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MercyOne Children's Hospital staff brought Halloween to young patients today by reverse trick-or-treating inside rooms at the hospital, delivering costumes, candy + nonfood items like stickers and Play‑Doh so even infants could join the celebration.

West Bank placed a 37-foot-diameter happy face on the roof of its four-floor headquarters at 3330 Westown Parkway on Oct.

29 to greet air travelers approaching Des Moines International Airport, with the words West Des Moines curving to form the smile.

Pheasant season opens today at 8:30 a.m. and runs through Jan.

10 across the state's pheasant belt. The DNR says surveys show the second-highest bird counts since 2015, but rain and a slow harvest could slow opening-day flushing while possibly extending good hunting into November.

The Italian-American Cultural Center of Iowa opened at the historic Butler Mansion in Des Moines and began offering museum, education, and event space earlier this fall.

The seven-floor property (42,000 sqft) will host rotating exhibits, language and cooking classes, and rentable suites for weddings and Airbnbs.

Microsoft bought more than 600 acres in Woodward for $95 million and said it will cover power costs, limit and replenish water use, and create local jobs; city officials say agreements could take at least 18 months, with construction not expected for at least two years.

The Iowa Clinic sent UnityPoint Health a letter saying it may end their 30-year partnership starting in 2027, citing unresolved contracts, patient care operations, and communication issues, and it says it would prefer to resolve those problems to keep the relationship.

Blank Park Zoo opens a new lion exhibit today that is three times larger than the old habitat, features rocks, grass and a model plane for elevation and shade, and added three lions to support breeding and its Wild Iowa conservation campaign.

A guide published Oct.

28 highlights regional Chinese dishes — from mapo tofu to soup dumplings — and where to try them around Des Moines.