FROM KCCI: Report reveals black mold in Dallas County EMS building. ADEL, Iowa — A new report found black mold in the Dallas County EMS building in Adel. The report, which was conducted by Mold Inspection and Testing, found black mold along the walls and baseboards in the laundry room of the facility. Other mold was found on the back of a TV. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: East High baseball coach remembers one of his star players, Santiago Rhone, ahead of vigil. DES MOINES, Iowa — A motorcyclist who police say Charges filed against motorcyclist in crash that killed Des Moines teenis facing charges. Kaelin Meinders, 23, is charged with driving while barred, driving without insurance, and reckless driving. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says that Meinders hit and killed 15-year-old Santiago Rhone, a sophomore at East High School.  ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Mike Klimesh elected new Iowa Senate majority leader after Jack Whitver steps down. DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Senate Republicans elected Sen. Mike Klimesh as their new majority leader on Wednesday.
Klimesh, R-Spillville, is succeeding Jack Whitver, who announced last week he would step down from the seat.  ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD:  Colombia's president calls US attacks on alleged drug boats 'act of tyranny' ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: What we know about the Dallas ICE facility shooter.   ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: ARL assists in rescue of more than 100 dogs from northwestern Iowa property  ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Dry conditions and a warming trend ahead.

For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage.

The summer fruits season in review. Overall, prices continued their five-year rise in Des Moines. Cherries were the exception with bargain prices and bumper crops mostly due to dryer than usual harvest weather in the Pacific Northwest. Table grapes were the best in our memory this year with new, larger hybrids of greens starring. Stone fruits like nectarines, plums, apricots and their many hybrids had a pricey year mainly because of out-of-control rodent populations in California's Central Valley. Melons had a good season both in quality and price. Kudos to Fresh Thyme for their extraordinary array of exotic melons and to Price Chopper and Aldi for the lowest overall fruit prices of the season. 

Iowa Restaurant Association announced 2025's "40 Women to Watch in Hospitality" honorees. Local honorees included: Amanda Hollinger, White Willow / Willow on Grand; Amanda Riordan, Aramark at Grand View University; Anna Lam, Good Day Macrons & More, Ankeny; Becky Klisares, LaValle Hospitality; Beth Romer, Choose Iowa; Blair Zachariasen, Wall to Wall Wine and Spirits, West Des Moines; Brooke Avila, Iowa Distilling Company, Cumming; Cassandra Spence, Culinary Annex, West Des Moines; Dee Schuck, Main Street Café & Bakery, Ankeny; Dionne Sama, Palms DSM; Giovanna Rodriguez, Iowa Latino Hospitality Council; Jill Roling, Iowa-Des Moines Supply/Baker Paper & Supply; Kara Kelso, The Slow Down Coffee Co.; Kellie Soper, Roots 95 / Flame Group; Kristy Maras, The Des Moines Embassy Club; Madeline Krantz, New World Kitchen; Mary Earnhardt, Iowa Gaming Association; Mary Schott, ISU Dining, Iowa State University; Natalie Carroll, Over The Top Ice Cream, Pleasant Hill; Susan Stapleton, The Des Moines Register; and Trang Pham, The Eggroll Ladies.

Thursday deals
• United Airlines "deals of the week" for Des Moines are $209 roundtrip flights to Houston (outbound on Dec. 13) and $290 to LAX (on Dec. 9). 

• Aldi has a sale through Tuesday on pumpkins at $3.99, Gala apples at $1.99/3-pound bag, and caramel apples at $2.99/3 pack. 

• Price Choppers have sales on red grapes at $1.49/pound, 5-pound bags of red or gold potatoes at $1.99 and frozen catfish nuggets at $1.49/pound through Monday.

• Mullets Norwalk offers two 2-topping pizzas for $20 on Thursdays, 4 p.m. to close.

• Buzzard Billy's (615 Third St., Des Moines) has $2 off appetizers on Thursdays.

• Hy-Vee Market Grilles are running a breakfast special Monday through Friday, order one and get second half priced.

• Whatch Smokin? (Highway 17, Luther) has a pork belly burnt ends special on Thursdays.

• Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) offers $10 country fried breakfasts and $9 tenderloins or shrimp/fish tacos on Thursdays.

• Ruth's Chris (Ashworth Road at Jordan Creek Parkway) has a Thursday special with their decadent RBAR burgers and fries going for $16.

• Steaks: Sirloin steak dinners are featured specials today at Johnny's Italian Steakhouses (before 4 p.m.), Sully's Irish Pub (860 First St., West Des Moines); Front Row (9956 Swanson Blvd., Clive); Winn’s Pizza and Steakhouse (122 W. Ashland Ave., Indianola), and Hy-Vee Market Grilles. The Station on Ingersoll (3120 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines) has a ribeye special on Thursdays. Gilroy's (1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines) offers ribeyes and sirloins only on Thursdays after 5 p.m.

• Thursday nights, Moroccan couscous — lemon chicken, beef keftas, five vegetables, harissa — are $17 at Purveyor (505 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines).

• Sprockets (2314 University Ave., Des Moines) offers a breaded pork tenderloin special on Thursdays for $9.99.

• Kids eat free at Scornovacca’s (1930 S.E. 14th St., Des Moines) on Thursdays

• Mariscos El Pirata (6050 S.E. 14th St., Des Moines) offers $2 off all sushi on Thursdays.

• ShortE's BBQ (8505 Chambery Blvd., Johnston) has $1 smoked wings Thursdays.

• Jethro's Thursday special is a pound of boneless "wings" for $8.

• Bevy’s Tavern (1300 50th St., West Des Moines) has a special of beef stew and cornbread Thursdays for $13.

• Amruth Indian Grill (9974 Swanson Blvd., Clive) offers an all-you-can-eat dosa (gram/rice flour crepes) buffet on Thursdays, 5:30-9 p.m. $18.95.

• Destination Grille (2491 E. First St., Grimes) has a "Comfort Thursday" special chicken fried De Burgo, a gluten free spin on DSM's classic, $16

• The Dam Pub (2710 Beaver Ave., Des Moines) has a throwback Thursday special goulash with garlic toast.

• The Continental (407 E. Fifth St., Des Moines) has $7 loaded fries on Thursdays.

• Haiku (1350 31st St., Des Moines) offers free tom yum soup and edamame with lunch entrees today.

• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) has a sale on red, green or black grapes at $1.49/pound, avocados at 6 for $1.99, and 16-20 jumbo shrimp at $4.99/pound.

• Maxie's (1311 Grand Ave., West Des Moines) new Thursday special for $20.95 is half a fried chicken with potato, side of spaghetti and a salad. Lunch and dinner.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

1789: Bill of Rights passes Congress. The first Congress of the United States approves 12 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, and sends them to the states for ratification. The amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were designed to protect the basic rights of U.S. citizens, guaranteeing the freedom of speech, press, assembly, and exercise of religion; the right to fair legal procedure and to bear arms; and that powers not delegated to the federal government were reserved for the states and the people. ... READ MORE

1957: Little Rock Nine begin first full day of classes. Under escort from the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, nine Black students enter all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas on September 25, 1957. Three weeks earlier, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus had surrounded the school with National Guard troops to prevent its federal court-ordered racial integration. After a tense standoff, President Dwight D. Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas National Guard and sent 1,000 army paratroopers to Little Rock to enforce the court order. ... READ MORE

1970: “The Partridge Family” premieres on ABC. On September 25, 1970, in the 8:30 p.m. time slot immediately following "The Brady Bunch," ABC premiered a program that would give television production company Screen Gems its second TV-to-pop-chart smash: "The Partridge Family." Unwilling to rest as a one-hit wonder when its first big hit, "The Monkees," went off the air in 1968, Screen Gems was wasting no time in trying to repeat its success. ... READ MORE

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