FROM KCCI: Put the phone down: Iowa cracks down on distracted driving this week. The Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau is ramping up enforcement on distracted driving this week. The “Hands Free Traffic Enforcement” initiative begins Monday and continues through Friday, with officers statewide increasing patrols and actively looking for violations. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Two found dead in submerged vehicle outside Montezuma. Authorities say two people were found dead inside a vehicle submerged in a drainage pond in Poweshiek County. The Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office says its office was notified of a submerged vehicle in a drainage pond located just north of Lake Silverado, outside Montezuma, around 9 a.m. Saturday. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Des Moines Diocese sees 51% rise in converts. Here's why. The Diocese of Des Moines is reporting a 51% uptick in the last year, according to a New York Times report, and with Easter here, a new batch of converts has been welcomed into the church. Some experts are wondering what’s causing the increase in people to become curious about Catholicism. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Pope Leo urges peace in first Easter Mass as Christians celebrate in Jerusalem, Gaza and Tehran. Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Easter Mass as pontiff with a call Sunday to lay down arms and seek peace to global conflicts through dialogue, but he departed from a tradition of listing the world’s woes by name in the Urbi et Orbi blessing from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: Artemis II astronauts race to set a new distance record from Earth and behold the moon’s far side. With the moon looming ever larger, the Artemis II astronauts raced to set a new distance record Monday from Earth on a lunar fly-around promising magnificent views of the far side never seen before by eye. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: Homicide in Waterloo leads to arrest. A woman is dead and a man is in jail following a welfare check on Saturday morning, April 4. At approximately 11:36 AM, Waterloo Police Officers were dispatched to the 3900 Block of Butternut Lane for a welfare check.Upon arriving, Officers found 50-year-old Stephanie Turner dead inside the residence. ... READ MORE

Back to the Biz
Last weekend, thieves swiped 413,793 units of KitKats somewhere between a factory in central Italy and their destination in Poland. Both the chocolate bars and the truck carrying them remain missing. Though no one was hurt in the theft, Nestlé said, “We’ve always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat — but it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 metric tons of our chocolate.”

Other companies soon joined in with some social-media spoofing. “We would like to share our thoughts and condolences with Kit Kat following their sad news,” Domino’s Pizza in the U.K. posted, adding, “On a completely unrelated note, we’re pleased to announce we’ll now be selling a new Kit Kat pizza.” (WSJ, Reuters)

Deals today 
• District 36 (1375 S.W. Vintage Parkway, Ankeny) has a Monday special $60 dinner for two. Two entrees starring sea bass and NY strip de Burgo with soup or salads, a bottle of wine and a dessert to share. 
 
• Hy-Vee Market Grilles offer chicken fried steak specials on Mondays for $8. 
 
• Today is taco day at Sale Barn Cafe (Lamoni).
 
• It's catfish night at Waterfront stores. Dinners cooked any way you like it, $19.99.
 
• It's Meat Loaf Monday at Mickey's in Yale.
 
• Chuck's (3610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) Monday special is three for $25 on all appetizers.
 
•  Bubba (200 10th St., Des Moines) has a Monday night sirloin dinner special for $20. 
 
• Kelly's Little Nipper (1701 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines) offers a "Monday grind" special grinder and fries basket for $9.50.
 
• Monday brings prime rib specials to both Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave., Des Moines) and Christopher's (2816 Beaver Ave., Des Moines).
 
• Trostel's Greenbriar (Merle Hay Road, Johnston) has a Monday burger with a side and beer deal for $14.   
 
• Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) has $8 omelets and $10 hot beef sandwiches or Mexican bowls on Mondays.
 
• Johnny's Italian Steakhouses have a chicken de Burgo special on Mondays before 4 p.m., $14 including beverage.
 
• Smoking Goat Pub (3015 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines) hosts Shelby Smokehouse Soul Food on Mondays, 5-9 p.m.
 
• G Mig's (126 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has $11 smashburgers today including a side.
 
• The Station on Ingersoll (3124 Ingersoll, 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 smash burger and shoestring fries, $12.
 
• Jethro's have a Monday chicken tenders and fries special $9.95.
 
• Angry Goldfish (2301 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) has specials on chicken Parmesan and lasagna today, $15 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.  
 
• Centro (1003 Locust St., Des Moines) offers half-price pizza and Peronis on Monday.
 
• Pelican Post (265 50th St., West Des Moines) has a special today on hot beef sandwiches, $10.95 all day. 
 
• Tito’s Lounge (3916 Urbandale Drive, Urbandale) offers all-you-can-eat wings Mondays. 
 
• 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 of wine. 
 
• Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines) 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 tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwich for $12.50. 
 
• Destination Grille (2491 E. First St., Grimes) has a Monday steak night special, sirloins and truffle fries for $18.
 
• Price Chopper delis offer two-piece, bone-in fried chicken dinners with two sides and a roll for $8 on Mondays. 

• Fareways have specials through Saturday on 85-15 hamburger at $4.99/pound, Iowa chops at $1.99/pound and navel oranges for $.99/pound.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

1896: First modern Olympic Games. On April 6, 1896, the Olympic Games, a long-lost tradition of ancient Greece, are reborn in Athens 1,500 years after being banned by Roman Emperor Theodosius I. At the opening of the Athens Games, King Georgios I of Greece and a crowd of 60,000 spectators welcomed athletes from 13 nations to the international competition. … READ MORE

1917: The United States officially enters World War I. April 6, 1917: Two days after the U.S. Senate voted 82 to 6 to declare war against Germany, the U.S. House of Representatives endorses the declaration by a vote of 373 to 50. As a result, America formally enters World War I. … READ MORE

1924: First successful around-the-world flight begins. On April 6, 1924, eight American pilots depart Seattle’s Sand Point Naval Air Station in four modified Navy torpedo bombers, in hopes of becoming the first people to travel around the entire globe by air—something attempted unsuccessfully by several European flyers in previous years. After 175 days (flying time: 371 hours 11 minutes), and a few hiccups along the way, they completed the mission. … READ MORE

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