Des Moines

The school board president in Iowa’s largest city said she did not know what led to the detention of Superintendent Ian Roberts, who has been in that role since 2023.

Before the crash Brian Hanson, who was on a walk in the East Village, saw the suspect following a female jogger who looked visibly uncomfortable. Hanson said he tried to distract the man, which led to the man chasing him. When the man later got into a vehicle, Hanson also saw him driving toward pedestrians by city hall on Robert D. Ray Drive.

Officers tried to initiate a traffic stop near East Grand Avenue and Robert D. Ray Drive around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 16, according to a news release issued shortly after the crash. The release said the driver "apparently intentionally" rammed a squad care before fleeing at high speeds.

Rally · Volunteer organized for Indivisible

When: Saturday, April 19 1 – 3pm CDT

Where: Iowa State Capitol 1007 E Grand Ave Des Moines, IA 50319

About this event: This is a community support rally with 50501 Iowa, and other local organizations. We are coming together and asking attendees to bring the following items to DONATE to The Food Bank of Iowa.

Suggested items: Non-Perishable Food items (canned food) Feminine hygiene products (pads & tampons) Personal hygiene products (toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc.) Household items (laundry detergent, dish soap, etc.)

ALL ITEMS MUST BE UNOPENED

thank you for coming together in support of community.

When: Saturday, April 5 12 – 2pm CDT

Where: Office of Rep. Zach Nunn 400 Locust St Des Moines, IA 50309

About this event Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. Des Moines is fighting back!

They're taking everything they can get their hands on—our health care, our clean air and water, our jobs, our services—and daring the world to stop them. This is a crisis, and the time to act is now.

🚨 On Saturday, April 5th, we're taking to the streets to fight back with a clear message: Hands off! 🚨

📍 Where: Outside the Office of Rep. Zach Nunn
📅 When: 12pm, April 5, 2025

This mass mobilization day is our message to the world that we do not consent to the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies. Alongside Americans across the country, we are marching, rallying, and protesting to demand a stop the chaos and build an opposition movement against the looting of our country.

A core principle behind all Hands Off! events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.

Check out handsoff2025.com for more information.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/26348156

Police have shot and killed six people in Des Moines in the last seven months

Three incidents happened in 2024, starting in July, and three have happened so far in 2025. In two of the cases, three officers were injured by gunfire.

The number of police killings has risen sharply — Des Moines police killed five people between 2015 and 2022

UnityPoint Health nurses in Des Moines have filed complaints with federal labor officials against the health system, accusing hospital administrators of trying to illegally discourage their union efforts.

The accusations say the health system maintained illegal and overwrought work rules, intimidated workers and removed and destroyed union materials, said Tanner Fischer, president and business agent for Teamsters Local 90.

Nurses are still collecting the signatures required to trigger a vote to form the union. If collective bargaining with the health system is ultimately successful, organizers say the union would represent about 1,550 nurses at Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Blank Children’s Hospital, Methodist West Hospital and Iowa Lutheran Hospital.

nurses described instances of union organizing posters in staff breakrooms being taken down, and even torn up, by management.

They say staff who attempt to set up tables in public spaces of the hospital to spread the word about the union are met by arbitrary rules from leadership meant to infringe on that effort

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/32076472

In a first since 1938, Des Moines, Iowa, kids will trick-or-treat on Halloween

According to the Iowa DOT, the lights aren't intended to appear blue. The department installed LED lights with a white coating "a while ago," Iowa DOT said in a Facebook post.

Now, that coating is flaking off, causing the lights to appear more blue or purple

Winter is generally so bleak in Iowa anymore. Brown, grey, and cold. I wouldn't be heartbroken to see this snow hang around a good while longer. Could do without the slippery roads, though. Doesn't seem like they're salting/sanding the major roads, though. I was slipping up and down Fleur the other day. Never have mostly clear roads been so slippery.

The recommendation — which is among the 46 outlined in a new report by the Chicago-based firm 21st Century Policing Solutions (21CP) — reinforces numerous calls from social justice groups

Changes made to state law prohibit the city from creating an investigatory review board

Des Moines City Council members have been split on whether they favor setting up a review board. During the recent mayor and council campaign, Mayor-elect Connie Boesen and councilmembers Josh Mandelbaum and Carl Voss expressed support; councilmembers Joe Gatto and Linda Westergaard and councilmember-elect Chris Coleman voiced opposition.

21CP Solutions' 76-page report also pointed out the department's need to diversify its staff and strengthen its relationships with the city's immigrant communities

21CP Solutions also encouraged the department to partner with university researchers to better track and analyze the calls made to the Mobile Health Crisis Team or Crisis Advocacy Response Effort program, which allows a mental health practitioner to respond to some calls with police

The report, also available through the link

That time of year is coming again! August 25-27th, downtown, by the library.

I hope the weather turns out tolerable. Forecast looks like rain the whole weekend but hopefully that brings the pollen down a bit and it's not so hot. Some years its like walking around in a furnace. I don't know how the artists deal with it inside those tents.

There's no need for context here, this has been the sentiment since the advent of broadband.

I feel like we should choose our mayor based on who can ACTUALLY open these in the manner that is expected.