🌱 The Rice Bowl Closing + DMACC Enters Weld-Off + Local Mom Charged

Rise and shine, Des Moines! It's Tuesday, so let's get you started with everything you need to know going on today in Des Moines.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and warmer. High: 60 Low: 40.

Here are the top three stories in Des Moines today:

1. A beloved restaurant in Des Moines' Beaverdale neighborhood is closing its doors for good. The Rice Bowl Restaurant, located on Beaver Avenue, announced on Facebook it will close after the death of its matriarch, Mee Jane Lee. Staff members said this wasn't an easy decision to make, and thanked the community for dining with The Rice Bowl for the last several years. (KCCI Des Moines)
2. Des Moines Area Community College students will represent the school in the upcoming Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 33 High School Welding Contest. Students from the DMACC Perry VanKirk Career Academy Welding Academy will face off against other area welders on Friday, May 6 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The top two winners will receive a welder, with additional prizes of welding hoods and gear. (theperrynews.com)
3. A Des Moines woman faces child neglect charges after her six-year-old child nearly drowned in a hotel swimming pool. Witnesses to the incident at the AmericInn hotel in Johnston say 27-year-old Makaylah Sharp was distracted by her phone and was not watching her three children while they swam. An unrelated person reportedly rescued the child, who was later taken to an area hospital. According to court documents, Sharp also admitted her children didn't completely know how to swim, but they could not find flotation devices in stock. (KCCI Des Moines)

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Today in Des Moines:

• Volunteer Orientation At Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden (9:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Find your next dream job in the Des Moines area with this week's roundup of local jobs. Visit Patch for all the details. (Des Moines Patch)
• As of Monday evening, Des Moines police are still searching for two missing girls last seen Sunday night in the city's Union Park neighborhood. (Local 5 - weareiowa.com)
• Over the weekend, a West Des Moines resident spotted a large bobcat strolling through their backyard. Click to watch the video footage. (khak.com)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

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• Hire A Pro To Tackle Mom's To-Do List (May 8)
• Taxes in Retirement Seminar on 5/9 & 5/10 (May 9)
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You're all caught up for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.