May 11, 2016 by justin
in Civic Skinny
As schools lower standards, more flunk the Iowa bar. The generous people of Des Moines last week gave $272,344 to around 140 local charities as part of the “Give Local” campaign sponsored by The Des Moines Register and the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation. Sort of. More than $16,000
Read More →The Polk County Supervisors voted in April to appoint a task force to study increasing the minimum wage countywide. The current minimum wage in Iowa is $7.25 for hourly workers and $4.35 for tipped workers. The vote was 4-1 in favor with Democrats John Mauro, Angela Connolly, Tom Hockensmith
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May 11, 2016 by justin
in Joe's Neighborhood
Iowa cornfields in late August are a thing to behold. Sure, I’m biased. I love the long formations of parading stalks, their dark green leaves turned dry and hard by the approaching autumn, their tops swaying and rolling in unison with the warm winds, and, of course, their whispering,
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May 11, 2016 by justin
in Center Stage
Over the phone, Kathy Griffin comes on like gangbusters. The call is just one in a long day of interviews — Griffin’s comedy tour is hitting 80 cities — but the machine-gun energy is the same as onstage. She sounds as if she’s waving her arms around, her red
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May 11, 2016 by justin
in Book Review
By Joe Hill 768pp William Morrow $28.99 05/17/16 There’s something magical about Joe Hill. Something deeply disturbed — as we’d expect from a child of horror demigod Stephen King — but magical in those shadows. Never one to go the obvious route, Hill has managed to take a
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May 11, 2016 by justin
in Sound Circuit
For the past seven years, aspiring guitar players in Des Moines have had the option of learning from one of the best in the business, local guitarist James Biehn. Biehn’s Central Iowa Music Lab (CIML) has been operating across from The Shops at Roosevelt since 2009, and for the
Read More →Comedian and actor Katt Williams, 42, was arrested on April 27 at a suburban Atlanta restaurant. Witnesses told police an argument erupted when members of Williams’ family seated themselves in an area reserved for another party. Allegedly, Williams threw a saltshaker and bloodied the lip of the restaurant manager.
Read More →Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity has opened a new resale shop, ReStore, with its second metro area store at 4033 N.W. Urbandale Drive in Urbandale. The 25,000-square-foot building provides discounted wares to retail shoppers, remodelers and house-flippers. Habitat’s first local ReStore originally opened on Second Avenue in 2003, and
Read More →In Polk County To be paid on 5/2/2016 Amount: $106,494.31 To: Total capital outlays for the period for human services needs For: Department of Human Services Amount: $32,538.65 To: Youth emergency services and shelter For: Human services Amount: $341,899.03 To: Total capital outlays for the
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May 11, 2016 by justin
in Political Mercury
Donald Trump, the bombastic billionaire who has defied convention, confounded expert prediction, and punctured the business of punditry to obsolescence, now has his self-described large hands gripping the Republican presidential nomination. His speech last Tuesday from Trump Tower in New York City amounted to a rhetorical basketball net cutting for this
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