On Wednesday, White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles told reporters President Donald Trump will travel to Iowa on Tuesday, Jan. 27, to deliver a speech on the economy and energy. According to details released on Thursday night, the speech will take place at the Horizon Events Center in Clive (2100 NW 100th St). Doors […]
Des Moines News
Posted inCentral Iowa
Trial date set for Ian Roberts; Rob Sand announces audit of DMPS
On Wednesday, a federal magistrate judge set a trial date for Ian Roberts, the former Des Moines Public School Superintendent. Roberts is charged with illegally possessing firearms while being in the country without legal authorization, and for knowingly making a false statement on a federal form he submitted to the Des Moines School Board. Magistrate […]
Posted inCommunity/News
How to vote early in Polk County and Story County
Early voting in the Nov. 4 city and school election began on Wednesday morning, as county auditors across Iowa mailed out absentee ballots requested by voters and in-person voting started in the auditors’ offices. Voters who want a mail-in absentee ballot have a few more days to send a completed ballot request form to their […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
DMPS sues consulting firm that vetted Ian Roberts; DOJ criminal complaint against Roberts unsealed
The Des Moines School Board is suing the consulting firm that conducted its search for a superintendent in 2023, resulting in the hiring of Ian Roberts. The board made its decision during a special session that began at 8 a.m. on Friday. The lawsuit against JG Consulting, a Texas-based firm, was filed in Polk County […]
Posted inCommunity/News
DMPS was ‘victim of deception,’ says school board; former superintendent Ian Roberts transferred from Woodbury County Jail to DOJ custody
On Wednesday evening, the Des Moines School Board issued a statement in which Chair Jackie Norris called the board “a victim of deception” by Ian Roberts, who the board hired as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) in May 2023. It was a noticeable shift in how the board has talked about Roberts since Friday, […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Hundreds gather for presentation on Polk County water quality report; researchers, crowd call for regulation
More than 500 individuals gathered Monday to hear what comes next following the release of an in-depth water quality report commissioned by Polk County. Another 500 watched online to hear years’ worth of research on water pollutants and key steps forward at the individual, watershed and state levels. One speaker said it was the first […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Ozzy Osbourne, British rock god known for an infamous show in Des Moines, dies at 76
Ozzy Osbourne has died. Heavy metal’s “Prince of Darkness,” who later had a second career as an avuncular reality TV star, was 76 years old. “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” the Osborne family said in […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Department of Homeland Security moves to deport Iowa couple that’s suing the agency
Federal officials are moving to deport a central Iowa couple who is suing the government over a five-year delay in processing their naturalization application. The stated rationale for the attempted removal of Justin and Victoria Kokeh from the United States is that the couple lied in 2013 when they claimed to have no children. According […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Polk County water report pins unhealthy rivers on ag pollution
A long-awaited scientific report commissioned by Polk County says farm pollution threatens the ability to drink clean water and to safely interact with central Iowa streams, Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. The county announced its Central Iowa Source Water Research Assessment in 2023 and heralded it as a first-of-its-kind, unbiased and comprehensive examination of the watersheds […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘We’re not going anywhere’: Iowans in cities across the state gather for No Kings rallies
The No Kings rallies held in more than 1,400 cities across the country on Saturday were meant to have a festive atmosphere, as millions gathered nationwide to protest the actions of the Trump administration. Organizers of the Iowa City suggested people wear costumes, as did organizers in some other cities. But the rally in downtown […]
Posted inStatewide
Iowans will rally in cities across the state to protest Trump administration actions on Saturday
So far, the strongest pushback against the rapid, chaotic cuts and changes being made by the Trump administration has happened in courtrooms, and tangentially, in protests at Tesla dealerships. But on Saturday, things will be different. “Hands Off!” protest rallies are scheduled for cities across the country on Saturday. Local grassroots organizations and bigger activist […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
80/35 officially canceled after nearly 20 years in Des Moines
In October, the future of 80/35, one of Iowa’s biggest annual musical festivals, was “not currently determined,” but even at that time it seemed unlikely the festival would return. That’s because the statement about 80/35’s future was part of the Greater Des Moines Music Coalition’s (DMMC) announcement that it was shutting down, and the coalition […]
