Welcome back, Monday. If no one RSVP'ed to your party, at least Casey's is releasing personal pan pizzas this Wednesday.

⛅️ Weather: Cloudy with a high of 71 and a low of 56.

🎂 Happy birthday to our member Carol Hendrick!

Today’s newsletter is 801 words — a 3-minute read.

Since her father was deported to Mexico last month, 14-year-old Abigail Lopez has struggled to get through the school day in West Des Moines, Midwest Newsroom reports.

Why it matters: The fear and trauma of losing a parent to deportation can follow children into adulthood, affecting their education, mental health and even physical development, researchers say.

Driving the news: Abigail, a student at Stilwell Junior High, has missed four days of school since immigration officers arrested her father, Juan Lopez, on his way to work in September.

• Lopez, who lived in the U.S. for nearly 40 years, was deported to Mexico, leaving behind seven children and 14 grandchildren, all U.S. citizens.
• Immigration officials say Lopez has a felony record, including aggravated assault with a weapon and burglary, per Midwest Newsroom.
• His family says his deportation has taken an emotional and financial toll, with two of his sons now helping pay the mortgage on the family's Des Moines home.
• Sometimes, Abigail asks her mother to pick her up from school because she's afraid of what could happen to her family next.

The big picture: Beyond the immediate toll on families, University of Iowa researchers previously found that immigration enforcement can affect children even before they're born.

• Following the 2008 immigration raid in Postville, researchers found that Iowa babies born to Latina mothers faced a 24% higher risk of low birth weight compared with the same period a year earlier. No similar increase was found among babies born to white mothers.
• The findings suggest that stress from immigration enforcement can affect entire communities, including families not directly targeted.
• "This is kind of a similar thing as you see after an earthquake or another kind of mass violence, another stressful event," University of Iowa researcher Nicole Novak told the Midwest Newsroom.

Zoom out: More than 200,000 children nationwide have had a parent detained by immigration authorities since President Trump's second term began in January last year, according to estimates from the Brookings Institution.

The bottom line: The Lopez family is adjusting to life without Juan, who spent much of his free time fixing cars in the garage and hosting Saturday cookouts with his children and grandchildren.

• His twin sons, Jonathan and Juan Jr., 25, are now helping pay the mortgage on the family home.
• But his children say the house won't feel like home again until their father returns.

Worthy of your time: Trauma after a parent's deportation could affect Iowa children for decades (Midwest Newsroom)

🗳️ Your Axios Des Moines reporters do the work so you can quickly understand what matters when you head to the polls.

📍 Become a member today and support local journalism this election season.

• Thank you for reading and supporting local election coverage.

Construction of a $5.3 million townhome project along Des Moines' Hubbell Avenue is expected to begin in the coming months.

Why it matters: It will add family-sized housing to a metro facing an affordable housing shortage.

Driving the news: The City Council approved preliminary terms earlier this month for an estimated $221,000 in tax incentives over 20 years for Baker Creek Townhomes, a partnership between Hubbell Realty and Anawim Housing.

• The homes would be constructed near The Crest at Baker Creek apartments in the 4500 block of Hubbell Ave.

Zoom in: The project includes nine two-bedroom and six three-bedroom townhomes.

What's next: The council must approve the final development terms and an amendment to the urban renewal plan.

Eggs are back on the budget menu.

• The average price of a dozen eggs is down nearly $4 from its March 2025 peak of $6.23, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The big picture: Food prices are still rising overall, but shoppers are finally getting some relief on eggs and other grocery staples.

🗳️ Dallas County is facing criticism from Iowa Democrats for cutting early voting options from five satellite locations in 2024 to two this year, each open for one day. (Des Moines Register)

❄️ Snowboarding and skiing will return to Des Moines' Sleepy Hollow next year after $18 million in renovations. (WHO-13)

⛽ Some Des Moines Git-N-Go locations are out of gas and three stores have closed, raising questions about what's next for the chain. (Des Moines Register)

If you haven't planned your Halloween costume yet, maybe these hyper-local options will give you some inspiration.

• From kids on e-motos to the most in-demand person of the year (the Culligan man), there's plenty to poke fun at this year.
• Maybe you want to dress as local baking celebrity Andrew Fuller or perhaps the ultimate couples costume, the American Gothic.

Vote for your favorite here, and we'll share the winner at the end of the week.

🥕 A beggars' night joke:

Q: What's orange and sounds like a parrot?

• A carrot.

Thanks to Delano Massey for editing this newsletter. He came dressed as a red pen.