FROM KCCI: Seven Iowa high schools have now canceled or paused varsity football seasons. Seven Iowa high schools have canceled or paused their varsity football seasons this fall, including the defending eight-player state champion. According to the Iowa High School Athletic Association, Lone Tree, Rockford and Dunkerton all canceled their seasons before playing a game, while Siouxland Christian forfeited the season after one game. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Fewer guns seized in Des Moines for third straight year. The number of guns seized by the Des Moines Police Department has gone down, according to the department’s 2024 report. In 2024, DMPD seized 598 guns, that’s 33 less than 2023 with 631. In 2022, there were 737 guns seized. Over the last three years, it has gone down 19%. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Iowa Sen. Claire Celsi in hospice care, her family says. Iowa Sen. Claire Celsi has entered hospice care, her family said in a statement. “Senator Claire Celsi, our beloved wife, sister, mom, and grandma, has entered hospice care," the statement says. "Our family asks that you please respect our privacy during this difficult time." Celsi, a Democrat from West Des Moines, has represented Iowa Senate District 16 since 2019. District 16 covers West Des Moines, Windsor Heights and Clive. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: British spy chief says he sees no evidence Putin wants to negotiate peace in Ukraine. There is “absolutely no evidence” that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin wants to negotiate peace in Ukraine, the head of Britain’s foreign intelligence agency said Friday in an outgoing speech. ... READ MORE  

FROM AROUND THE NATION: Prosecutor says stalking suspect ambushed Pennsylvania police officers, killing 3. A suspected stalker armed with a rifle hid inside his ex-girlfriend’s home in the rolling farmland of southern Pennsylvania and ambushed police officers who came to arrest him, killing three of them, a prosecutor said Thursday ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: Oskaloosa schools lawsuit filed after board terminates teacher regarding controversial Charlie Kirk post. The Oskaloosa Community School District says a federal lawsuit has been filed against the district over the firing of one of their teachers. The Oskaloosa school board voted on Wednesday to terminate a teacher who posted “one Nazi down” social media post after Charlie Kirk’s death. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

Today’s rain chance looks best late afternoon and early evening but may miss us to the east. Another afternoon and evening rain chance comes Saturday. Sunday now looks dry. There is a rain chance during the first half of the day Monday.

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

Weekends break away from the week
The average American spends 24% less time socializing and communicating on weekdays than a decade ago, according to recent data from the Labor Department’s American Time Use Survey. Yes, we have one of those. However, since 2021, the amount of time spent socializing on weekends has risen by 2%.

What does that mean for the hospitality industry? Hotels are raising weekend prices and lowering weekday prices in many markets, Des Moines included. Happy Hours are bringing fewer people in to bars on weekdays. Brunch remains the fastest growing segment in the restaurant business. The percentage of drive-thru sales is rising on weekdays. Some companies, McDonald's is one, are opening new stores that only sell via drive thru.  

Weekend deals
• Martini Fest is tonight in West Glen Town Center. El Fogon, The Operating Room, The Breakfast Club, Tonic, Shotgun Betty's, Coach's Pizza, The Irish, Anna Dolce, Grimaldi's Pizzeria and Wellman's Pub & Rooftop participate 5-9 p.m. Ten drink tickets $25-35. 

• Wine Fest holds a grand tasting tonight at Hotel Fort Des Moines. Tickets start at $96.06. 

• Wilson's Farm has an $85 five-course vegetarian New Moon dinner Sunday. 

• 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 "Tony Bourdain's favorite sandwich" — layers of mortadella and provolone grilled on a Kaiser roll with mayo and mustard.  

• 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. 

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

•  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 blackened mahi mahi with mango salsa and sweet potatoes for $25.95. Saturday's special is chicken and noodles on mashed potatoes for $18.50.

• 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.

• 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 loinback ribs at $3.99/pound, USDA Choice flat iron steaks at $10.99/pound,  and butter at $3.99/pound. 

• Price Chopper stores have sales through Tuesday on red or green grapes at $1.99/pound, Gala apples at $.99 and frozen catfish nuggets at $2.29/pond.

• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) has sales on avocados at 88 cents, lobster tails at $5.99, and celery, cauliflower and green beans at $.99.

• Aldi stores are celebration German Week. They will have many good things for one week only. Look for Deutsch Kuchen strudels, spaetzles, schnitzels, cabbage dinners and soups. They also have sales through Tuesday on red grapes at $1.29/pound and chicken wings at $2.29/pound. 

• Hy-Vee stores have big cookie sales, sales on all Gustare Vita products and autumn mum bouquets at $11.99  through Sunday.

Music
Get Off My Lawn plays Truman's Sunday at 2 p.m. Steve Grismore / Tanner Taylor 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. Brittany Sword play Kelly's Little Nipper at 7 p.m. Friday. Fred Gazzo Quintet plays Anna Dolce Ristorante, West Des Moines at 6 p.m. Saturday. Rural Route will be at Exile Brewing - patio Sunday at 5 p.m. Willie Shay plays Simon’s at 7 p.m.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

1893: New Zealand first in women’s vote. With the signing of the Electoral Bill by Governor Lord Glasgow, New Zealand becomes the first country in the world to grant national voting rights to women. The bill was the outcome of years of suffragette meetings in towns and cities across the country, with women often traveling considerable distances to hear lectures and speeches, pass resolutions, and sign petitions. New Zealand women first went to the polls in the national elections of November 1893.  ... READ MORE

1957: Nevada is site of first-ever underground nuclear explosion. On Sept. 19, 1957, the United States detonates a 1.7-kiloton nuclear weapon in an underground tunnel at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), a 1,375-square-mile research center located 65 miles north of Las Vegas. The test, known as Rainier, was the first fully contained underground detonation and produced no radioactive fallout. A modified W-25 warhead weighing 218 pounds and measuring 25.7 inches in diameter and 17.4 inches in length was used for the test. Rainier was part of a series of 29 nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons safety tests known as Operation Plumbbob that were conducted at the NTS between May 28, 1957, and October 7, 1957. ... READ MORE

1995: Unabomber manifesto published. On Sept. 19, 1995, a manifesto by the Unabomber, an anti-technology terrorist, is published by The New York Times and Washington Post in the hope that someone will recognize the person who, for 17 years, had been sending homemade bombs through the mail that had killed and maimed innocent people around the United States. After reading the manifesto, David Kaczynski linked the writing style to that of his older brother Ted, who was later convicted of the attacks and sentenced to life in prison without parole. All told, the Unabomber was responsible for murdering three people and injuring another 23. ... READ MORE

 www.history.com