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The Insider Notebook

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NOTEBOOK: Boston botanist helps Brenton Arboretum plan future

Last week the “keeper of the living collections” stopped by the Brenton Arboretum near Dallas Center for a visit with philanthropist and former Brenton Banks exec Buz Brenton, arboretum board chairman Mike Simonson and other …

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NOTEBOOK: Prairie Meadows’ wager on sports betting

Prairie Meadows’ before-its-time wager on sports betting is about to pay off, or so CEO Gary Palmer believes.

Prairie Meadows drew attention over the past couple of years when the casino moved to prepare for …

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NOTEBOOK – One Good Read: Uber, Lyft not solving congestion

There was talk when Uber and Lyft took off that the companies would relieve congestion, but their own research shows they aren’t making much of a dent, Fast Company reports. In six major metro areas, including …

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NOTEBOOK – One Good Read: Cashless stores alienate customers in the name of efficiency

Brands increasingly seek to provide “frictionless” experiences — a sense of ease and efficiency that enables users to engage with them on their terms. However, in a small but growing number of cases, frictionless means …

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NOTEBOOK: Nation’s political writers get pre-caucus science lesson in D.M.

Veteran journalist Rick Weiss has staged boot camps for science journalists as part of his work as director of the nonpartisan, nonprofit SciLine, which offers a free service to journalists to help them find knowledgeable …

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NOTEBOOK – One Good Read: Smart diapers for new-parents-to-be

I’m about three months away from being a first-time dad. So naturally my reading habits have turned to looking for anything that could help make raising a baby go as easily as possible. Including diaper …

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NOTEBOOK – Who’s in the August 2 issue?

Here’s a list of local people in the August 2 issue of the Business Record and the page number of the article in which they are mentioned. Members can read all of this week’s stories …

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NOTEBOOK – Restaurants finding creative ways to attract workers

On a walk this week I noticed a sign announcing a job fair at the soon-to-open Blue Sushi Sake Grill at 316 Court Ave.

I stopped in and asked Fallon Fasanella, general manager, and Sean …

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NOTEBOOK – Largest private donation to House of Mercy extends back to couple’s 1982 gift

MercyOne Foundation President Shannon Cofield told me an interesting story about the former Des Moines couple, Joseph and Dorothy Schuster, whose estate has funded a significant expansion of mental health counseling services for House of …

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NOTEBOOK – Pride Camp teaches LGBTQ youths business skills

I had the opportunity to participate in local nonprofit organization Iowa Safe Schools’ Pride Camp, during which 50 LGBTQ teens from across the state came together July 15-19 for a week of learning and connecting. …