On Tuesday, the Des Moines Art Center and artist Mary Miss announced a settlement in their legal dispute over the fate of Greenwood Pond: Double Site, a land art installation Miss created for the center. It’s considered a major and pioneering work of American land art, and has been part of Des Moines’ Greenwood Park […]
Des Moines News
Posted inCentral Iowa
How to vote early in Polk County and Story County
Early voting in the Nov. 5 election began on Wednesday morning, as county auditors across Iowa began mailing 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 auditor’s office. […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Final two candidates for DMPD chief weren’t the top-rated candidates for the job
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 — […]
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 inCommunity/News
ARL holds a pet adoption special, asks for hot dogs, canned pumpkin, whipped cream and more as shelters remain crowded
Last week, the Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) asked for the public’s help because of a “severe space challenge” caused by a surge in dogs and cats arriving at its shelters. Over the weekend, it offered a special discount rate on adoptions of all dogs and cats six months or older, and 135 pets […]
Posted inCommunity/News
There’s an ‘urgent need’ for more people to adopt and foster dogs and cats as ARL faces ‘severe space challenges’
The Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) is “facing severe space challenges” as it cares for an exceptionally large number of dogs and cats, the nonprofit animal care organization said in a news release on Thursday. The ARL, which has provided all of the City of Des Moines’ shelter services since 2005, is currently caring […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Thieves target Pride flags flying at homes in Des Moines, Project Rainbow reports
Progress Pride flags have been stolen from yards in Des Moines over the past two weeks. The flags are from Project Rainbow of Iowa, which distributes Progress Pride flags to people in Polk County and the surrounding area, so they can fly them at their homes to show support for the LGBTQ community during Pride […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Des Moines area food banks see a record-breaking surge in people needing assistance as June begins
Food banks always see an increase in the number of people who need help at the beginning of summer, as school vacations begin and kids no longer have easy access to the meals at school. But even with that expected increase, the surge the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network experienced this week […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Des Moines area residents asked to ‘hold off’ on lawn watering as high nitrate levels threaten drinking water supply in Central Iowa
Residents of Iowa’s largest metro area are being advised they “may need to reduce or hold off on lawn watering altogether,” as Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) and Central Iowa Water Works work to ensure the drinking water they provide to more than 20 percent of the population remains safe. The rains in recent months […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
‘Visibility is education’: Pride Corner becomes part of Des Moines’ East Village
Pride Corner was unveiled in Des Moines’ East Village on Tuesday. All four corners of the intersection of East Grand Avenue and East Fifth Street are painted with curving images of the Progress Pride flag to celebrate the history and the presence of the city’s LGBTQ community. “We hope people will enjoy the beautiful art […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa ethics board fines candidate Melissa Vine and her former campaign manager for illegal contributions
Melissa Vine, a Democrat running in the June 4 primary in Iowa’s 3rd congressional district, and her former campaign manager Lou McDonald were each fined $500 by the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board on Thursday after the board’s investigation found the two made contributions to a state political action committee in other people’s names. […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Animal Rescue League of Iowa is looking for adopters, foster families and donations as it deals with a surge in puppies
The Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) is asking for help as it deals with a sudden boom in the number of puppies it is caring for. The 98-year-old nonprofit said in a news release on Thursday that it currently has “130+ more puppies than we did at this time last year.” “The surge is […]
