FROM KCCI: Police arrest 18-year-old after shots fired at Lions Park in Urbandale on July 4. A man from Urbandale is facing charges in a shots-fired investigation on July 4. Urbandale Police arrested 18-year-old Alfred Pyne on Tuesday. The incident happened just before 10:30 p.m. at Lions Park during a Fourth of July celebration. Pyne is charged with reckless use of a firearm and intimidation with a dangerous weapon. No one was hurt, police said. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Dozens rescued from flooded Des Moines roads during Monday’s storm. Occupants in nearly two dozen vehicles had to be rescued after becoming stranded in flooded streets in Des Moines Monday evening. The Des Moines Police Department announced Tuesday that over 25% of the 911 calls it responded to between 7:30 p.m. Monday and 12:30 a.m. were storm-related. During that time, officers responded to nearly two dozen reports of stranded motorists whose vehicles had become stuck in flooded roadways. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Polk County advises residents to check air quality as northern wildfire smoke drifts into area. Polk County is asking people to check air quality levels before they head outside. The winds coming from the wildfires in Minnesota are pushing particulate levels in Polk County up — officials are not anticipating high levels yet, but they say that weather can change things rapidly. That's where the AQI (Air Quality Index) comes in. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: What to know about Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain, home to an underground nuclear site threatened by Trump. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly issued threats to bomb an under-construction Iranian nuclear site buried deep under a mountain as the two nations exchange blows over the Strait of Hormuz. The site, known as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, or “Pickaxe Mountain,” lies on the south side of Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment site, which was bombed by the United States during Operation Midnight Hammer in 2025’s 12-day war between Iran and Israel. But Pickaxe Mountain has remained untouched as Iran continues to dig at the site. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: 6,600 noncitizens registered to vote after error in New Jersey motor vehicle system, governor says. About 6,600 people who indicated they were noncitizens while obtaining New Jersey driver’s licenses and other state IDs were improperly registered to vote in 2023 and 2024, Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Tuesday. The Democratic governor, who took office this year, blamed a Motor Vehicle Commission system software error but said a preliminary analysis showed that fewer than 400 of those who registered that way went on to cast ballots. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: Driver ejected in rollover crash in Linn County. A 25-year-old woman was thrown from her car and taken to the hospital after a rollover crash. The crash happened on Highway 30 at Linn Benton Road. The Linn County Sheriff's Office said the driver was heading east when she lost control of her car and it rolled, coming to rest upside down in both lanes. She was taken to St. Lukes Hospital for her injuries. She was cited for failure to maintain control and failure to wear her seatbelt. ... READ MORE

Woebegone Wednesday
The drinking water crisis 
~ Iowa's nitrate drinking water violations doubled in 2025 in comparison to the previous year, according to a report by the Iowa DNR.

~ Environmental Working Group says Iowa had more than 15,000 animal confinements in 2025, including thousands of small unreported operations. Manure from any operation can contribute to water contamination, which is a concern for Iowans dealing with high nitrate levels. EWG counts 15,309 concentrated animal feeding operations in Iowa, about 4,300 more than the roughly 11,000 in state records from 2025. The gap is made up mostly of smaller operations that fall outside what DNR requires facilities to report. It is way past time to call this a safe water crisis. Whichever gubernatorial candidate makes it a "crisis" will win. But both will probably soft pedal, frightened of the Farm Bureau lobby.

As long as Des Moines' tap water remains a concern, all quality of life surveys are meaningless. No one will move here if they think the water might kill them — no matter what the cost of housing nor the per capita number of restaurants and bike trails. Forget being "the next Madison" or the "Midwest Huntsville," we are "the new Flint." 

Deals today
• Fresh Thyme (2800 University Ave., West Des Moines) has $6 half slabs of ribs on Wednesdays. 
 
• Crouse Cafe's (111 E. Salem, Indianola) special today is smoked pork chops.
 
• Sale Barn's (Lamoni) special today is fried chicken. 
 
• The Empire's (223 Fourth St., Des Moines) Wednesday special is meatball sandwiches for $9.
 
• Wednesday is biryani day with two for $20 at Desi Bites (3828 100th St.,, Urbandale.
 
• Marianna's (1305 University Ave., Des Moines) offers asada tacos for $2 Wednesdays.
 
• Talk Shop Lounge (3357 St. Charles Road, St. Charles) has a rib dinner deal Mondays, half slabs for $12, full racks $16. 
 
• The False Nine Social Club (206 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has hamburgers for $7 on Wednesdays.
 
• B&B Grocery, Meat and Deli (2001 S.E. Sixth St., Des Moines) has Philly cheesesteak on special today. 



• Waterfont's Wednesday special this week is Alaskan King salmon.
 
• Waveland Cafe (4708 University Ave., Des Moines) offers a wiener Wednesday special today. 
 
• Wednesdays are Chicago Italian beef sandwich day at Graziano Brothers (1601 S. Union St., Des Moines).
 
•  AJ's (Prairie Meadows) has a new 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. 
 
• Hy-Vees offer second sushi rolls for half price on Wednesdays.
 
• Paula's (Elm Street at Sixth, Valley Junction) has a Wednesday Cuban sandwich special.
 
• Guesthouse Tavern and Oyster (9500 University, West Des Moine) offers Walleye Wednesday with dinners $21.
 
• Jack’s Place (6112 S.W. Ninth, Des Moines) has 10 wings for $10 Wednesdays.
 
• Wednesday at Short E's BBQ (8805 Chambray Blvd., Johnston) the special is ribs - $15 full racks, $10 half racks and $5 off rib dinners.
 
• Whatcha Smokin? (Highway 17, Luther) has a brisket burnt ends special on Wednesdays.
 
• Kelly's Little Nipper (1701 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines) offers any burger with a side for $10 on Wednesdays. 
 
• Toad's (302 State Ave., Des Moines) special today is wings with two sides for $12.
 
• Exile (1514 Walnut St., Des Moines) offers a $12 burger basket with fries and a beer on Wednesdays. 
 
• Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) offers $8 French toast or pancake breakfasts and $2 tacos, $9 wraps and $10 half pounds of wings on Wednesdays. 
 
• Johnny's Italian Steakhouses have a chicken Madeira special on Wednesdays before 4 p.m., $15 including beverage.
 
• Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines) offers 10 wings for $10 on Wednesdays and steak night, too.
 
• Smoking Goat Pub (3015 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines) has a $10 classic burger and beer all day. 
 
• Gilroy's (1238 Eighth St., West Des Moines) has all you can eat fried chicken dinners on Wednesdays, $23.99 after 5 p.m. 
 
• Wednesdays bring steak night to Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines). Steaks are cooked to order with salad, potato and bread, $14.99.
 
• Angry Goldfish (2301 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines) offers hot beef sandwiches with mashed potatoes and gravy for $11.50 on Wednesday. It's also hot beef sandwich day at Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave.) where the gravy is made with pan drippings.
 
• Wine bottles are half price on Wednesdays at Trostel's Greenbriar (5910 Merle Hay Road, Johnston), Table 128 (220 S.W. Ninth, Des Moines) and The Continental (407 E. Fifth St., Des Moines). 
 
• G Mig's (128 Fifth St., Valley Junction) offers a Wednesday special lasagna plus salad and garlic bread for $19.25.
 
• Barntown's (9500 S.E. University Ave., West Des Moines) Wednesday specials are a pound of chicken tenders with fries and two sauces for $11.99, plus $13 core pitchers of beer.
 
• Wednesday is Biryani Festival at Chowrastha (5910 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines). Buy two and a third is free.
 
• Village Inns offer free pie with entrees on Wednesdays. 
 
• It's lasagna day at Maxie's Supper Club (1311 Grand Ave., West Des Moines) and breaded pork tenderloin day at Eastside Eddie's (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines).
 
• Chuck's (3610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) offers $5 off pizza on Wednesdays.
 
• Kwik Stars' Wednesday special is eight pieces of fried chicken for $10. Their fried chicken is ridiculously good for a convenience store.  
 
• On Wednesdays, flatbreads are $10 at Tito's Lounge (3916 N.W. Urbandale Drive, Urbandale). 
 
• Jethro's have $9.95 breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches, including a side of choice, on Wednesdays.  
 
• The Station on Ingersoll (3124 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines) has a Wednesday special of chopped cheeseburger with a side for $12.

• Price Choppers have sales through Monday on frozen swai fillets at $3.49/pound, cherries at $2.99/pound and avocados at $.68.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

1862: Lincoln tells his cabinet about Emancipation Proclamation. On July 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln informs his chief advisors and cabinet that he will issue a proclamation to free enslaved people, but adds that he will wait until the Union Army has achieved a substantial military victory to make the announcement. … READ MORE

1894: First-ever automobile race runs from Paris to Rouen. On July 22, 1894, the world's first-ever automobile race takes place, with 17 of 21 entrants completing the route from Paris to Rouen, France, covering a distance of 126 kilometers, or 78.3 miles. The Concours Paris-Rouen—better known as the Paris-Rouen Trial—paved the way not only for Le Mans, the Indianapolis 500, and all the car races to come, but also heralded the dawn of the motor age by showcasing the automobile’s reliability. … READ MORE

2005: “March of the Penguins” released widely in the U.S. On July 22, 2005, March of the Penguins, a French-made documentary about emperor penguins in Antarctica, opens in theaters across the U.S. March of the Penguins went on to win numerous awards, including an Oscar, and became one of the highest-grossing documentaries in movie history. … READ MORE

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