FROM KCCI: Cyclist killed by falling tree on Urbandale's Timberline Park Trail. A cyclist was killed Saturday morning on Urbandale's Timberline Park Trail after being struck by a falling tree, according to Urbandale police. Emergency responders were called to the trail near Douglas Parkway and 134th Street shortly before 9 a.m. Police said they discovered a person in need of medical treatment after a tree appeared to have fallen on them. Medics worked to treat and transport the person, who later died from their injuries.  ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: One dead in crash following police chase in Clear Lake. One person was killed in a crash following a police chase in Clear Lake on Sunday morning. According to the Iowa State Patrol, a driver was attempting to evade law enforcement when they crashed at 4th Avenue South and South Shore Drive just after 1:30 a.m. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Des Moines' Oktoberfest heads to Ankeny this year, leaving attendees conflicted. Oktoberfest has been a beloved Des Moines tradition filled with food, music and plenty of beer. For the past two years, the annual festival has taken place at Des Moines Water Works Park, and before that, on 4th St. right across German restaurant Hessen Haus. However, this year's attendees will find themselves in a new location: The District at Prairie Trail in Ankeny. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Things get steamier today and Tuesday. Storm chances Wednesday into early Thursday morning, then maybe again late Saturday.

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

Back to the Biz
Mexican livestock is banned from the southern border due to a parasitic fly. 

Raisin' Canes donated $1 million and is also rebuilding schools, Little League parks and much more in Hill Country, Texas, where flash floods ravished on July 4. 

The company behind Applebee’s, IHOP and Fuzzy’s Tacos is using artificial intelligence to "streamline operations and encourage repeat customers." Dine Brands (3,500 restaurants) is adding AI-infused tech support for all of its franchisees, as well as an AI-powered “personalization engine” that helps restaurants offer customized deals to diners. (WSJ) Caveat - Wendy’s suffered customer revolts last year for testing menus that used AI to adjust pricing.  

Deals today 
 
• Haiku (1350 31st St., Des Moines) offers free egg drop soup and crab Rangoon with lunch entrees today.
 
• Gilroy's (1238 8th St., West Des Moines) has a $5 burger deal after 5 p.m.
 
• Johnny's Italian Steakhouses have a chicken de Burgo special on Mondays before 4 p.m., $14 including beverage.
 
• G Mig's (126 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has $11 smashburgers today with a side.
 
• The Station on Ingersoll (3124 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines) has a Monday special Graziano grinder with a side for $12.
 
• The Continental (407 E. Fifth St., Des Moines) offers a Monday special double smashburger and shoestring fries - $12.
 
• Bad Dog Burgers include three 1/3-pound patties, six pieces of bacon, choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion for $10.95 on Mondays at Kathy’s East 14th Street Tavern (3418 E. 14th St., Des Moines).
 
• Jethro's in Altoona and West Des Moines has a Monday mac and cheese special called hog wild this week.

• Angry Goldfish (2301 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) has specials on chicken Parmesan and lasagna today, $11.50 with garlic bread and salad.

• Eastside Eddie’s (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines) Monday  special is a burger with domestic beer, soft drink or well drink for $10. Those are good, generously sized burgers.

• Centro (1003 Locust St., Des Moines) offers half-price pizza and Peronis on Monday.

• Hy Vee grilles are offering a Monday special meat loaf dinner with green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy for $8. 

• Who's on First (810 E. First St., Ankeny) has steak night on Monday, and it's an 8-ounce filet with salad, mashed potatoes and beans for $22.95 

• Pelican Post (265 50th St., West Des Moines) has a special today on hot beef sandwiches, $10.95 until 4 p.m. 

• Tito’s Lounge (3916 Urbandale Drive, Urbandale) offers all-you-can-eat wings Mondays. 

• Monday brings prime rib specials to both Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave., Des Moines) and Christopher's (2816 Beaver Ave., Des Moines).

• Johnny's Hall of Fame (302 Court Ave., Des Moines) has $12 burger baskets on Mondays and Fridays.

• Urban Cellars (640 S. 50th St., West Des Moines) offers $60 wine dinners for two on Mondays including two entrees with soup or salad, a dessert and a bottle on wine. 

• Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road) has a burger basket with fries deal Mondays for $9. 

• Red Lobster's Monday special is lobster and shrimp scampi with a side for $20. 

• Paula's (524 Elm St., Valley Junction) has a Monday special homemade tuna, chicken or egg salad sandwiches on croissants for $12.50. 

• Destination Grille (2491 E. First St., Grimes) has a Monday steak night special, sirloins and truffle fries for $18.

• Chuck's (3610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) offers $14 calzone specials with up to three ingredients on Mondays. 

• Price Chopper delis offer two-piece, bone-in fried chicken dinners, with two sides and a roll, for $6 on Mondays. 

•  Fareways have specials through Saturday on Iowa chops $2.38/pound and eggplant, green beans or zucchini, all at 99 cents/pound. 
 

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

Completed in 1979, the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden is a vibrant 12-acre public garden situated in a bustling cityscape, offering beautiful views of the river. The garden is home to thousands of native plants as well as exotic greenery from around the world. Visitors can often see bumblebees busily gathering pollen from the striking purple coneflowers. Photo by Paul Houston

1789: French revolutionaries storm the Bastille. Parisian revolutionaries and mutinous troops storm and dismantle the Bastille, a royal fortress and prison that had come to symbolize the tyranny of the Bourbon monarchs, on July 14, 1789. This dramatic action signaled the beginning of the French Revolution, a decade of political turmoil and terror in which King Louis XVI was overthrown and tens of thousands of people, including the king and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were executed. ... READ MORE

1881: Billy the Kid is shot to death. Sheriff Pat Garrett shoots Henry McCarty, popularly known as Billy the Kid, to death at the Maxwell Ranch in New Mexico. Garrett, who had been tracking the Kid for three months after the gunslinger had escaped from prison only days before his scheduled execution, got a tip that Billy was holed up with friends. While Billy was gone, Garrett waited in the dark in his bedroom. When Billy entered, Garrett shot him to death. ... READ MORE

1968: Hank Aaron hits 500th homer. On July 14, 1968, Atlanta Braves slugger Henry “Hank” Aaron hits the 500th home run of his career in a 4-2 win over the San Francisco Giants. ... READ MORE

 www.history.com