VOTE YES: OUR CITY NEEDS STRONG SCHOOLS State and federal funding for public schools has taken painful cuts in recent years. And those cuts threaten the communities that depend on them for more than simply educating children without regard for ability to pay. “Public schools often provide economic benefits for communities,” asserts the Learning for Justice program of the Southern Poverty Law Center, “including employment, economic opportunities, and encouragement for famili

NEW ELECTION OFFICES ALL ON ONE FLOOR Cam Shannon, a machine tech assistant, and Assistant Polk County Auditor Carl Wiederaenders stand...

KIM AND CHAD’S PARK-A-PALOOZA Earlier this year, Kim Stewart and Chad Ulrich dreamed up an enormous challenge: “Park-a-Palooza” —...

Summer camp site supervisor Chalise Rimmer, right, takes a break with N’ayr Haynes, left, and Larenz Travis at Evelyn K. Davis Park....

NFC CELEBRATES 35 YEARS Mayor Connie Boesen speaks on June 2 at a well-attended 35th anniversary celebration of the Neighborhood Finance...

When Robert D. Ray was governor of Iowa, one of his most amazing humanitarian accomplishments was to invite Southeast Asian refugees —...

Wade Fowler unearthed pieces of this gravestone in Sims Cemetery at East University. The results are at the end of the article!...

Zuleyma “Zuli” Mendez, left, and Sgt. Yanira Scarlett EDUCATION IS KEY FOR BILINGUAL OFFICERS The two pillars of police work — protect...

WINTER DOESN'T SLOW BRIDGE WORK Replacing the Des Moines and Raccoon River downtown bridges feels like it’s been going on forever. Or at...