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After cyclists fight back, city councils rethink biking ordinances

Their city councils are considering new proposals following critiques from the cycling community.

News

Two Des Moines metro cities are revising proposed e-bike ordinances after pushback from local cyclists.Why it matters: Clive and Waukee city leaders say they want to limit the reckless use of high-powered electric devices, but cycling advocates say their proposals would also restrict where regular cyclists could go.

Iowa retailers say D.C. law fuels unfair shakedowns

Small businesses say private enforcement has created a settlement machine that they can't afford to challenge.

Two Des Moines retailers say a D.C. law firm and a nonprofit are using consumer protection laws to squeeze thousands of dollars from businesses over online sale prices.Why it matters: Consumer protection laws are meant to prevent deceptive pricing, but Iowa retailers say private enforcement has created a settlement machine that small businesses can&#x27;t afford to challenge.

Here's how Steelers pick and Iowa Hawkeye Gennings Dunker starts his day

The offensive lineman played for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Gennings Dunker, the Iowa Hawkeye offensive lineman drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, is definitely a morning person.<ul><li>&quot;Naturally with football and early workouts you need to start your day early to make the most of it,&quot; he tells Axios.</li></ul>

Polk County Conservation considers new ATV park

PCC's executive director says the new park could help expand outdoor recreation without tapping into taxpayer dollars.

Polk County Conservation (PCC) is considering building a new park for all-terrain and off-road vehicles east of Pleasant Hill.Why it matters: PCC executive director Rich Leopold says the new park could be an opportunity to expand outdoor recreation without tapping into taxpayer dollars, though some board members have questioned the impact on local wildlife.

Casey's grew a lot, including its gas profit margins

The company posted record profits as it continues to build and acquire new stores.

Casey&#x27;s posted record profits in its last fiscal year, fueled by surging gas margins and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="strong in-store sales" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2021/06/10/gas-station-pizza-iowa-pandemic-recovery" data-vars-content-id="274ae4d8-e54f-4fa7-939c-deb6b1597c89" data-vars-headline="Casey&#x27;s grew a lot, including its gas profit margins" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2021/06/10/gas-station-pizza-iowa-pandemic-recovery" target="_self">strong in-store sales</a>, leaders shared during an earnings call this week.Why it matters: Gas stations are the great equalizers in our society, and purchasing habits at Casey&#x27;s can reflect how Iowans are doing in general.

Flood fixes lead to a George Flagg Parkway comeback

A $2 million office and warehouse-style building is the latest proposal.

Business

New developments are in the works along George Flagg Parkway — where projects had been blocked by persistent flooding — including an expansion of Jasper Winery and a proposed $2 million &quot;flex office&quot; building.Why it matters:<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" Des Moines has spent tens of millions" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2024/03/22/flood-resiliency-desmoines-insurance-federal-iowa" data-vars-content-id="869b41e0-be42-476f-8878-f74ec091e087" data-vars-headline="Flood fixes lead to a George Flagg Parkway comeback" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2024/03/22/flood-resiliency-desmoines-insurance-federal-iowa" target="_self"> Des Moines has spent tens of millions</a> of dollars in recent years to improve its levees, prompting federal flood officials to lift restrictions on property buyouts.

Oakridge is planning a $15M+ Cynergy project

Project organizers aim to break ground as early as next year.

Oakridge Neighborhood is advancing a $15 million-plus project to bring larger affordable housing units and a wellness-focused commercial hub to a long-vacant site in downtown Des Moines.Why it matters: The project targets<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" a persistent gap" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2025/10/27/des-moines-affordable-housing-shortage" data-vars-content-id="16e004ea-71a3-45fa-a078-f78847567118" data-vars-headline="Oakridge is planning a $15M+ Cynergy project" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2025/10/27/des-moines-affordable-housing-shortage" target="_self"> a persistent gap</a> in the supply of three- and four-bedroom affordable units, especially for working families who spend a large share of their income on rent, Oakridge CEO Deidre DeJear tells Axios.

Iowa farmers face some of their toughest times since 1980s crisis

The president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association predicts fewer farmers in the next year.

Falling crop prices and stubbornly high costs are squeezing Iowa farmers, with some warning that the strain rivals the 1980s farm crisis.Why it matters: The downturn is hitting a cornerstone of the U.S. food supply — with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ripple effects" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/06/iran-war-food-inflation-oil" data-vars-content-id="1a44a1c7-bf10-4815-be7c-f70c11b45241" data-vars-headline="Iowa farmers face some of their toughest times since 1980s crisis" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/06/iran-war-food-inflation-oil" target="_self">ripple effects</a> for rural communities and consumers.

Beaverdale Books is expanding

The long-established local bookstore is expanding into the space next door.

Beaverdale Books is turning 20 this year, and it&#x27;s celebrating in a big way by expanding the shop.Why it matters: While fewer people say <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="they read for fun" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/well/reading-pleasure-decline-study.html" data-vars-content-id="bff70eef-7e2b-4341-a46f-ae764770698e" data-vars-headline="Beaverdale Books is expanding" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/well/reading-pleasure-decline-study.html" target="_blank">they read for fun</a>, those who are reading are turning more toward local shops for live events and camaraderie over their latest fandoms.

Iowa small businesses feel tariff squeeze

Shop owners say thin margins make tariff swings hard to absorb.

Iowa business owners say they started feeling the pain of tariffs last year, and this year&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Supreme Court ruling" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/20/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-illegal" data-vars-content-id="3a7ac880-de0c-4a87-a12c-3cd6ef6e8235" data-vars-headline="Iowa small businesses feel tariff squeeze" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/20/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-illegal" target="_self">Supreme Court ruling</a> hasn&#x27;t brought any clarity for the future.Why it matters: Small business owners say their profit margins are too small to absorb tariff-related price shocks, making planning for the future difficult.

Casey's CEO says oil volatility isn't hurting demand

Retail gas rose 30 cents, but prices remain in the low $3 range.

Casey&#x27;s CEO Darren Rebelez isn&#x27;t too worried about the recent oil market volatility tied to Iran, noting the company has weathered similar challenges before, and usually comes out ahead.The big picture: Casey&#x27;s retail fuel prices jumped roughly 30 cents per gallon following recent geopolitical events, but they are still sitting in the low $3 range, which Rebelez noted is 30 cents below where prices stood when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

These 3 Valley Junction businesses are expanding

Despite tariffs and economic uncertainties facing Valley Junction business owners, several shops are expanding.

Despite tariffs and economic uncertainties facing Valley Junction business owners, several shops are expanding their footprint and adding new features to their storefronts.The big picture: At least three businesses are expanding right now, and another, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tulip Bloom Boutique" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573818149247" data-vars-content-id="abb7ccb7-680e-4148-a6a7-a6f92c0f4c6a" data-vars-headline="These 3 Valley Junction businesses are expanding" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573818149247" target="_blank">Tulip Bloom Boutique</a>, already doubled its footprint earlier this year.🌮 <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="La Michoacána Mexican Groceries" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/LaMichoacanaMGroceries?__cft__[0]=AZbVHtb9s3XA3jIruMyQzhQU5QDH3ImzjNtcQNP5NNZOnC_WR18Bovl0BI2WPEnObr9hTxX4mOWhc829MtT5krdlUMDSMrt8ZQfffadiZZPcSCPCG7M_NusoGSQcga4rPp17H-WVTpILHJpLwt0CWcxyHK2kvvUyL-VGt4496IADC6jKsrmzIOk81MuHzPlcrIseoxiKQb9py7zdP2HTbulfnHYTBXlTIIz1Ill01UcbY2vHCVThn3lf4DmI7Jiy2nY&amp;__tn__=-UC%2CP-R" data-vars-content-id="abb7ccb7-680e-4148-a6a7-a6f92c0f4c6a" data-vars-headline="These 3 Valley Junction businesses are expanding" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/LaMichoacanaMGroceries?__cft__[0]=AZbVHtb9s3XA3jIruMyQzhQU5QDH3ImzjNtcQNP5NNZOnC_WR18Bovl0BI2WPEnObr9hTxX4mOWhc829MtT5krdlUMDSMrt8ZQfffadiZZPcSCPCG7M_NusoGSQcga4rPp17H-WVTpILHJpLwt0CWcxyHK2kvvUyL-VGt4496IADC6jKsrmzIOk81MuHzPlcrIseoxiKQb9py7zdP2HTbulfnHYTBXlTIIz1Ill01UcbY2vHCVThn3lf4DmI7Jiy2nY&amp;__tn__=-UC%2CP-R" target="_blank">La Michoacána Mexican Groceries</a> — The longtime popular grocery store and restaurant is building an addition in the back and expanding its kitchen to offer more foods and seating for customers, says Andres Castro, whose family owns the store.<ul><li>The 21-year-old shop is getting a major expansion, adding 1,708 square feet to its current 988-square-foot space.</li><li>The menu will grow too, with more breakfast items among the additions, Castro says.</li><li>&quot;We love the whole street. Just the whole vibe about it,&quot; he says. &quot;We lived here all our lives, my whole family.&quot;</li></ul><figure><img alt="Shop window of Five Monkeys Inc art studio with neon sign shaped like a yellow palette and text, displaying ceramic pieces and a rainbow heart decoration inside." height="3024" id="9d36a1ab-8eec-4480-96e0-466e3e478c22" src="https://images.axios.com/uydP-MrRmfBBCcbr1zCSt8J_6Ks=/2026/03/09/1773017029497.jpeg" width="4032" srcset="https://images.axios.com/1izT2uqiQJE9SdstqWzIdFijxOw=/0x0:4032x3024/1920x1440/2026/03/09/1773017029497.jpeg?w=1920 1920w, https://images.axios.com/oQTQZ8x2FgV3FgzNmqkag0A7ruc=/0x0:4032x3024/1600x1200/2026/03/09/1773017029497.jpeg?w=1600 1600w, https://images.axios.com/77GzVnSbFKAlb8nNk0t7UkkRJyc=/0x0:4032x3024/1366x1024/2026/03/09/1773017029497.jpeg?w=1366 1366w, https://images.axios.com/da9rjp5oKCR2cvgYTeu6KW6auUM=/0x0:4032x3024/1024x768/2026/03/09/1773017029497.jpeg?w=1024 1024w, https://images.axios.com/hElTptq8ykoSQAEa6VH2h6bBaQc=/0x0:4032x3024/768x576/2026/03/09/1773017029497.jpeg?w=768 768w, https://images.axios.com/zuuHz0H6CzLj4IEnAcsQNv1Ac8Y=/0x0:4032x3024/640x480/2026/03/09/1773017029497.jpeg?w=640 640w, https://images.axios.com/5TTz-p4rN2edTzdJln_8I17wHSI=/0x0:4032x3024/320x240/2026/03/09/1773017029497.jpeg?w=320 320w"/><figcaption>Five Monkeys Inc. storefront. Photo: Linh Ta/Axios</figcaption></figure>🎨 Five Monkeys Inc. — The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="paint-your-own pottery studio" data-vars-click-url="https://www.fivemonkeysinc.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorhPba6ohsTM2GcOLelXOtq7I4sHI2PakQwvAmXcuvjrwD6KxKG" data-vars-content-id="abb7ccb7-680e-4148-a6a7-a6f92c0f4c6a" data-vars-headline="These 3 Valley Junction businesses are expanding" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.fivemonkeysinc.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorhPba6ohsTM2GcOLelXOtq7I4sHI2PakQwvAmXcuvjrwD6KxKG" target="_blank">paint-your-own pottery studio</a> already doubled its space in 2024, but owner Dina Bechman is ready to grow even more with the opening of a fused glass studio.<ul><li>Bechman, who enjoys creating her <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="own fused glass projects" data-vars-click-url="https://moltenworksglass.com/what-the-heck-is-glass-fusing" data-vars-content-id="abb7ccb7-680e-4148-a6a7-a6f92c0f4c6a" data-vars-headline="These 3 Valley Junction businesses are expanding" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://moltenworksglass.com/what-the-heck-is-glass-fusing" target="_blank">own fused glass projects</a>, is expanding into the former Quill &amp; Nib store next door.</li><li>While Bechman&#x27;s pottery studio attracts a lot of newcomers and special occasion visits, she wants the glass studio to be a hangout space for creatives to learn from each other.</li><li>When it opens, she will operate almost 5,000 square feet. An open house for the new studio is March 22.</li></ul>🥩 BW Outdoors — When Marshall Porter and his business partner, Mike Busch, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="opened BW Outdoors" data-vars-click-url="https://www.getbwoutdoors.com/" data-vars-content-id="abb7ccb7-680e-4148-a6a7-a6f92c0f4c6a" data-vars-headline="These 3 Valley Junction businesses are expanding" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.getbwoutdoors.com/" target="_blank">opened BW Outdoors</a> over two years ago, there wasn&#x27;t a place in Des Moines where someone passionate about outdoor cooking could walk in and get expertise.<ul><li>Now, after operating out of a 1,000-square-foot space, the store is expanding and moving next door into a larger shop at 509 and 511 Elm St.</li><li>With the expanded space, one side will be dedicated to barbecue supply and the other to outdoor kitchens and patios, where they&#x27;ll help customers build out their kitchens, including countertops, storage and infrared heaters.</li><li>A customer appreciation event in the new space is planned for May 1.</li></ul>

As festivals fill Des Moines streets, restaurants feel the pinch

One restaurant owner says he loses five figures in weekend sales when streets close.

Frequent weekend street closures for downtown Des Moines festivals cut into nearby restaurants&#x27; most profitable hours and are worsening <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="an already difficult time" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2026/02/06/des-moines-restaurants-closing-fast-economy" data-vars-content-id="e1f43d6c-d3f7-49f8-b853-b092b9023bc3" data-vars-headline="As festivals fill Des Moines streets, restaurants feel the pinch" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2026/02/06/des-moines-restaurants-closing-fast-economy" target="_self">an already difficult time</a> for table-service spots, managers of several businesses tell Axios.Why it matters: Festivals are meant to boost downtown vitality and foot traffic, but if that activity doesn&#x27;t translate into restaurant sales, the city could be trading year-round businesses for occasional events.

Downtown's Davidson Bros. building to be restored

The $7.4 million project is expected to be finished next year.

A $7.4 million renovation of the Davidson Bros. Company Warehouse and Manufacturing Building in downtown Des Moines is expected to begin in the coming months, developer Jeff Stanbrough tells Axios.Why it matters: The nearly 125-year-old building is one of the remaining anchors in the former industrial district, according to documents that helped lead to its recent addition to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="National Register of Historic Places" data-vars-click-url="https://cms2.revize.com/revize/desmoines/011724%20Staff%20Report%20Packet.pdf#page=10" data-vars-content-id="d93aef9c-ce4e-4cbb-adc2-d0230bd1c7d8" data-vars-headline="Downtown&#x27;s Davidson Bros. building to be restored" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://cms2.revize.com/revize/desmoines/011724%20Staff%20Report%20Packet.pdf#page=10" target="_blank">National Register of Historic Places</a>.

Business 🏦

Casey's grew a lot, including its gas profit margins

Flood fixes lead to a George Flagg Parkway comeback

Oakridge is planning a $15M+ Cynergy project

Iowa farmers face some of their toughest times since 1980s crisis

Beaverdale Books is expanding