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Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025
Good morning to you!

“Sure is weather we are having.” This is a common phrase coming from my friend Ian, regardless of the weather at hand. Snow. Wind. Rain. Heat. It doesn’t matter. It sure is weather we are having. Yes, Ian, it sure is.

I was out of the state for a few days during the weather we were recently having here in Iowa, and I was sad I missed it. As many of you know, I love the snow. It is part of Iowa weather. The change of seasons is refreshing to me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. To be honest, I couldn’t wait to get home to the cold temps and fresh snow. I have my long johns on now, and I am enjoying it.

I realize many of you don’t share my fondness for Iowa’s winters. Some of you pull the blinds, lock the doors and hibernate for the season, only venturing out when you have to. You are told by the weather forecasters that it is “treacherous” out there, so you stay home. For some of you, that makes sense. If you are 83 years old and are worried about slipping on the sidewalk and breaking a hip, by all means, stay home. But if you feel young and are healthy and can operate a snow shovel, disregard the scare tactics of the local media and get to work. Many of you have read my rants on this before, but I have a new suggestion, and it starts with an FCC fine of $5,000 each time a weather forecaster unnecessarily uses the word “treacherous.” A few inches of snow is not treacherous. It is Iowa winter conditions, and it happens.

So, what is treacherous? Let’s start with the official definitions:

1. Guilty of or characterized by betrayal of confidence or trust; perfidious.
2. Characterized by unforeseen or hidden hazards; dangerous or deceptive.
3. Like a traitor; involving treachery; violating allegiance or faith pledged; traitorous to the state or sovereign; perfidious in private life; betraying a trust; faithless.

I don’t see anything in there about a few inches of snow being treacherous. A poisonous snake under your bedsheet is treacherous. An F4 tornado heading toward your home is treacherous. A faulty brake line on your car is treacherous. And, by definition, those who betray our confidence or trust are treacherous. At least in my world, weather forecasters who continually use the word treacherous seem to be treacherous.

Yes, each one of our situations is different, and we all have to use our own common sense when dealing with winter weather in Iowa — especially in the bitter cold. In the meantime, I encourage you to put a smile on your face and enjoy the snow, because it sure is weather we are having.

Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.

 

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

See more of Shane Goodman's columns here.

 
 
News headlines

FROM KCCI: Cold weather complicates fire responses as temperatures dip below zero.  DES MOINES, Iowa — Firefighters in Des Moines are facing significant challenges this week as they battle fires in dangerously cold temperatures. Lt. Gene Emery with the Des Moines Fire Department explained that temperatures below zero degrees can cause equipment to freeze, slowing down normal operations. To combat this, firefighters are rotated in shifts to minimize their exposure to the cold. ...READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV:  Iowa House subcommittee advances bill removing obscenity exemptions from libraries. DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa House Republicans moved a bill through the subcommittee level that would remove obscenity exemptions for public libraries and educational institutions. The bill is just a single sentence, removing the current language from Iowa code. It was moved out of the education subcommittee in a partisan vote of 2 to 1.  ...READ MORE

FROM WOI:  Iowa Attorney General: DMPD officers justified in Jan. 2 shooting. According to Bird's office, the conclusion was based on a review of the investigation by Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. ...READ MORE

 
 

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Flurries off and on in the Des Moines metro area will continue to be possible today. A cold week, followed by weekend warming.

For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage.

 
 
The 2025 results: CITYVIEW's Best of Des Moines®
 
Best Beaverdale Area Restaurant
 
1. Christopher’s
2. The Dam Pub
3. Basic Bird
 
See all of the results
 
 

Tuesday Touts
The Bistro at Iowa Culinary Institute is open for the spring semester. Culinary students from all over the world prepare and serve lunch weekdays. All lunches, including starters, dessert and beverage with an entree are $15 this semester. Reservations

Black cod is a marvelous and mysterious fish. First of all, it isn't a cod at all. It's actually sablefish, which is cherished in Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong. Until recently, it was only found in upscale Chinese and Japanese restaurants in the U.S. Proudfoot and Bird introduced it in Des Moines when they opened. It's been off their menu a long time now. It's one of the most famous dishes at Nobu, a restaurant that has won Michelin stars in four cities. Suddenly, this winter, this bad boy is back in town: At Harbinger. Joe Tripp poaches his in Koji butter and serves it with cauliflower, Dakota pearl potato, and tomato togarashi for $26. Lynn Pritchard featured it on a chef’s tasting menu this month at Table 128. Wild Alaska will ship it to Des Moines. 

Deals today
• Paula's (524 Elm St., Valley Junction) runs a Tuesday special hot beef sandwich with mashed potatoes, gravy and drink for $13.50 till Memorial Day. 

• Irina's Steak and Seafood (650 S. Prairie View Drive, West Des Moines) offers live lobsters at half price on Tuesdays. 

• Opa! (2800 University Ave., West Des Moines) has a buffet featuring fried shrimp, manicotti, chicken piccata, chicken meatballs, garlic knots, pasta Alfredo, lamb and chicken, pizza, and all-you-can-eat dessert for $22.99 tonight till 8 p.m.

• Kids meals are half price till 2 p.m. today at Machine Shed (11151 Hickman Road, Urbandale).

• Taco Tuesday brings serious discounts to Mariscos El Pirata (6050 S.E. 14th St., Des Moines), La Familia (1610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines), all Taco John's, The Dam Pub (2710 Beaver Ave., Des Moines), all Abelardo's, all Fernando’s, Malo (900 Mulberry St., Des Moines), Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines), Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines) and Faustino’s (4944 Franklin Ave., Des Moines). 

• Today is beef and noodles day at Maxie's Supper Club (1311 Grand Ave., West Des Moines).

• Django (1420 Locust St., Des Moines) has happy hour all night Tuesdays. That means super deals on oysters, shrimp, duck frites, poutine, charcuterie, cheese boards, beers, wine and classic martinis.

• Sully's (806 First St., West Des Moines) has a burger basket special for $12 today.

• The Station on Ingersoll (3124 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines) has a tenderloin Tuesday special with BPT and fries for $10.

• The Station, Pelican Post and Sully's will be open today for the Hawkeye women's big game at Ohio State at 11 a.m.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

 
Featured in the current issue of CITYVIEW
 

BELLY UP TO...
Striking Sparrow Lounge

By Jackie Wilson

When entering the Striking Sparrow Lounge, it is like taking a step back in time. Setting the vibe are vintage beer signs such as the Hamm’s Beer flowing lake, which suggests the beer was born in the land of sky blue waters.

Wood-paneled walls and orange-green wallpaper are reminiscent of the 1970s. Black bucket bar stools with dolls perched in random spots resemble a rec room basement. For some, this is how you, your parents, or even your grandparents’ home décor looked decades ago.

...

 
Read more
 
Featured home for sale
 
Post listings here for $50. Contact jolene@iowalivingmagazines.com for details.
 
$1,750,000

7217 N.W. 107th St.
Johnston, IA 50131

This stunning 11,000 sq ft Mediterranean-style estate seamlessly blends luxury, comfort, and sustainability on a private 3-acre lot. The open floor plan features exquisite hardwood floors throughout, an updated kitchen with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a spacious walk-in pantry. The home boasts two main-level suites with attached baths, four generously sized upper-level bedrooms, and a theater and game room for ultimate relaxation. ....

 
See the listing here.
 
See More Homes For Sale
 
SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction
 
2101 DELAVAN DRIVE, SUITE 172, WEST DES MOINES
SALE DATE: 2024-11-05
SALE PRICE: $334,180
SELLER: NEXT PHASE DEVELOPMENT 2101 DELAVAN DRIVE LLC
BUYER: RW PROPERTIES LLC
ACRES: 0.055
SQUARE FEET: 2,388
 
More transactions
 
 
Featured in the current
issue of Indianola Living magazine
 

Rebuilding trucks and friendships
Childhood friends restore a truck and reconnect.

By Deborah Mikelson

Paul Edenburn’s rebuilds have rekindled his childhood friendships. His friend Jason knew that Paul had been looking for a 1958 truck.
“I told him I wanted an old truck. He’s like ‘The old Apache’s are cool.’ ”

Jason found an ad on Facebook for a 1958 Chevy Apache in August 2017. The next day, Paul, his wife, Anna, and his friend Jason went for a road trip in a truck with a trailer.

It was in the middle of Kansas. ...

 
READ MORE
 
Sports headlines
FROM ESPN:  Agent: Fever's Caitlin Clark, WNBA players deserve higher pay  ... READ MORE
 
FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Forde Minutes: NCAA Tournament Expansion Talk Is Back and Worse Than Ever    ... READ MORE
 
FROM Yahoo Sports:  Bengals plan to place franchise tag on Tee Higgins for 2nd consecutive year, but eyeing long-term deal: Report  ... READ MORE
 

2006: Shani Davis becomes first Black athlete to win individual gold medal at Winter Games. On February 18, 2006, Shani Davis becomes the first Black athlete to win an individual gold medal in Winter Olympics history, capturing the men's 1,000-meter speedskating race. American Joey Cheek wins the silver medal at the event at the Games in Turin, Italy. ...READ MORE

1930: Pluto discovered. Pluto, once believed to be the ninth planet, is discovered at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, by astronomer Clyde W. Tombaugh. The existence of an unknown ninth planet was first proposed by Percival Lowell, who theorized that wobbles in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune were caused by the gravitational pull of an unknown planetary body. Lowell calculated the approximate location of the hypothesized ninth planet and searched for more than a decade without success. ... READ MORE

1943: Nazis arrest White Rose resistance leaders.  Hans Scholl and his sister Sophie, the leaders of the German youth group Weisse Rose (White Rose), are arrested by the Gestapo for opposing the Nazi regime. The White Rose was composed of university (mostly medical) students who spoke out against Adolf Hitler and his regime. The founder, Hans Scholl, was a former member of Hitler Youth who grew disenchanted with Nazi ideology once its real aims became evident. ... READ MORE

 
 
Birthdays and notables
 

These celebrities were born on this date:  John Travolta, Molly Ringwald, Dr. Dre, Matt Dillon, Yoko Ono, Cybill Shepherd, Vanna White, Dennis DeYoung, Irma Thomas, Ike Barinholtz, Maiara Walsh, Kristoffer Polaha

SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

 
Morning chuckle

The answer to the last riddle:  What do you call an ocean habitat with inhabitants that argue a lot? A QUARREL REEF! - Randy Lagerblade, William Snyder. Or A CORAL BEEF! - Carolyn Rogers. Or, A CRABBY COVE! - Irving Stone

Today's riddle: What is a phlebotomis's favorite boat?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

 

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or Ankeny, Altoona or Bondurant Living magazines, contact:

Angela Ossian
Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 307
Mobile: 515-979-5585
angela@iowalivingmagazines.com

 

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Johnston, Iowa 50131

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