DU Nov. 9: Overnight I-80 closures; fast food earnings; what kids play when nothing else to do?

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Good morning to you!

Monday, Nov. 9, 2026

I recently updated the software on my computer, and, I have to admit, it feels like I have a new machine, which is good and bad. Everything looks a little different, some things work a little differently, and several things don’t work at all.

The upgrade came with a few bonus features, including connectivity problems I never had before. After spending hours trying to fix them myself, I finally hired an IT guy. He got everything working again, which was great. Of course, I now have a computer that works exactly like the one I had before the upgrade. Progress!

I have learned to approach software updates with the same enthusiasm I have for a root canal. I know they are probably necessary. I understand they are supposed to make things better. I just wish somebody would explain what I am supposed to do when they make things worse.

My phone is another example. Every time an operating system update appears, I hesitate. I stare at that little notification and wonder what I might lose if I tap the button. Will my favorite app still work? Will my Bluetooth connect? Will my car recognize my phone? Will I suddenly need a 12-digit password I created three years ago and have absolutely no recollection of?

Televisions are no better. Every so often, I turn one on, hoping to watch a program, only to discover that the TV has updated its software. Before I can watch anything, I am asked to enter a username and password. I just want to watch television. I do not want to participate in a cybersecurity exercise.

Speaking of security, my cameras pull the same stunt. An update arrives, and suddenly I am being asked to sign in again, verify my identity, create a new password and prove I am not a robot. At this point, I am beginning to think the cameras are monitoring me more than they are monitoring my property.

And why is it that every device seems to have a different password requirement? One wants uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Another rejects the password because I used it somewhere else. A third wants me to change it every 90 days. I am running out of combinations. And patience.

All of this came to mind recently when I had new exhaust installed on my motorcycle. What a difference! It feels like a new bike. It sounds better, looks better and performs exactly as expected. And the best part? No software update! No password reset! No Bluetooth pairing! No troubleshooting! No IT guy! I turned the key, pushed the starter and enjoyed the results. Imagine that. An upgrade that actually makes something better without requiring me to read a manual, accept 37 terms and conditions or prove my identity.

This might be what technology needs — a little less artificial intelligence and a little more common sense. Until then, I will keep riding my motorcycle. At least when something goes wrong, I can hear it. Maybe.

Have a memorable Monday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman

President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com

Read more of Shane Goodman's columns here.

FROM KCCI: Overnight I-80 closures continue in Des Moines as grading and concrete work shut down both directions. Overnight closures on Interstate 80 in Des Moines are affecting both westbound and eastbound traffic for grading and concrete work. Westbound I-80 between the Southwest Mixmaster and Grand Prairie Parkway is closed nightly starting at 8:30 p.m. and will remain closed until 5 a.m. The closure will repeat nightly through Friday, Nov. 13. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Iowa Military Veterans Band honors veterans with annual Des Moines concert. Patriotism took center stage Sunday at the Des Moines Civic Center as the Iowa Military Veterans Band performed its annual Veterans Day concert. The free show honored those who have served in the U.S. military, and marked the conclusion of the band’s 2026 concert series. The group has been performing for 31 years and includes nearly 80 musicians ranging in age from their mid-20s to 92. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Man, teenager dead after law enforcement pursuit across 4 Iowa counties. Garrett Sager — a 36-year-old man of Grand Island, Nebraska — led law enforcement on a chase across four Iowa counties on Friday before colliding with another vehicle, resulting in his and the teenage driver's deaths, according to an Iowa State Patrol crash report. Sager was driving a 2019 Chevrolet Impala when he attempted to flee from law enforcement in Marshall County and headed east. Sager shot at officials and hit an occupied police vehicle, Iowa State Patrol said. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Rubio says Trump’s war against Iran not ‘necessarily popular’ but needed to stop a nuclear threat. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that President Donald Trump launched the war against Iran even if it was not “necessarily popular” to safeguard the world from the country’s nuclear ambitions. He would not comment directly about the Republican wipeout in Tuesday’s elections, which delivered a resounding rebuke to Trump. The unpopularity of the Iran war and its impact on gasoline prices and other parts of the economy helped Democrats seize control of Congress. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: A Utah judge is expected to set a trial date in Charlie Kirk’s killing. A Utah judge is expected on Monday to set the trial date for the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Attorneys for defendant Tyler Robinson, 23, have proposed a trial starting in 2029. But Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf faces pressure from Kirk’s family and supporters — including President Donald Trump — to speed up court proceedings that already have lasted more than a year. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: Johnson County finishes counting 2,000 missed absentee ballots, finds no effect on final results. The Johnson County Auditor’s Office has counted about 2,000 absentee ballots found unopened in a secure ballot storage room. The ballots are included in the total results to be canvassed Tuesday, Nov. 10. The counting of these ballots did not change any outcomes for state, federal, county or township races. It also has no effect on the outcomes of the state amendment or any ballot measures. ... READ MORE

Monday, Nov. 9

Mostly sunny
High: 65
Low: 42
Rain chance: 0%

Tuesday, Nov. 10

Partly cloudy
High: 61
Low: 43
Rain chance: 0%

Wednesday, Nov. 11

Partly cloudy
High: 55
Low: 36
Rain chance: 20%

The 2026 results: CITYVIEW's Best of Des Moines®

Best Local Health Food Store
1. Campbell’s Nutrition
2. Gateway Market
3. Natural Grocers

See all of the results

Back to the Biz
Third quarter fast food earnings reports revealed winners: Starbucks, Burger King, Domino’s, and losers: Popeye’s, McDonalds, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s.

The reaction:
Popeyes brought back its seasonal Cajun-Style Turkey for Thanksgiving pre-orders starting at $59.99... Chick-fil-A announced its first new sauce in a decade — Spicy Chick-fil-A Sauce — rolling out in dipping cups and 8-ounce bottles on Nov. 16… Chipotle brought back its popular Smoked Brisket nationwide... McDonald's launched an $8 Quarter Pounder with Cheese meal on Nov. 2, alongside new Frosted Cranberry and Cookie Butter beverages on Nov. 3, while bringing back their oldest war horse, McRib, even though they permanently retired it two years ago and it has caused the company to defend a lawsuit because it allegedly contains no rib meat at all... Burger King and Domino's doubled down on their strong points with increased advertising of BK's new nuggets and Domino's special deals.

Deals today
• Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale, Beaverdale) offers $10 hot beef sandwiches Mondays.

• Cheese Shop hosts a Burgundy and Champagne tasting tonight at 5:30 p.m., $75 for six wines and cheeses.

• It's My Jam (7015 N.E. 14th St., Ankeny) has specials today apple and chocolate cream pies and sauerkraut soup.

• Hy-Vees offer meat loaf dinners for $7.99 Mondays.

• Guesthouse Tavern + Oyster (9500 University, West Des Moines) offers all-day happy hour prices Mondays.

• High Life Lounge (200 S.W. Second St., downtown) has a Monday special tater casserole for $8.99.

• Fong's Pizza offers a free crab Rangoon with a pizza Mondays.

• Fresh Thyme (2800 University Ave., West Des Moines) has $6 quarts of prepared soup on Mondays.

• The Empire's (223 Fourth St., Des Moines) Monday special is spaghetti Alfredo with grilled chicken for $10.

• Tacos Mariana's (1305 University Ave., Des Moines) offers carnitas tacos for $2 Mondays.

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

• Cowboy (1234 E Euclid Ave., Des Moines) has a Monday special fajitas lunch for $11.99.

• The False Nine Social Club (206 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has British pies on sale Mondays for $10.

• District 36 (1375 S.W. Vintage Parkway, Ankeny) has a Monday special $60 dinner for two. Two entrees starring sea bass and NY strip de Burgo with soup or salads, a bottle of wine and a dessert to share.

• The Key (360 Sixth St., Waukee) offers a half-pound sirloin dinner for $19 Mondays 5 p.m. till sold out.

• Cottontail Lounge ( 3700 Dennis Drive, Urbandale) offers first Monday sirloin, filet and prime rib dinner deals.

• Today is maple chicken and sweet potatoes day at Sale Barn Cafe (Lamoni).

• It's catfish night at Waterfront stores. Dinners cooked any way you like it for $19.99.

• It's Meat Loaf Monday at Mickey's in Yale.

• Chuck's (3610 Sixth Ave.) Monday special is three for $25 on all appetizers.

•  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).

• Trostel's Greenbriar (Merle Hay Road, Johnston) has a Monday burger with a side and beer deal for $14.

• 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.

• G Mig's (126 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has $13 smashburgers today including 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 smash burger and shoestring fries, $12.

• Jethro's have a Monday chicken tenders and fries special $9.95 in Altoona and West Des Moines.

• Angry Goldfish (2301 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) has specials on chicken Parmesan and lasagna today, $15 with garlic bread and salad.

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

• 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 of 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 loaded chicken on a croissant sandwich for $14.

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

• Price Chopper delis offer two-piece, bone-in fried chicken dinners with two sides and a roll for $8 on Mondays.

• Fareways have specials through Saturday on chicken hindquarters at $.99/pound, St. Louis ribs at $2.99/pound and sourdough baguettes for $2.49.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

Exclusively in CITYVIEW magazine at www.dmcityview.com.

FEATURE STORY
Should we worry about doomsday?

By Joe Weeg

When the Great Flood of 1993 was starting and the rain was coming down in torrents and waves, my wife said, “Let’s fill the bathtubs so we can flush the toilets just in case the water gets shut off.”

I laughed. I made fun of her. And the kids and I danced in the rain, hooting and hollering.

Shortly after our rain dance, the water was shut off. We had no way to flush the toilets. We had no drinking water. It was disaster. My bad.

Fortunately, the waiting period before my wife could finalize our divorce was just too long for her. As she said, “With that delay, why bother?”

Yup, I’m that guy blowing leaves from the driveway with one of those high-pitched, whining leaf blowers as the meteor is dashing toward Earth, promising certain death. An unreliable doomsday guy who is also irritating. Bonus. ...

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Bondurant, IA 50035

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SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction

3333 GRAND AVE., DES MOINES
DATE: 2026-05-27
SALE PRICE: $8,100,000
SELLER: WINDSOR TERRACE DES MOINES LLC
BUYER: HGIG WINDSOR PTY OWNER LLC
ACRES: 5.058
SQUARE FEET: 119,039

More transactions

FROM ESPN: Caleb Williams unfazed by 4 interceptions as Bears pull out win vs. Bucs. Quarterback Caleb Williams refused to let the career-high four interceptions he threw against Tampa Bay rattle his confidence as he put the Bears in position to beat the Buccaneers 27-24 on a walk-off field goal Sunday night. "I'm going to throw until I can't throw anymore," Williams said. "That's how I live. I work my tail off to be in this position." ... READ MORE

FROM CBS SPORTS: Dana White next White House press secretary? President claims he was 'only kidding' with offer. Will UFC CEO and president Dana White be the next White House press secretary? No, of course not. While President Donald Trump offered White the role on Saturday via social media, when questioned about the post on Sunday night, he made clear that it was a farcical entry and not a serious suggestion, despite it coming from his official account. ... READ MORE

FROM YAHOO SPORTS: Kyle Larson wins 2026 NASCAR Cup championship with Stage 1 clinch at Homestead. Kyle Larson has done it, clinching the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series title by the end of Stage 1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Tyler Reddick won the opening stage, while Kyle Larson placed fourth, scoring seven stage points. He was battling title rival Christopher Bell for third when the stage-ending caution flew for Chase Briscoe's engine failure. ... READ MORE

1965: The Great Northeast Blackout. At dusk on Nov. 9, 1965, one of the biggest power failures in history occurs as all of New York state, portions of seven nearby states, and parts of eastern Canada are plunged into darkness. The Great Northeast Blackout began at the height of rush hour, delaying millions of commuters, trapping 800,000 people in New York’s subways, and stranding thousands more in office buildings, elevators, and trains. Ten thousand National Guardsmen and 5,000 off-duty policemen were called into service. … READ MORE

1970: Supreme Court refuses to rule on legality of Vietnam War. The Supreme Court refuses to hear a challenge by the state of Massachusetts regarding the constitutionality of the Vietnam War. By a 6-3 vote, the justices rejected the effort of the state to bring a suit in federal court in defense of Massachusetts residents claiming protection under a state law that allowed them to refuse military service in an undeclared war. … READ MORE

1989: East Germany opens the Berlin Wall. East German officials open the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9, 1989, allowing travel from East to West Berlin. The following day, celebrating Germans began to tear the wall down. … READ MORE

www.history.com

Birthdays and notables

These celebrities were born on this date: Bille August, Donnie McClurkin, Eric Dane, Lou Ferrigno, Susan Tedeschi, Whitey Herzog, Analeigh Tipton, Barry Knox, Chris Lane, Emily Tyra, Nick Lachey, Pepa

Historical birthdays

1731: Benjamin Banneker was an American naturalist, mathematician, astronomer and almanac author. A landowner, he also worked as a surveyor and farmer.

1841: Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.

1871: Florence Rena Sabin was an American physician and medical scientist known for pioneering work on the development of the lymphatic system and for later transforming public health in Colorado.

The answer to the last riddle: How many apples can you grow on a tree? ALL OF THEM! - Gail Tomlinson. Or, I don't know, but I bet "pi" (pie) is involved in the calculations! - Carolyn Rogers. Or, None unless it's an apple tree! - Paula Becker.

Today's riddle: What do kids play when they have nothing else to do?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com BY NOON to be sure your answer gets included!

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or the Grimes/Dallas Center, North Polk or Adel Living magazines, contact:

Dan Juffer
Senior Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 303
Mobile: 515-371-2290
dan.juffer@dmcityview.com

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Johnston, Iowa 50131

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