Latest news with #VarsityCinema
Axios
6 days ago
- Business
- Axios
New film unpacks massive lotto con
A new documentary detailing a national lottery fraud case premieres online for free Tuesday, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how the investigation unfolded in Iowa. Why it matters: Americans spend billions of dollars on tickets every year and maintaining the integrity of the lottery system helps ensure they have a fair chance of winning. "Jackpot: America's Biggest Lotto Scam" highlights a case that revealed significant vulnerabilities in lottery systems across the country. Flashback: Eddie Tipton had used self-deleting software for years, starting around 2005, to hijack multiple state lotteries during his tenure as head of IT security at the Multi-State Lottery Association in Urbandale. The scheme started to unravel in 2010 when he was captured on video purchasing a winning $16.5 million ticket at a Des Moines convenience store. He ultimately did about five years of prison time. The intrigue: An Iowa law that requires winners to identify themselves and claim jackpots in person derailed Tipton's plan, former Gov. Terry Branstad noted after watching the film at a special watch party at the Varsity Cinema on Monday.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Varsity Cinema seeks community support after Trump administration eliminates NEA grants
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Varsity Cinema is reaching out to the community for help after the Trump administration announced it would cut funding to the National Endowment for the Arts grants, an independent federal agency that funds, promotes, and strengthens community arts initiatives. Annually, the Varsity Cinema received $20,000 from NEA grants, and used the money to create programming for the local community to enjoy. 'For us that [money] represents two percent of our yearly budget, and those are funds that really go towards our community partnership programming, our special events where we might do things like have a filmmaker in person and events with local filmmakers, etc. It's that kind of support that allows us to do those kinds of things,' said Ben Godar, Executive Director of The Varsity Cinema and Des Moines Film. Experience the 'dark side of the bloom' when corpse flower named Stink Floyd blooms at Reiman Gardens Now, without the money, the cinema is looking for the community's help in making up the lost funds. The cinema created an online fundraiser where community members can donate to help the future of community events for the space. 'In reaching out to our audience, we're reaching out to, in many cases folks who could already be members, they could already be donors or maybe they're just someone who likes to come and see films here. And we're just saying hey, if you like what we're doing, if you like the community partnership events, special events, these kind of things that are supported by this contributed revenue, please consider making a contribution here to help us make up that deficit and continuing the programming as expected,' said Godar. The Varsity Cinema has a long history in the Drake neighborhood. It originally opened in 1938, and recently underwent a massive $5 million renovation and reopened its doors in 2022. Recently, Des Moines Film, who owns and operated the cinema, purchased the building beside it for future expansions. Now, with cuts to their yearly budget, Godar says all arts groups will feel the effect. 'I think it's going to hurt no matter who it is. This isn't a situation where the federal government said they were changing the parameters for this down the road. These are existing grants that have been awarded that are being terminated. So, that really puts organizations like us behind the 8-Ball,' said Godar. Metro News: Varsity Cinema seeks community support after Trump administration eliminates NEA grants Johnston man jailed for driving drunk with 3 kids in van, police say Local letter carriers protest Trump's privatization plan for postal service Ramp closures on I-35/80 at Hickman, Douglas begin Monday Clive Public Library closing till June, Harbach picking up hours Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
01-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
New documentary focuses on Iowa's coal plants
A short documentary focusing on the public health and environmental impacts of MidAmerican Energy's five Iowa coal plants premieres Wednesday at Varsity Cinema. Why it matters:" Iowa's Dirty Secret: The True Cost of Burning Coal" features testimony from residents, doctors and climate advocates, potentially shedding more light on a recent Reuters investigation that ranked the company among the dirtiest in the U.S. Zoom in: Wednesday's event is sponsored by multiple environmental groups, including the Iowa Environmental Council, which has advocated for years for closing the plants. The other side: The Reuters story blamed the plant for Omaha's 2023 summer air quality issues without accounting for broader pollution factors, including massive Canadian wildfires at the time, MidAmerican spokesperson Geoff Greenwood tells Axios. retire its coal plants by 2049, he said.
