Des Moines police and fire crews had to shut down University Avenue Wednesday morning because of a gas leak. 

The leak was at 89 University, just west of the river bridge near Mercy Medical Center and the main Des Moines post office.

Police say the gas leak happened as crews were working on the sidewalk outside an abandoned building.

No word on what cut the gas line but a trenching machine was in front of the building where the leak happened.

The road is now open again.

The troubled Des Moines Charter School was a hot topic at Tuesday night’s school board meeting.

Parents and family members of students came to the meeting to plead with school board members to keep the school, which is facing a budget shortfall of $100,000 and only has 106 enrolled students, open.

Because of that, the school is potentially on the chopping block.

“He’s always struggled with school and I feel the charter school has helped him grow and mature and become his own independent person and I feel if it closes it will be really detrimental to his education,” 17-year-old Rielly Fisher told the school board about her younger brother.

Tuesday night, a committee gave its preliminary findings on staffing, the budget and administration.

District staff hasn’t made formal recommendations yet. The goal is to have a final decision on the charter school’s future by the next school board meeting in June.

Des Moines Park and Recreation is happy to announce the Unwind Series will begin this year on Friday May 18th at the Gray’s Lake Terrace.