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Hy-Vee expands overseas operations
Hy-Vee is expanding its IT operations overseas two years after layoffs within its technology department in Grimes.State of play: The West Des Moines-based grocery company signed a 10-year lease for a 54,000-square-foot office space in Bengaluru, India, reports Hindustan Times.Hy-Vee first opened an office in Bengaluru in 2023. Since then, the company has needed a larger office with more meeting spaces for the 200 employees based there.The new office can fit 350 people, Hindustan Times reports.What they're saying: None of the jobs or work performed by the laid-off employees were sent to India, spokesperson Tina Potthoff told Axios.Hy-Vee's India office helps support the Grimes department by working on a different time zone and offering around-the-clock assistance for the company's apps and websites, Potthoff said.Flashback: In 2022, the Des Moines metro's largest employer reduced more than 400 corporate positions in its local offices, including the Grimes layoffs.The company employs around 75,000 people in the Midwest.What's next: Hy-Vee is also hiring for its Grimes technology office, per Potthoff.
Man recalls being stuck for hours on Iowa State Fair Sky Glider
The Iowa State Fair Sky Glider is celebrating its 50th year of operation, and Axios reader Jerry Gale has a first-person account of its stalled beginning.Catch up fast: Nobody has ever fallen from the ride, but more than 50 people were stuck for hours during its debut because of an overheated motor. Gale was one of them.Zoom in: While in the air, Gale and his then-future wife watched horseshoe pitching and listened to fair announcements.Fire engine ladders eventually brought stranded people to the ground and there were no injuries.The bottom line: Gale got an extra long and memorable sky ride. Gale now lives in Minnesota. He visited the Iowa State Fair this week. Photo: Courtesy of Jerry Gale
Scoop: Des Moines' flood prevention leads to insurance break
Federal officials upgraded Des Moines' flood protection rank this week — a major win for the city's mitigation efforts and a financial score for residents. Why it matters: Starting in October, some property owners' flood insurance premiums will drop as much as 25%, Axios has learned. Catch up quick:...
Lawsuit alleges Orchard Place failed to protect teen resident
A former teenage Orchard Place resident is suing the Des Moines youth mental health treatment center and a former staff member, alleging the staffer sent inappropriate, sexual messages to her.Why it matters: The nonprofit is one of the most prominent providers of inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment for youth and adults up to 21-years-old in central Iowa.Details: The patient, "Jane Doe," arrived at Orchard Place between May and August 2019 when she was around 14-15-years-old, her attorney, Ervin Nevitt tells Axios.During that time, a male staffer of about 19 or 20 communicated with her through texts, Snapchats and phone...
Des Moines signs warn panhandlers at medians
Des Moines is adding signs at busy medians warning panhandlers they can't linger, the Register reports.Why it matters: The signs come as the city considers banning camping in public spaces — a controversial proposal that elected officials say will address the rise in people experiencing homelessness.Zoom in: The signs will read "Unlawful to Occupy Median."Catch up quick: In 2019, Des Moines passed an ordinance banning people from loitering at 200 of the city's medians, citing safety concerns and risks of pedestrian deaths, according to the Register.Banned medians are less than six feet wide and are on roads with a speed limit of 30 mph or more.There is no fine for breaking the ordinance.Reality check: Similar ordinances around the country have been deemed unconstitutional since medians are public spaces where freedom of speech is protected, a spokesperson for ACLU of Iowa told the Register.The big picture: Other cities have passed similar laws, including Omaha, Nebraska and Jacksonville, Florida.In Richmond, officials installed signs telling drivers to stop giving money to panhandlers at intersections, Axios Richmond reported.
Iowa's largest county is offering free emergency contraceptive pills, no questions asked
Emergency contraception tablets are now available at the Polk County Health Department (PCHD) for free and without question.Why it matters: Iowa enacted one of the strictest abortion bans in the nation last month.Some health providers and advocates are boosting other options in its wake.State of play: PCHD's new program provides recipients with a levonorgestrel tablet, similar to Plan B, which is used to prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.They are freely available in PCHD's clinic bathrooms, along with condoms and lube.Between the lines: Plan B One-Step typically costs between $40–$50, while generic versions range from $11...
Mapped: Iowa's severe weather threats
Polk County averaged 15 severe storm watches annually over the last two decades, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.That includes watches for thunderstorms and tornadoes.Why it matters: We're in a region with among the most watches in the state.Guthrie, Mills, Fremont and Page counties averaged 16, the most in Iowa.The intrigue: The data doesn't include 2024, which has already recorded a record number of tornadoes.Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Des Moines.
This hidden Iowa music venue is a taste of Key West
Nestled among Iowa's cornfields is a unique music venue that is attracting artists from around the country for its Floridian vibes.Driving the news: Key Mid West is a small-town concert spot a little over an hour south of Des Moines near Sun Valley Lake — population just over 100.But artists like Peter Mayer, Jimmy Buffett's lead guitarist, have traveled there to perform in the intimate setting: a converted machine shed.How it started: As major live music fans, owners Todd Beuse and his wife, Melana, frequently traveled to Key West to get their Jimmy Buffett fix. But as they entered retirement,...
Public sleeping ban faces unknown costs, litigation in Des Moines
As Des Moines moves closer to approving bans on public sleeping and camping, City Council continues to face questions about the costs and litigation the changes might cause.Why it matters: Proponents say the ordinances will help fix a homelessness crisis but critics, including Polk County Attorney Kimberly Graham, say they are missteps that will inflame problems.Catch up fast: Recent increases in homeless encampments have boosted public health, safety and sanitation concerns, prompting calls for action from some businesses and residents.DSM unveiled the proposals last month following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that found that sleeping and camping bans do...
Des Moines home sellers drop prices to draw in buyers
Roughly 35% of Des Moines metro houses for sale saw price cuts recently, according to Redfin data.Why it matters: Home sellers across the country are increasingly offering discounts to entice buyers hampered by high housing costs.Flashback: Price cuts surged nationwide in 2022, partly because rising mortgage rates caused home shoppers to back out of the market.State of play: Now that the market is slowing down, sellers are deciding to price their homes more affordably to better sell, says Les Sulgrove, a local realtor and former president of the DSM Area Association of Realtors Association.Yes, but: Discounted prices don't mean homes...
Des Moines pastry master competes for $100K Netflix prize
Des Moines businessperson Eileen Gannon competes alongside nine other award-winning pastry chefs in Netflix's new "Blue Ribbon Baking Championship."Dig in: The show pits state fair blue ribbon-winning pastry chefs against each other for the chance $100,000.It's hosted by chef Sandra Lee and "American Pie" star Jason Biggs.Zoom in: Gannon started Sunday Night Foods, a luxury dessert sauce maker, about three years ago after retiring as a communications executive at Workiva, a computer software company.She's also a longtime baker, winning more than 600 competitions — mostly at the Iowa State Fair, she tells Axios.The latest: Fairgoers can meet Gannon during multiple...
Iowa State Fair new food reviews 2024: What you need to know
Welcome to our special series this week, where we give you our honest fair food thoughts and let you know if it's "fair" for your money.First up: The candied bacon gnocchi — a rich Alfredo sauce topped with herbs and parmesan cheese.The potato dumplings are gluten-free.Jason's thought bubble: The sweet and salty bacon pairs nicely with the sauce.🧈 Butter ranking: one stick = ick; five = don't miss itAesthetics: 🧈🧈🧈Creativity: 🧈🧈🧈Overall taste: 🧈🧈🧈🧈Try it: Destination Grill, west of Jacobson Exhibition Center.What's next: Check back here.We'll post additional reviews of new foods in the coming days!
This Iowa State Fair church food stand is the last one standing
In the middle of the deep-fried, gluttonous world of the Iowa State Fair, a single church fair vendor is celebrating its 75th year of serving simple meals and coffee.Why it matters: The biggest and priciest vendors get a lot of today's viral fanfare, but the West Des Moines United Methodist Church's volunteer operation stands as a testament to building community again and again, despite a changing congregation.How it started: Since opening in 1949, there have been a lot of changes, says Ken Ferguson, a congregant who helps lead the effort.Back then, church stands were abundant at the fair and featured...
Meet the man behind the Iowa State Fair's Sky Glider for 50 years
The Iowa State Fair is celebrating the Sky Glider's 50th anniversary, but for longtime fair employee Tracy Shedd, this also marks his 50th year of working on the ride.What they're saying: "If the Sky Glider is moving — that's me," Shedd says.How it started: Growing up on the east side, the fairgrounds were Shedd's backyard.At 15-years-old, he watched the colorful, aerial ride get built as he sat on his bike. Curiosity would prompt him to ask workers how he could help and he often did tasks no one wanted to do, he says.Later, when they were short-handed, Shedd was hired...
How the Democratic ticket could influence Iowa's red politics
Vice President Kamala Harris' selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate is unlikely to change the outcome of the Iowa presidential race, but there could be down-ballot implications for the Democratic ticket's makeup.Why it matters: Mobilizing the party could allow Iowa Democrats to gain some U.S. House seats, where Republicans currently hold a slim majority, Karen Kedrowski, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State, tells Axios.Flashback: Iowa Democrats lost all the state's congressional seats and all but one statewide office in 2022.Republicans also expanded their majorities in the Iowa House...
How the Democratic ticket could influence Iowa's red politics
Vice President Kamala Harris' selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate is unlikely to change the outcome of the Iowa presidential race, but there could be down-ballot implications for the Democratic ticket's makeup.Why it matters: Mobilizing the party could allow Iowa Democrats to gain some U.S. House seats, where Republicans currently hold a slim majority, Karen Kedrowski, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State, tells Axios.Flashback: Iowa Democrats lost all the state's congressional seats and all but one statewide office in 2022.Republicans also expanded their majorities in the Iowa House...
Waukee ice cream shop offers olive oil drizzles
I'm testing out a Mediterranean diet these days, so when I heard that Home Sweet Cone in Waukee incorporates olive oil into its "secret menu," I knew I had to try it.What it is: A drizzle of Graza extra-virgin olive oil accompanied by sea salt flakes on any ice cream flavor.What I ate: I tried it with a scoop of chocolate ($4.25).What I liked: Home Sweet Cone is already known for its creamy and decadent hard-packed ice creams. Put some fat on fat and you've got a viscous and subtle earthy flavor.And step aside, sprinkles — the flakey salt adds a little punch and texture.My thought bubble: If you're curious about the combo, you could just drizzle some oil on your ice cream at home. But where's the fun in that?If you go: Noon to 10pm Sun.-Thurs.; noon to 11pm Fri.-Sat.1188 SE University Ave, WaukeeGet more local stories in your inbox with Axios Des Moines.
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