Des Moines

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Iowa Schools Chief Resigns After ICE Arrest

Des Moines schools chief Ian Roberts steps down as federal probe looks at district hiring practices

(Newser) - The superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, Ian Roberts, has resigned following his arrest last week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which alleges he was living and working in the country without legal status. Roberts, originally from Guyana and a former Olympic runner, has led the district since 2023...

Des Moines School Chief on Leave After ICE Arrest

Agency says Ian Roberts was in the country illegally

(Newser) - The Des Moines Public Schools system has placed its superintendent on paid leave after his surprise arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Friday, reports the New York Times . Ian Roberts is a native of Guyana who had claimed to be a US citizen in Iowa paperwork. "I...

The Cleanest and Dirtiest Cities in America

Indiana's South Bend earns top spot from LawnStarter; San Bernardino is the dirtiest city

(Newser) - Dreaming of a place to live where trash cans don't overflow and the air and water are pristine? South Bend, Indiana, is your best bet, according to LawnStarter , which examined more than 300 major US cities to see which ones are the cleanest and dirtiest in America. The landscaping...

Drinking Water in Des Moines Is Nearing Danger Levels

Nitrate recordings are nearing a record

(Newser) - Local officials warned more than a half-million Iowans in the state's capital city and suburbs on Thursday that near-record level of pollutants in its rivers could make drinking water dangerous if immediate steps are not taken to reduce demand. But the officials declined to say what has caused the...

Des Moines Reaches Deal With Artist to Ditch Installation

Series of walkways around pond was created by Mary Miss decades ago

(Newser) - A nationally known outdoor artwork will be removed from a park pond in Des Moines under a settlement announced Tuesday, ending a legal fight between the New York artist who created the work decades ago and a local art center that argued it couldn't afford needed repairs to the...

This City Never Trick-or-Treats on Halloween. Until This Year

Des Moines, Iowa, has instead celebrated Beggars' Night on Oct. 30 since '38

(Newser) - The last time the kids of Des Moines officially went trick-or-treating on Halloween was nearly nine decades ago. This Oct. 31, the Iowa capital will join the rest of the nation in celebrating the holiday the traditional way, all because the weather isn't cooperating. NPR reports that since 1938,...

These Cities' Job Markets Are A-Plus for Young Workers

Tucson, Arizona, tops LinkedIn list of best places for young workers seeking job opportunities

(Newser) - As young adults launch their work lives after graduation, where to start off is one of the biggest questions at top of mind. That could mean relocation is in the cards, notes Quartz —so enter LinkedIn , which just put out its 2024 "kickstarting your career" primer, including the...

Funeral Home Staff Unzipped a Body Bag, Got Quite a Shock

Woman who'd been declared dead at Iowa continuing care facility was actually still alive

(Newser) - At least four people who were sure a woman with early-onset dementia at a continuing care home in Iowa had passed away didn't get it right, and the facility is now facing a hefty fine. ABC News reports on the incident out of Urbandale, where the 66-year-old in hospice...

2 Students Fatally Shot at Des Moines Outreach Center

Rapper Will Keeps also seriously injured in shooting at program he founded

(Newser) - An 18-year-old has been charged with murder in the shooting at a Des Moines educational outreach program that killed two students Monday. Preston Walls was also charged with attempted murder; the third victim, who was in surgery Monday night after being injured in the shooting, has been identified as Will...

1 Killed, 2 Hurt in Shooting at Des Moines High School
6 Teens Charged With
Murder in Iowa Shooting
UPDATED
Mar 8, 2022 9:20 AM CST

6 Teens Charged With Murder in Iowa Shooting

15-year-old boy was killed in Des Moines, and 2 others were wounded

(Newser) - Update: Six teens have been charged with murder in Monday's fatal shooting outside a Des Moines high school, reports the Des Moines Register . Police didn't indicate a motive, but they say the 15-year-old boy killed in the drive-by shooting was the intended target. Two young women, ages 16...

Hospital Boosts Security After Bizarre NICU Incident

Man slipped into unit, fed somebody else's baby at Des Moines hospital

(Newser) - A hospital in Iowa says it has tightened its security procedures after a strange and disturbing incident last month. Police in Des Moines say a man slipped into the neonatal intensive care unit at the MercyOne medical center and bottle-fed somebody else's baby, KCCI reports. The suspect, who was...

Woman Sentenced for 'Devastating' Hate Crimes Against 2 Kids

Nicole Poole Franklin gets another 25 years behind bars

(Newser) - In May, a Des Moines woman received 25 years behind bars for state charges of attempted murder. She just got 25 more, this time thanks to a new sentencing on two federal hate crimes. Iowa's News Now reports that 43-year-old Nicole Poole Franklin, who admitted that in 2019 she...

Cops: Driver Deliberately Killed Professor Walking Dog

Des Moines man charged with murder

(Newser) - A college professor in Des Moines, Iowa was walking her dog Sunday morning when she was deliberately killed by a man driving a speeding pickup truck, police say. Lauren Rice, 38, who taught English and literature at Des Moines Area Community College, was pronounced dead at the scene along with...

70M Americans Face Severe Weather Forecast

That could include tornadoes and hail

(Newser) - Good thing Americans have nothing else to worry about—because severe storms that might include hail and tornadoes are forecast for a good swath of the country on Saturday, CNN reports. "Over 70 million Americans face the threat of severe weather today, with the greatest threat for a significant...

Cops: Woman Deliberately Ran Over Teen Girl

Iowa's Nancy Franklin accused of racist attack

(Newser) - A Des Moines woman was charged with attempted murder after she told police she intentionally ran over a 14-year-old girl because she believed the teenager was Mexican, authorities said Friday. Natalia Miranda suffered a concussion and severe bruising in the attack but is expected to make a full recovery, per...

Funeral Home to Nearly 100 Families: Uh, Hello?

Hamilton's Funeral Home in Des Moines is trying to unload people's ashes

(Newser) - An Iowa funeral home is calling on families to pick up the unclaimed cremated remains of nearly 100 people that it has been keeping in a locked closet for years, some since the mid-1990s, the AP reports. Lanae Strovers, of Hamilton's Funeral Home in Des Moines, told TV station...

10 Worst Cities for African Americans
10 Worst Cities for
African Americans
Nov 10, 2016 10:11 AM CST

10 Worst Cities for African Americans

Peoria, Ill., tops the list

(Newser) - 24/7 Wall St. has ranked the worst US cities for African-Americans, by comparing income, poverty, and education levels, as well as rates of homeownership, unemployment, incarceration, and mortality, to those of white Americans. The 10 worst:

Suspect in Custody After Ambush Killings of 2 Iowa Cops

Scott Michael Greene accused of shooting officers in their cars

(Newser) - Two police officers in the Des Moines area were shot and killed while sitting in their patrol cars in two separate attacks overnight, and police now have a suspect in custody, reports the Des Moines Register . He is identified as Scott Michael Greene, a 46-year-old white male. Authorities say he...

Radio Station Grants Last Wish—2 Years After Death

Brenda Schmitz wanted best for remarried husband, kids

(Newser) - A month before she died of ovarian cancer in September 2011, Brenda Schmitz wrote down a few wishes for her family—her husband, her four boys, and the special woman she hoped they would find. They weren't to be read until after her husband had remarried. This year, a...

Midwest Blizzard Kills 7
 Midwest Blizzard Kills 7 
Dec 21, 2012 6:10 AM CST

Midwest Blizzard Kills 7

1K flights canceled as storm begins to pass

(Newser) - Seven people died across four states as a winter storm continued to tear through the Midwest, dumping more than a foot of snow on sections of Iowa and Wisconsin. A 25-car pileup in Iowa killed two people, and nearly 100 accidents were reported in the state by late last night....

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