July 3 Daily Umbrella: Former Ankeny Chamber director gets no jail time after stealing $250,000; must have liqueur of summer; $2

Thursday, July 3, 2025

Good morning to you!

Welcome to another edition of the mailbag where you will find some of the comments, questions and ideas sent recently by readers of this newsletter or our publications. They are edited for space and clarity.

“Shane, I picked up your new magazine (Senior View, June/July 2025). I enjoyed reading all the articles and interviews from retired folks and those looking at downsizing from the big family home. Good information, well worth my time reading and great suggestions on ‘downsizing the home.’ Will definitely keep on my monthly reading list. Good job.” - Tom

Thank you, Tom. I am glad you enjoyed it. Look for our next issue in August. - Shane

“Shane, you asked what was in the refrigerator (Something stinks, June 24, 2025). My sister reminded me that Mom always kept her carton of Lucky Strike cigarettes (no filters) in there as she smoked them, but somewhat sparingly, to keep them ‘fresher.’ Also remember RC Cola and Vernors Ginger Ale, which we could have as treat.” - Mike

Well, that certainly made smoking “cool.” - Shane

“We had a family watch of ‘Jaws’ last weekend (Jaws after 50 years, June 25, 2025). My wife hadn't seen it since she saw it in the theater. I don't know how many times I've seen it, but a lot more than that. I watch it just to pay attention to Robert Shaw; he makes the movie for me. Incredible acting — body language, facial expression, voice inflections. He was amazing in that film.” - Brad

It's certainly not "Sharknado," but it will do in a pinch. - Shane

“Please add me to your mailing list (Senior View, June/July 2025). I enjoyed your June edition.” - Jeanne

Thanks, Jeanne. You can join the email list notification and link for free here, or you can pick up copies on hundreds of newsstands for free, or you can subscribe to mail delivery for $15 here. - Shane

Have a thoughtful Thursday, and thanks for reading.

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

See more of Shane Goodman's columns here.

News headlines

FROM KCCI: Former CEO gets no jail time after stealing $250,000 from Ankeny Chamber of Commerce. The former CEO, who admitted to stealing thousands of dollars from the Ankeny Chamber of Commerce, will not see any jail time. Melisa Cox, who pleaded guilty to charges of theft, money laundering and unauthorized use of a credit card, was given a 35-year suspended sentence on Wednesday. That means she will not go to prison, but will instead serve five years of probation. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: 18-year-olds in the state can now buy, carry handguns, stores can’t sell to them. A new state law went into effect on Tuesday of this week that allows 18-year-olds to carry and purchase a handgun. That is down from the original age of 21. But just because state law is changed, federal regulations still apply. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Des Moines man arrested after fatal overnight shooting. Des Moines police have arrested a local man in connection to an overnight shooting on the city's east side that left one man dead. Tywone Morrow, 31, of Des Moines faces charges of first-degree murder, assault on a police officer, and providing false identification information. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Staying hot and muggy. Next storm chance comes Saturday into Sunday morning, where rainfall amounts look to total 0.25" - 1". Beyond that, storms look possible in the Tuesday through Thursday time frame next week, with less impressive rainfall amounts.

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

Pollen tracker

Tree pollen: None

Grass pollen: High

Ragweed pollen: None

Kudos to a local theatre production celebrity, recognized on the national stage. Virgil Kleinhesselink’s acumen in stage lighting design has illuminated hundreds of productions over the years. He is an Iowa production icon.

JAZZ IN JULY
The first of four Tuesday concerts begins July 8 at Hoyt Sherman Place at 5:30 p.m. Headliners will perform at 6:30 p.m., all outside on the lawn. Patrons are encouraged to bring a blanket and lawn chairs to spread out and enjoy the music outside. Attendees will be able to purchase food as well as beverages provided by the venue on site. Events will go on, rain or shine, with action moving inside as weather dictates. For additional information about Jazz in July, visit hoytsherman.org.

Des Moines Metro Opera Summer Festival 2025. The full schedule includes “The Flying Dutchman” – July 4, 12, 15, 17, 20; “The Rake’s Progress” – July 5, 10, 13, 18; “Cunning Little Vixen” – July 6, 8, 11, 19.

Des Moines Art Center. Enjoy the cool confines in the reflective environment of two great exhibits currently. “Light Within Ourselves” – Haitian Art in Iowa (through Sept. 7) and “Firelei Báez Exhibition” (through Sept. 21).

Belin Quartet at Salisbury House & Gardens – season finale
Tuesday, July 8, 5:30 p.m.

— John Busbee, The Culture Buzz

The 2025 results: CITYVIEW's Best of Des Moines®

Best Local Sports Bar

1. The Station on Ingersoll

2. Johnny’s Hall of Fame

3. Bix & Co.

See all of the results

Trending Up
Aperol spritz at Centro
Food and beverage writers on both coasts are proclaiming neon orange Aperol the "must have liqueur of summer." We checked it out so you don’t need to. Aperol (rhymes with appall) is a botanical liqueur invented by brothers Luigi and Silvio Barbieri in 1919 in Padua, Italy. It’s technically considered a type of Amaro, which is Italian for “bitter.” Aperol is also an aperitivo, which means that it’s intended to be consumed before a meal as an appetite stimulant. The recipe for Aperol is kept under lock and key. But we know it’s made with gentian root, rhubarb and cinchona bark.

Campari is similar and 60 years older with many of the same botanicals, like rhubarb and orange. Aperol is sweeter than Campari. It’s also a much lower proof - 11% alcohol compared to 20.5 to 25.8% alcohol for Campari. (Food & Wine)

Trending down
Round-up, the trade name for glyphosate weed poison, and CAFOs, acronym for the Confined Animal Feeding Operations, are rapidly losing hearts and minds, particularly in Iowa. Make America Healthy Again initiatives are now blaming the poisons running off cropland and shooting out of CAFOs for Des Moines' frightful water quality and cancer rates. German super company Bayer is even considering ditching glyphosate in its herbicides because of lawsuits. Iowa Pork Producers lost another lawsuit trying to get around California's anti CAFO regulations this week. Farm Bureau, patron saint for both glyphosate and CAFOs, is looking more like a defender of the sorry state of things, rather than of family farmers.

Deals today
• Ruth's Chris (Ashworth Road at Jordan Creek Parkway) has a Thursday special with their decadent RBAR burgers and fries going for $16.

• Steaks: Sirloin steak dinners are featured specials today at Sully's Irish Pub (860 First St., West Des Moines); Front Row (9956 Swanson Blvd., Clive); Winn’s Pizza and Steakhouse (122 W. Ashland Ave., Indianola), and Hy-Vee Market Grilles. Gilroy's has both sirloin and NY strip specials. The Station on Ingersoll (3120 Ingersoll Ave.) has a ribeye special on Thursdays.

• Thursday nights, Moroccan couscous — lemon chicken, beef keftas, five vegetables, harissa — are $17 at Purveyor (505 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines).

• Sprockets (2314 University Ave., Des Moines) offers a breaded pork tenderloin special on Thursdays for $9.99.

• Kids eat free at Scornovacca’s (1930 S.E. 14th St., Des Moines) on Thursdays.

• Mariscos El Pirata (6050 S.E. 14th St., Des Moines) offers $2 off all sushi on Thursdays.

• ShortE's BBQ (8505 Chambery Blvd., Johnston) has $1 smoked wings Thursdays.

• Jethro's Thursday special is a pound of boneless "wings" for $8. Because tonight is an Indiana WNBA game night, the West Des Moines Jethro's has a "Fever Reliever" special of any two appetizers on the Happy Hour menu and two pints of domestic beer for $22.

• Bevy’s Tavern (1300 50th St., West Des Moines) has a special of beef stew and cornbread Thursdays for $13.

• Amruth Indian Grill (9974 Swanson Blvd., Clive) offers an all-you-can-eat dosa (gram/rice flour crepes) buffet on Thursdays 5:30-9 p.m. $18.95.

• Destination Grille (2491 E. First St., Grimes) has a "Comfort Thursday" special chicken fried De Burgo a gluten-free spin on DSM's classic. $16

• The Dam Pub (2710 Beaver Ave., Des Moines) has a throwback Thursday special goulash with garlic toast.

• The Continental (407 E. Fifth St., Des Moines) has $7 loaded fries on Thursdays.

• Fareways have specials through Saturday on hand-tied brats at $3.88/pound, St. Louis pork ribs at $2.99/pound and beef short ribs at $7.99/pound.

• Haiku (1350 31st St., Des Moines) offers free tom yum soup and edamames with lunch entrees today.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

Featured in the current issue of CITYVIEW

FEATURE STORY
Buffalo Bill, Des Moines and the Iowa State Fair

By John Busbee

By the time the shows ended their 33-year run, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West had played to more than 50 million people. It was the spectacle of the era, performed for European royalty to salt-of-the-earth people in America’s Heartland. With its popularity, William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody became the most recognized figure of his time. He headlined his Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Exposition in more than 3,000 locations. One location was Des Moines and, once, the Iowa State Fair, was significant. ...

Featured home for sale

Post listings here for $50. Contact jolene@iowalivingmagazines.com for details.

$574,900

10022 N.W. 68th Ave.
Johnston, IA 50131

Introducing Destiny Homes’ New Palazzo floor plan — an elegant executive Prairie Style Ranch offering 3 bedrooms and 3 private baths across 2,146 square feet. of main-level living. The heart of the home has a spacious great room, with an open switch-back staircase, tray ceiling, LVP flooring, oversized windows and a striking fireplace. ...

See the listing here.

See more homes for sale

SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction

1842 N.W. 86TH ST., CLIVE
SALE DATE: 2025-02-27
SALE PRICE: $1,370,000
SELLER: ORD PROPERTIES LTD
BUYER: SHERGILL ENTERPRISES LLC
ACRES: 0.900
SQUARE FEET: 4,048

More transactions

Featured in the current
issue of Norwalk Living magazine

Meet Kelli Harris
Creating camaraderie in the classroom

By T.K. West

After graduating college in 2012, Kelli Harris began her teaching career at the Norwalk School District. Harris is a fifth-generation Iowa public school teacher. Her mother was a high school math teacher for 36 years and still substitute teaches multiple times a week.

"Growing up, it seemed like she was a local celebrity because current and former students would get so excited to see her and have conversations. I got to see the positive impact she made firsthand,” Harris says.

In addition, Harris’ grandfather was a superintendent, her aunt is an English teacher, and her uncle was a school board president. Harris also had teachers in the Boone school district that inspired her to pursue a teaching career as early as first grade. Now, Harris is wrapping up her 13th year as an educator. She currently teaches math at the Norwalk High School. ...

Sports headlines

FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: 2025 MLB All-Star Game starters announced. The 2025 Major League Baseball All-Star starters were announced on Wednesday night. National League frontrunner for MVP, Shohei Ohtani, and American League MVP candidate Aaron Judge highlighted the lists for both leagues, securing their spots earlier this month as leading vote-getters. ... READ MORE

FROM ESPN: Deandre Ayton to join Lakers on two-year deal, sources say. Free agent center Deandre Ayton has agreed to sign a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources told ESPN on Wednesday night. The deal includes a player option, sources said. ... READ MORE

FROM YAHOO SPORTS: Four of the top five Wimbledon women's seeds eliminated early as Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula fall in first round. We're only three days into the 2025 Wimbledon tournament, and chaos has already reigned. For the top-ranked players on the women's side, this year's tournament has been particularly brutal, as four of the top five seeds fell in the early days of the competition. ... READ MORE

1775: George Washington takes command of Continental Army. On July 3, 1775, George Washington rides out in front of the American troops gathered at Cambridge common in Massachusetts and draws his sword, formally taking command of the Continental Army. Washington, a prominent Virginia planter and veteran of the French and Indian War, had been appointed commander in chief by the Continental Congress two weeks before. In agreeing to serve the American colonies in their war for independence, he declined to accept payment for his services beyond reimbursement of future expenses. ... READ MORE

1863: Battle of Gettysburg ends. July 3, 1863: On the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s last attempt at breaking the Union line ends in disastrous failure, bringing the most decisive battle of the American Civil War to an end. ... READ MORE

1890: Idaho becomes 43rd state. Idaho is admitted to the union on July 3, 1890. Exploration of the North American continent mostly proceeded inward from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and northward from Spanish Mexico. Therefore, the rugged territory that would become Idaho long remained untouched by Spanish, French, British and American trappers and explorers. Even as late as 1805, Idaho Native Americans like the Shoshone had never encountered Europeans. ... READ MORE

www.history.com

Weekly fuel report

The price of regular unleaded gasoline dropped 4 cents from last week's price and is currently averaging $2.99 across Iowa according to AAA. Prices are down 33 cents from a year ago. The national average on Wednesday was $3.17, down 3 cents from last week’s price.

Retail diesel prices in Iowa dropped 3 cents this week with a statewide average of $3.57. One year ago, diesel prices averaged $3.56 in Iowa. The current Iowa diesel price is 12 cents lower than the national average of $3.69.

Natural gas prices were down 14 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $3.47 MMbtu.

Cheapest gas in the metro. www.gasbuddy.com

Sam's Club in Windsor Heights (1101 73rd St.) - $2.74

Costco in West Des Moines (7205 Mills Civic Parkway) - $2.75

Murphy USA in Altoona (3405 Eighth St. S.W.) - $2.79

Sam's Club in Ankeny (4625 S.E. Delaware Ave.) - $2.79

Birthdays and notables

These celebrities were born on this date: Audra McDonald, Betty Buckley, Elizabeth Hendrickson, Gloria Allred, Kevin Hearn, Montel Williams, Ian Anthony Dale, Julie Klausner, Tom Cruise, Yeardley Smith, Thomas Gibson, Patrick Wilson

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

Morning chuckle

The answer to the last riddle: How do you protect a jewelry store at night? WITH A LOCKET! - William Snyder, Gail Tomlinson

Today's riddle: How can you get a hippo to do whatever you want?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or the Johnston Living magazine, contact:

Andrea Hodapp
Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 322
Mobile: 515-883-0523
andrea@iowalivingmagazines.com

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