Latest news with #Ankeny
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rain totals near 2 inches in the Des Moines metro. See how much we got last night.
Strong storms swept across western Iowa into the Des Moines metro from Monday, July 7, to early Tuesday, July 8, leaving some areas of the state with more than an inch of rain. The storms moved into northwestern Iowa around 7 p.m. Monday and moved southeast overnight. They were capable of producing small hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph. Des Moines saw 0.87 inches of rain over the capital from midnight to 8 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Just north of Des Moines, Ankeny saw almost 2 inches of rain in the same timeframe. The showers in the metro were accompanied by thunder, lightning and high winds. Farther north, Ames saw just 0.12 inches of rain. Here are the towns in Iowa that had the most rainfall from 8 a.m. Monday, July 7, to 8 a.m. Tuesday, July 8, according to the Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Ankeny: 1.97 inches Osceola: 1.24 inches Atlantic: 1.13 inches Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@ or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How much rain did we get last night? See Iowa's highest rain totals
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Death investigation underway in West Des Moines after body found in vehicle
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Police in West Des Moines are investigating a death after a body was discovered in the parking lot of the Barnes & Noble store Friday morning. Sgt. Dan Wade of the West Des Moines Police Department said officers responded to 4550 University Avenue around 9:00 a.m. after receiving a call about a body in a vehicle. When officers arrived, they found an adult woman deceased in a car. Warren County barn fire claims life of 81-year-old man The cause of death is being investigated. The woman's name has not been released. Sgt. Wade said there's no indication of any threat to the public related to this incident. He also said it doesn't appear there is any indication of criminal activity linked to the death. Death investigation underway in West Des Moines after body found in vehicle Former Ankeny teacher sentenced to prison for sexually exploiting student Iowa-based ice cream sandwich now available at Costco locations across Midwest CIWW enacts ban on lawn watering as nitrate levels climb Brad Edwards joining WHO 13 as a contributor on July 1st Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FTC commissioner talks consolidation, right to repair with Iowa farmers
Federal Trade Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya, right, speaks with Iowa Farmers Union President Aaron Lehman, center, and Josh Manske, left, at an event with IFU members in Ankeny June 7, 2025. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) ANKENY — Iowa Farmers Union members met Saturday with U.S. Federal Trade Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya and explained how consolidation in the agriculture industry has crippled their farming operations and rural communities. Bedoya, who visited with Iowa farmers three years prior, said it was important to come back to the places where 'the scope of the problems that people are facing just hits you in the face.' 'The key question is: what is the undone work,' Bedoya said to the group gathered in a barn at Griffieon Farms outside of Ankeny. Bedoya is visiting with groups around the country while he is involved in a lawsuit against the Trump administration, which fired him from the FTC in March. During his time at FTC, Bedoya and his team sued over the business merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, sued pesticide companies for alleged anticompetitive practices and sued John Deere for the right to repair equipment. After listening to farmers share their stories, Bedoya said 'the scope of the problem' and the 'just how many issues' are facing Iowa farmers is what stood out to him. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Sean Dengler, a former farmer in Tama County, said the 'monopolization' across the machinery and agricultural sector led him to give it up and end five generations of Dengler farming tradition. Last harvest season, an error code on his combine led to a several-days harvest delay waiting for a licensed technician to come out to the farm, diagnose and come back to repair the rig. 'Giving farmers the ability to fix the equipment they bought is their right,' Dengler said. Part of the problem, for repairs and for nearly every aspect related to farming, is that repair shops, dealers, grain elevators, meat lockers and other commodities are fewer and further between. Farmers gave countless examples Saturday of how this spread has hurt not just their ag operations, but their rural communities as well. Josh Manske, an IFU board member and farmer, said farmers no longer shop around for the best fertilizer price, instead they shop 'for transportation.' 'The price is the same no matter where you go,' Manske said, noting the problems with a lack of competition. LaVon Griffieon said she sees the same issue spread to grocery stores across the state. Living where she does just outside of Ankeny, Griffieon said she has access to multiple stores within a 5-10 minute drive, but friends of hers in rural counties must drive in excess of 20 minutes to the closest grocery store, and close to an hour to find a store with organic products. 'It seems like feast or famine,' Griffieon said. Griffieon said the consolidation in the grocery industry makes the margins for an independent grocer are 'even worse than farming.' Jerry Rosman, a farmer and truck driver, said he sees the same issue in the field, but also on the highway. 'The dynamics of what it is might be a little different, but it's just — as things get tighter at the top, at the bottom they just start disappearing,' Rosman said. 'Pull through a little town and you can just see the decline.' Mike Carberry, a board member for Iowa Farmers Union, said agriculture needs the FTC's work 'breaking up the monopolies' of the industry that, he said, have turned Iowa into an 'extractive state.' Bedoya, who listened intently to the farmers, said while he's committed to bringing this type of legal action forward, stopping a merger, as the FTC did with the Kroger and Albertsons case, takes a massive amount of time, people and money. 'The amount of time it takes to stop a merger that has not yet happened is massive,' Bedoya said. 'To undo a merger that has already happened is gargantuan — it is something that kind of happens once in a legal generation.' Bedoya said a similar issue of vertical integration in the pharmaceutical industry has been blocked by legislative efforts in several states. Lawmakers in Iowa passed a bill that would put restrictions on pharmacy benefit managers to prevent them from using specific pharmacies to fill prescriptions. The bill has yet to be signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds. Bedoya, speaking on similar legislation passed in Arkansas, said it 'opened up' an avenue for going after vertical integration, that could be an option to intervene in some of the consolidation issues in agriculture. 'This is going to require both parties, and it's going to require every level of government or every branch, not just, federal prosecutors, but state prosecutors, state legislators, and also federal legislators if they get their act together and pass some bills,' Bedoya said. Bedoya and the other Democratic commissioner, Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, at the FTC were fired by President Donald Trump, but Bedoya alleges the firing was illegal and is fighting in court to stay at FTC. Bedoya said while he might be locked out of the FTC system and without access to his files, he's still doing the work of a commissioner and speaking with rideshare workers, pharmacists, farmers and more to learn about the issues they are facing. 'But no matter what, I will continue doing this work, whether it's at FTC or in a nonprofit,' Bedoya said. In his view, the FTC has started to take up cases that trend more towards political battles, than protecting American consumers. 'The FTC is not for fighting your political fights,' Bedoya said. 'It's for suing the John Deeres of the world. It's for suing the Cortevas and Syngentas of the world that are screwing over farmers and that are making people's lives harder. It's not for political warfare.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Metro pools delay Memorial Day weekend opening due to cool weather
DES MOINES, Iowa — Several metro pools have announced they are postponing their usual Memorial Day weekend opening due to cooler-than-usual temperatures. However, some still plan to offer scheduled weekend activities. Originally set to open this weekend, Adventureland announced that Adventure Bay wouldn't open due to 'unseasonable cooler temperatures' and would instead open on Friday, May 30th. The City of Ames announced that the Furman Aquatic Center would also be delaying their opening. They are planning to open on Wednesday, May 28th. What weather to expect for the Memorial Day weekend The City of Ankeny says both Prairie Ridge and Cascade Falls are now on pause until temperatures warm up, saying temperatures need to reach 68 degrees and up to open doors. They are now planning on opening doors on Tuesday, May 27th. The Clive Aquatic Center also stated that 'chilly forecasted temps' were delaying their original Memorial Day weekend opening. They now plan to open on Saturday, May 31st, with regular hours. Holiday Aquatic Center and Valley View Aquatic Center in West Des Moines are also staying closed over the forecast chilly weekend. West Des Moines Parks and Recreation says they are now planning on opening doors on Saturday, May 31st. However, the American Legion Park Sprayground is still set to open as planned this weekend. The Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department isn't deterred by the forecasted chilly temps. Saturday through Monday Teachout Aquatic Center plans to open for their first aquatic weekend. City of Des Moines says those waiting for warmer weather can still enjoy the May 31st through June 1st pre-season weekend. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Come see the night lit up at Ankeny's new glow-in-the-dark trail
Nights in Ankeny are a bit more colorful now that the city's new "glow trail" is open. Visitors can walk a 425-foot offshoot of the High Trestle Trail that has glow-in-the-dark pavement. The glow trail is part of the first phase of the city's High Trestle Trail Experience Park project, a segment of the bike trail being transformed into an attraction for visitors with public art installations, interactive elements and new amenities. The park is on a section of the trail between West First Street and South Ankeny Boulevard in the Uptown area. The glow trail is located east of Walnut Street on the High Trestle Trail, south of Uptown Ankeny. A master plan called for more art installations and amenities in the coming years as the High Trestle Trail Experience Park is built out. The $1 million first phase also included native plantings, trees and new lighting. The cost included a $20,000 grant from Bravo Greater Des Moines. Details about future phases of the new experience park are to be determined and announced in the years to come. City planning documents in 2024 proposed additional work in 2026 and 2028. City spokesperson Amy Baker said a dedication for the glow trail is planned in June. Phillip Sitter covers the suburbs for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at psitter@ or on X at @pslifeisabeauty. Find out more about him online through the Register's staff directory. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Walk on glow-in-the-dark pavement at Ankeny's High Trestle Trail
