FROM KCCI: Polk County's Extreme Temperature Plan goes into effect Friday. Polk County's Extreme Temperature Plan will go into effect at 10 a.m. Friday and will remain in effect until Monday morning. Highs will be in the 90s through the weekend and heat indices are expected to hit triple-digits. A heat advisory will be in effect from 1-7 p.m. Friday for 20 counties in western and southern Iowa, where heat index values are expected to reach 100-105 degrees. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Metro barbecue restaurant closes its doors after over 20 years in business. A staple barbecue joint in the metro for the past 20 years has closed its doors. Cactus Bob’s BBQ Corral located in the 5900 block of Merle Hay Road in Johnston announced on Facebook Wednesday that it has closed its doors after over 20 years serving the metro. The post reads, “it is with both sadness and great pride that after over 20 years in business, Cactus Bob’s is now closed. Bob and Craig appreciate your years of patronage and hope to see you out on the dusty trail.” ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: First human West Nile case of year reported in Iowa, HHS says. Iowa Health and Human Services announced the first human West Nile case in Iowa Thursday afternoon. The infection, which occurred in a middle-aged adult from northern Iowa, was confirmed through a test at the State Hygienic Lab. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Putin praises Trump’s efforts to end Ukraine war ahead of Friday summit in Alaska. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday praised U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine, more than three years after Moscow launched its invasion, as the two leaders prepared for a pivotal U.S.–Russia summit Friday in Alaska.  ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: California pushes left, Texas to the right, with US House control and Trump agenda in play. A political standoff in Texas over proposed House maps that could hand Republicans five new seats is poised to enter a new phase Friday, while heavily Democratic California plans to release its own new maps intended to erase all but a sprinkle of the state’s GOP House districts in the fight over control of Congress. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: Autopsy findings released of body found in Albia building destroyed by fire. Officials have released the identity of the woman whose body was found in an apartment following a massive fire in Albia last month. Officials say an initial autopsy shows 61-year-old Kelly Rea Cummings died of natural causes before the July 14 fire in the R.O. Cramer building in Albia. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Warming up through Sunday, with a spotty shower possible today. Best rain chances Sunday into Monday.

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

As stone fruit season comes to an end...
We think we found out why California stone fruits have been so much more expensive this year. It's not ICE, it's rodents. Fresno’s Stone Fruit Growers of peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots and all their hybrids said that unprecedented numbers of rodents are causing so much damage to crops this year that labor costs soared for repairing their damage. We wonder where they came from. Are they fleeing LA and SF because they have to fight with "campers" for every scrap?

Northwest cherries were actually cheaper this year because there was so little rain that the crops needed fewer expensive helicopters to keep them dry and edible. (Fruit Growers News, San Francisco Chronicle)

After 20 years, Cactus Bob's closed.

The legendary, long-banned in America, mangosteens are in season and available at the checkout at CFresh Market (801 University Ave., Des Moines). Thai Airlines used to advertise this season to Americans wanting to taste the forbidden fruit. Black markets in San Francisco sold them for as much as $50 each. 

Weekend deals
• 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 Greek gyros salad with cucumbers, tomato, Greek olives, banana peppers, feta with tzatziki dressing, served with pita slices. $15.

• Eastside Eddie's (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines) has a Friday special chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy for $10.

• 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. 

• Irina's Steak & Seafood (650 S. Prairie View Drive, Unit 100, West Des Moines) has a three-course Sunday dinner for two featuring filet and shrimp for $85 all summer. 

• IHMVCU hosts Food Truck Frenzy with the first 50 people in line at 3990 Merle Hay Road eating free. This Friday 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. will be catered by Egg Roll Ladies. 

• Friday is Soul Food day at Joppa Experience (1829 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) with fried chicken and oxtail stew joining the usual menu. 

• Because Sunday is an Indiana Fever game day, the West Des Moines Jethro's will have a "Fever Reliever" special of any two appetizers on the Happy Hour menu and two pints of domestic beer for $22. All 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 scallops on sweet corn risotto and asparagus for $25.95. 

• Django (1420 Locust St., Des Moines) offers a Sunday supper with a roasted half chicken as the main course. The meal includes house salad with red onion, apple, Roquefort, and candied walnuts; fresh baguette with whipped butter; roasted fingerling potatoes with fresh herbs; and sautéed haricot verts with caramelized onions and lardons. $30  

• Table 128 (220 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) features a Saturday tasting menu for $58.

• 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.

• Fish Fry Friday specials can be found at Machine Shed (11151 Hickman Road, Urbandale), Johnny's Italian Steakhouses, Red Lobster (3838 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines), Cracker Barrel (11701 University, Clive), Hy-Vee stores and Bevy’s Tavern (1300 50th St., West Des Moines). Kelly's Little Nipper (1701 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines) offers $3 off and fish dinner or sandwich in Fridays. 

• Bawarchi (6630 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines) has Friday-Sunday specials on paneer kebabs, chicken curry and goat curry.

•  Westown Tap (3530 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines) offers $12 flatbreads on Fridays.

• Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave., Des Moines) offers BBQ beef and marinated roast beef sandwiches on special for Friday lunch.

• 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.

• Haiku (1350 31st St., Des Moines) offers free tom ka kai and fried won tons with lunch entrees today.

• Maxie's Supper Club's (1311 Grand Ave., West Des Moines) Friday special is chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes - $16.95 all day. They also have prime rib dinners on Friday and Saturday for dinner only, $30-38.   

•  Fareways have specials through Saturday on deli shaved ham at $3.99/pound, rare roast beef at $9.99/pound and eggplant, zucchini and green beans at $.99/pound. 

• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) has a sale on USDA prime T-bones at $16.99/pound, avocados at six for $3, and red, green or black grapes at $1.99 through Tuesday. 

• Aldi stores have sales through Tuesday on red grapes at $1.29/pound, cantaloupes for $1.69 and navel oranges at $2.89/ 3-pound bag.

• Hy-Vee stores have sales on chicken thighs and drums for 99 cents/pound, Haagen Daaz for $3.99/pint and Hy-Vee yogurts at $1/three through Sunday.

Music
John Krantz Trio (with Ward & Eklof) plays Louie's Wine Dive (4040 University Ave., Des Moines) on Sunday at 5 p.m. 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. Whiskey Biscuit play Kelly's Little Nipper at 7 p.m. Friday. Get Off My Lawn plays Truman’s Pizza Tavern at 5 p.m. Friday and Velvet Trio plays there Sunday at 2 p.m. Fred Gazzo Quintet plays Anna Dolce Ristorante, WDM at 6 p.m. Saturday. Jonas Magram will be at Exile Brewing - patio Sunday at 5 p.m.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

1914: Panama Canal open to traffic. The Panama Canal, the American-built waterway across the Isthmus of Panama, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, is inaugurated with the passage of the U.S. vessel Ancon, a cargo and passenger ship. ... READ MORE

1969: Woodstock festival opens in Bethel, New York. On August 15, 1969, the Woodstock music festival opens on a patch of farmland in White Lake, a hamlet in the upstate New York town of Bethel.   ... READ MORE

2021: Kabul falls to the Taliban after U.S. withdrawal. On August 15, 2021—just two weeks before U.S. troops were set to officially withdraw from Afghanistan—Taliban leaders enter the capital city of Kabul and sweep back into power with little resistance. The Afghan government collapses, the country’s president Ashraf Ghani flees, and many desperate Afghan civilians are left behind. ... READ MORE

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