July 17 Daily Umbrella: Kum & Go stores will soon rebrand as Maverik; Krispy Kreme ends partnership with McDonald's; $2.68 gas

Thursday, July 17, 2025

Good morning to you!

At Big Green Umbrella Media, we start off every day with a short meeting we call our Morning Huddle. All staff members are invited to attend in person or via a Zoom call. During it, we quickly discuss vacations or time off for the week, birthdays and anniversaries, what is publishing that week, what is going to press, deadlines, sales results, news stories in the works, event updates, company projections, a riddle of the day and more — all in 10 minutes or less. An updated agenda every morning keeps us focused and on track.

Michael Gartner told me he held a similar meeting with staff when he was the president of NBC News. He called it the Standing Meeting, as everyone in attendance stood. No chairs. He has often shared with me how meetings go faster when people have to stand.

We do have chairs, and we use them while still keeping our meetings short. It works for us.

What also works as part of the Morning Huddle is a motivational or funny quote a staff member presents each morning. Admittedly, some are better than others, but each one is intended to help us think a little differently as we start our day. Here are a few we shared this week:

“Every day is a good day. There is something to learn, care and celebrate.”

“Choose wisely the ones you give your time to. Choose wiser the ones you remove it from.”

“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.”

“Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively.”

“Most people fail, not because of a lack of desire, but because of a lack of commitment.”

Some are quotes the staff has likely heard before. Some are new. Some we repeat in time. All, hopefully, connect — even if just for a few seconds. The most interesting part, at least to me, is hearing the answers from our staff members when I ask what the quote means to them. The answers often vary greatly, and that’s a good thing.

I share this all with you today in hopes that you may send me one of your favorite quotes that I can pass along in our Morning Huddle and in our mailbag, too.

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: Two Des Moines men sentenced for fentanyl distribution. Two Des Moines men are facing years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Ajang Malou Wour, 43, will spend 12 years in prison. Court documents say Wour distributed more than 60,000 pills and 40 ounces of fentanyl powder over an 18-month period. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Plea deal reached for former Marshalltown substitute teacher accused of sexually exploiting student. A plea deal appears to have been reached in the case for a former Marshalltown substitute teacher accused of sexually exploiting a student. On April 16, the Marshalltown Police Department said it received a tip reporting that a then part-time substitute teacher at the Marshalltown High School had allegedly had inappropriate contact with a student. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Kum & Go stores in Iowa will soon rebrand as Maverik. Kum & Go gas stations across Iowa will soon be rebranded in just a couple of days and reopen as Maverik stores. Maverik, a Utah-based convenience store chain, bought Des Moines-based Kum & Go in August 2023. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Cooler and dry today and Friday. Intermittent storm chances and warmth then return Saturday through Monday.

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

Heritage Art Gallery - Polk County Building
"Living in America" is a curated exhibit featuring works from 12 photographers. This exhibition journeys through quiet rituals in emptied public spaces, glimpses of private moments on highways, and the charged atmosphere of protests and public gatherings.

“PIEIOWA”
This has become the cinematic sensation in Des Moines. After three sold-out screenings at the Varsity Cinema, Beth Howard's delicious documentary, "Pieowa," has added showings to hopefully sate the appetite for what has become an instant culinary classic. This 76-minute gem is filled with familiar places, faces and Iowa-baked icons.
Friday, July 18 - 6:45
Saturday, July 19 - 1:30, 7:15
Sunday, July 20 - 1:30, 4:30
Monday, July 21 - 7:30
Tuesday, July 22 - 4:30

Iowa Stage Theatre Company – Shakespeare on the Lawn at Salisbury House & Gardens. “The Comedy of Errors.” July 16-20.

Des Moines Metro Opera Summer Festival 2025. Remaining performances include “The Flying Dutchman” – July 20; “The Rake’s Progress” – July 18; “Cunning Little Vixen” – July 19.

— John Busbee, The Culture Buzz

Pollen tracker

Tree pollen: None

Grass pollen: High

Ragweed pollen: None

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

Best Local Winery

1. Jasper Winery

2. Covered Bridges Winery

3. Summerset Winery

See all of the results

"Oh how the mighty have fallen"
Krispy Kreme ended its partnership with McDonald's saying it wasn’t helping their (KK's) bottom line. Remember McD also bought Chipotle, then dumped them at a loss before Chipotle became the most successful fast food company in America.

Panera, a fast-casual pioneer, has lost momentum to newer competitors since 2020. The Missouri-based chain’s U.S. sales declined to $6 billion last year, 5% lower than in 2023, according to market-research firm Technomic. By comparison, Einstein Bros. performed better with its sales, growing 11% last year. Last month, JAB Holdings, which owns Panera, Pret a Manger and other brands, hired former Burger King kingfish Jose Cil to manage their restaurants. Cil is a hot commodity after outperforming McD since the decade began its run of forced closings and hyperinflation.

Thursday deals
• Felix & Oscar's is celebrating its 50th anniversary with buffets all July. $18 or 2 for $30. Kids $10, under 4 free. Monday is a hot sandwiches, salad and fries bar.

• 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 Johnny's Italian Steakhouses (before 4 p.m.), 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. The Station on Ingersoll (3120 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines) has a ribeye special on Thursdays. Gilroy's (1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines) offers ribeyes and sirloins only on Thursdays after 5.

• 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.

• 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.

• Aldi stores have specials through Saturday on peaches and nectarines at $1.49/pound, baby bella mushrooms at $1.49/8-ounce pack and chicken wings at $2.19/pound. That last one is the lowest price of the year in local markets.

• 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

SOUND CIRCUIT
Dick, of the band Dickie, is a late bloomer

By Jackie Wilson

Richard Prall, known as Dick, with the band Dickie, implores music lovers to discover new music. You might not only like the band, but you could be the reason for the band’s success, he says.

“A lot of people say, ‘I’ve never heard of the band, and I’m not going to see them,’ ” he says. “It’s fun to discover new music. Before long, you might say ‘I’m really into these guys.’ You just helped build a fan base and are responsible for the band’s success. It’s a butterfly effect.” ...

Featured home for sale

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

$940,000

12917 Timberline Drive
Urbandale, IA 50323

Inviting and timeless, this incredible updated walkout ranch offers nearly 5,000 square feet of impeccably finished living space plus a four-car garage. Nestled on a quiet cul-de-sac just minutes from Des Moines Christian School and I-80, this former Home Show residence combines elegance and comfort in every detail, inside and out. ...

See the listing here.

See more homes for sale

SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction

1434 OHIO ST., DES MOINES
SALE DATE: 2025-03-11
SALE PRICE: $250,000
SELLER: REG MARKETING & LOGISTICS GROUP LLC
BUYER: CARLISLE HOLDINGS INC
ACRES: 0.636
SQUARE FEET: 3,400

More transactions

Featured in the current
issue of Waukee Living magazine

Waukee Arts Festival
10th annual event draws 140 booths to Centennial Park, July 18-19.

By Jackie Wilson

One of Waukee’s greatest annual events is celebrating its 10th year. The Waukee Arts Festival returns July 18-19 at Centennial Park in Waukee.

Last year, approximately 10,000 attendees visited the festival during two-day event. Jenn Hoffmann, board president for the Waukee Area Arts Council, says the festival is at capacity with regards to artists.

“This year is the most booth spaces we’ve filled with 140 booths. We’d like to feature more but want to limit the space for people to browse freely,” she explains.

t the end of last year’s festival, organizers debriefed to see what worked well and what needed improving. One suggestion they agreed on was offering more food trucks. This year, they also feature a new vendor selling non-alcoholic cocktails. Art is available additional hours throughout the early evening and kicks off Friday evening with vendors open extended hours from 5-8 p.m. ...

Sports headlines

FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Chargers issue update on RB Najee Harris after injury in fireworks accident. On Thursday, the Los Angeles Chargers will open training camp in El Segundo, Calif.—but one notable name will seemingly be absent from the playing field. Chargers running back Najee Harris will likely begin training camp on the non-football injury list, Los Angeles general manager Joe Hortiz told reporters Wednesday via Daniel Popper of The Athletic. Harris, 27, sustained a minor eye injury on July 4 in a fireworks accident. ... READ MORE

FROM ESPN: Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg 'continuing to fight' cancer. Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg said Wednesday he is "continuing to fight" cancer and is prioritizing time with those closest to him. He posted a letter addressed to his fans and extended baseball family on Instagram. ... READ MORE

FROM YAHOO SPORTS: Bradley Beal reportedly reaches buyout with Suns, to sign deal with Clippers. Bradley Beal’s time with the Phoenix Suns is over. Beal reached a buyout with the Suns on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, ending his two-season run with the franchise. Beal is now expected to sign a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. The deal will include a player option for the 2026-2027 season, which would make Beal one of the top players available in free agency next year. ... READ MORE

1955: Disneyland opens. Disneyland, Walt Disney’s metropolis of nostalgia, fantasy and futurism, opens on July 17, 1955. The $17 million theme park was built on 160 acres of former orange groves in Anaheim, California, and soon brought in staggering profits. Today, Disneyland hosts more than 18 million visitors a year, who spend close to $3 billion. ... READ MORE

1975: Superpowers meet in space. As part of a mission aimed at developing space rescue capability, the U.S. spacecraft Apollo 18 and the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 19 rendezvous and dock in space. As the hatch was opened between the two vessels, commanders Thomas P. Stafford and Aleksei Leonov shook hands and exchanged gifts in celebration of the first such meeting between the two Cold War adversaries in space. Back on Earth, United Nations Secretary General Kurt Waldheim congratulated the two superpowers for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project and praised their unprecedented spirit of cooperation and peace in planning and executing the mission. ... READ MORE

2014: Eric Garner dies in NYPD Chokehold. On July 17, 2014, two New York Police Department officers confront Eric Garner, a 43-year-old African American father of six, for illegally selling cigarettes. Garner dies after losing consciousness as a police officer locks him in an illegal chokehold, and within hours, a video of the incident begins to spark outrage across the country. ... READ MORE

www.history.com

Weekly fuel report

The price of regular unleaded gasoline remained unchanged from last week's price and is currently averaging $2.93 across Iowa according to AAA. Prices are down 36 cents from a year ago. The national average on Wednesday was $3.16, remaining unchanged from last week’s price.

Retail diesel prices in Iowa rose 1 cent this week with a statewide average of $3.53. One year ago, diesel prices averaged $3.55 in Iowa. The current Iowa diesel price is 20 cents lower than the national average of $3.73.

Natural gas prices were up 37 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $3.53 MMbtu.

Lowest gas prices in the metro area www.gasbuddy.com

Sam's Club in Windsor Heights (1101 73rd St.) - $2.68

Sam's Club in Ankeny (4625 S.E. Delaware Ave.) - $2.70

Costcos in Ankeny and West Des Moines - $2.72

Birthdays and notables

These celebrities were born on this date: Elsa Pataky, James Brolin, Elizabeth McGovern, Kristen Bell, Vin Diesel, Chace Crawford, Margo Martindale, Nick Faldo, Richard Branson, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jack Irons, Michiel Huisman, Ricky Skaggs, Dick Button, Joe Torre

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

Morning chuckle

The answer to the last riddle: What do you get if you cross a sheep with a porcupine? AN ANIMAL THAT KNITS ITS OWN SWEATERS! - Gail Tomlinson. Or, Very prickly wool! - Carolyn Rogers

Today's riddle: She thought she saw Michael J Fox in a garden center but wasn’t sure. Why?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or the Winterset Living magazines, contact:

Kristine McDonald
Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 321
Mobile: C: 515-975-3543
kristine@iowalivingmagazines.com

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