“Greenwood Pond: Double Site,” the large-scale work of public art that has been part of Greenwood Park in Des Moines since 1996, will remain in place following the decision of the federal judge on Friday to issue a preliminary injunction stopping the Des Moines Art Center from dismantling and removing its wooden structures. The large-scale installation […]
Des Moines News
Posted inCentral Iowa
Drake University to eliminate three academic programs to aid in balancing budget
Drake University will eliminate three programs as part of efforts to make up budget deficits, the university announced Monday. University President Marty Martin said in a message to campus that the religion major, East Asian studies minor and evidence-based health care graduate certificate will be discontinued. The 14 students in the programs will be given […]
Posted inCommunity/News
City Nature Challenge returns to Iowa City and Des Moines this weekend
More than 700 communities around the world will participate in the City Nature Challenge this weekend, including Johnson County and Polk County. It’s a four-day long event that starts Friday and concludes at midnight on Monday, during which time volunteers take photos of any “WILD plants and animals in backyards, in parks, along city streets, […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Judge orders Des Moines Art Center halt plans to remove a major public art work without the artist’s consent
On Monday, a federal judge in Des Moines issued a temporary restraining order stopping the Des Moines Art Center from dismantling and removing a work of public art that has been part of the city’s Greenwood Park for 36 years. “Greenwood Pond: Double Site” was created by renowned New York-based land artist Mary Miss for […]
Posted inCommunity/News
How to (safely) view Monday’s eclipse, including some expert-level viewing parties
Celestial tourism is set to peak on Monday, as people travel to one of the 15 states parts of which will experience a total solar eclipse. The path of totality runs well east of Iowa, but a partial eclipse will still be viewable on Monday. In Iowa the partial eclipse will begin around 12:45 p.m. […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Drake University recommends cutting academic programs, positions
Four percent of Drake University students could see their degree programs eliminated under cost-cutting measures recommended by the college to help recoup budget deficits. Drake University Provost Sue Mattison announced that a faculty program review, launched in November, has recommended the discontinuance of 13 undergraduate majors, minors and certificates. In an email to faculty sent […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Melissa Vine becomes second Democrat to announce a run for Nunn’s District 3 seat
A second Democrat has entered the race in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District. Melissa Vine, a small business owner and executive director of a Des Moines nonprofit that assists women in need who are working to overcome trauma, made her announcement in an online video in which she drew a sharp contrast between herself and first-term […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Democrat Lanon Baccam launches a run for Rep. Zach Nunn’s District 3 seat
Democrat Lanon Baccam announced on Thursday he is running for Congress in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District. Baccam is the first person to launch a campaign challenging Republican Zach Nunn, who is in his first term representing the district. “We can all sense and feel our country is incredibly polarized,” Baccam said in a video posted […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Election roundup: History is made in DSM and CR, an incumbent defeats an incumbent in IC, school board voters send a message, bond votes go both ways
There were some history-making victories in the city and school board elections on Tuesday, as voters in Des Moines elected the city’s first woman mayor and, in Cedar Rapids, a member of the LGBTQ community won a seat on the city council for the first time. But for the most part, Tuesday’s elections followed the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie, in office since 2003, will not run for reelection
Frank Cownie announced on Wednesday he will not run for another term as mayor of Des Moines in November’s election. The 75-year-old Cownie is in his fifth term as mayor, and is the longest-serving mayor in Des Moines history. “It has been one of the greatest honors and privileges of my life to serve as […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Des Moines mayor gives councilmember, absent since March, a deadline to return or risk removal
Des Moines City Councilmember Indira Sheumaker has not attended any city council meeting or communicated with any city official since March 6. Sheumaker, who represents Ward 1, has also not been in touch with constituents during that time, according to two community groups in the ward. On Monday, Mayor Frank Cownie sent a certified letter […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Iowa church wages four-year fight with IRS over hallucinogenic drug ceremonies
An Iowa-based church that allegedly charges members up to $800 to use a hallucinogenic drug in religious ceremonies is continuing to pursue a four-year battle to win tax-exempt status. Last year, the Iowaska Church of Healing sued the IRS in U.S. District Court, challenging the federal agency’s decision to deny the church status as a […]
