Archive for July 2018
Guest Opinion: What’s age got to do with it?
In the movie “The Intern,” Ben Whittaker, a 70-year-old retired widower, needs something to do with his time that makes use of his experience.
He becomes an intern at a web startup in Brooklyn. Ben, …
A Closer Look: Suzie Pritchett
Spring rolled into summer with Suzie Pritchett “making every life change imaginable.” Her daughter, Viola, was born in late May and, along with partner Joe Moose, the family was planning a big move from Wyoming …
Read MoreNOTEBOOK: Police station another Vatican?
Technicians from the German-based company Kärcher cleaned the Des Moines Police Station with a steam process meant to take some grime off the historic riverfront building. For those of you who don’t know Kärcher, the …
Read MoreNOTEBOOK: DMACC executive supplies added horsepower to Iowa parades
People have gotten used to seeing DMACC President Rob Denson deftly steering one of the community college’s training semitrailer trucks around tight town squares during parades, as we’ve documented in one of our photo issues. …
Read MoreNOTEBOOK: Appreciating what you have
John Twardos, the president and CEO of statewide human services organization Lutheran Services of Iowa, is a seasoned traveler. While working with a Wisconsin company, he was often heading to places outside the U.S. The …
Read MoreNOTEBOOK: Survey: What you don’t know about insurance could hurt you
Being on the insurance beat, I see a lot of press releases — many unsolicited but a few self-inflicted by subscription — detailing survey results about every imaginable aspect of insurance. One that caught my …
Read MoreNOTEBOOK: Walsmith’s guitar diplomacy in China
For Jason Walsmith, his first trip to Beijing was a refreshing people-to-people moment celebrating the U.S. Independence Day with an Iowa State Fair vibe at the U.S. Embassy, where solo renditions of songs from the …
Read MoreNOTEBOOK: Eighty-six plants (all real) find homes at the offices of Tero International
I commented on the 10 plants that beautify the space of Tero President Rowena Crosbie on a recent visit there to the offices and training space.
“Their placement is very intentional,” Crosbie explained by email …
Wellmark: Report shows progress in addressing opioid abuse
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield has the fourth-lowest rate of members who have been diagnosed with opioid-use disorder among Blue Cross Blue Shield companies, according to a new report. Among Wellmark members, 3 in …
Read MoreNatural gas, wind power key factors in decision of early nuclear power plant closure
The drop in cost for natural gas and wind energy to produce electricity was a key factor in the decision to close Iowa’s only nuclear power plant in 2020, five years earlier than projected, Radio Iowa …
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