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Opinion

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The Elbert Files: Elements Ltd. is gem of a store

When Elements Ltd. opened in the Shops at Roosevelt retail center, it was the new store on a block already inhabited by legends that included clothier Bill “I own the store” Reichardt.  

Twenty years …

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The Elbert Files: Fighting fires with ‘magic water’

“Magic water” is what Shawn Mullen calls the fire-suppressing chemical Novec 1230.

To demonstrate, he unscrews a brown bottle and pours several inches of the clear liquid into a large glass jar.

First, he drops …

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The Elbert Files: Danger: Iowa caucuses ahead

“Are you ready for a year of living dangerously?” asked my friend K.C. when I ran into him last week at the downtown library. 

“What makes 2015 so dangerous?” I asked.

“The caucuses,” he said. …

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Afternoon Business Headlines

Russia slashing vodka prices as its economy reels

CNNMoney: The Russian economy is in a tailspin, but hey, its vodka is about to get cheaper! The state agency that regulates the alcohol market said this month that it will …

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The Elbert Files: Make the gas tax a value tax

I came up with an idea recently that seems logical, but which will be difficult to achieve for reasons that have nothing to do with logic. 

Why, I wondered, are fuel taxes based on volume? …

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Guest Opinion: Protecting lakes protects economy

Lakes are a fundamental part of the Iowa experience. They are also an important economic benefit to the state. Clean lakes are an asset for all Iowa businesses in recruiting employees and retaining a healthy, …

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Guest Opinion: Cigarette tax increase could have repercussions for Iowa convenience stores

By Dawn Carlson, president of Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa

 

There are few things more saddening than watching a once-thriving community lose jobs due to a widespread economic decline. That’s what many …

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The Elbert Files: Jordan: Much more than a mall

James C. Jordan is the namesake for more than a dozen West Des Moines landmarks, including a school, a major thoroughfare and Iowa’s largest shopping center, Jordan Creek Town Center. 

Few of us today know …

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Registration open for Women Mean Business Summit

The Central Iowa chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners will hold its sixth annual Women Mean Business Summit on Feb. 27. The summit’s purpose is to help attendees learn how other businesswomen …

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The Elbert Files: Who’s the next city manager?

Des Moines City Manager Rick Clark’s surprise retirement announcement creates an unexpected opportunity for the city. 

Clark has worked for the city for 40 years and done a commendable job as city manager during the …

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