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Roundabouts proposed for Des Moines' Southwest Ninth Street

Over 500 crashes were reported along the corridor in five years.

News

Des Moines is considering its most significant overhaul of southwest Ninth Street in decades — including two roundabouts and a direct sidewalk connection across the Raccoon River to finally link neighborhoods with downtown.Why it matters: It&#x27;s one of the south side&#x27;s busiest and most crash-prone streets.

Des Moines plans evening golfing at Waveland Golf Course

Musco Lighting could install new lighting equipment to allow evening golfing.

The city of Des Moines wants to install lights on nine holes at Waveland Golf Course to extend playing hours into the evening.Why it matters: The project would open up tee times and generate more revenue, city staff say, though some nearby residents are concerned about light pollution and transparency.

Des Moines might buy adjacent buildings after Odd Fellows deal crumbles

A larger redevelopment package would be more likely to save the buildings, the city says.

The city of Des Moines is seeking to purchase three historic buildings adjacent to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Highland Park&#x27;s Odd Fellows Hall" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2024/08/05/historic-highland-park-building-could-be-saved" data-vars-content-id="05a6aa3d-1ae2-4f99-9496-ec7e4220c11f" data-vars-headline="Des Moines might buy adjacent buildings after Odd Fellows deal crumbles" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2024/08/05/historic-highland-park-building-could-be-saved" target="_self">Highland Park&#x27;s Odd Fellows Hall</a>.Why it matters: An effort to redevelop the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="landmark building" data-vars-click-url="https://www.dsm.city/departments/development_services/economic_development/200_euclid_avenue.php" data-vars-content-id="05a6aa3d-1ae2-4f99-9496-ec7e4220c11f" data-vars-headline="Des Moines might buy adjacent buildings after Odd Fellows deal crumbles" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.dsm.city/departments/development_services/economic_development/200_euclid_avenue.php" target="_blank">landmark building</a> fell through last year.

Report: Research links pesticide use to cancer rates in farm states

Iowa ranks second in cancer rates as researchers examine pesticide exposure.

Health

A growing number of researchers, doctors and farmers say pesticides may be contributing to cancer rates, according to a new investigation by nonprofit <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Investigate Midwest" data-vars-click-url="https://investigatemidwest.org/2026/02/18/pesticide-use-and-cancer-risk-rise-together-across-americas-heartland/" data-vars-content-id="7fe8227a-a58a-4535-a452-93e71306dc5b" data-vars-headline="Report: Research links pesticide use to cancer rates in farm states" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://investigatemidwest.org/2026/02/18/pesticide-use-and-cancer-risk-rise-together-across-americas-heartland/" target="_blank">Investigate Midwest</a>.Why it matters: Iowa has the nation&#x27;s second-highest cancer rate and is a heavy-pesticide state, using 53 million pounds last year, per Investigate Midwest.

New app alerts homeowners to rising indoor heat

Researchers hope to protect vulnerable people as summers get hotter and homes overheat.

Climate

A pilot project led by Iowa State researchers is helping Des Moines residents <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="predict when their homes could become dangerously hot" data-vars-click-url="https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/researchers-pilot-potentially-life-saving-heat-alert-app" data-vars-content-id="e4312957-d1e4-43e3-a019-803f68596a3c" data-vars-headline="New app alerts homeowners to rising indoor heat" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/researchers-pilot-potentially-life-saving-heat-alert-app" target="_blank">predict when their homes could become dangerously hot</a>.Why it matters: Extreme heat is the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="deadliest weather hazard in the U.S" data-vars-click-url="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/extreme-heat-is-the-deadliest-weather-hazard-in-the-u-s-and-its-getting-worse/" data-vars-content-id="e4312957-d1e4-43e3-a019-803f68596a3c" data-vars-headline="New app alerts homeowners to rising indoor heat" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/extreme-heat-is-the-deadliest-weather-hazard-in-the-u-s-and-its-getting-worse/" target="_blank">deadliest weather hazard in the U.S</a>., and residents living in lower-income and aging neighborhoods are most susceptible to it.

Des Moines rolls back its stormwater ordinance

A new Iowa law restricts local government's ability to control water runoff.

Des Moines has rolled back portions of a 2021 ordinance designed to prevent flooding in response to a recent Iowa law restricting a local government&#x27;s ability to regulate construction sites.Why it matters: The ordinance was part of the city&#x27;s efforts to prevent disasters like the ones that have caused <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="billions of dollars in damage" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2024/08/15/flood-insurance-premiums-break-prevention" data-vars-content-id="9702accd-83c0-4dea-942b-73a331608a91" data-vars-headline="Des Moines rolls back its stormwater ordinance" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2024/08/15/flood-insurance-premiums-break-prevention" target="_self">billions of dollars in damage</a> in recent decades.

Iowans' insurance premiums rising due to weather

Extreme weather is leading insurance companies to raise their rates.

Iowans paid an average of $2,416 last year for home insurance — an increase from $2,120 in 2023, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Insurify" data-vars-click-url="https://insurify.com/homeowners-insurance/insights/states-facing-insurance-crisis/" data-vars-content-id="58e73fbe-e450-48dd-9d29-b8af8a9f5856" data-vars-headline="Iowans&#x27; insurance premiums rising due to weather" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://insurify.com/homeowners-insurance/insights/states-facing-insurance-crisis/" target="_blank">Insurify</a>, an insurance shopping and comparison website.Why it matters: While Iowa lacks wildfires and hurricanes, other extreme weather like hail and tornadoes has resulted in some companies dropping out or raising their prices for Iowans.

Iowa lilacs are displaying rare fall blooms

Stressful growing conditions are likely the culprit.

Some metro residents have lilacs in bloom, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a rare phenomenon" data-vars-click-url="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/09/09/confused-minnesota-lilacs-produce-rare-fall-blooms" data-vars-content-id="ee1f97b0-23c2-4dca-b964-c67c8856f455" data-vars-headline="Iowa lilacs are displaying rare fall blooms" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/09/09/confused-minnesota-lilacs-produce-rare-fall-blooms" target="_blank">a rare phenomenon</a> caused by stressful growing conditions like drought.State of play: They are not harmful to the plant, but there will likely be fewer flowers next spring, Arron Steil, a consumer horticulture extension specialist at Iowa State University, wrote in a recent <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="online Q&amp;A" data-vars-click-url="https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/faq/why-my-lilac-blooming-fall-instead-spring#:~:text=These%20spring%2Dblooming%20plants%20set,buds%20are%20triggered%20to%20bloom" data-vars-content-id="ee1f97b0-23c2-4dca-b964-c67c8856f455" data-vars-headline="Iowa lilacs are displaying rare fall blooms" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/faq/why-my-lilac-blooming-fall-instead-spring#:~:text=These%20spring%2Dblooming%20plants%20set,buds%20are%20triggered%20to%20bloom" target="_blank">online Q&amp;A</a>.

The Midwest is flyover country — even for UFO sightings

Culture

The Midwest is used to hearing flyover jokes, but when it comes to unidentified flying objects in the sky, we really seem to be missing out.Driving the news: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Enigma Labs" data-vars-click-url="https://enigmalabs.io/explore/united_states/iowa" data-vars-content-id="f71f6eae-2589-4272-9970-370a9a25d346" data-vars-headline="The Midwest is flyover country — even for UFO sightings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://enigmalabs.io/explore/united_states/iowa" target="_blank">Enigma Labs</a> is a startup that developed an app where users can upload videos of odd sightings in the sky to share with others.

Des Moines offers trees and an online tool to determine best placement

A search by address shows residents where trees will make the biggest environmental impact.

The city of Des Moines is offering discounted trees and providing residents with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="an online tool" data-vars-click-url="https://energysavingtrees.arborday.org/?partnerCode=08139&amp;campaignId=9b441658-6d21-406c-87ef-718c42221b08#Start" data-vars-content-id="413cb29f-592f-488e-9141-d695cef61e53" data-vars-headline="Des Moines offers trees and an online tool to determine best placement" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://energysavingtrees.arborday.org/?partnerCode=08139&amp;campaignId=9b441658-6d21-406c-87ef-718c42221b08#Start" target="_blank">an online tool</a> to help them determine the best place to plant them for maximum environmental impact. State of play: Des Moines is one of over 120 partners in the Arbor Day Foundation&#x27;s Community Canopy program.

National IV shortage hits Iowa after Hurricane Helene damage

Iowa medical providers are implementing emergency conservation efforts.

Iowa medical providers are implementing conservation efforts for critical IV fluids after Hurricane Helene destroyed a North Carolina manufacturing plant that produced <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="most of the nation&#x27;s supply" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/10/01/hurricane-helene-iv-fluid-shortage-health-supply-chain" data-vars-content-id="15fd4cf2-435f-42a6-9168-a32c35895dd9" data-vars-headline="National IV shortage hits Iowa after Hurricane Helene damage" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/10/01/hurricane-helene-iv-fluid-shortage-health-supply-chain" target="_self">most of the nation&#x27;s supply</a>.Why it matters: Medical facilities are already experiencing &quot;substantial shortfalls&quot; of these life-supporting products, American Hospital Association CEO Richard Pollack wrote in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a letter to President Biden" data-vars-click-url="https://www.aha.org/2024-10-07-aha-president-urging-administration-take-immediate-action-address-iv-solution-supply-shortage-result-helene?_cldee=JsknzgqvY0Kg1wnqEc1FsUEWoUHvU8HZc03CIFNH3snXIRdncq-UAWw2xlUr3hkECW16-02RCLxxDpnHsGqbCQ&amp;recipientid=contact-86fecbc43b33eb11a813000d3a1ab78a-c0e262ac0db4414c804fcb30b70cfd51&amp;esid=42742fef-f384-ef11-ac21-0022482f47e4" data-vars-content-id="15fd4cf2-435f-42a6-9168-a32c35895dd9" data-vars-headline="National IV shortage hits Iowa after Hurricane Helene damage" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.aha.org/2024-10-07-aha-president-urging-administration-take-immediate-action-address-iv-solution-supply-shortage-result-helene?_cldee=JsknzgqvY0Kg1wnqEc1FsUEWoUHvU8HZc03CIFNH3snXIRdncq-UAWw2xlUr3hkECW16-02RCLxxDpnHsGqbCQ&amp;recipientid=contact-86fecbc43b33eb11a813000d3a1ab78a-c0e262ac0db4414c804fcb30b70cfd51&amp;esid=42742fef-f384-ef11-ac21-0022482f47e4" target="_blank">a letter to President Biden</a> this week.

Polk County moves forward with restoring "ancestral lake"

Fisher Lake used to be teeming with fish and fowl, but the popular hunting spot has dried up.

Development

In Saylor Township, there are dried-up remnants of a former lake hidden away from the fast-moving traffic alongside Northwest 66th Avenue and Northwest 26th Street.Why it matters: Property owner Steve Klein and several local agencies want to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="restore the wetland" data-vars-click-url="https://restorefisherlake.org/#:~:text=Our%20mission%20is%20to%20restore,and%20far%20into%20the%20future." data-vars-content-id="b2b815b0-130c-4dca-8cd7-2e50c42be573" data-vars-headline="Polk County moves forward with restoring &quot;ancestral lake&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://restorefisherlake.org/#:~:text=Our%20mission%20is%20to%20restore,and%20far%20into%20the%20future." target="_blank">restore the wetland</a> to its former vibrancy and conserve it for wildlife.

The Midwest is billed a climate haven. But its infrastructure needs some work.

Experts say our region still has ample work to do to respond to our local climate change effects.

The Midwest is billed as a &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="climate haven" data-vars-click-url="https://time.com/6319053/go-midwest-young-man/" data-vars-content-id="1d5b2ecd-7d8b-4435-9b2b-abbb4ca159fb" data-vars-headline="The Midwest is billed a climate haven. But its infrastructure needs some work." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://time.com/6319053/go-midwest-young-man/" target="_blank">climate haven</a>&quot; insulated from worsening destructive forces like wildfires and hurricanes — but experts say our region still has<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" ample work to do" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/18/best-worst-states-for-climate-change-extreme-weather" data-vars-content-id="1d5b2ecd-7d8b-4435-9b2b-abbb4ca159fb" data-vars-headline="The Midwest is billed a climate haven. But its infrastructure needs some work." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/18/best-worst-states-for-climate-change-extreme-weather" target="_self"> ample work to do</a> to respond to our local climate change effects.Why it matters: A &quot;hallmark&quot; of how the Midwest is experiencing climate change is a &quot;weather whiplash effect&quot; like our prolonged droughts followed by heavy precipitation.

How to prepare your home for climate change

There are local, state  and federal financial incentives available , like tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act.

We can help our own homes become more resilient to climate change and even get money back for it.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Climate change" data-vars-click-url="https://report.firststreet.org/8th-National-Risk-Assessment-The-Precipitation-Problem.pdf" data-vars-content-id="55b5897b-74cc-48ae-bb35-851139c068c7" data-vars-headline="How to prepare your home for climate change" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://report.firststreet.org/8th-National-Risk-Assessment-The-Precipitation-Problem.pdf" target="_blank">Climate change</a> threatens to make homeownership more expensive, and millions nationwide may see <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="higher insurance rates" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/27/insurance-rates-climate-change-extreme-weather" data-vars-content-id="55b5897b-74cc-48ae-bb35-851139c068c7" data-vars-headline="How to prepare your home for climate change" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/27/insurance-rates-climate-change-extreme-weather" target="_self">higher insurance rates</a> due to the risk of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="extreme weather" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/02/28/extreme-weather-us-snow-tornadoes-heat-fires" data-vars-content-id="55b5897b-74cc-48ae-bb35-851139c068c7" data-vars-headline="How to prepare your home for climate change" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/02/28/extreme-weather-us-snow-tornadoes-heat-fires" target="_self">extreme weather</a>.

Climate 🌿

New app alerts homeowners to rising indoor heat

Des Moines rolls back its stormwater ordinance

Iowans' insurance premiums rising due to weather

Iowa lilacs are displaying rare fall blooms

The Midwest is flyover country — even for UFO sightings