Posted September 11, 2013in Civic Skinny
A reader writes: “You have to credit Governor [Terry] Branstad for using his national recruiting resources and making full consideration of hiring females and minorities when he swiftly named Larry Noble as public safety commissioner after a 24-hour search.” News: Don’t spend your utility-tax refund yet. The lawyers who won
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Posted September 04, 2013in Civic Skinny
Two homes in the suburbs have recently sold at big prices. On July 19, Marcus Hasting paid David E. Short $1,520,000 for a 5,122-square-foot home at 1732 Glenleven Terrace in Glen Oaks, the most anyone has paid for a house in Polk County this year. The four-bedroom, four-bath home was
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Posted August 28, 2013in Civic Skinny
The 17-member Iowa Judicial Nominating Commission met last week to interview the 22 persons who want to succeed Larry Eisenhauer on the Iowa Court of Appeals. It sent three names to Gov. Terry Branstad, who will pick the judge from among those three. The three are Assistant Attorney General Jeanie
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Posted August 21, 2013in Civic Skinny
It looks like the renovation of the Younkers store downtown — rumored for what seems like decades — is really happening. Two bond issues, totaling $24,450,000, are coming to market this week to finance the project, a construction loan has been arranged and construction is supposed to start next week.
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Posted August 14, 2013in Civic Skinny
Eric Branstad, the governor’s son, and his wife apparently have their own inexpensive medical-care plan. It’s called the “Why Bother to Pay?” plan. In January of this year, Associated Anesthesiologists P.C. sued Adrianne and Eric Branstad in Polk County district court for an unpaid account balance of $345.20. A process
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Posted August 07, 2013in Civic Skinny
The Des Moines Register is making more news than it is reporting — and it isn’t reporting the news it is making. The newspaper last week laid off five persons in the newsroom, including assistant sports editor Mark Emmert and city and county reporter Jeff Eckhoff. Both are what pass
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Posted July 31, 2013in Civic Skinny
The price of The Des Moines Register is going up. Again. Here’s the gobbledegook start of a memo sent to all Register employees late Friday: “We wanted to make you aware of an important corporate companywide initiative that will be affecting our subscribers’ subscription rates starting on September 1, 2013.
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Posted July 24, 2013in Civic Skinny
There’s an old joke among lawyers: “What does a plaintiff’s lawyer say when he loses a case?” “Next case!” But what Paige Fiedler does is rant and, in her own words, have a pity party. After losing — for the second time — that odd case of the pretty dental
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Posted July 17, 2013in Civic Skinny
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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Posted July 10, 2013in Civic Skinny
The board of Iowa Public Radio has named a three-person search committee to find a replacement for the ousted Mary Grace Herrington. Doug West chairs it, and Warren Madden and Steve Firman serve on it. Board chair Kay Runge appointed herself as an ex officio member, which, as she noted
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