Is there a way to get notifications for when we should lower our American flags to half-staff? Here is a site you may want to check out: halfstaff.org. The volunteers at Halfstaff.org seem to provide accurate and timely information on properly displaying the flag of the United States of America,
Read More →How far along is the construction of the 515 Walnut Tower? Those who have driven through downtown Des Moines lately have seen the capital city’s latest skyscraper taking shape. We reached out to Beal Derkenne Construction for an update and received this response, along with photos from the director of
Read More →What is the construction happening near Johnston Station, where the Panera Bread is? We asked the city of Johnston about this construction project. Communications Director Janet Wilwerding responded, saying it will be a Chase Bank. The site is on the corner of Merle Hay Road and Pioneer Parkway, and it
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Posted February 04, 2026in Ask Cityview
When was the first CITYVIEW Best of Des Moines poll? The answer doesn’t appear to be as cut and dried as one might think. We dug deep through our archives to find the answer. The oldest complete copy we could find was from 1994. The answer was not spelled out
Read More →To what extent has the decision to allow taxpayer dollars to be used to pay for private school education impacted the rosters of these private school football teams? This question was presumably sparked by the recent IHSAA football state championships, in which six classes had a Catholic team, in other
Read More →When are businesses required to become handicap accessible? According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, passed in 1990, specifically relating to title III: “The ADA is meant to ensure that people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of life. Almost all types of businesses that serve the public,
Read More →Who on the Des Moines City Council, Polk County Board of Supervisors and Police Department have received campaign donations and dollars from Crow Tow? Crow Tow is a towing service company in Des Moines that has come under scrutiny over the years for alleged predatory towing practices. The towing company
Read More →What is the USPS’s reason for removing mailboxes outside post offices? The reader who wrote in with this question stated that the mailbox outside of the West Suburban branch on N.W. 108th Street in Clive was removed to fix a broken lock, but the post office later stated that the
Read More →Ask CITYVIEW anything by emailing editor@dmcityview.com. Why have so many lights been out along the Gray’s Lake trail for so long? With the park open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. and daylight dwindling, there are hours at a time when long stretches of the trail are very dark. It’s
Read More →How does DART plan its rides to the Iowa State Fair? We posed questions on the how, what and who regarding public transit services to the Iowa State Fair to Sarah Welch, the senior marketing and communications manager at DART. “DART’s Iowa State Fair Park and Ride service is an
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