
Read More →Play the “Name That Crime” Quiz! ABUSIVE BURGLARS A home invasion was reported on Feb. 24 at 10:17 p.m. Police responded to a call from the 1300 block of Fremont Street. According to witnesses, three men entered the home and began harassing a group of children who were in
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March 05, 2014 by justin
in Joe's Neighborhood
Stones are a bane to Iowa farmers. Every year, new ones work themselves up out of the dark depths of the earth to land right smack in the middle of the field that is to be planted or plowed or disced. Yup, right there in the middle of the row
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March 05, 2014 by justin
in Film Review
“Non-Stop” 3 stars Rated PG-13 106 minutes Action Starring: Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Scoot McNairy Yet another standard-issue thriller — this one starring the ever-watchable Liam Neeson on leading man duties — “Non-Stop” is a perfect guilty pleasure. So what if the plot makes little sense? The purpose of this
Read More →Well, it’s that time of year again. Lazerfest announced its 2014 lineup, and the results have certainly had people talking. Headlining the event this summer are Queens of the Stone Age and The Offspring. Joining them for the May 11 event are Skillet, Theory of a Deadman, Machine Head, The Pretty
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March 05, 2014 by justin
in Sound Circuit
One thing that makes The Maw such an outstanding collection of musicians is that each is an intense student of music who understands inspiration and creation can (and should) come from everywhere. “The worst thing you can do is only listen to one kind of music,” said Maw key/vox man
Read More →‘THIEF’ (M) *** Square Enix PlayStation 4 Full disclosure: “Thief: Deadly Shadows” is my favorite game of all time. It was the final installment in the “Thief” trilogy, and I have waited ten long years for a sequel. Unfortunately, after the decade mark, games don’t get sequels — they get
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March 05, 2014 by justin
in Civic Skinny
The state commission that oversees Terrace Hill and the nonprofit group that raises money for the governor’s mansion have parted ways. It’s unclear who now owns and controls the valuable collection — art and furniture and artifacts — that the nonprofit group has collected, maintained and insured over the decades
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