Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Will UnityPoint’s Des Moines nurses win their union after ballot challenges?

And on the Des Moines Patch calendar - Candlelight: Holiday Special Featuring 'The Nutcracker" & More

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Good morning Des Moines! Your connection to what's happening around town is here. Take a sip of coffee and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • Will UnityPoint’s Des Moines nurses win their union after ballot challenges?
  • Why a nationally watched defendant is back in Polk County Jail
  • Who slipped a $4,000 gold coin into a metro red kettle?

Also on today's calendar: Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings and 6 more events.

Find out what's happening in Des Moinesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did the balloon say to the doctor? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Des Moinesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Sunday: Sunny to partly cloudy, with a high of 41 and low of 32 degrees.
  • Monday: Breezy in the morning, temps: high: 51, low: 33.
  • Tuesday: Partial sunshine, with a high of 47 and low of 33 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Union vote outcome for UnityPoint nurses pending resolution of objections (who13.com) — UnityPoint nurses in Des Moines are still waiting for official certification of their recent union vote, as 251 challenged ballots and employer objections delay a final ruling. Preliminary results show a narrow majority favoring Teamsters Local 90, but the National Labor Relations Board must resolve the ballot challenges before nurses know whether they’ll be represented by the union.
   

2. Pieper Lewis in Polk County Jail 18 months after Georgia disappearance (desmoinesregister.com subscription) — A woman whose case drew national attention has turned herself in to Des Moines police and is now being held in the Polk County Jail for an alleged probation violation. Authorities say she previously absconded from a Des Moines transitional facility before being sent to Georgia, and it’s unclear where she has been for the past year and a half. A judge is expected to schedule a bond hearing.
   

3. Rare gold coin found in Des Moines-area red kettle is 'Christmas-season surprise,' Salvation Army says (weareiowa.com) — A mystery donor quietly dropped a one-ounce gold coin, worth about $4,000, into a Salvation Army red kettle at the Urbandale Hy-Vee, boosting the Des Moines chapter’s holiday fundraising. The gift will support local services like food aid, utility assistance, and youth programs as red kettles stay out across the metro through Christmas Eve.
   

4. Look back on Des Moines' Christmas past in these archive photos (desmoinesregister.com subscription) — Step back into nearly a century of Christmas memories from Des Moines, with archival photos of Community Christmas, Inc., neighborhood lighting contests, church pageants, and local charity drives. The gallery also dips into nearby Iowa communities, but keeps Des Moines’ families, streets, and traditions at the heart of the story.
   

5. Des Moines man charged with sexual exploitation of a minor (kcci.com) — A Des Moines resident has been charged after Altoona police say he sent explicit messages and photos to an undercover detective he believed was a 14-year-old girl, and asked to meet at a motel. He now faces multiple counts, including sexual exploitation of a minor, grooming, and disseminating obscene material to a minor.
   

📸 Around Des Moines

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Does anyone know what that huge boom was on the Southside around 5pm?
    Lost power for a second but it’s back I’m on S Union for reference (Nextdoor Fort Des Moines)
  • Hello, I'm looking for a qualified and reasonably priced handyman to do some general maintenance work at my and my daughter's homes.
    I'm hoping he/she will be competent in various indoor and outdoor home maintenance tasks. (Nextdoor Watrous South)
  • Government Jobs posted a job opening for Seasonal Recreation Specialist - Summer Camp in Des Moines. Apply here.
  • Sam's Club posted a job opening for Meat Cutter and Wrapper in Des Moines. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Des Moines here.

Ok Des Moines! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I feel lightheaded!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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