Daily Umbrella Dec.11: license plate readers raising privacy concerns; Iowa whiskey ranked in world’s top 13; why do bears have

Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025

Good morning to you!

During the Christmas season, many of us hang wreaths on the entry doors of our homes. These types of wreaths have a rich history, dating back to ancient civilizations where they symbolized strength, protection and the cycle of life. Our modern tradition began in the 16th century in Germany, where evergreen wreaths were used to represent eternal life and were later incorporated into today’s Christmas celebrations as decorations.

But, wreaths have a much more important meaning when placed on the graves of our veterans. These “decorations” go well beyond a holiday greeting. They symbolize respect. Honor. Gratitude. And, the Wreaths Across America Ceremonies make sure of it.

This Saturday, Dec. 13, at 11 a.m., a Wreaths Across America Ceremony will take place at Woodland Cemetery, located at the corner of 20th Street and Woodland Avenue in Des Moines. It is a grand and historic cemetery, covering 69 acres with more than 80,000 graves. It is also the site of the first Wreaths Across America ceremony held in a cemetery in central Iowa.

Mike Rowley was the president of the Iowa Society of the Sons of the American Revolution in 2008. He was contacted by a woman in Iowa City who was having a ceremony there. She said they had 200 more wreaths than they needed and told Rowley if they could be picked up in two days, they could be used to remember veterans in Woodland Cemetery.

Rowley, who has done much to honor veterans throughout his life, accepted the offer without clearly thinking about how much space 200 boxed wreaths would take. At the time, he was a salesman covering the state, so he quickly scheduled appointments that would allow him to finish his day in Iowa City in time to load the 200 wreaths into his company car.

“While the effort did not rival the logistical challenges of the D-Day invasion, it was a rather tight fit,” he shared with me. “Even though the event was in December, I think I was still vacuuming out pine needles from the car by the Fourth of July. However, as a side benefit, my car never smelled better.”

On Dec. 14, 2008, a ceremony was held at Woodland Cemetery. Col. Tim Orr, who had just been named the top General of the Iowa National Guard, spoke on behalf of then Gov. Chet Culver. Army veteran Dave Shannon of Newton laid the first wreath to honor the POW/MIAs. Then, 12-year-old Ricardo Gomez sounded taps, and the wreaths were laid.

Now, 17 years later, a total of 1,375 veterans have been identified in Woodland Cemetery. Rowley says some of the original volunteers continue to donate and place wreaths. Dave Shannon has now passed, and other veterans and families have stepped forward as wreath presenters for each of the service branches. Ricardo Gomez would now be about 30.

“Time can go quickly,” Rowley said, “but memories often linger, and isn't that what these ceremonies are about?”

Have a thoughtful Thursday, and thanks for reading.

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

Read more of Shane Goodman's columns here.

News headlines

FROM KCCI: Madison County's Holliwell Bridge may join endangered properties list. The historic Holliwell Bridge in Madison County, Iowa, located just east of Winterset, is in urgent need of repairs that could cost over $1 million, prompting efforts to have it listed as one of the state's most endangered properties. Mike Hackett, Madison County's secondary roads engineer, highlighted the bridge's historical significance and its current state. "We're out here at the Halowell Covered bridge, it was built in 1880," Hackett said. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: ACLU says automatic license plate readers are raising privacy concerns in Iowa. The ACLU of Iowa released a report Tuesday morning raising concerns about how automated license plate readers (ALPRs) may be affecting privacy and civil rights across the state. Small cameras are installed throughout Iowa, capturing images of license plates from passing vehicles every day. The ACLU says these cameras are helping build an “enormous surveillance network.” ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Des Moines police K-9 helps apprehend wanted Altoona man after pursuit. Des Moines police, with the help of K-9 Zarko, arrested a wanted Altoona man following an overnight stolen vehicle chase. Officers attempted to stop a Hyundai Santa Fe in the 1400 block of SE 14th Street around 3 a.m., after the vehicle's license plate showed it had been reported stolen. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: US has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, Trump says. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela as tensions mount with the government of President Nicolás Maduro. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: Tens of thousands in Washington state could face evacuations as rain continues to pound the region. Tens of thousands of residents in western Washington could face evacuation orders when another round of heavy rain drops on the region Thursday, threatening to bring catastrophic flooding as rivers near historic levels. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: Eagle Grove interim police chief charged with solicitation of a felony. Mark Hennigar, the interim chief of the Eagle Grove Police Department, is facing criminal charges after being arrested by a Garner police officer last week. Hennigar is charged with solicitation of a felony, with court records indicating the charge is related to a domestic incident where Hennigar allegedly told someone to stab another person over the phone. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Look for a deep freeze to move in Saturday night through Monday, followed by a warm up. Snow will be around through the weekend.

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 Local Moving Company

1. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

2. Adamantine Spine Moving

3. The Affordable Movers

See all of the results

Iowa whiskey ranked in world’s top 13

Cedar Ridge’s The Quintessential Special Release Number Five Cask Strength whiskey ranked 13th among the world’s best whiskeys of 2025 ranked by Whisky Advocate. That industry publication is mostly about Scotch, as their spelling of “whisky” indicates. So, this is quite a feather in Cedar Ridge’s cap. It sells for $100. Editor Julia Higgins wrote,

“This is exceptionally dark in color, a virtue of its five finishing casks, which include imported and estate port and madeira, and red wine barrels.” She went on to compare it to 12 different foods, mostly fruits, including “breakfast cereal milk.”

The top 20 ranged in price from $50-$200. Elijah Craig 12-Year 3-Month Old Barrel Proof (Batch A925) became the first rye ever to top Whisky Advocate’s annual rankings. $75.

Deals today
• Chelsea's Courtyard (100 MLK) has buck burgers Thursdays. $1!

• Istanbul Grill Cafe & Bakery (3281 100th St., Urbandale) has a Thursday special of $11.99 for a döner wrap with fries as well as $5 off döner plate which comes with Turkish salad and your choice of rice or bulgur.

• Hot beef sandwiches are a Thursday special at Club 2000.

• Maxie's (1311 Grand Ave., West Des Moines) Thursday special for $20.95 is half a fried chicken with potato, side of spaghetti and a salad. Lunch and dinner.

• Mullets Norwalk offers two two-topping pizzas for $20 on Thursdays, 4 p.m. to close.

• Buzzard Billy's (615 Third St., Des Moines) has $2 off appetizers on Thursdays.

• Whatcha Smokin? (Highway 17, Luther) has a pork belly burnt ends special on Thursdays.

• Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) offers $10 country fried breakfasts and $9 tenderloins or shrimp/fish tacos on Thursdays.

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

• Steak Nights: 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 p.m.

• Mullets has a Thursday pizza special - buy one large specialty pizza and get a free 14-inch 2-topping pizza.

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

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

• 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 has sales on Frenched racks of lamb at $9.99/pound, bone-in USDA choice ribeye roasts at $7.99 (limit one) and USDA choice beef tenderloins at $10.99/pound (limit one), all through Tuesday.

• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) has sales on chuck roasts at $5.99/pound, blueberries or blackberries at $1.99, and value packs of NY strip steaks at $9.99/pound. All through Tuesday.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

Featured in the current issue of CITYVIEW

SOUND CIRCUIT
All about the entertainment factor

By Jackie Wilson

From lounge acts to jazz standards to pop music and Broadway tunes, it’s safe to declare that Gina Gedler is at home singing any genre.

Gedler’s wide vocal range shines across genres, garnering many awards and accolades. This year, the Greater Des Moines Community Jazz Center Hall of Fame honored her with a special recognition award. She has received several Dionysos awards for Best Actress in various lead singing roles. In 2018, she won a Cloris Leachman Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in “Florence Foster Jenkins.” The Des Moines Playhouse inducted her in the 2017 as a Playhouse Performer Legend. ...

Featured home for sale

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More transactions

Featured in the current
issue of Grimes/Dallas Center Living magazine

Smith shares a love of learning
Gives back to the Grimes Public Library

By Lindsey Giardino

Erin Smith started volunteering with the Friends of the Grimes Public Library — where she currently serves as board treasurer — shortly after moving to town two years ago. She was inspired to get involved because the library has been such a wonderful resource for her family.

“My kids are 2 and 4 years old, and they are always going a mile a minute,” she explains. “We were new to town and didn’t really know anyone, so on the weekend when we’d need to get out and about, we’d head to the library.”
Smith found that the programming for kids of all ages is excellent, and the space itself is welcoming to families. ...

Sports headlines

FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Travis Kelce got brutally honest about his costly drop in Chiefs’ loss to Texans. Usually when the Chiefs enter December, they look like one of the most formidable threats in the AFC. This year, they just look broken. Kansas City suffered a bitter 20-10 loss to the Texans last Sunday that sank their playoffs hopes as they dropped to 6-7 on the season. They currently have just a 16% of making the postseason, and even if they win out in their remaining four games, they don't control their destiny and would need a few other things to fall into place. ... READ MORE

FROM ESPN: Audi Crooks leads Iowa State (11-0) past Iowa in ranked matchup. Iowa State center Audi Crooks, the leading scorer in Division I women's basketball, had another huge game Wednesday night as the No. 10 Cyclones stayed undefeated by beating cross-state rival Iowa 74-69 at Hilton Coliseum. ... READ MORE

FROM YAHOO SPORTS: NFL to launch and fund professional flag football league with sport set to join Olympics in 2028. The NFL is gearing up for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. With the event just a few years away, the league voted Wednesday to fund and launch a professional flag football league, the NFL announced. ... READ MORE

1946: UNICEF founded. In the aftermath of World War II, the General Assembly of the United Nations votes to establish the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), an organization to help provide relief and support to children living in countries devastated by the war. ... READ MORE

1973: Gay rights advocate interrupts Walter Cronkite’s news broadcast. On Dec. 11, 1973, gay rights activist Mark Segal interrupts Walter Cronkite’s live broadcast of the “CBS Evening News” in New York City by sitting on Cronkite’s desk with a sign that says “Gays Protest CBS Prejudice.” His objection to the network’s biased coverage of queer people reaches millions of Americans, and helps change Cronkite’s reporting on gay rights.. ... READ MORE

2019: 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg named Time’s Person of the Year. On Dec. 11, 2019, 16-year-old Greta Thunberg is named Time magazine's Person of the Year. The Swedish climate activist became the first Person of the Year to be born in the 21st century and the youngest ever to receive the honor. ... READ MORE

www.history.com

Birthdays and notables

Happy birthday, Dave Mable!

These celebrities were born on this date: Brenda Lee, Hailee Steinfeld, Alexa Demie, Jack Griffo, Nikki Sixx, Rita Moreno, Rider Strong, Jermaine Jackson, Mo'Nique, Devon Witherspoon

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

Morning chuckle

The answer to the last riddle: Which animal can hibernate while standing on its head? YOGA Bear! (Due to email being down, answers from readers were unavailable.)

Today's riddle: Why do bears have a hairy coat?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

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