DES MOINES, Iowa– Between staffing shortages and the demand for beds, Polk County hospitals are operating at limited capacity. In non-emergency situations, urgent care can be helpful during nights and weekends, but local medical professionals say that the increase in hospital visitors is partly due to the lack of preventative care during the...
DES MOINES, Iowa -- When it comes to kids, the recent school shooting in Texas and other gun violence events may seem like unspeakable horrors, but mental health experts do say they’re important to address. Local therapists tell us that as kids are processing this tragedy they need to be told by their parents that they [...]
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The adored Victoria-crowned pigeon, Victor, has passed away the Blank Park Zoo shared in a Facebook post. Victor was 45 years young. Zoo goers could find Victor flying around at the Discovery Center free-roaming aviary. His bright blue plumage is said to have fascinated and awed visitors. Victor hatched in 1977 [...]
DES MOINES - The Downtown Farmers' Market is launching a program to help get more minority-owned small businesses to become vendors. The Downtown Farmers' Market Minority-Owned Small Business Incubator program starts Saturday and provides two booths sponsored by Principal and EMC Insurance for minority business owners to use to sell their goods at...
DES MOINES, Iowa – A child endangerment charge has been filed against a Des Moines woman accused of injuring a child at a church daycare where she worked. Daija Dentis, 20, was booked into the Polk County Jail Wednesday afternoon on a charge of child endangerment-bodily injury, a Class D felony. According to online court [...]
POLK COUNTY, Iowa -- It was 2020 at the new Jester Park Nature Center. Those outside found locked doors, but those inside found something more welcome: time. "All of a sudden we were like ‘Hey, let’s look at that someday list,'" says Lewis Major, a naturalist with the Polk County Conservation Board. "You know we [...]
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Governor Kim Reynolds' private school voucher bill failed to see the House debate floor this session; but Iowa Republican lawmakers did pass open enrollment legislation for public schools. In the final budget that was passed in the House and Senate, an amendment was added late in the night Tuesday. House File [...]
WASHINGTON D.C. -- In the wake of the Texas elementary school shooting that claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers Tuesday, Iowa senator Charles Grassley is calling on Congress to pass the Eagles Act. The legislation reauthorizes and expands the National Threat Assessment Center. It would also establish a national program on targeted...
DES MOINES, Iowa - LifeServe Blood Center is doing what it can to help the situation in Texas by sending blood products. LifeServe is part of the Blood Emergency Readiness Corps, also known as BERC. It was created for situations like this one, where blood centers across the nation are on standby to give blood [...]
DES MOINES, Iowa — Downtown Des Moines is preparing for a transformation in the next decade, and city planners hoped to hear from residents to make sure they get it right. The Greater Des Moines Partnership displayed concepts and goals of its 'Future Forward' action plan in the downtown skywalk on Wednesday. The presentation showed [...]
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Polk County hospitals are being forced to operate at limited capacity. According to the Polk County Medical Coordination Center, the demand for patient beds is greater than the number of beds available. Staffing shortages in hospitals across the county are also affecting the amount of patients that can be cared for. [...]
It was 2020--at the new Jester Park Nature Center. Those outside found locked doors, but those *inside found something more welcome: Time. "All of a sudden we were like ‘Hey, let’s look at that someday list'" says Lewis Major, a naturalist with the Polk County Conservation Board. "You know we had all these projects that [...]
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Scams are getting better and better, and they are on the rise. Last year, the FTC reported nearly $550 million were lost to so-called Romance Scams and that’s only what was reported. A lot of victims don’t want to come forward. One woman in Pleasant Hill didn’t shy away from telling [...]
AMES, Iowa — Ames High School's old campus has served the city well for decades, but it's now time for generations of Little Cyclones to say goodbye. The school is set to be demolished as its sparkling new replacement rises next door, so the school district hosted farewell tours for Ames High alumni this weekend. [...]
Cold weather has returned to the state this weekend, and clearing skies overnight combining with lessening winds will leave the perfect set up for frost over Western Iowa tonight into Sunday morning. For those that have finally gotten flower beds and gardens started, cover up those sensitive plants with blankets tonight for areas west of [...]
DES MOINES, Iowa — Travel is starting to rebound across America with warmer weather and the easing on COVID-19 restrictions, which is good news for Iowa's tourism and convention industry. The Iowa Events Center and Hy-Vee Hall will host two large conventions this weekend. The first is Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.'s 50th annual Central [...]
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — The Siemens Gamesa plants in Hutchinson, Kansas, and Fort Madison, Iowa, will be shut down and most employees will be laid off this summer, company officials said Friday. The company, which is based in Spain, said the plants could reopen if market conditions improve, The Hutchinson News reported. The 171 employees [...]
ANKENY, Iowa -- An Iowa high school coach legend has passed away. Dick Rasmussen coached the Ankeny Hawks Softball team for 34 years, winning more than 1,100 games and 12 state titles along the way. WHO 13 Sports Director Keith Murphy confirmed that Rasmussen passed away on Friday. The softball field at Ankeny High School [...]
DES MOINES, Iowa — In Iowa it isn't uncommon for rescue teams to be called out for a rescue. But for many dive team members, it’s a volunteer service. Sometimes the more difficult the rescue conditions more advanced divers are needed. “There’s a heavy current at anytime, recently we’ve had a lot of heavy rains [...]