Two Des Moines Police officers are suing city Councilperson Indira Sheumaker and five other people who they say assaulted or interfered with police during a July 1, 2020 protest at the Iowa Capitol.

• The lawsuit, filed last week, was made public Tuesday via Iowa's online court system.

What's happening: Officers Peter Wilson and Jeffrey George allege in the lawsuit that some protesters had plans and took actions that "were nothing short of domestic terrorism."

• They seek an undisclosed amount "to redress wrongs committed against them" during the Capitol incident.

Why it matters: It underscores the unresolved tensions between police and some protesters in local demonstrations that followed the murder of George Floyd by an officer in Minneapolis.

Details: Sheumaker, Clayton Stein, Eva Lewin, Anna Gebhar, Bradley Christopher and Jennifer Erwin were associated with the still unincorporated Des Moines Black Lives Matter movement when the Capitol incident occurred, according to the lawsuit.

• Sheumaker and Stein placed George in a chokehold, according to police reports in cases that resulted in their guilty pleas to assault on a peace officer.
• The others pulled Wilson's hands and arms to prevent him from making an arrest, according to the lawsuit.

The other side: Protesters and some civil rights advocates said law enforcement mishandled the situation.

• Police made the arrests in the "worst way possible" by "grabbing" protesters in the middle of the protest, rather than trying to talk to them, Drake law professor Sally Frank told the AP in 2020.

What they're saying: It's rare for officers to file civil lawsuits against people they've arrested. But Wilson and George want to bring public awareness and accountability to the case, their attorney Mark Hedberg told Axios Tuesday.

• Axios' efforts to reach the defendants and representatives of the Des Moines Black Lives Matter were unsuccessful Tuesday afternoon.

What's next: Hearing dates in the case have not been set.

• Defendants had not filed responses to the lawsuit as of late Tuesday.

Read the lawsuit.

The City of West Des Moines is hoping a grant and loan program offering up to $100,000 to developers and business owners will help upgrade aging buildings in Valley Junction.

Why it matters: Redeveloping some of the more than 100-year-old buildings is meant to sustain existing businesses, while also encouraging new tenants to open shop in the older side of West Des Moines.

• It's been difficult, especially for restaurants and bars, to open up because of the cost to bring the buildings up to code, said Clyde Evans, West Des Moines' economic development director.

Driving the news: Around $600,000 was allocated for commercial businesses in Valley Junction last month to help cover major renovations to dilapidated buildings and aid new construction.

State of play: Some of the planned improvements include a more than $1 million renovation in the building that previously housed The Longest Yard. A new restaurant will take its place.

• Others plans include a new restaurant called "Bix & Co." at 111 5th Street and an Italian steakhouse at 304 5th Street.

The other side: Some residents and existing business owners had expressed concern over some of the redevelopment in Valley Junction, prompting the city to put a moratorium on demolitions, the Register reports.

🙅‍♀️ The Iowa Supreme Court will not rehear a case involving a 24-hour waiting period for abortions in Iowa. Gov. Kim Reynolds requested the hearing after Roe v. Wade was overturned. (Des Moines Register)

🚒 Valley West Inn caught fire ... again. (KCCI)

🌽 Farmers got a late start to planting corn crops this year and July is expected to be a make or break moment for them. (IPR)

The majority of Des Moines' 76 parks have significant litter left behind from Independence Day fireworks, Parks and Recreation Director Ben Page told Axios yesterday.

State of play: Cleanup will take all week.

• Volunteers are being asked to chip in.

Of note: Des Moines Police received 622 fireworks-related complaints between July 1 and Monday, Police Sgt. Paul Parizek told Axios.

• Last year they responded to around 560.
• Residential consumption of fireworks is against the law in DSM and they've caused at least one significant house fire in recent years, Fire marshal Jonathan Lund said in a July 1 video.

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"For most of my life, I thought Iowa was boring. It's the land of cornfields and hog farms. One of the state's only claims to fame is that it's home to the world's largest truck stop (with 900 truck parking spots, 24 private showers, and an onsite chiropractor and dentist)."

• "Yet there were apparently otters. Smart, mischievous, painfully cute, hand-holding otters." — Benji Jones, Vox

Iowa's environmental landscape has forever been changed by agricultural and urban development like much of the U.S.

The otter side: But thanks to conservation efforts and sheer resiliency, there's still surprises from mother nature like the resurgence of North American river otters in the state.

Go deeper: Otters are thriving in … Iowa? (Vox)

Axios Des Moines reader Jon Bond captured this orange sunset following the severe storm that passed over Des Moines last night.

The bottom line: Sometimes cloudy days make gorgeous rays.