The Elbert Files

The Principal Riverwalk and World Food Prize Hall of Laureates, which have dramatically transformed the downtown riverfront are part of a tradition of riverfront improvements that go back more than a century. 

The efforts began …

A news brief in the Wall Street Journal last week was a gut punch.
“Business executives who were bracing for a monthslong disruption from Covid-19 are now thinking in terms of years,” it said. 

“Companies …

Des Moines has gained a reputation in recent years as one of the nation’s most photogenic cities.

And rightfully so.

For the past decade, Des Moines has been represented in publications around the world by …

Earlier this year, I wrote about how George Orwell had warned years ago that political words like “socialism,” “democracy” and “freedom” were losing their meaning. 

Now with protests following the killing of George Floyd and …

Are you ready for more Iowa roadside distractions, like the “world’s small church” built south of Decorah in 1886 by a Frenchman who fought alongside Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo, or  the world’s shortest, steepest scenic …

It’s been a while since I looked closely at the farm economy.

That’s largely because farm finances today are so complicated with so many qualifiers that it is difficult for experts, let alone a nonfarmer, …

Des Moines has a deep scar on its racial psyche from decisions made 60 years ago to route Interstate 235 through the heart of the city’s Black community. 

Wiped out in the process were the …

“Downtown D.M.: Where Is It Heading” was the headline in the Des Moines Tribune 50 years ago on July 6, 1970. The three-part series by reporter Arnold Garson examined problems rooted in the changing lifestyles …

How bad is Iowa’s economy?

It’s a fair question as we emerge from COVID-19 shutdowns that kept many of us at home for months. 

A new Iowa Leading Indicators Index released last week paints an …