FROM KCCI: Food pantries, free hot meals and more. Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is expected to run out on Saturday, Nov. 1 if members of Congress cannot agree on a funding bill to end a government shutdown. More than 267,000 Iowans rely on these benefits to offset food costs. Food pantries and community fridges are preparing to meet the gap, and some locally-owned Iowa restaurants are offering free meals for those in need. You can find locations, hours, and what they offer in this list. This list will be updated. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Joppa’s dream of tiny homes for homeless individuals finally takes shape in Des Moines. Joe Stevens has been dreaming about building a tiny home village to help the homeless for a long time. “Well, after 12 years and looking through literally over 500 properties, we finally found the right property where everybody came together and agrees and is very supportive,” he says with a smile. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Voters to decide fate of Des Moines Public Schools' $265 million Reimagining Education plan. Voters in Iowa's capital city will soon decide the fate of Des Moines Public Schools' $265 million bond that intends to improve the quality of education area students receive while addressing declining enrollment. The last time the district held a bond election was in 1989. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: UN human rights chief says US strikes on alleged drug boats are 'unacceptable.' The U.N. human rights chief said Friday that U.S. military strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean allegedly carrying illegal drugs from South America are “unacceptable” and must stop. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: Hegseth orders the military to detail dozens of attorneys to the Justice Department. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the military to provide dozens of lawyers to the Justice Department for temporary assignments in Memphis and near the U.S.-Mexico border that could run through next fall, according to a memo released this week and reviewed by The Associated Press. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: Des Moines man sentenced to 55 years for sexual abuse, incest charges. A Des Moines man was sentenced Thursday to up to 55 years in prison after entering an Alford plea to multiple counts of sexual abuse and incest involving a minor. Tyler Hardwick, 33, entered an Alford plea to 10 counts of second-degree sexual abuse and one count of incest, meaning he maintains his innocence but concedes that there is enough evidence to convict. Polk County District Judge Joseph Seidlin ordered one sexual-abuse count to run consecutive to the others, which run concurrently, and the incest count to run consecutive, for a total term of 55 years. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

A few sprinkles are possible on your costume today into this evening, and winds will gust to around 20 mph. Warming into next week.

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

Wine snobbery, measured. In a test by California Institute of Technology, people recorded more pleasure from the same wine when they were told it was more expensive. The pleasure was genuine. When hooked up to an MRI scanner, their brains lit up like Christmas trees, thus demonstrating a correlation between nutritional idiocy and economic idiocy. (WSJ)
 
Cheese Shop will host a dinner next Tuesday featuring six courses and wines of the Pacific northwest. Ryan Skinner of Poor Man's Supper Club will direct food pairings with wines from "Lundeen, Purple Hands, Cayuse, Merry Edwards, Ashes & Diamonds and more." $200. 515-528-8181... On Monday Nov. 16, the shop will host a tasting of wines from Cristom Vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, an independent volcanic island chain in the center of the Willamette Valley. Its five estate vineyards are all named for family members of the founding Gerrie family — Eileen, Jessie, Louise, Marjorie and Paul. $80.

Weekend deals
• Manhattan Deli (3705 Ingersoll Ave.) welcomes back their best selling “Turkey Todd" Saturday for a one-month run. The $14 sandwich includes everything one expects from Thanksgiving leftovers, including homemade turkey gravy.

Prime & Providence has a new Sunday dinner for two special that includes three courses. Entrée choices are ribeye or filet mignon with choice of two sides. $99.

Irina’s (650 Prairie View Drive, West Des Moines) offers an all-you-can-eat surf and turf special Friday and Saturday that includes slow roasted beef with chimichurri and demiglace, snow crab legs, loaded whipped potato, lobster bisque, corn on the cob, hush puppies, coleslaw and mussels in Chardonnay. $59.

• ShortE's BBQ (8805 Chambery Blvd., Johnston) offers 20% discounts to first responders and military on Friday and Saturday. They have a Friday special pulled pork sandwich, fries and fountain drink for $12.

• Table 128's Saturday chef's menu will include wild salmon ceviche, pork loin and cranberry crumble. $58.

• Amruth (9974 Swanson Blvd., Clive) has 20 dishes on their new Saturday and Sunday buffet, noon to 4 p.m. Of course, there will be dosas.

• Hy-Vee Market Grilles offer a Friday special chicken enchilada with rice dinner for $8. They do rib dinners Saturday and Sunday for $15.

• Waterfront stores' Saturday special includes cocktail shrimp or raw oysters on the half shell for half price until 4 p.m.


• Gilroy's (1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines) does Saturday and Sunday brunch buffets for $24.99 for adults. Kids 6 and younger eat free.

• The Station on Ingersoll has a Friday special patty melt: burger, pepper jack cheese, grilled onions, thousand island dressing on marble rye, served with tator tots, $14  

• Rube's steakhouses offer a prime sirloin special on Sundays only, $29.

• Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) offers $9 Philly cheesesteaks or hot honey chicken plus $8 biscuit and gravy breakfasts on Fridays.

• Smoking Goat Pub (3015 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines) offers walleye or steak dinner specials tonight and karaoke after 9 p.m. They have a ten for $10 wings deal on Sundays. 

•  Jethro's Sunday special is papa cheeseburgers and side for $9.95. Today they have BBQ melt and side deal for $9.95. 

• G Mig's has Friday prime rib dinners for $29.75 or walleye with rice, asparagus and garlic bread for $25.95. Saturday's special is beef Stroganoff on egg noodles with a baked roll for $18.50.

• Heavenly Asian (225 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has an all-day Friday sale on orange chicken served with soup, crab Rangoon, egg roll and rice, $14, available for dine-in and phone carry-out.

• Destination Grille (2491 E. First St., Grimes) has a $40 prime rib dinner special Friday and Saturday. 

• Court Avenue Brewing Company (309 Court Ave., Des Moines) hosts Saturday and Sunday breakfast buffets for $23.99.

• Aldi stores have sales through Tuesday on avocados at 59 cents, chicken breast at $2.19/pound and most all cheeses and charcuterie packages.

• Fareways have specials through Saturday on black or green grapes at $1.99/pound, St. Louis ribs at $2.99/pound, and chicken wings at $2.99/pound.

• Price Choppers are running sales on russet potatoes at $2.99/10-pound bag, swai or pollock frozen filets at $3.49/pound, red grapes at $1.49/pound and winter squash at 88 cents/pound.

• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) has sales on King salmon filets at $21.99/pound and Atlantic salmon filets at $6.99/pound, plus BOGOs on over 200 items.
 
• Hy-Vee stores have sales on avocados at 67 cents, green grapes at $1.49/pound and fall tulips at $15.99/10 stems. 

Music
El Toreado Mexican Bar & Grill on EP True has live music from The Juan and Only on Friday from 6 p.m... Willie James Shay plays Sonny’s Pizza Bistro Friday at 5:30 p.m... Grain Powered Duo play Kelly's Little Nipper at 7 p.m. Friday... Luke Farland will be at Caffrey’s Irish Pub, Waukee  at 5 p.m. Friday. … Fred Gazzo Quintet plays Anna Dolce Ristorante, WDM at 6 p.m. Saturday... Yubu plays Middlebrook Mercantile, Cumming at 2 p.m. Sunday... Willie Shay plays Simon’s at 7 p.m. Friday... Two Guys Named Dave & Steve O’Brien play Louie’s Wine Dive at 5 p.m. Sunday... The People’s Band plays Mickey’s Irish Pub, Waukee, at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

1864: The U.S. Congress admits Nevada as the 36th state. On Oct. 31, 1864, anxious to have support of the Republican-dominated Nevada Territory for President Abraham Lincoln’s reelection, the U.S. Congress quickly admits Nevada as the 36th state in the Union. ... READ MORE

1950: Earl Lloyd becomes first Black player to suit up in the NBA. On Oct. 31, 1950, 21-year-old Earl Lloyd becomes the first African American to play in an NBA game when he takes the court in the season opener for the Washington Capitols. ... READ MORE

1997: Violet Palmer becomes first woman to officiate an NBA game. On Oct. 31, 1997, 33-year-old Violet Palmer becomes the first woman to officiate an NBA game. Despite the watershed moment, there is little reaction from the crowd when she is announced before the tip-off of the Dallas Mavericks-Vancouver Grizzlies game. "This is a dream come true, but it's come about by a lot of hard work," says Palmer. ... READ MORE

 www.history.com