Des Moines Register

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 6:14pm on Saturday, July 25th, 2009

Two staff members at the Des Moines Register have been promoted, editor Carolyn Washburn announced on July 19, 2009:

"Iowans and the Register will enjoy a win-win-win as a result of my announcement last week that Carol Hunter will oversee our political and investigative teams and Linda Lantor Fandel will become editorial page editor. This comes just a couple of weeks after Kathie Obradovich's move to political columnist. If you care about political coverage and substantive coverage of the most significant issues in Iowa, this is a terrific lineup. These journalists are distinguished by years of experience studying complex policy issues and reporting and editing information for communities."

Carol Hunter has been the newspaper's editorial page editor for the last five years.

Linda Fandel has been a reporter and editorial writer for 30 years, at the Des Moines Register since 1986.

Bob Konrardy    Davenport, Iowa

Posted at 11:49am on Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

I first met SPC Dave Behrle from Tipton, Iowa, in March 2007 when I embedded with his unit in Baghdad and handed him the autographed, game winning football from St Ambrose University’s unbeaten 2006 season. Dave’s huge smile made the effort worthy of hand carrying a football from Iowa all the way to Iraq.
Dave and I never had the chance to play catch nor discuss the close games of St. Ambrose’s perfect season. Our times together were short chats between the 24/7 schedule of constant patrolling. As I left Baghdad, I promised to take him to Texas Roadhouse when he returned home and buy the largest steak he could eat.
A month later, I received an email from Dave’s platoon leader explaining how Dave’s Bradley crew saved the life of a little Iraqi toddler. But this unreported story irked me. Why does everything “newsworthy” have to be blood and guts writing?
Then, on 19 May 2007, Dave sacrificed his day off and volunteered to be the turret gunner on an upcoming patrol so his buddies could enjoy some rare free time. Hours later a massive IED tore through the 25 ton Bradley and flipped it on its turret. No one survived.
A few months later Coach Magistrelli at St Ambrose invited my wife and me to visit the campus with Dave’s family and meet the 2007 football team. But the players had an agenda. They wanted the family to see Dave’s initials on their helmets – they dedicated the 2007 season in his memory.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
As I left the football field that November, I shouldered my camera as the St Ambrose players walked to the locker room after their semi-final loss to Sioux Falls. No more scrimmages, no more sideline activities, no more football games, no more pictures. Now players will peel off Dave’s commemorative initials from their helmets. My football distraction from Dave’s tragic death from an IED had run out of downs.
What about the unreported story of Dave’s Bradley crew saving the life of a little Iraqi toddler? Who knew that Dave volunteered to be the turret gunner on that ill fated mission? Did the journey of an autographed football end with the football season?
Through my photographs, notes, and unique perspective, I propose to tell the story of Dave Behrle, the saved little girl, the football and helmets, and my own feelings through a 1,500 word story to commemorate the anniversary of his death on 19 May 2007.