Problems with people experiencing homelessness have spiraled out of control, officials from two downtown businesses warned the Des Moines City Council this week.

Driving the news: Some people who need assistance the most are not getting help.

• That's leading to DSM becoming a less attractive place to live and do business in, the speakers said.

What they're saying: Camping along streets or sidewalks, panhandling and loitering are increasingly common, managers of Surety Hotel and Exile Brewing reported during an open forum at Monday's council meeting.

• Customers feel unsafe and trash and human waste left at sites is a public health issue, they said.
• The hotel has called the police more than 140 times since it opened in November 2020, Allison Streu, Surety's general manager, told the city council.

What's happening: Some people experiencing homelessness are not fully using assistance programs because of rules that prohibit alcohol or illegal substances in shelters, councilperson Joe Gatto said.

Context: Convenience stores that sell alcohol near homeless service centers play a big role in the problem, Brandon Brown, president of the Downtown DSM Neighborhood Association, told Axios Tuesday.

• There have been at least 417 calls to the Downtown Pantry's address — which is adjacent to the Surety Hotel — since March of 2021, police data shows.
• The QuikTrip, at 14th and Ingersoll near Exile, has had at least 614 calls in that time.

Of note: DSM has wrestled with problems at some of the downtown convenience store sites for years.

• The city tried unsuccessfully to revoke the Pantry's use permit in 2017 because "the conduct of the business has become a nuisance."

The other side: More police enforcement won't resolve the problems, councilperson Indira Sheumaker warned.

• Improving assistance programs and access to them is a better solution, she said.

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The Polk County Health Department fired a nurse who improperly gave monkeypox vaccinations to five people last week, department spokesperson Nola Aigner Davis told Axios Tuesday.

Driving the news: Cheryl Sondall administered the vaccine via an intradermal method, or just below the skin.

• She was supposed to give it subcutaneously, which is between skin and muscle, Aigner Davis said.

• The patients are being revaccinated and are not expected to encounter adverse health effects.

Of note: Sondall was an on-call nurse contracted to help assist with vaccination clinics.

• Efforts to reach her Tuesday were unsuccessful.

What they're saying: Sondall had been trained about monkeypox vaccinations and the department is "very disappointed in the situation," Aigner Davis said.

• Measures are being taken to ensure it doesn't happen again, she said.

Be smart: Side effects of the vaccine are generally minor, including itching where the shot was given.

• But muscle pain, headaches and chills are possible, according to the CDC.

"This is the first nail in the coffin for Valley Junction as we know it."

Valley Junction's commercial district is facing growing pains as new developers make some of the biggest changes the area has seen in recent history.

Zoom in: A recent tension is the opening of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory — an international franchise in an area that's primarily locally owned.

• The shop is opening at 113 5th Street, West Des Moines.

The other side: Earll, who's owned Nan's Nummies for 35 years, said she's not worried about competition.

• But she said the arrival of Valley Junction's "first national chain" signals a major shift away from the area's homegrown feel.

💲Nine Walgreens pharmacies — including multiple metro stores — have been fined or sanctioned for alleged violations including missing narcotics or lack of personnel. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

🏃‍♂️ Waukee residents along the Heart of the Warrior Trail say people are throwing trash and food over their fences, which is hurting their dogs. (KCCI)

🎒 Johnston schools is enforcing a clear bag policy for football games after a student brought a gun to school. (WHO-13)

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Cookies & Dreams, Ankeny's newest cookie shop, is officially opening its doors on Friday and they're giving away free desserts to new customers.

Driving the news: The first 50 customers on Friday will receive a free half-dozen box of cookies.

• And the first 100 customers on Saturday will get a chocolate chip cookie.

State of play: The female-owned cookie shop got its start in Davenport and is quickly expanding across the Midwest, including a Naperville, Ill. location this fall.

Linh's thought bubble: As a Crumbl cookie fan, I was curious if these could stand against them.

• I spent $15 on four Crumbl cookies, while I spent $17.50 on four from Cookies & Dreams.

The verdict: Taste wise, there's no clear winner between the two. They both sell huge cookies that are soft, (kind of pricey) sugar explosions.

• Crumbl has a rotating menu of creative (but limited) choices. Cookies & Dreams has a bigger and more permanent selection. Their Puppychow was my favorite.

Grand opening: 10am-9pm Friday and Saturday; 1345 SW Park Square Drive, Ankeny.