Des Moines

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As festivals fill Des Moines streets, restaurants feel the pinch

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

Business

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.

Des Moines City Council approves 15-year golf contract with no public bid

Des Moines did not go to public bid for the management of its three public golf courses.

News

After some Des Moines residents said they felt left in the dark about the decision to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="light Waveland Golf Course" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2026/02/26/des-moines-light-up-waveland-golf-course-evening" data-vars-content-id="e9b187b4-b7b8-4aee-87a6-d1e9768c5b81" data-vars-headline="Des Moines City Council approves 15-year golf contract with no public bid" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2026/02/26/des-moines-light-up-waveland-golf-course-evening" target="_self">light Waveland Golf Course</a>, they are questioning the city&#x27;s choice to enter into a 15-year contract with Des Moines&#x27; longtime golf course management partner without a public bid.Why it matters: The city has not put its golf course management contract out for public bid in nearly 20 years, and the new agreement locks in C Corporation through at least 2040 to manage and generate revenue from Waveland, Blank and Grandview golf courses.

Former Des Moines University campus reborn as DMU32

Kemin Industries is among the new tenants at the medical and nonprofit complex.

The former Des Moines University campus is getting a second life, including a new high-tech medical training and hands-on simulation facility that&#x27;s hosting a public open house Thursday.Why it matters: The former DMU campus — rebranded last year as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="DMU32 Health and Business Complex" data-vars-click-url="https://www.dmu.edu/blog/2025/10/des-moines-university-announces-dmu32-health-and-business-complex/" data-vars-content-id="59203376-b789-45fd-bdaa-6110e6d7d9bd" data-vars-headline="Former Des Moines University campus reborn as DMU32" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.dmu.edu/blog/2025/10/des-moines-university-announces-dmu32-health-and-business-complex/" target="_blank">DMU32 Health and Business Complex</a> — spans about 25 acres and is among the largest redevelopment opportunities in Des Moines.

Des Moines to demolish seven tennis courts

Budget pressures prevent the aging courts from being replaced in three city parks.

Des Moines is removing seven aging tennis courts across three city parks due to budget pressures.Why it matters: Park amenities are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="connected to public health" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2022/08/11/short-staffed-pool-closures-called-crisis-des-moines" data-vars-content-id="6f9c9724-e77e-4e0d-8c2d-0079579b88da" data-vars-headline="Des Moines to demolish seven tennis courts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2022/08/11/short-staffed-pool-closures-called-crisis-des-moines" target="_self">connected to public health</a> and influence how the city ranks in national <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="community reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2022/05/09/des-moines-parks-ranking-parkscore-2022" data-vars-content-id="6f9c9724-e77e-4e0d-8c2d-0079579b88da" data-vars-headline="Des Moines to demolish seven tennis courts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2022/05/09/des-moines-parks-ranking-parkscore-2022" target="_self">community reports</a>.

A new Catholic worship takes root in Des Moines

A 1,000-year-old worship tradition has arrived in Des Moines.

Religion

A new kind of Catholic worship is in Des Moines.State of play: Des Moines now hosts a regular <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Byzantine Catholic Divine Liturgy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.byzantineiowa.org/" data-vars-content-id="ba73183c-90db-438d-b975-37d301ade839" data-vars-headline="A new Catholic worship takes root in Des Moines" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.byzantineiowa.org/" target="_blank">Byzantine Catholic Divine Liturgy</a> — a service rooted in Eastern Catholicism that looks and feels different from the Roman Catholic Mass most people know.

Pew: Fewer Iowans are identifying as Christians

More people are willing to identify as "religiously unaffiliated" in the state.

Fewer Iowans are attending church or identifying as Christian, per new 2023-24 <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Pew Research Center" data-vars-click-url="https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/state/iowa/?selectedYear=2024&amp;activeChartId=3a8f3c134548c747729410b467b526e7&amp;dialogId=ceb6de178408877c807a87240a94cc4c" data-vars-content-id="03566dda-0104-4d39-b686-e3c6a050ea0e" data-vars-headline="Pew: Fewer Iowans are identifying as Christians" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/state/iowa/?selectedYear=2024&amp;activeChartId=3a8f3c134548c747729410b467b526e7&amp;dialogId=ceb6de178408877c807a87240a94cc4c" target="_blank">Pew Research Center</a> data.Why it matters: Religion is a part of a &quot;larger social puzzle&quot; that has historically provided a built-in community, Drake University professor Brad Crowell tells Axios.

Iowa LGBTQ+ pastor to be ordained after Methodist vote

Her ordainment comes a month after the church repealed its longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy.

Rev. Jordan Derhammer Capek of West Des Moines United Methodist Church will be ordained as a full elder on Sunday.Why it matters: She&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="openly gay" data-vars-click-url="https://wdmumc.org/leadership/#:~:text=Reverend%20Jordan%20Derhammer%20Capek" data-vars-content-id="1787bf93-ce85-4205-b0e4-0d2b49d37d4e" data-vars-headline="Iowa LGBTQ+ pastor to be ordained after Methodist vote" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://wdmumc.org/leadership/#:~:text=Reverend%20Jordan%20Derhammer%20Capek" target="_blank">openly gay</a>, and her ordination comes a month after the church repealed its longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy.