The good The state Department of Education said last week that Iowa’s graduation rate increased to more than 89 percent, the highest in the nation and up nearly 1 percentage point from 2011. Iowa’s four-year graduation rate ranks first nationally. Graduation rates increased in 172 of Iowa’s 318 school districts
Read More →
March 06, 2013 by justin
in Good Bad Ugly
March 06, 2013 by justin
in The Sound
Rack ’em up
Jeana Calvert’s a Des Moines native who’s worked in and around Des Moines’ clubs for a decade now. “I’ve always wanted to be in the ‘men’s’ roles,” she said. “I wanted to be the manager. I wanted to run the bar.” Calvert jumped into one of the most male-dominated scenes
Read More →
March 06, 2013 by justin
in Book Review
‘The Year We Left Home’
Courtesy of Beaverdale Books Review by Barb Palar Simon and Schuster 2011 $15 325 pp. Jean Thompson had me with the first paragraph: “The bride and groom had two wedding receptions: The first was in the basement of the Lutheran Church right after the ceremony, with punch and cake and
Read More →
March 06, 2013 by justin
in Geek Chic
Is Pheed the new phad?
How many social networks can one person use? Facebook? Of course. Twitter? Sure. Pinterest? Sounds fun. Google Plus? Maybe. Pheed? What now? For those not following the trends in social networking, it appears tweens and celebrities are refashioning where it’s cool to share every second of your life. Now, only
Read More →
March 06, 2013 by justin
in Center Stage
Classic twisted to fit the times
There’s a little bit of the devil in us all, but not quite to the extreme depicted in the classic story of “Jeckyll and Hyde.” The Broadway-bound musical has taken over the Civic Center Stage, offering Des Moines theatre-goers the opportunity to see the act before it hits the New
Read More →
March 06, 2013 by justin
in Cover Story
The kids are alright
Mike Barrett went to a benefit show at House of Bricks last year. Eight bands were on the slate for that night, but the one that Mike was most excited about was Dead Horse Trauma. Barrett, 20, had been a metal fan for as long as he could remember. “When
Read More →
March 06, 2013 by justin
in Sore Thumbs
‘METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE’ (M) ***1/2 Konami Xbox 360 The “Metal Gear” series has been known primarily for its stealth gameplay, secondarily for its borderline incomprehensible plotlines and lastly for its occasionally over-the-top action. If you’ve always felt that hierarchy should be reversed, then this spinoff was made specifically for
Read More →
March 06, 2013 by justin
in Your Money
Paid for by taxpayers in… City of Des Moines
Amount: $499.80 To: Bass Pro Shop (Springfield, Mo.) For: 20 pairs of canoe paddles. Amount: $1,188 To: Carquest Auto Parts (Atlanta, Ga.) For: Employee Mechanical Training classes for five Des Moines Fleet Services employees to learn about low-amp current probes, digital storage oscilloscopes, tire pressure monitoring systems and evaporative
Read More →
March 06, 2013 by justin
in Civic Skinny, Featured Story
Herrington was fired at an illegal meeting
Maybe the board of Iowa Public Radio could have screwed things up more when it met and fired IPR chief executive Mary Grace Herrington last week, but it’s hard to see how. As starters, it was an illegal meeting. As enders, one of the seven directors broke a confidentiality agreement
Read More →
March 06, 2013 by justin
in Featured Story, Political Mercury
Movement Man, Republican Dream Girl or a real chance?
Congressman Steve King — not a person one usually associates with Shakespeare in word games — is playing a convincing Hamlet with his teasing and toying over a possible bid for the U.S. Senate. The Kiron politician is the Republican keeping other Republicans in a holding pattern. The rest of
Read More →