FROM KCCI: Iowa HHS now says 21 cases of Legionnaires' disease, 1 death in Marshall County 'cluster.' The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services now says 21 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease and one person has died in Marshall County. HHS previously confirmed to KCCI earlier on Thursday that 18 cases had been reported. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Boaters attend heated meeting with Army Corps of Engineers over Saylorville Lake Marina management. A year that started with disaster at Saylorville Marina has spiraled into growing frustration among boaters, some of whom say they are considering leaving the lake for good. In January, a fire destroyed ten boats that were dry-docked for the Winter, marking a rocky start to the season. But for long-time marina customers, it was just the beginning. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Doctors deliver first flu vaccines as respiratory illness season approaches in Iowa. As temperatures cool down, the chance of getting sick is heating up. This week, doctors began administering their first doses of the flu vaccine for the year.
Dr. Christine Davis works in family medicine at UnityPoint Health, and she says the data isn't quite there yet to make any predictions. However, cases of respiratory illness have been popping up. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Putin says foreign troops deployed to Ukraine before any peace deal would be ‘legitimate targets.' Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that any foreign troops deployed to Ukraine before a peace agreement has been signed would be considered “legitimate targets” by Moscow’s forces. Putin’s comments came hours after European leaders repledged their commitment to a potential peacekeeping force, a prospect that Moscow has repeatedly described as “unacceptable.” ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: Trump administration investigates Medicaid spending on immigrants in Democratic states. The Trump administration is taking its immigration crackdown to the health care safety net, launching Medicaid spending probes in at least six Democratic-led states that provide comprehensive health coverage to poor and disabled immigrants living in the U.S. without permanent legal status. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: Child playing with lighter causes Knoxville house fire, no injuries reported. Knoxville firefighters contained a bedroom blaze Wednesday evening after a child playing with a lighter sparked a fire in a residential closet, officials said. The Knoxville Fire Department was dispatched shortly after 7:30 p.m. to a reported house fire and arrived to find smoke coming from doors and windows. A working fire assignment was requested, and crews entered the home, locating a fire in a bedroom. Firefighters mounted an aggressive interior attack and kept the flames confined to the room of origin. A search of the residence found no one inside. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Cooler air moves in on a breezy day today. The weekend will see highs in the low 70s and gorgeous conditions. We begin to warm up next week, with a rain chance on Tuesday.

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

Washington Post is suggesting that the U.S. Open (tennis) has a cocktail that is ready to join Kentucky Derby’s mint julep and Wimbledon’s Pimm’s cups in a holy trinity of sports drinks. The Open's honey deuce is a mixture of vodka, lemonade and a bit of raspberry liqueur floated on top with a garnish of honeydew balls on a skewer.  According to Grey Goose, a sponsor of the Open and the company whose vodka is used in the drink, some 556,782 were served at the tournament last year. 
The U.S. Open finals and the Iowa vs Iowa State football game both happen this weekend. From our place under the "Crusoe Umbrella," we propose that the official drink of the local game should be a boilermaker preferably of a Big Grove beer spiked with a shot of Cedar Ridge whiskey. Those are Iowa’s number one brewery and distillery products. Of course, we would substitute another Iowa beer or booze if they would sponsor the game and drink. We doubt the universities would want that though.

Weekend deals
• Jethro's in Ames will give a $300 gift card to one customer who watches the Iowa vs. Iowa State game there Saturday. 

• Waterfront stores' Saturday special includes cocktail shrimp or raw oysters on the half shell for half priced 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 Baja chicken salad, $14.

• 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 10 for $10 wings deal on Sundays. 

• 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 Friday and Sunday are Indiana Fever game days, 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 swordfish with Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes 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, fresh baguette with whipped butter, roasted fingerling potatoes and sautéed haricot verts with caramelized onions and lardons. $30  

• 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.

• 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 80/20 burger at $4.48/pound, St. Louis ribs at $2.99/pound, USDA Choice flat iron steaks at $10.99/pound,  and blueberries at $1.99/pint. 

• Price Chopper stores have sales through Tuesday on red or green grapes at $1.99/pound, Kandy melons at $2.99 and frozen swai or pollock fillets at $3.49/pond.

• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) has a sale on Atlantic salmon fillets at $6.99/pound, King Regal salmon fillets at $21.99/pound and whole grass fed tenderloins at $16.99/pound. 

• Aldi stores have sales through Tuesday on white mushrooms at $1.29/pound, cara cara oranges at $3.99/3-pound bag, and Frenched leg of lamb at $5.99/pound.

• Hy-Vee stores have sales on Yoplait at 59 cents, Power Ade at $1 and Hy-Vee frozen vegetables at $1.18 through Sunday.

Music


Steve Grismore / Nick Rueckert Duo  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. Jake & TK play Kelly's Little Nipper at 7 p.m. Friday. Sierra Griggs Trio plays Truman’s Pizza Tavern at 5 p.m. Friday and Decoy Trio plays there Sunday at 2 p.m. Fred Gazzo Quintet plays Anna Dolce Ristorante, WDM, at 6 p.m. Saturday. Joseph Demerath will be at Exile Brewing patio Sunday at 5 p.m.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

1774: First Continental Congress convenes. In response to the British Parliament’s enactment of the Coercive Acts in the American colonies, the first session of the Continental Congress convenes at Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia. Fifty-six delegates from all the colonies except Georgia drafted a declaration of rights and grievances and elected Virginian Peyton Randolph as the first president of Congress. Patrick Henry, George Washington, John Adams and John Jay were among the delegates. ... READ MORE

1975: Gerald Ford survives first assassination attempt. Sept. 5, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford survives an attempt on his life in Sacramento, California. The assailant, a petite, red haired, freckle-faced young woman named Lynette Fromme, approached the president while he was walking near the California Capitol and raised a .45 caliber handgun toward him. Before she was able to fire off a shot, Secret Service agents tackled her and wrestled her to the ground. ... READ MORE

2006: Katie Couric makes historic network anchor debut. On Sept. 5, 2006, Katie Couric makes headlines—and TV history—with her highly publicized debut as the first female solo anchor of a weekday network evening news broadcast, CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. Couric, who served as co-anchor of The Today Show from 1991 to 2006, replaced Dan Rather, who anchored CBS Evening News from 1981 until his retirement on March 9, 2005, in the aftermath of a controversial story about the military record of President George W. Bush. ... READ MORE

 www.history.com