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July 17, 2013 by justin in Your View

Gambling and Same Sex Marriage

There is money in offering legalized opportunities in Iowa that is not available elsewhere. Most of Iowa’s casinos are along the state borders and take in money from out-of-state players. Now it has come to light, according to data from the Iowa Department of Public Health, that the counties with

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July 17, 2013 by justin in Sound Stage

Girls rock

Fresh off the start of the inaugural Girls Rock! Des Moines band camp, Wooly’s played host to music this past week featuring the camp organizer Rae Fehring as well as a couple of the camp’s extremely talented volunteers. Starting off the evening was singer/songwriter Patresa Hartman. I’ve had the good

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July 17, 2013 by justin in The Sound

Larger than life

They say that to watch Brad Engledinger play the drums was a transformative experience. “I was lucky enough to catch (former Iowa City act) High and Lonesome when they first started playing Des Moines,” said Des Moines guitarist John Price. “There were nights when I’d just sit and watch Brad

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July 17, 2013 by justin in Civic Skinny

Who Makes What:

The conductor of the Des Moines Symphony makes about $30,000 more a year than the Des Moines police chief. The president of Des Moines University makes about $75,000 less than the school’s dean. The head golf pro at Des Moines Golf and Country Club makes about $60,000 more than the

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July 17, 2013 by justin in Cover Story

Pop a top!

Don’t you just love it when a medical scientist or expert of the sort goes on the record with an announcement claiming things like: Beer is good for you? So many of these so-called experts offer contradicting claims, so in the end, why not go with the old sex psychologist,

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July 17, 2013 by justin in Sore Thumbs

“RIDE TO HELL: RETRIBUTION” (M) Way back in 2004, I reviewed “Strike Force Bowling” — a game which arbitrarily placed your bowling lanes on poorly realized representations of other planets. These extraterrestrial backdrops had no impact on the gameplay, which consisted of setting the trajectory of your ball with a thumbstick

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July 17, 2013 by justin in Good Bad Ugly

The good Des Moines Metro Opera received a $25,000 grant from DuPont Pioneer last week to support its continued work of “educating and inspiring nearly 40,000 Iowans annually through its educational and outreach programs.” According to a press release, much of the DuPont Pioneer’s annual fund contribution will be put to

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July 17, 2013 by justin in Rap Sheet

On the clock

Not fair game The Iowa State Fair Patrol reported a break in at the fairground’s grandstand on July 9 at 1:33 a.m. When officers arrived, they found two men described as smelling strongly of alcohol and physically unstable. The suspects admitted to stealing candy and beer from inside the Campbell’s

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July 17, 2013 by justin in Political Mercury

Was Branstad in the trunk as Car 1 Seattle Slewed the state’s highways?

Historically speaking, politicians use the trunks of their vehicles to stash cash and cold-stow any dead hookers. They don’t tend to leave the comfortable confines, the wine and WiFi of the back seats of their leathery sport-utility vehicles and finely appointed sedans. John Edwards liked his vino or Diet Cokes

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July 17, 2013 by justin in Your Money

Paid for by taxpayers in…Polk County

Amount: $3,140 To: Jim John’s Inc. For: The cost to have 33 Porta-potties at various parks and cemeteries in Des Moines.   Amount: $1,264.99 To: TMC Auto Body For: Claim settlement paid after Robert Heles of Des Moines had stopped his vehicle to let a police officer with K-9 cross

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