FROM KCCI: Jay Byers, president of Simpson College, dies at 54. Jay Byers, the president of Simpson College in Indianola, has died at age 54, the college confirmed on Thursday. Byers, a 1993 graduate of the college, had been president at Simpson since July 2023. Prior to that, he was the CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: New industrial park planned in S.E. Des Moines. A new industrial park on the south east side of Des Moines is ready for big businesses to move in. The City of Des Moines announced on Thursday that the nearly 300-acre site has been designated as “development-ready” by the Iowa Economic Development Authority through its certified sites program. This program utilizes third-party firms to fully vet a site for investment to address any company concerns about developing an area. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: House passes civics test requirement to graduate high school. Graduating high school in Iowa appears to have a new requirement, pending Gov. Kim Reynolds' signature. On Thursday, the Iowa House passed a bill that requires high school students pass a U.S. civics test to receive their diploma. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Shower chances, especially this morning. Dry Saturday, with another rain chance Easter Sunday.

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

Easter buffets were invented by Las Vegas casinos and popularized by big city hotels. F. Scott Fitzgerald and Dorothy Parker wrote about them. The idea of gorging one’s body with food to celebrate Christ rising has fascinated stand-up comedians. All you can eat for Easter is an American rite of spring.
      Here is what we have locally regarding Easter buffets and places open on Easter that are otherwise closed on Sundays.

Buffets
~ BeerStyles Taproom & Gastropub, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., $59
~ Filet Steakhouse, Ankeny, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 20, $60
~ Hy-Vee Market Grilles 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., $24.99, kids ages 6-12, $7.99, 5 and younger free.
~ Machine Shed, 7-10 a.m. breakfast buffet, $17.99 adults, $8.99 ages 6-12, and free for 5 and younger. Plus 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., brunch buffet, $29.99, $14.99 for ages 6-12, and free for 5 and younger.
~ Jethro’s Jambalaya in Waukee and Jethro’s Ames will have all-you-can-eat buffets till 2 p.m. Ames - $24.95, kids $12.95. Waukee - $28.95, Kids $14.95.

Brunch
~ Splash will be open with regular menu.
~ Trostel’s Greenbriar will be open with regular menu.  
Johnny's Italian Steakhouse, Proudfoot & Bird, Mulberry Street Tavern and Flemings have special Easter brunch menus.

Graduation deal. Any graduation orders over $300 receive a $50 gift card from Jethro's.

Weekend deals
• Fresh Thyme (2900 University, West Des Moines) has a sale on King Crab legs at 10 a.m. at $26.99/pound. 

• Aldi is selling Appleton Farms spiral sliced hams for $1.49/pound and sparkling Brut Rose for $10.99 through Tuesday.

• Fish Fry Friday night specials can be found at all Jethro's, all Palmer's, Machine Shed (11151 Hickman Road, Urbandale), Red Lobster (3838 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines), Cracker Barrel (11701 University, Clive), Bevy’s Tavern (1300 50th St., West Des Moines). Pelican Post (265 50th St., West Des Moines) adds fried shrimp to their all day fish fry buffet.  

• Table 128 (220 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) has a chef's spring tasting menu of salad of asparagus, poached egg and Feta; a grilled rack of lamb with peas, mint, garbanzo and artichokes; and dehydrated meringue, strawberry powder and a special pearlized balsamic vinegar. $52, $91 with beverage pairings.

• Brenda Trang now offers her fabulous Friday buffets every Friday at Vietnam Cafe - Merle Hay Mall Food Court, 11  a.m. to 7:30 p.m. - $18.95.  

• Bawarchi (6630 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines) has Friday - Sunday specials on paneer kebabs, chicken curry and goat curry.

• Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave., Des Moines) offers BBQ beef and marinated roast beef sandwiches on special for Friday lunch.

• 801 Chophouse (801 Grand Ave., Des Moines) offers Sunday supper specials that deliver deep discounts on filet, prime rib and red king salmon dinners.

• Tito’s Lounge (3916 N.W. Urbandale Drive, Urbandale) now has brunch on Fridays. 

• Court Avenue Brewing Company (309 Court Ave., Des Moines) hosts Saturday and Sunday breakfast buffets for $23.99.

• Friday night is paella time at Purveyor (505 E. Grand, officially, but really on E. Fifth Street), real Valenciana paella.

• Maxie's Supper Club's (1311 Grand Ave., West Des Moines) Friday special is chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes - $16.95 all day. They also have prime rib dinners on Friday and Saturday for dinner only, $30-38.  

•  Westown Tap (3530 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines) offers $12 flatbreads on Fridays.

• Willie James Shay plays Sonny's Pizza Bistro (6494 N.W. Sixth Ave., Des Moines) Friday from 5:30 p.m…. the Drama Kings plays Kelly’s Little Nipper Friday at 7 p.m... The Juan and Only plays El Toreado (3751 Mills Parkway., West Des Moines) Friday night at 6 p.m. 

• Paula's (524 Elm St., Valley Junction) runs a Friday special meat loaf with mashed potatoes, gravy and drink for $13.50 this week.
 
• Fareway has a sale on boneless legs of lamb at $5.99/pound, AE yogurts at 68 cents and Badia spices at $1.48.

• Price Chopper has a sale on cantaloupes at $1.99 each, strawberries at $2.99 per 2-pound box and butter for $2.99/pound through Monday.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

Opens this Friday, April 18, through May 4. The Tenth Sarah Frank & Jack Balcombe Dream Project takes to the stage with a world premiere – “The Emerald Earring” by Justin Nostrala. This Tallgrass Theatre production is directed by Jennifer Nostrala.

AUDITIONS – Ankeny Community Theatre for “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams. Wednesday, April 16 and Thursday, April 17, at 6:30 p.m. at Ankeny Community Theatre. Runs June 6-15. Director: Charissa Hamel.

AViD Author Series with Beaverdale Books, Franklin Event Center, 4800 Franklin Ave. – David Baldacci, “Strangers in Time” and “Calamity of Souls.” Monday, April 21, 7 p.m.

Salisbury House Library Collection – Book Talk Series,
Sunday, April 27, 2-4 p.m. at Salisbury House & Gardens
The Salisbury House Library Collection at Grinnell College Libraries invites the public to this free event to learn about the ongoing work with this special collection. The panel will be moderated by Grinnell College Library staff to talk about research in the collection, book history, interacting with the collection in the classroom, conservation updates and more. Selections from the Library Collection will be on display. The first floor of the museum will be open for free self-guided tours.

Des Moines Art Center - final days for this exhibit
“Figments and Phantoms” Exhibit. Through April 20. Fragmented, distorted, or noticeably absent, the body haunts the work in this exhibition. Artists depict the human figure as uncanny and strange.

— John Busbee, The Culture Buzz

1906: The Great San Francisco Earthquake topples buildings, killing thousands. On April 18, 1906, at 5:13 a.m., an earthquake estimated at close to 8.0 on the Richter scale strikes San Francisco, California, killing an estimated 3,000 people as it topples numerous buildings. The quake was caused by a slip of the San Andreas Fault over a segment about 275 miles long, and shock waves could be felt from southern Oregon down to Los Angeles. ... READ MORE

1942: Doolittle leads air raid on Tokyo. On April 18, 1942, 16 American B-25 bombers, launched from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet 650 miles east of Japan and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle, attack the Japanese mainland. ... READ MORE

1958: Federal court decides to release poet Ezra Pound from hospital for criminally insane. A federal court rules that Ezra Pound should no longer be held at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital for the criminally insane in Washington, D.C. Pound had been held for 13 years, following his arrest in Italy during World War II on charges of treason. ... READ MORE

 www.history.com