Maj. Lillie Parker has had a history-making career since she joined the Des Moines Police Department in 1999. In 2009, she became the first Black woman promoted to the rank of sergeant in the department’s history. Six years later she became the first Black woman to be a DMPD lieutenant. Two more firsts followed — […]
Central Iowa
Posted inCommunity/News
Phill the water buffalo’s former owner faces misdemeanor charge
A month after Phill the water buffalo made his escape over a fence in Pleasant Hill, his former owner has been charged with a misdemeanor. Prem Nepal of Des Moines was charged with having an animal at large. It is a simple misdemeanor, and if convicted, Nepal could face a fine of between $105 and […]
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: The Cave DSM is a purveyor of natural wine, fancy snacks and some of the city’s best live music
I you want to feel like you’re doing something bougie while still on a budget, go chill at The Cave DSM. Situated at the very edge of downtown in a small building so nondescript you’d miss it if you weren’t looking for it (I nearly did), The Cave is a wine bar that might also […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Vietnamese-American painter Teo Nguyen reimagines battlefield photos without the soldiers, violence and ‘machinery of war’
Teo Nguyen, “The Politics of Worthiness” Opening reception, Moberg Gallery, Friday, Sept. 13, 5-8 p.m. Artist reception and discussion, Moberg Gallery, Saturday, Oct. 5, 1-3 p.m. Teo Nguyen is a painter’s painter. His parents were a poet and glass painter, and he applies their attention to detail to his canvas. Moberg Gallery in Des Moines […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The Mr. Softheart show happened like this
Two valued team members from Principal Financial Group were delivered here to the LiFT — by the divine means of Court Ave, or maybe, Fong’s — and found themselves next to me. There was nowhere else to go. The place was packed on Aug. 1 to welcome Mr. Softheart (the band, not man) into the […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
This Des Moines food stylist can get any dish ready for its close-up
Cellphone cameras and social media have made amateur food photographers of us all. In any high-end restaurant on any given night, you’ll see diners snapping pics of their plates. Of course, the quality of those images varies. Try as we might, most of us don’t have the skills or know-how to capture photos as drool-worthy […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Lanon Baccam shares ‘history of service’ in Iowa State Fair speech
Democrat Lanon Baccam told the crowd at the Iowa State Fair Monday that he would bring his “history of service” and commitment to healthcare access to the U.S. Congress if elected. Speaking at the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox Monday, the 3rd District Democratic nominee shared stories of his time serving in the Iowa National […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide
LV Recommends: 12 local restaurants to try in Des Moines & Ames
Chain and Spoke is half coffee shop, half bike shop. Cycling gear fills in the industrial décor, and walls of windows give the space natural light.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Photos: Hinterland 2024
Day 1 Day one saw headliners Hozier and Orville Peck on the main stage. Before that, festival goers caught the likes of Debbi Dawson, Valencia Grace and The Last Dinner Party, to name a few of the stacked Friday lineup. Day 2 Day two of Hinterland saw some readjustments from the festival organizers as many […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Comedian and character actor Josh Fadem is looking forward to a ‘free and sloppy’ show in Des Moines
If you’ve watched TV in the past decade, it’s likely you’ve seen or heard comedian Josh Fadem in action. His IMDb is a veritable who’s-who of comedy juggernauts and deep cuts — 30 Rock, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Superstore, The Powerpuff Girls, American Dad!, Twin Peaks, Better Call Saul, the 2018 TV adaptation of Heathers, the […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Prominent Black creatives to discuss growing up in Iowa at the Des Moines Art Center
Three high-profile Iowa natives will be in conversation this Sunday at the Des Moines Art Center. Artist b. Robert Moore and artist-activist Jordan Weber will join Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones. The evening sees the three come together to talk about growing up in the predominately white state of […]
Posted inCentral Iowa Arts & Entertainment
Locals gather at the Blazing Saddle to watch six-part series on its history, ‘The Last American Gay Bar’
A viewing party at a bar is an everyday occurrence, but what about if the bar itself is the subject of said viewing party? That’s exactly what has been happening every Wednesday of this month at the Blazing Saddle in Des Moines. Opening in 1983, the Blazing Saddle is the oldest gay bar in Des […]
