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Monday, Oct. 6, 2025
Good morning to you! 

I appreciate listening to views that differ from mine. Sometimes, I am swayed. Rarely, but sometimes. More often, I walk away still disagreeing with the view but gaining an appreciation for why the person stating them feels that way. And, admittedly, I do like to poke the bear to uncover what really drives the opinions.

The goal I seek is not to convince others that I am right but rather to listen to why they feel they are. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it doesn’t. Regardless, if we are going to live in a peaceful and law-abiding society, we better work on this. It starts with each one of us individually, and we should welcome having our views challenged. Only listening to those who agree with us keeps our brains stuck in neutral, and we don’t move forward regardless of how much we push on the accelerator. Just a lot of noise.

I had a great conversation the other night with some great friends about President Trump’s decision to place our National Guard in cities where crime is rampant. They explained their deep concern about this and the lasting negative effects it could have on our country. I listened and then shared my view based on my personal experiences.

I did not serve in the military, but I grew up with a deep respect for those who did. My father, my uncles and many people in my community were in the armed services. I attended parades that our veterans marched in. I removed my hat. I saluted. I thanked them for their service. I still do.

For much of my adult life, I have lived or worked in Johnston where soldiers from Camp Dodge are seen throughout the community on a daily basis. I like having them in our presence. They make me feel comfortable. Safe. Secure. I want the National Guard members to help in cities where crime is rampant. And, I would expect and want them in uniform with the weapons that are necessary to carry out their mission.

I could see the dismay on the faces of my friends when I shared this. Their eyes squinted, and their brows wrinkled. Then the questions came. “How long should the soldiers stay in those cities, though?” “Should Trump be able to single-handedly decide where they are deployed?” “Are you really OK with soldiers carrying assault rifles in the streets?” “What about the ICE agents wearing masks?”

These and the other questions that followed made for a great discussion. In the end, we likely walked away with the same opinions we walked in with. But we were able to listen and learn from each other, as friends do. Now, if we, as a society, could only learn how to do the same with those we are not yet friends with. Logically. Respectfully. Peacefully. We might get our brains out of neutral and actually learn from each other while moving forward. Or we could keep criticizing those who disagree with us. Point fingers. And spread hatred. The choice is ours. 

Have a mindful Monday, and, as always, I thank you for reading.

Shane Goodman
Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305

See more of Shane Goodman's columns here.

 
 
News headlines

FROM KCCI: Pennsylvania school board to discuss legal options after Ian Roberts arrest.  On Monday, a Pennsylvania school board will discuss its legal options against Ray and Associates Incorporated, the firm that helped hire Ian Roberts as superintendent. Roberts, the former Des Moines Public Schools superintendent, is currently in the Polk County Jail on a U.S. Marshals hold for being an illegal alien in possession of weapons. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: One killed, several injured during Fairfax house fire. One person was killed and two others were injured during a house fire in Fairfax early Sunday. According to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, emergency responders were called to the 200 block of Olsen Court around 2:20 a.m. Sunday. Upon arrival, crews found the house consumed in flames. Individuals at the scene told fire crews an elderly male has not escaped the home. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Ankeny Area Chamber of Commerce sues ex-CEO who pleaded guilty to $250,000 theft. The Ankeny Chamber of Commerce is suing its former CEO, months after she admitted to stealing more than $250,000 from the organization.
In April, 47-year-old Melisa Cox pleaded guilty to four felony charges: first-degree theft, unauthorized use of a credit card in excess of $10,000, money laundering and second-degree fraudulent practice. An internal audit and police investigation revealed financial irregularities from 2023 to 2024, leading to the discovery that Cox had been using a chamber-issued credit card for theft. 
... READ MORE

 

Rachel Knoll took this photo while she and her brother, Kyle Knoll, are in harvest time near Adel. They are the fifth generation of this family to farm.

 

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: French PM resigns hours after naming government, plunging France further into political chaos. Facing criticism from all sides, France’s new prime minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned less than 24 hours after naming his government and after less than a month in office, plunging the country into a deep political crisis. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: The Supreme Court will evaluate Trump’s expansive claims of presidential power in its new term. The Supreme Court is beginning a new term with a sharp focus on President Donald Trump’s robust assertion of executive power. Pivotal cases on voting and the rights of LGBTQ people also are on the agenda. On Tuesday, the justices will hear arguments over bans passed by nearly half of U.S. states on therapy aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: Field fires sparked across Iowa Saturday, fire crews urge caution. Iowa fire departments responded to several field fires on Saturday, largely due to dry and windy conditions. Even with burn bans in place, fire crews urge farmers to stay vigilant. ... READ MORE

 

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Rain chances last through early evening as much cooler temperatures move into the state. Will be a little bit warmer by the end of the week.

For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage.

 
 
Pollen tracker
 
Tree pollen: None
Grass pollen: None
Ragweed pollen: High
 
 
The 2025 results: CITYVIEW's Best of Des Moines®
 
 
Best Local Place to Kickbox
 
1. Farrell’s eXtreme Bodyshaping
 
2. Krave Gym
 
3. Brickhouse Fitness
 
See all of the results
 
 

They are doing what?
Maxwell House announced last week that they were rebranding and will be called Maxwell Apartment. They paid an advertising firm to come up with that as a means to win young customers away from Starbucks. For $40, the "Maxwell Apartment bundle" includes four 27-ounce canisters of coffee, designed to last a whole year. The company is calling it a "12-month lease" to help people in these tough times. The coffee is available on Amazon and is currently sold out. Regular Maxwell House is still available, with the name it has been using for 133 years.
 
Transitions. Don Cotran of C Fresh Market and Pho 515 cafe, returned from the International Bakers Convention in Las Vegas last month and began baking banh mis loaves with a new, AI discovered natural enzyme that extends shelf life without preservative chemicals... Barista's Bouquet, a West Des Moines coffee with flowers joint, is expanding into a second location at 3837 N. 121st St. in Urbandale... Taste of New York, an "Ultimate Pizza in Des Moines" winner, is moving its mother store to a larger bay in the same strip mall west of Jordan Creek mall... Super sommelier Sam Tuttle is moving on from Oak Park. OP owner Kathy Fehrman says that Sam was responsible for much of the wonderful development of the Des Moines food scene. He leaves OP and its 7,000 bottle wine cellar for San Francisco... The superb Masao is now open for lunch Wednesday through Friday.
 
Deals today
• Hy-Vee Market Grilles offer a Monday special smoked chicken hindquarter with corn bread and corn on the cob for $8.

•  Bubba (200 10th St., Des Moines) has a Monday night sirloin dinner special for $20. 

• Kelly's Little Nipper (1701 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines) offers a "Monday grind" special grinder and fries basket for $9.50.

• Monday brings prime rib specials to both Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave., Des Moines) and Christopher's (2816 Beaver Ave., Des Moines).

 Eastside Eddie's (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines) has a Monday special cheeseburger with fries, tots or salad and a drink for $10.

• Trostel's Greeenbriar (Merle Hay Road, Johnston) has a Monday burger with a side and beer deal for $14. Their chef's special through Wednesday is a 20-ounce ribeye with pepper sauce and asparagus, $50. 

 Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) has $8 omelets and $10 hot beef sandwiches or Mexican bowls on Mondays.

• Johnny's Italian Steakhouses have a chicken de Burgo special on Mondays before 4 p.m., $14 including beverage.
 
Smoking Goat Pub (3015 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines) hosts Shelby Smokehouse Soul Food on Mondays, 5-9 p.m.
 
 Haiku (1350 31st St., Des Moines) offers free egg drop soup and crab Rangoon with lunch entrees today.
 
• G Mig's (126 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has $11 smashburgers today with a side.
 
• The Station on Ingersoll (3124 Ingersoll, Des Moines) has a Monday special Graziano grinder with a side for $12.
 
• The Continental (407 E. Fifth St., Des Moines) offers a Monday special double smashburger and shoestring fries, $12.
 
• Bad Dog Burgers include three 1/3-pound patties, six pieces of bacon, choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion for $10.95 on Mondays at Kathy’s East 14th Street Tavern (3418 East 14th St., Des Moines).
 
 Jethro's have a Monday chicken tenders and fries special, $9.95.

Angry Goldfish (2301 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) has specials on chicken Parmesan and lasagna today, $11.50 with garlic bread and salad.

• Centro (1003 Locust St., Des Moines) offers half-price pizza and Peronis on Monday.

• Hy-Vee Market Grilles are offering a Monday special meat loaf dinner with green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy for $8. 

• Who's on First (810 E. First St., Ankeny) has steak night on Monday, and it's an 8-ounce filet with salad, mashed potatoes and beans for $22.95 

• Pelican Post (265 50th St., West Des Moines) has a special today on hot beef sandwiches, $10.95 until 4 p.m. 

• Tito’s Lounge (3916 Urbandale Drive, Urbandale) offers all-you-can-eat wings Mondays. 

• Johnny's Hall of Fame (302 Court Ave., Des Moines) has $12 burger baskets on Mondays and Fridays.

• Urban Cellars (640 S. 50th St., West Des Moines) offers $60 wine dinners for two on Mondays including two entrees with soup or salad, a dessert and a bottle on wine. 

• Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines) has a burger basket with fries deal Mondays for $9. 

• Red Lobster's Monday special is lobster and shrimp scampi with a side for $20. 

• Paula's (524 Elm St., Valley Junction) has a Monday special homemade tuna, chicken or egg salad sandwiches on croissants for $12.50. 

• Destination Grille (2491 E. First St., Grimes) has a Monday steak night special, sirloins and truffle fries for $18.

 Chuck's (3610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) offers $14 calzone specials with up to three ingredients on Mondays. 

• Price Chopper delis offer two-piece, bone-in fried chicken dinners, with two sides and a roll, for $6 on Mondays. 

Fareways have specials through Saturday on chicken hindquarters at $1.28/pound, Fareway pasta at $.97 and green or black grapes at $1.99/pound.  

 — Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

 
 
Featured in the current issue of CITYVIEW
 

DES MOINES FORGOTTEN
Beggars’ Night lore

By Kristian Day

With trick-or-treating returning on Halloween night in Des Moines after 87 years, I am going to take us on a deep dive into the lore, rumors and old wives’ tales that may have contributed to the creation of “Beggars’ Night.”

You have likely heard many of them before: razor blades in apples, poisoned candy, pins and needles inside soft candy, and laxative chocolate bars. ...

 
Read more
 
Featured home for sale
 
Post listings here for $50. Contact jolene@iowalivingmagazines.com for details.
 
$999,999

19075 Jewell Drive
Earlham, IA 50072

15 minutes to Jordan Creek Parkway. Situated on about 30 acres — the perfect slice of heaven! This nearly 2,000-square-foot ranch home with finished walk-out lower level is perfect for those seeking a peaceful rural lifestyle and wide open spaces. The property includes a large newer steel building for shop/storage or horses. ...

  
See the listing here.
 
See more homes for sale
 
SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction
 
101 BROWN ST., RUNNELLS
SALE DATE: 2025-05-28
SALE PRICE: $87,000
SELLER: RMK CONTRACTING LLC
BUYER: MORGAN, DONALD
ACRES: 0.190
SQUARE FEET: 3,000
 
More transactions
 
Featured in the current
issue of Adel Living magazine
 

Costume creations
Residents share how they add their own touches to Halloween garbs.

By Rachel Harrington

When it comes to Halloween, some people like to pull out all the stops. They turn their yards into haunted or cartoon landscapes. They carve pumpkins, bob for apples, and offer the best treats to their trick-or-treaters. And, they put their energy and holiday spirit into making sure their costumes — or their kids’ — make others “ooh” and “aah” … and perhaps shudder.

Another generation
Brenda Meade has been making costumes instead of buying them for many years. She began when her children were small, and she continued the tradition of creating costumes with her grandchildren.

“My oldest grandchild is 15 years old now, and she is now phasing into wanting to do what her friends are doing,” Meade says. “My grandkids are 15, 12, 11, 10 and 7 now. I have made costumes for all of them over the years, and a few times I even made costumes for my husband and myself. I grew up in a family that did a lot of making our own clothes. I am kind of a self-taught seamstress, and I do a lot of sewing and crafting now at my small word-of-mouth business called Nana’s Bees.” ...

 
Read more
 
Sports headlines
FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Drake Maye helps Stefon Diggs get revenge in sparkling prime-time debut. The Bills tried their best to have an amicable breakup with Stefon Diggs. For the most part, the team said kind words about Diggs’s four-year stint in Buffalo, giving him his flowers for helping with Josh Allen’s development. He’s now doing the same with aiding Drake Maye in New England. ... READ MORE
 
FROM ESPN: Julio Rodriguez sparks Mariners in Game 2 win over Tigers. Another sold-out crowd went into its customary "Ju-lio!" chant in Sunday's eighth inning, but this one felt louder, deeper, more desperate, almost as if you could feel the anticipation that comes from 24 years without a playoff home win. Julio Rodriguez, the Seattle Mariners' beloved center fielder and one of the sport's best producers over these past three months, responded by hitting the line drive that drove in Cal Raleigh for the go-ahead run, then arrived at second base, punched the frigid October air, flexed for 47,371 T-Mobile Park fans and, mostly, fed off their energy.  ... READ MORE
 
FROM YAHOO SPORTS: Miami moves up to No. 2 as Texas and Penn State fall out of rankings entirely. It's been quite the carousel at No. 2 in the AP Top 25. The Miami Hurricanes became the third different team to occupy the spot in the past three weeks after their 28-22 win over previously No. 18 Florida State on Saturday night. ... READ MORE
 

1866: The Reno brothers carry out the first train robbery in U.S. history. On Oct. 6, 1866, the brothers John and Simeon Reno stage the first train robbery in American history, making off with $13,000 from an Ohio and Mississippi railroad train in Jackson County, Indiana.  ... READ MORE

1926: Babe Ruth sets a World Series record. On Oct. 6, 1926, Yankee slugger Babe Ruth hits a record three homers against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth game of the World Series. The Yanks won the game 10-5, but despite Ruth’s unprecedented performance, they lost the championship in the seventh game. In 1928, in the fourth game of another Yanks-Cards World Series, Ruth tied his own record, knocking three more pitches out of the same park. ... READ MORE

1973: The Yom Kippur War brings United States and USSR to brink of conflict. The surprise attack by Egyptian and Syrian forces on Israel in October 1973 throws the Middle East into turmoil and threatens to bring the United States and the Soviet Union into direct conflict for the first time since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Though actual combat did not break out between the two nations, the events surrounding the Yom Kippur War seriously damaged U.S.-Soviet relations and all but destroyed President Richard Nixon’s much publicized policy of détente. ... READ MORE

 www.history.com

 
Birthdays and notables
 

These celebrities were born on this date: Elisabeth Shue, Jeremy Sisto, Britt Ekland, Ioan Gruffudd, Jacqueline Obradors, Emily Mortimer, David Hidalgo, Amy Jo Johnson, Brett Gelman, Stefanie Martini

SUBMIT: Send your local birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

 
Morning chuckle

The answer to the last riddle: What's the best way to make a bandstand? TAKE THEIR CHAIRS AWAY! - Vic Hansen, Gail Tomlinson, Kris Laurson, Judy Anderson. Or, Give them a standing ovation! - Bill Snyder.

Today's riddle: What does a nosy pepper do?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

 

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or CITYVIEW, contact:

Mary Fowler
Account Executive
515-953-4822 x311
c: 641-485-0555
mary@dmcityview.com

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