Good morning, Des Moines.

Trashed Panda, a raccoon found asleep in a dumpster at Exile Brewing Co. on Sept.

14 at Walnut St., was healthy and is set to return to the wild after animal services removed it — the incident has attracted online attention and prompted a drink discount.

Gas prices in Iowa are nearing their record high as of Sept.

17, with the state averaging $4.36 (40 cents below its $4.76 record set in 2022) amid supply issues; some areas, like Iowa County (reporting $3.98), see lower costs.

Mercy Health Sciences University (formerly Mercy College of Health Sciences) is building a new 23,700 sqft nursing school at the corner of Seventh and Crocker streets downtown that will include classrooms, skills labs, and student commons; the facility is set to open mid-March with enrollment expected to grow 30% within three years.

Recent storms eased drought across Iowa as the Drought Monitor report (as of 8 a.m. Sept.

15) showed only 14% of the state in drought or abnormal dryness—a 12 percentage point drop from last week. Des Moines saw nearly 3 inches of rain, improving local conditions.

Labor lawyer Nate Willems, a candidate for Attorney General, said he will start a Wage Theft Enforcement Unit if elected to enforce existing wage laws that now allow up to $900 million in workers' pay to be stolen each year.

His plan aims to target wage theft and worker misclassification.

New Functional Fitness Class at DM Yoga and Wellness

This FUNctional fitness class will increase your strength for everyday living!!