LATEST NEWS
Allegation: Jailed developer Daniel Pettit tried to give away foreclosed Wes Des Moines land
Embattled Johnston developer Daniel Pettit is at the center of new allegations he tried to fraudulently give one of his investors a valuable West Des Moines development site that's entangled in foreclosure and several court cases — as he sits behind bars in Polk County. Dallas County Recorder ReNae...
Work Release Escape of Anthony Smith
(Des Moines) The Iowa Department of Public Safety is seeking information about Anthony Herbert Smith’s whereabouts. Smith failed to report back to the Fort Des Moines Men’s Reentry Center as required on Tuesday. Smith is convicted of Robbery-2nd Degree, Theft-1st Degree, and Unauthorized Use of Credit Cards in...
Polk County rehires medical examiner previously fired amid lawsuit alleging discrimination
Polk County has rehired a medical examiner who was abruptly fired more than four years ago over a personnel issue. Dr. Gregory Schmunk was rehired in April as an associate medical examiner with the Polk County Medical Examiner's office to perform autopsies. The Polk County Board of Supervisors voted to approve his two-year contract April 9 in a 3-1 vote. Supervisor Matt McCoy voted no and supervisor Robert Brownell was absent, according to meeting minutes. ...
Officials say new Iowa tax bill penalizes growing communities
DES MOINES, Iowa — The same bill that will give Iowans a cut to individual income taxes has officials worried about budgeting year-to-year for local government entities. Senate File 2442, once signed into law, will set the state’s income tax rate at a flat 3.8%. The bill also has new categories for county and city tax levy rate adjustments based on growth in a community.
City Nature Challenge returns to Iowa City and Des Moines this weekend
More than 700 communities around the world will participate in the City Nature Challenge this weekend, including Johnson County and Polk County. It’s a four-day long event that starts Friday and concludes at midnight on Monday, during which time volunteers take photos of any “WILD plants and animals in backyards, in parks, along city streets, [and] on school grounds” in their communities.
Des Moines' Strasser Woods, a deteriorating forest preserve, to get 750 new trees
Around two dozen volunteers spent Earth Day with shovels in hand planting trees to restore a deteriorating forest preserve on the east side of Des Moines. After being left to grow unchecked for years, Polk County Conservation officials are working to transform a portion of the 40-acre Strasser Woods State Preserve this spring by removing invasive species and replacing them with hundreds of native trees.
Police identify 16-year-old killed in off-road motorcycle crash Saturday
The Polk County Sheriff's Office has identified the person who died in an off-road motorcycle crash Saturday evening as 16-year-old Zachary Brennecke, of Des Moines. The initial caller who reported the accident, at 6:22 p.m., said two juveniles were riding motorcycles in an area near the 8300 block of Northeast 118th Avenue in northeastern Polk County, and one had been involved in an accident. The accident occurred just north of Northeast 118th Avenue and west of the South Skunk River, the release said.
Iowa farmers head into fields, hoping rains will continue, help pull state out of drought
Like other Iowa farmers, Aaron Lehman hopes that recent spring rains will help pull his north Polk County farm out of a drought that’s entering its fourth year. “I don't think our farmers feel like they're out of the woods yet,” said Lehman, president of the Iowa Farmers Union board. “But the last few weeks have been helpful.” ...
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