Des Moines, Iowa

The City of Des Moines will observe Independence Day on Monday, July 4th, 2022. Due to the holiday, garbage, recycling and yard waste collection will be delayed by one day for the rest of the week. That means that residents who normally see their collection on Mondays will have their...

Starting July 5th, the City of Des Moines’ Crisis Advocacy Response Effort (CARE) program is expanding to better serve the emergency mental health needs in our community. The expansion of the CARE program, between the Des Moines Police Department and the Broadlawns Medical Center, will have clinical professionals trained in helping adolescents and embedded within the emergency dispatch center. These efforts also aim for 24/7 response to mental health calls, expanding from their previous response hours of 6 a.m. to midnight.

Your trash, recycling and yard waste collection will get a lot quieter after the Des Moines City Council approved purchase of the Public Works Department’s first all-electric garbage truck on Monday evening. The approval to purchase this all-electric refuse collector signals the city’s intent to meet aggressive goals of...

It’s easy to see that something is happening on Franklin Avenue near 45th Street, but it’s what’s going on below the surface that will serve this Des Moines neighborhood for decades to come. "This is like the final puzzle piece that connects several of the projects we’ve...

Des Moines, Iowa – Friday, June 17, 2022 — In observation of the Juneteenth holiday, Des Moines City Administration Buildings will be closed on Monday, June 20 and reopen to the public on Tuesday, June 21. There will be no delay in garbage, recycling, or yard waste collection.

Residents can bring their bulk items, tires, appliances, building materials and furniture to be disposed of for free to the MWA Transfer Station (4198 Delaware Ave) from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. tomorrow. Yard waste can be brought to the MWA Compost Center (1601 Harriett St.) from 7 a.m....

Intense rains north of the metro recently have led to the closure of George Flagg Parkway between SW 30th St. and Park Avenue this morning. Moderate flooding of George Flagg Parkway in this section occurs when the Raccoon River reaches 11.3 feet and the Raccoon River reached a level of 12 feet early Tuesday morning leading to water covering parts of the road.

The Des Moines Forestry Division is embarking on one of its biggest efforts yet to combat the emerald ash borer in Des Moines. Approximately 150 ash trees along Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, received their first treatments today as part of a donation from Arbor Masters, a regional tree care company.

DES MOINES, IOWA – Tuesday, May 31, 2022 – In celebration of Pride Month, the public is invited to join in a Pride Flag of Des Moines raising celebration with Mayor Frank Cownie and members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Advisory Council (LGBTQAC) of the Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission.

DES MOINES, IOWA – Thursday, May 26, 2022 – In observation of the Memorial Day holiday, Des Moines City Administration Buildings will be closed on Monday, May 30 and reopen to the public on Tuesday, May 31. Additionally, there will be no collection of garbage, yard waste or...

The City of Des Moines announced today the hiring of Mitzi Bolaños Anderson as director of the Civil and Human Rights Department. Anderson joins the City from Anchorage, Alaska, where she served as the executive director of the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission since 2019. “As a proven leader in...

A steady stream of cars filled the lot at Polk County River Place on Saturday as the City of Des Moines Public Works Department gave away thousands of free tiny trees to Des Moines residents. Despite all the traffic, there are leftover trees so the Forestry division is providing one...

DES MOINES, IOWA — Wednesday, May 11, 2022 — The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), is pleased to announce Des Moines Parks and Recreation as a finalist for the 2022 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. Musco Lighting, LLC is proud to continue its 20+ years of sponsoring the National Gold Medal Awards program.

As part of a strategy to increase affordable housing opportunities, Des Moines City Council has approved changes to zoning code that makes it easier for homeowners to develop accessory household units (AHUs). Also known as “accessory dwelling units (ADU)” or “guest houses,” accessory household units were added to the City of Des Moines’ zoning, planning and design codes during a comprehensive update in 2019. These new changes add up to four times the amount of properties that qualify for AHU development.

DES MOINES, IOWA — Tuesday, May 10, 2022 — Safety concerns in City parks, on municipal golf courses, recreation trails and stormwater retention ponds have prompted the Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department to implement for the first time a Canada geese management plan. “Des Moines contains many...

The sun wasn't shining, but the Des Moines River near the Saylorville Spillway was busy last week as members of the Des Moines Fire Department's Water Rescue Team completed a three-day swift water rescue training course. "Water rescue is unique because time is off the essence when someone needs to...

Des Moines Parks and Recreation now ranks among the top 25 park systems in the country, according to the recently released Trust for Public Land’s (TPL) 2022 ParkScore rankings, up from 35th in 2021. Des Moines is the smallest city by population in the program, as the scores compare the largest 100 cities in the United States. Des Moines soared above other cities such as Atlanta, San Diego, Tampa and Omaha on strength of increased capital investments from the city and partners, added park amenities such as the new restrooms at Witmer Park, a new playground at Riverview Park and six new basketball hoops at Weeks Middle School Park.

Reduced carbon emissions. Increased stormwater absorption. Lower heating and cooling costs. Increased property values. Each tree planted brings a massive number of benefits to the City of Des Moines which was the focus of the City of Des Moines' Forestry Division's Arbor Day tree planting. Mayor of Des Moines Frank...

The 2nd Avenue and Birdland Bridges will be back open for commuters early this afternoon. During the removal of the west half of the 2nd Avenue Bridge over Birdland Drive on Friday, April 15, a portion of the reinforcement for the east half of the bridge was inadvertently removed. "Structural...

Today, City Engineer Steve Naber announced that the 2nd Avenue and Birdland Drive Bridges will be completely shut down starting this afternoon. “We understand this closure is impactful to 2nd Avenue travelers,” City Engineer Steve Naber said. “Structural engineers and the contractor are working to reinforce and reopen the east half of the bridge, estimating the east half of the bridge could be reopened back to one lane of traffic in each direction within two to four weeks.”