Iowa Health – Des Moines announced that Ken Cheyne, an adolescent medicine specialist, has been named the interim medical director for Blank Children’s Hospital, where he will be responsible for the day-to-day clinical operations. Steve Stephenson, former medical director at Blank’s and current chief operating officer and executive vice president at Iowa Health, will continue to provide administrative leadership for the hospital until a search for a new COO is complete.

Operation Downtown, the Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department and the Downtown Community Alliance will host the Earth Day Trash Bash, a downtown cleanup event, on April 22 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed to clear away litter and businesses are encouraged to form teams to compete in the Trash Bash Corporate Challenge. Prizes will be awarded for the most unusual item found and the largest percentage of employee participation. Trash collecting supplies will be provided for all volunteers. For more information, call Callie Le’au Courtright at (515) 248-6380.

Winefest Des Moines will host its Gala Auction on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at the Hy-Vee Conference Center in West Des Moines. The gala will auction an exclusive evening with one of the participants of the popular television show “Top Chef New York.” A champagne reception and silent auction will start the event, followed by a live auction which will include the Top Chef celebrity dinner that will be held in the fall at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. Gala tickets cost $250 per person and may be purchased online at www.winefestdesmoines.com or by calling (515) 244-0520.

MMC Precision Holdings, a supplier for Caterpillar Inc. and Deere & Co., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is seeking a buyer for the business, according to court documents, Reuters reported. The manufacturer of engineered metal products said its sales have decreased by a third during the past year, forcing the company and five subsidiaries to seek court protection from creditors. MMC has debts of $100 million to $500 million and assets of $50 million to $100 million, according to court documents. The company said it had not made quarterly interest payments on some of its debt since 2007.

General Growth Properties Inc., owner of Jordan Creek Town Center, announced today that its Rouse Co. LP subsidiary would extend the deadline to reach an agreement that could allow General Growth to skip payments on more than $2 billion of debt. The mall owner has $1.18 billion of past-due debt and an additional $4.09 billion of debt that could be accelerated by its lenders. The company could extend the expiration date for its consent solicitation to March 27.

U.S. banks posted net losses of $32.1 billion during the fourth quarter of 2008, according to revised figures released by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The FDIC previously reported that banks had posted losses of $26.2 billion in the fourth quarter, but said the new figures reflect “significant amendments” the agency received shortly after its original estimates were released, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reported. Net income for all of 2008 was revised down from $16.1 billion to $10.2 billion. Banks made $575 million in the fourth quarter of 2007.