This month we begin trading the corn sweat, swimming pools, tank tops and shorts for crunchy leaves, crisp air, hoodies and blue jeans. What us central Iowans are fortunate we don’t have to trade in are the events we have the opportunities to go to. The weather changes, but so do the themes of the [...]
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From the human point of view, dirt is the ultimate outsider. We try to keep it out of sight, out of mind and outdoors. We kick it off our shoes, spit on it and degrade it linguistically with dirty jokes, dirty minds, dirty secrets and dirty truths. In the end, everything comes from it and [...]
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Some days they are accountants. On other days, they are recipe developers. One hour, they are marinating meat. And the next, they are in a marketing meeting. Through all their roles, they are always the consumer’s liaison. For years, Des Moines didn’t need someone to bridge the gap between Iowa farmers and residents, but the [...]
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The University of Northern Iowa recently announced it will be selling the naming rights to its well-known UNI-Dome through Learfield. The facility, an impressive one for a university of UNI’s size, opened in 1976 for $7.5 million. It’s well-known across the state for hosting the IHSAA state football championships. Outside of its uses for Panther [...]
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Greene County Attorney Thomas Laehn, the only Libertarian Party candidate ever elected in a partisan contest in Iowa, intends to use the Constitution to break the Democrat-Republican stranglehold on the nation’s government in his race for the U.S. Senate, he said in a wide-ranging, hour-long interview in Jefferson. Laehn, who says the American Republic is now [...]
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Netflix’s “Facing El Chapo” (original title “La Captura”) makes an unusual bet: Instead of building its story around Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, it turns the spotlight on two ordinary federal officers who stumble into the biggest arrest of their careers. Director Chava Cartas opens with Officer Arturo Carmona (Alfonso Herrera), who is haunted by nightmares [...]
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Each August, old friends call while in town for the Iowa State Fair. They want advice about where to eat when they are not eating at the fair. This year, I was asked about KPOT more often than any other restaurant. I don’t visit all-you-can-eat (AYCE) buffets as much as I used to, but it [...]
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September is here. School is back in session. The Iowa State Fair is over, which is Iowa’s official way of announcing that summer has packed its bags. It is also my birthday month. On Sept. 11, I will turn 41. I have lived in Des Moines since 2007. I moved here from Denver, where entire [...]
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My mom always enjoyed a good funeral. Up until she was nearly 98, she traveled many miles to attend the funeral of someone’s mother or father, or aunt or uncle. Did she know them? Maybe — perhaps by the slimmest of threads — the mother of a friend of a friend of my oldest sister. [...]
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One of America’s best community theatres, the Des Moines Community Playhouse, does stellar work in what it produces. Comedies, dramas, musicals –– all developed through a professional production team and the invaluable contributions of thousands of volunteer hours for each show. With a rich tradition that blends a strong book and score with powerful messaging, [...]
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Succession planning and public celebration typically accompany executive retirements. They provide for an orderly leadership transition and public acknowledgment of a job well done. So, two simple questions arise whenever top government employees leave their jobs in hastily announced retirements — and receive more than the customary coffee-and-cookies going-away reception in return for signing [...]
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Shannon Earhardt is sports reporter/anchor at KCCI TV 8. Last year she became the first woman ever named “sportscaster of the year” in Iowa by National Sports Media Association. Earhardt impressed us four years ago immediately after arriving in Des Moines directly from University of Oklahoma (OU) journalism school after growing up in Chicago. We [...]
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Before cars came with cameras, Bluetooth and high-tech features, they offered something else: personality. A 1958 Ford Edsel Pacer loaded with chrome, a spacious back seat and a turquoise-colored frame turned heads while scooping the loop. For car enthusiasts who want to see the Edsel and other top-of-the line classic cars, attend the Des Moines [...]
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When you are craving a casual neighborhood pub with happy hour, drink specials and entrees less than $18, head to The Junction. Valley Junction in West Des Moines is home to the False 9 Social Club, which opened in March 2026. It occupies the former space of Mitzi’s. Before that, it was a general store [...]
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Des Moines is a triple A city. We are proud of that. The major leagues are close enough in Kansas City, Minneapolis and Chicago. We embrace our size and limited aspirations as a tradeoff for escaping the rat races that accompany major league status. We choose blithe over blight and bright lights. We restrict our [...]
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When Allison Kaiman moved back to Iowa with her dog, Bandit, a corgi, she admits her mischievous dog got away with “bloody murder.” “I felt bad for Bandit with all the changes he encountered. He was running the show, where he was the pack leader,” she said. “I wasn’t the pack leader.” One of her [...]
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As a multitalented musician, Lani Eclatt sings and plays the guitar, piano and accordion. She was named Latin Artist of the Year at the Iowa Music Awards and performs a mix of cover and original songs, sung in both Spanish and English. The band covers songs that range from Selena, Shakira, Michael Jackson and Madonna [...]
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