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Iowa State Fair Saying Goodbye to Popular Fair Stand
Iowa has one of the best state fairs in the country as thousands of people from around the state plan a state fair trip. Some people plan to enjoy the fair for an afternoon and others plan to enjoy the fair for multiple days in a row. This year there will be over 80 new foods for you to try at the fair so be sure to show up hungry and ready to try as many different foods as possible.
Des Moines moving forward with policy enforcing stricter rules for people experiencing homelessness
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines City Council is moving forward withnew ordinances working to address the number of people experiencing homelessness in the city. At the council's meeting Monday morning, city leaders voted 5-2 in favor of passing the first reading of both ordinances related to public encampments.
Fines for sleeping outside are wrong; Des Moines can do better for homeless persons
Fines for camping in public places may be legal, but that doesn't make them useful. Rushed timeline to approve rule changes is unnecessary. Bigger approach needs to include more help from suburbs. The city of Des Moines appears poised to make an ill-advised course change Monday in how it treats...
Jasper County to try new calendar platform for website
Jul. 20—Jasper County is making improvements to its online calendar by partnering alongside a company called With for one year. In that time, county officials hope this new platform will offer more options for individuals and entities wanting to add community events or attend one near them. Jenn Cross, social media and communications specialist for Jasper County, said with the traction the ...
Tornado direct hit on Des Moines metro underscores the need to act on climate
Irene DeMaris is executive director of Iowa Interfaith Power & Light. I have spent years working on the front lines to combat the climate crisis, but it arrived at my front door last week. It came fast and in a fury. And for someone who didn’t grow up in the Midwest, I had my closest encounter with a tornado in July. When the screeching alert came on my phone, I quickly grabbed my two dogs and headed to the basement.
Controversial homeless legislation draws in crowd at city council
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines City Council chambers were packed for a special meeting on multiple ordinances tackling homelessness. Some call the legislation, which more strictly addresses homelessness, needed. Others say it criminalizes the most vulnerable in our community. “We already had a cruel system. I have...
Private contractors to be paid more for city nuisance abatements
Jul. 21—In order to continue improving the city's curb appeal by getting rid of nuisances throughout the community, the Newton City Council on July 15 moved forward with staff's request to increase the abatement rate for private contractors from $60 per hour to $100 per hour with a one-hour minimum. When residents are non-compliant to the city's curb appeal ordinances and are therefore ...
Des Moines City Council approves speed reduction on busy downtown road
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines City Councilapproved reducing the speed limit for a busy portion of Keo Way. The city council approved the motion and waived the second and third readings. It's now 25 mph on Keo Way from the Interstate 235 bridge to 10th Street. The...
Iowa union calls for reinstating negotiation rights for public workers
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A local union is calling for rights to be reinstated for local public workers after a 2017 law brought new changes to collective bargaining. Teamsters Local 238 said on Monday that key issues like healthcare, layoffs, and evaluation procedures are non-negotiable under the law. Workers...
Doyle and Karna Ver Ploeg share a long history with county fair
Jul. 22—Doyle and Karna Ver Ploeg, of Lynnville, have been attending the Jasper County Fair longer than they have been married. They've been married 51 years, but their first introduction to the county fair started when they were both kids in 4-H in the 1960s. Doyle showed hogs while Karna participated in girls club activities. Of course even after they stopped competing in the fair they found ...
Historic front page from Des Moines Register, Oct. 30, 1979: Gov. Ray tours refugee camps
The Des Moines Register is there as Gov. Robert Ray returns from an October 1979 visit to Southeast Asia, where he toured refugee camps in Thailand. "I watched people die," Ray tells the Register for the Oct. 30 edition, saying the conditions were so horrific he doesn't know how to describe them. The Republican governor, who had so far resettled 4,000 refugees from the Vietnam War to Iowa, acknowledges backlash for his efforts, "but this is a matter of life and death." Ray, joined by Iowa leaders including Register President and Editor Michael Gartner, forms the Iowa SHARES charity, which raises hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy food and other aid to assist the refugees in Thailand.
Local bottle redemption center owners expanding to Ankeny
ANKENY, IOWA — At the very end of the 2023 Iowa Legislative session, lawmakers passed the bottle bill with several goals. One was growing bottle redemption center businesses across the state. Ames Bottle & Can opened up right after lawmakers made changes to the law. The two owners opening up the part time business with […]
Statement from Mullan spurs new direction for stormwater utility rate
Jul. 20—Newton City Council is taking a new direction for the proposed stormwater utility rate increase after a council member lobbied for an option that he argued would better address issues residents faced during the floods back in May, but in doing so he re-started the whole process and the matter won't finish until September. Council members were about to take action on the second ...
Newton Public Library Seeks Community Input for Strategic Plan
The Newton Public Library Board of Trustees is creating a new strategic plan for 2025 to 2030 and wants your feedback on library services, needs, and community priorities. Help shape the future by filling out a short survey, open to everyone, including non-library users, until August 16th. The strategic plan...
What women can do when most abortions are banned in Iowa
Dr. Timothy Olson is a psychiatrist practicing in Des Moines and a lifelong Iowa resident. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled June 28 that the state can hijack a woman’s body if it has a reason (“rational basis”). This means that the "fetal heartbeat" law, passed last year by the Republican-controlled Legislature and signed by the governor, can soon take effect.
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