FROM KCCI: Gun violence a leading cause of youth deaths in the county. According to the Polk County Health Department, local data shows gun violence is one of the leading causes of death for youth in the county. Juliann Van Liew, the county health department’s director, says she compiled data from local law enforcement agencies, the county attorney’s office and more. The data is from 2016 to 2023 and looks at ages 0 to 24. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Iowa’s soaring cancer rates headline 2026 Harkin on Wellness Symposium. The Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement hosted its annual Harkin on Wellness Symposium. This year’s focus – Treatment and Prevention of Cancer. Iowa has the fastest-rising cancer rates in America and the second-highest overall cancer rate for the third consecutive year. As lawmakers and scientists continue searching for the cause and the cure, talks at the Harkin on Wellness Symposium on Wednesday discussed new ways to look at research, current data, and more. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Lawmakers consider mandating DNA swabbing at arrest instead of after conviction. Nearly 23 years after the murder of a New Mexico woman, her story is still shaping public policy debates, and now it’s influencing a proposal at the Iowa State Capitol. Lawmakers on Tuesday advanced a bill modeled after “Katie’s Law,” legislation that has already passed in dozens of other states and somewhat at the federal level. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Iran’s unrelenting attacks on Mideast shipping and energy infrastructure send oil prices soaring. Unrelenting Iranian attacks on shipping traffic and energy infrastructure pushed oil above $100 a barrel on Thursday, as American and Israeli strikes pounded the Islamic Republic with no sign of an end to the war in sight. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: Tornadoes kill 2 in northwestern Indiana and raze buildings in Kankakee, Illinois. Major storms whipped up tornadoes that killed at least two people in northwest Indiana and leveled buildings in Kankakee, Illinois, authorities said Wednesday, as another round of rain, hail and strong winds made its way through the region. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: Two tornadoes confirmed in Iowa from Tuesday's storms. Iowa saw its first tornadoes of 2026 Tuesday night. That's according to National Weather Service damage surveys conducted Wednesday. NWS data shows two tornadoes formed from a severe storm in Lee County in far southeast Iowa. Both twisters have been rated EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. ... READ MORE

Clear Mortgage meteorology

We'll have light rain move through tonight and early Friday morning. Saturday morning could see a dusting of snow, but it won't be around long as we'll be in the 50s again. Rain moves through Sunday morning. Then a break. Snow will start later in the day and last into early Monday morning. It'll be a windy day, with gusts to near 40 mph.

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

Bet you didn't know...
• Iowa was a top apple-producing state in the early 1900s, trailing only Michigan. After the "Armistice Day Blizzard" of 1940 wiped out 85% of all Iowa orchards, it has not been near the top 10 apple-producing states.

• Iowa had 498 farms growing 1,323 acres of apples in 2022 (USDA Census of Agriculture). That was up from 428 farms and 943 acres five years earlier.

• Washington state currently produces more than half the nation's domestically grown apples and has been the leading apple-growing state since the 1920s.

Deals today
• Winn's (Indianola and Norwalk) Thursday night special is chicken fried steak dinners.
 
• Bennigan’s (4800 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines) is celebrating 50 years with a month-long St. Patrick’s Day promotion packed with festive cocktails, Irish-inspired dishes and a special two for $50 Lucky Bundle.
 
• Irina's (650 S. Prairie View Drive, Unit 100, West Des Moines) Thursday special is $39.99 prime rib dinners and half-priced wine bottles.
 
• B&B Grocery, Meat and Deli (2001 S.E. Sixth St., Des Moines) has a Thursday special Killer's double hot Polish with fries and a soda for $12.95.
 
• Thursdays are triple decker Reuben day at Graziano Brothers (1601 S. Union St., Des Moines).
 
• Waveland Cafe (4708 University Ave., Des Moines) has an Italian sausage sub special today.
 
• Quarter pound cheeseburgers and chicken sandwiches are $3.39 each on Thursdays at Kwik Star.
 
• Striking Sparrow (1930 S.E. Sixth St., Des Moines) has a Thursday special breaded pork tenderloin with fries and soda for $12.
 
• Bennigan's (4800 Merle Hay Road, Urbandale) has a $10.99 burger, fries and a pint deal on Thursdays.
 
• Taco pizzas are the Thursday special at Walker's Place (475 N.E. Broadway Ave., Des Moines).
 
• Sale Barn Cafe (Lamoni) is offering hot beef sandwich specials today.
 
• Meal loaf is today's special at Crouse Cafe (115 E. Salem, Indianola).
 
•  AJ's (Prairie Meadows) has an early bird menu on Wednesday and Thursday from 4-6 p.m. Half pound burgers with frites, $15; pasta and chicken dinners, $20-22; seafood and steak dinners, $27-30. Prime rib dinners for $30 all night.
 
• Guesthouse Tavern and Oyster (9500 University, West Des Moine) offers spaghetti dinners with 8-ounce meatballs and salad for $22 on Wednesdays.
 
• Chelsea's Courtyard (100 MLK, Des Moines) has buck burgers Thursdays. $1!
 
• Istanbul Grill Cafe & Bakery (3281 100th St., Urbandale) has a Thursday special of $11.99 for a döner wrap with fries as well as $5 off döner plate which comes with Turkish salad and your choice of rice or bulgur. 
 
•  Hot beef sandwiches are a Thursday special at Club 2000. 
 
• Maxie's (1311 Grand Ave., West Des Moines) Thursday special for $20.95 is half a fried chicken with potato, side of spaghetti and a salad. Lunch and dinner.
 
• Mullets Norwalk offers two, two-topping pizzas for $20 on Thursdays, 4 p.m. to close.
 
• Buzzard Billy's (615 Third St., Des Moines) has $2 off appetizers on Thursdays.
 
• Whatcha Smokin? (Highway 17, Luther) has a pork belly burnt ends special on Thursdays.
 
• Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) offers $10 country fried breakfasts and $9 tenderloins or shrimp/fish tacos on Thursdays.
 
• Ruth's Chris (Ashworth Road at Jordan Creek Parkway) has a Thursday special with their decadent RBAR burgers and fries going for $16.
 
• Steak Nights: Sirloin steak dinners are featured specials today at Johnny's Italian Steakhouses (before 4 p.m.), Sully's Irish Pub (860 First St., West Des Moines); Front Row (9956 Swanson Blvd., Clive); Winn’s Pizza and Steakhouse (122 W. Ashland Ave., Indianola); and Hy-Vee Market Grilles. The Station on Ingersoll (3120 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines) has a $12 ribeye sandwich special on Thursdays. Gilroy's (1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines) offers ribeyes and sirloins only on Thursdays after 5 p.m.
 
• Mullets has a Thursday pizza special — buy one large specialty pizza and get a free 14-inch two-topping pizza.
 
• Kids eat free at Scornovacca’s (1930 S.E. 14th St., Des Moines) on Thursdays.
 
• ShortE's BBQ (8505 Chambery Blvd., Johnston) has $1 smoked wings Thursdays.
 
• Jethro's Thursday special is a pound of boneless "wings" for $8.
 
• Bevy’s Tavern (1300 50th St., West Des Moines) has a special of beef stew and cornbread Thursdays for $13.
 
• Destination Grille (2491 E. First St., Grimes) has a "Comfort Thursday" special chicken fried De Burgo, a gluten free spin on DSM's classic. $16
 
• The Dam Pub (2710 Beaver Ave., Des Moines) has a throwback Thursday special goulash with garlic toast.
 
• The Continental (407 E. Fifth St., Des Moines) has $7 loaded fries on Thursdays.

• Aldi stores have sales through Tuesday on corned beef brisket flat cuts at $5.49/pound, red potatoes at $2.49/5-pound bag, and boneless chicken thighs at $2.49/pound.

• Fresh Thyme (2800 University Ave., West Des Moines) is running a sale through Sunday on wild ahi and swordfish at $10.99/pound, and through Tuesday on spring asparagus at $2.99/pound and Coho salmon at $6.99/pound.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

Iowa Motion Picture Association hosts Red Carpet Event
35th Anniversary Event, Sunday, March 15, at the Fleur Cinema & Café. 5 p.m. Cocktail Hour, 7 p.m.  Live Awards Screening. Tickets $20. All proceeds support the 48 Hour Film Project and the Iowa Motion Picture Association.

Tallgrass Theatre Company. Broadway Karaoke. March 14. 

Des Moines Symphony. Reflection – Smetana & Beethoven. March 14-15 at the Civic Center. Joseph Giunta leads the orchestra in Mozart’s Symphony No. 38 in D Major, K. 504, “Prague,” Smetana’s Moldau from Má Vlast and Beethoven Violin Concerto featuring Stella Chen in her Des Moines Symphony debut.

Two Calls for Artists:
Iowa Exhibited is back at the Heritage Art Gallery! Through Friday, March 20, Iowa resident artists are invited to submit up to three original works for this annual exhibition.
16th Annual Art on the Prairie Festival 2026: The Artist Application for this juried show in Perry is open through April 1.

— John Busbee, The Culture Buzz

1894: Coca-Cola sold in glass bottles for the first time. Though today there is almost nothing as ubiquitous as a bottle of Coca-Cola, this was not always the case. For the first several years of its existence, Coke was only available as a fountain drink, and its producer saw no reason for that to change. Originally developed as a non-addictive substitute for morphine, then marketed as a non-alcoholic "temperance drink," Coca-Cola was invented by John Pemberton, a druggist in Columbus, Georgia, in 1886..  … READ MORE

1938: Germany annexes Austria. On March 12, 1938, German troops march into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. … READ MORE

2020: Broadway goes dark due to COVID-19 pandemic. On March 12, 2020, after New York state and city leaders placed COVID-19-related restrictions on gatherings of more than 500 people, the Broadway theater district announces it will go dark for an unprecedented 32 days. The longest shutdown for the artistic mainstay in its history, the closure would end up being extended to the end of May 2021, adding up to billions in tourism losses. … READ MORE

www.history.com