Sept. 15 Daily Umbrella: Four fatal crashes over the weekend; cheap hot dogs trend; what lights up a soccer stadium?

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Monday, Sept. 15, 2025

Good morning to you!

Many of you likely read about Southwest Airlines changing its rules for “plus-sized passengers.” Beginning Jan. 27, passengers who cannot fit comfortably within one seat will be required to purchase an additional seat in advance, with refunds only granted under strict conditions. Some other airlines have similar policies, and, more than likely, the remaining airlines will follow suit.

Those of you who are plus-sized may take offense to this. Those of you who are not likely appreciate it. Those of you who don’t fly very often could not care less.

I thought I was in the last group until I was seated next to a plus-size man on a flight this past week. He took all of his seat and flowed into mine. I spent the entire flight leaning in the opposite direction to try to avoid as much skin-to-skin contact as possible. It was a losing battle. The man was friendly enough, even jolly, you might say. And, he didn't intentionally crowd into my seat. He just did.

As we flew through the friendly skies, I couldn’t help but think about the Southwest Airlines change and how it could be handled even better to address this “growing” problem. Here is what I came up with.

Knowing that fuel charges are a major expense for airlines, and knowing that passengers make up a large portion of that weight, it only makes sense for airlines to charge by the pound — and not just the passenger weight. Charges could be based on total weight including the passenger, the carry-on bag, the personal item and any checked luggage. And, to make things even more simple, the rate could also be based on a per-mile trip charge.

Admittedly, I don’t know understand the costs in operating an airplane, but imagine this scenario. You pay a $250 deposit by credit card when you order your flight. When you arrive at the airport, you step on a platform scale and weigh in with your personal item, carry on and all luggage. Your total pounds are multiplied by ___ cents per pound multiplied by ___ miles. You pay the difference on the spot before you check in, and you do the same on the return flight.

There is a solution to the problem of the plus-size passenger flowing into the next seat, too: Make all seats the same size as first class. The unfortunate truth is that we are not getting any smaller, and that will likely continue. So, let’s have seats that fit our “growing” population. Yes, this would likely mean that passengers would have to pay more. But, not every airline would have to follow this plan, so the bargain-seekers could still pick the sardine can if they wanted to.

Per pound. Per mile. Plus-sized seats. It’s ingenious. Unfortunately, nothing in life is quite that simple, but this seems like a good idea to float. Until then, please try to stay in your own seat.

Have a memorable Monday, and, as always, I thank you for reading.

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

See more of Shane Goodman's columns here.

FROM KCCI: Iowa State Patrol investigates four fatal crashes over the weekend. Iowa State Patrol is investigating four fatal crashes that occurred Saturday. The incidents happened in Guthrie, Plymouth, Poweshiek and Lee counties. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Another dozen cases reported, Legionnaires’ cases hit 52 in Marshall County. A dozen more cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been reported in Marshall County over the past few days, putting the total number at 52. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services announced an investigation into a group of 21 Legionnaires’ disease cases, and one resulting death, on Sept. 4. Over the past few weeks, the number of cases has continued to grow. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: How one new type of fertilizer could reduce nitrate levels in Iowa's drinking water. At Iowa State University, Dr. Santanu Bakshi is working on a slow-release fertilizer that could help decrease nitrate concentrations in Iowa's water sources. Agriculture is big business in Iowa, ranking No. 1 in several areas of exports and production. As farmers meet increased demand, high levels of nitrates from our state's farms are ending up in the water supply. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Rubio is in Israel in wake of Qatar attack as Israeli strikes intensify in northern Gaza. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Israel on Sunday as its military intensified attacks on northern Gaza, flattening multiple high-rise building and killing at least 13 Palestinians. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: They witnessed Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Now students reckon with the trauma. One student holed up in his house for two days after witnessing Charlie Kirk’s assassination, nervous about going back to the Utah college campus where the conservative activist was shot. Another, unable to sleep or shake what she saw and heard, called her dad to come take her home. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: $1 million prize-winning Powerball ticket sold in western Iowa. Someone in western Iowa is having a really great weekend. The Iowa Lottery says a Powerball ticket sold at the Kimmes Denison Country Store in Denison has won a $1 million prize. The ticket matched the first five numbers of Saturday's drawing, but missed the Powerball. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

A spotty storm is possible during the day today, but most will stay dry. Rain chances return late Tuesday through late Thursday as temperatures cool.

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: None

Ragweed pollen: Low

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

Best Local Sports Team

1. Iowa Cubs

2. Iowa Wild

3. Drake Bulldogs

See all of the results

Back to the Biz
Washington Post reported recently that the hottest new trend in DC bars is cheap hot dogs. $4 seems to be what they considered cheap. Charlie’s Filling Station figured that out 50 years ago. At that time, his hot dogs were free. The price went up a bit over the years, and now they are gone since Charlie sold the place. Read more about Charlie here.

Tribute (Coralville) opened its first central Iowa restaurant, in Ankeny... Convenience-store operator RaceTrac struck a deal to purchase Potbelly for roughly $566 million, aiming to continue growing the Chicago-based sandwich chain... Much loved MJ Gazali (Gazali's on 25th) is back in the city after getting lost in the burbs. He's now managing Open Sesame in East Village.

Deals today
• Bubba (200 10th St., Des Moines) has a Monday night sirloin dinner special for $20.

• Kelly's Little Nipper (1701 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines) offers a "Monday grind" special grinder and fries basket for $9.50.

• Monday brings prime rib specials to both Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave., Des Moines) and Christopher's (2816 Beaver Ave., Des Moines).

• Eastside Eddie's (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines) has a Monday special cheeseburger with fries, tots or salad and a drink for $10.

• Trostel's Greeenbriar (Merle Hay Road, Johnston) has a Monday burger with a side and beer deal for $14. Their chef's special through Wednesday is a 20-ounce ribeye with pepper sauce and asparagus $50.

• Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) has $8 omelets and $10 hot beef sandwiches or Mexican bowls on Mondays.

• Johnny's Italian Steakhouses have a chicken de Burgo special on Mondays before 4 p.m., $14 including beverage.

• Smoking Goat Pub (3015 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines) hosts Shelby Smokehouse Soul Food on Mondays, 5-9 p.m.

• Haiku (1350 31st St., Des Moines) offers free egg drop soup and crab Rangoon with lunch entrees today.

• G Mig's (126 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has $11 smashburgers today with a side.

• The Station on Ingersoll (3124 Ingersoll, Des Moines) has a Monday special Graziano grinder with a side for $12.

• The Continental (407 East Fifth St.) offers a Monday special double smash burger and shoestring fries - $12.

• Bad Dog Burgers include three 1/3 -pound patties, six pieces of bacon, choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion, for $10.95 on Mondays. At Kathy’s East 14th Street Tavern (3418 East 14th St., Des Moines).

• Jethro's have a Monday chicken tenders and fries special $9.95.

• Angry Goldfish (2301 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) has specials on chicken Parmesan and lasagna today, $11.50 with garlic bread and salad.

• Centro (1003 Locust St., Des Moines) offers half-price pizza and Peronis on Monday.

• Hy-Vee Market Grilles are offering a Monday special meat loaf dinner with green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy for $8.

• Who's on First (810 E. First St., Ankeny) has steak night on Monday, and it's an 8-ounce filet with salad, mashed potatoes and beans for $22.95.

• Pelican Post (265 50th St., West Des Moines) has a special today on hot beef sandwiches, $10.95 until 4 p.m.

• Tito’s Lounge (3916 Urbandale Drive, Urbandale) offers all-you-can-eat wings Mondays.

• Johnny's Hall of Fame (302 Court Ave., Des Moines) has $12 burger baskets on Mondays and Fridays.

• Urban Cellars (640 S. 50th St., West Des Moines) offers $60 wine dinners for two on Mondays including two entrees with soup or salad, a dessert and a bottle on wine.

• Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines) has a burger basket with fries deal Mondays for $9.

• Red Lobster's Monday special is lobster and shrimp scampi with a side for $20.

• Paula's (524 Elm St., Valley Junction) has a Monday special homemade tuna, chicken or egg salad sandwiches on croissants for $12.50.

• Destination Grille (2491 E. First St., Grimes) has a Monday steak night special, sirloins and truffle fries for $18.

• Chuck's (3610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) offers $14 calzone specials with up to three ingredients on Mondays.

• Price Chopper delis offer two-piece, bone-in fried chicken dinners, with two sides and a roll, for $6 on Mondays.

• Fareways have specials through Saturday on green peppers or cucumbers at 88 cents, Stouffer's entrees at $2.88 and beef arm roast at $7.38/pound.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

Featured in the current issue of CITYVIEW

SOUND CIRCUIT
Des Moines-based PLC is recording third album

By Jackie Wilson

Music from thousands of years ago has evolved from culture to culture throughout the world. The same rhythm performed then is still relevant today and is played by the Parranderos Latin Combo (PLC).

PLC is a Latin band with music inspired by salsa, cumbia, afrobeat, plena, son montuno and more from both South and North America. PLC plays original music with a high-energy dance vibe and consists of a 6- or 7-piece band. ...

Featured home for sale

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

$315,000

124 Dakota Circle
Waukee, IA 50263

This like-new construction home offers an open-concept, ranch-style layout with three bedrooms and two bathrooms on the main level, featuring solid surface flooring for easy maintenance. Inside, you'll find a convenient laundry space, a stunning kitchen with quartz countertops and a spacious pantry, and a bright dining area that leads to a perfectly sized patio, ideal for unwinding at the end of the day. ...

See the listing here.

See more homes for sale

SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction

5525 DOUGLAS AVE., DES MOINES
SALE DATE: 2025-05-01
SALE PRICE: $500,000
SELLER: BROWN, JANICE K
BUYER: ABELARDO'S MEXICAN FOOD LLC
ACRES: 0.358
SQUARE FEET: 1,660

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Featured in the current
issue of Indianola Living magazine

Room for improvement
Residents share their home renovation experiences.

By Becky Kolosik

Live in a home for a while, and one is likely to start thinking, “If only….” If only the bathroom had a walk-in shower…. If only the kitchen had new cabinets.… If only the old flooring could be replaced.… If only the basement was finished…. If only a room could be added…. If only that longed-for home improvement project could be completed … then the house would be just right. Residents who have taken the leap from thinking about it to tackling their dream projects share their experiences.

Saying “I do” to a kitchen redo
Eric and Laura Brewer’s first home in Indianola was small. As their family grew, lack of space and having only one bathroom proved to be a challenge. When they started searching for their current home in 2011, location was a major factor when they made their offer. ...

FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: The Chiefs must be realistic about what they can get from Travis Kelce. The tight end is an all-time great, but two weeks in a row he has been on the wrong side of a consequential play. ... READ MORE

FROM ESPN: Scheffler warms up for Ryder Cup with sixth win this season. What was looked upon as a Ryder Cup training camp for the American team turned into a typical week for Scottie Scheffler. ... READ MORE

FROM YAHOO SPORTS: Atlanta keeps J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota out of end zone in strong 22-6 victory. J.J. McCarthy has played eight quarters in the NFL. Seven of them have been bad. The Vikings’ fourth-quarter comeback in Week 1 was fun, but it masked the other problems that were evident from McCarthy and the offense. ... READ MORE

1963: Four Black schoolgirls killed in Birmingham church bombing. On Sept. 15, 1963, a bomb explodes during Sunday morning services in the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four young girls: Addie Mae Collins (14), Cynthia Wesley (14), Carole Robertson (14) and Carol Denise McNair (11). ... READ MORE

1971: Greenpeace is born. On Sept. 15, 1971, a group of activists sets sail from Vancouver aboard a repurposed fishing boat that they have named the Greenpeace. Their mission is to stop the United States from testing a nuclear bomb beneath the Alaskan island of Amchitka. Though they will eventually lose the fight, the environmentalist organization Greenpeace will emerge from this action. ... READ MORE

1990: A Bible school instructor abducts a teenage girl. Thirteen-year-old Melissa Benoit disappears in her hometown of Kingston, Massachusetts, on her way home from a friend’s house. Although the town detective talked to everyone who lived on the path between the two houses, no one admitted to having seen Benoit. Soon afterward, the FBI joined the search. Yet, despite their use of tracking dogs, there was still no sign of the young girl. ... READ MORE

www.history.com

Birthdays and notables

Happy birthday, Boston Grimes!

These celebrities were born on this date: Amy Davidson, Carmen Maura, Dan Marino, Dave Annable, Heidi Montag, Kate Mansi, Oliver Stone, Prince Harry, Tommy Lee Jones, Zach Filkins

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

The answer to the last riddle: What do you call a sad cup of coffee? DEPRESSO! - Carolyn Rogers, Gail Tomlinson. Or, Po’ Joe. - Sharon Hill Watkins. Or, Joe. As in Willie and Joe. - Bill Snyder. Other answers from Rex Post and Irving Stone.

Today's riddle: What lights up a soccer stadium?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

To advertise in the Guthrie Center Times, Panora Times, Lake Panorama Times and the Guthrie County Times Vedette, contact:

KERRY JACOBSEN
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kerry@iowalivingmagazines.com

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