FROM KCCI: Electric bike and scooter injuries surge in Iowa, UnityPoint Health reports. Emergency room visits involving electric bikes, scooters and other small personal vehicles have climbed sharply over the past six years, according to UnityPoint Health. In 2020, UnityPoint reported just 16 crash-related emergency room visits. This year alone, that number has already reached 79. Overall, doctors at UnityPoint say they have treated more than 400 people hurt in these types of crashes. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: From field of dreams to legal nightmare: Ignit Johnston seeks $142 million from city. What once had been a field of dreams in Johnston has turned into a living nightmare for taxpayers. The developers of a proposed state-of-the-art sports facility have filed a multimillion-dollar countersuit against the city. Ignit Johnston was supposed to be a 30-acre, 200,000-square-foot sports complex. It was described as a “welcome mat” to the city that would drive major economic growth. Six years after its inception, the property remains partially developed and dormant. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Johnston considering new steps to control rising coyote concerns. This week, the city of Johnston discussed its plans to address the issue of coyotes in the city. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says it is an increasing problem. The Johnston City Council held its first reading on a potential partnership with the DNR to safely trap and euthanize troublesome coyotes within city limits. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Israeli military strikes in southern Lebanon in intense fighting as US-Iran talks postponed. Israel’s military said Friday its forces struck targets throughout southern Lebanon overnight as Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area, threatening the nascent agreement between Iran and the United States to end their war. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: Trump administration can replace Washington slavery exhibit in Philadelphia, appeals court says. The Trump administration can replace a slavery exhibit at George Washington’s home in Philadelphia, a federal appeals court panel said Thursday, striking down a lower court’s injunction that required the National Park Service to reinstall the interpretive panels. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: EF2 tornado confirmed in Allamakee County with 115 mph winds. The National Weather Service in La Crosse has preliminarily confirmed an EF-2 tornado touched down in Allamakee County on Wednesday. The tornado started about 5.5 miles east-northeast of Waukon and moved on an east-southeast track before crossing the Mississippi River into Crawford County, Wisconsin. The team noted significant tree damage along the tornado's path, along with destroyed farm outbuildings and minor damage to a few homes. ... READ MORE

Bridezilla 2026 warnings
GLP-1s (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) such as Ozempic have made lots of food news the last few years. After all, when a drug cuts one’s appetite, one eats differently and usually healthier. Now Wall Street Journal’s Jennifer Williams has discovered a second generation effect of the drugs, ones that threaten retail clothiers as much as the direct effects of junk food. 

She found that people on GLP-1s are losing weight so quickly that they are overwhelming clothing stores with returned purchases, seeking refunds and exchanges for smaller sizes, even after the clothes have been worn. More such retailers have been closing than opening each year for the last 17 years. This could facilitate the death of the industry.

One in 10 brides arranging a wedding this year uses the drugs, with another 10% considering it, according to a survey of more than 11,500 by wedding-planning platform Zola. Some top end bridal companies make brides sign a legal waiver, acknowledging in writing that the gowns they are buying do not yet fit.

Other future brides can’t say yes to a wedding dress until much closer to their big day. That is forcing bridal stores to stock more dresses to accommodate last-minute weight fluctuations, leaving dressmakers on the hook for an increasing number of rush orders and hurried adjustments. David’s Bridal now has 400 people working full time in their alterations department.

Weekend deals 
• Desi Bites (1475 S.E. Bishop Drive, Waukee) has weekend specials on nine biryanis and five pulavs. 
 
• Marianna's (1305 University Ave., Des Moines) offers green enchiladas combos for $10 Fridays and Saturdays and four shrimp tacos for $12 Sundays.
 
• Talk Shop Lounge (3357 St. Charles Road, St. Charles) has a steak dinner deal Friday $16. 
 
• The False Nine Social Club (206 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has wings on sale Fridays for $8.
 
• Waveland Cafe (4708 University Ave., Des Moines) offers hot beef sundae special today.  
 
• Friday lunch special is $12 Italian beef with fries and soda, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Striking Sparrow (1930 S.E. Sixth St., Des Moines).
 
• Friday is ramen day at Wilson Orchard & Farm (3201 15th Ave., Cumming). 
 
• Most Hy-Vees offer $5 fish and chips Fridays, $14 ribs Saturdays and eight-piece chicken buckets for $10 on Sundays.
 
• Sale Barn Cafe (Lamoni) is offering orange chicken specials today.
 
• Machine Shed (11151 Hickman, Urbandale) offers smoked prime rib on Saturday only. Whatcha Smokin? (Luther) offers smoked Dino beef ribs on Saturday only. 
 
• Spaghetti is today's special at Crouse Cafe (115 E. Salem, Indianola). Saturday's will be fish and chips and Sunday's is fried chicken.
 
• Saturday is wine sampling day at Graziano Brothers.
 
• ShortE's BBQ (8805 Chambery Blvd., Johnston) offers  "kids eat free" deals on Friday and Saturday.
 
• Amruth (9974 Swanson Blvd., Clive) has 20 dishes on their Saturday and Sunday buffet, noon to 4 p.m. Of course, there will be dosas.
 
• Waterfront stores' Saturday special includes cocktail shrimp or raw oysters on the half shell for half price until 4 p.m.



• Guesthouse Tavern and Oyster (9500 University, West Des Moines) offers Surf & Turf specials Fridays and $33 prime rib dinners Saturdays.



• 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.
 
• 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 10 for $10 wings deal on Sundays. 
 
•  Jethro's Sunday special is burger baskets with fries for $9.95. Fridays they have Buffalo turkey sandwiches with a side for $9.95. 
 
• Paula's (Elm at Sixth, Valley Junction) has a Friday special Rachel (turkey Reuben) with fries for $14.
 
• 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.
 
• It's French dip Friday at Club 2000 (420 Indianola Road, Des Moines).

• Fareways have specials through Saturday on boneless chicken breast at $2.99/pound, boneless ribeyes at $18.88/pound and St. Louis ribs for $2.88/pound.

• Whole Foods (4100 University Ave., West Des Moines) offers $1 oysters on Fridays with good selection and free shucking. 

• Aldi stores have sales through Tuesday on sweet corn at $2.39/six pack, nectarines and plums at $1.49/pound and Kandy melons at $1.89.

• Fresh Thyme (2800 University Ave., West Des Moines) is running a sale through Sunday on top sirloin at $8.99/pound and through Tuesday on red cherries at $3.99/pound and ground beef at $3.99/pound.

• Price Choppers have sales through Monday on frozen tilapia fillets at $4.99/pound, cherries at $3.99/pound and chicken wings at $3.99/pound.

Dinner with a show
Kevin Best play Kelly's Little Nipper at 7 p.m. Friday... El Toreado Mexican Bar & Grill on EP True has live music from The Juan and Only on Friday from 6 p.m... Willie Shay plays Simon’s at 7 p.m. Friday... David Watson play Exile Brewing Sunday at 5 p.m.... Sister Sara @Bacoon After Party plays Mickey's Irish Pub Waukee at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

1856: First Republican national convention ends. In Music Fund Hall in Philadelphia, the first national convention of the Republican Party, founded two years before, comes to its conclusion. John Charles Fremont of California, the famous explorer of the West, was nominated for the presidency, and William Lewis Dayton of New Jersey was chosen as the candidate for the vice presidency. … READ MORE

1865: Abolition of slavery announced in Texas on “Juneteenth.” In what is now known as Juneteenth, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrive in Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War is over and slavery in the United States is abolished. … READ MORE

2006: Construction on Global Seed Vault begins. On June 19, 2006, on the remote island of Spitsbergen halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, the prime ministers of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland lay the ceremonial first stone of the Global Seed Vault. The vault, which now has the capacity to hold 2.25 billion seeds, is intended to “provide insurance against both incremental and catastrophic loss of crop diversity.”    … READ MORE

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