FROM KCCI: Des Moines police focus on safety at Iowa State Fair. Des Moines police are prioritizing safety at the Iowa State Fair, which draws over a million visitors annually, by addressing potential risks and raising awareness. Over the next 10 days, crowds will gather at the fairgrounds to enjoy food, make new friends, and have a good time. However, not everyone comes with good intentions. "You'd be naive to think that drug dealers aren't thinking, 'Hey, there's a lot of people over there. I might be able to sell a whole lot of drugs,'" said Sgt. Paul Parizek of the Des Moines Police Department. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Altoona Police arrest two for alleged abuse of residents with special needs. The Altoona Police Department has arrested two people who are facing Dependent Adult Abuse and Wanton Neglect Charges. 22-year-old Praise Gahn and 44-year-old Zarkpa Green were both booked into the Polk County Jail earlier this week. Both Gahn and Green face two counts of Dependent Adult Abuse – Serious Misdemeanor and two counts of Wanton Neglect of Dependent Adult – Serious Misdemeanor. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Weather Impact Alert issued for Thursday due to strong thunderstorms in the morning. The Local 5 Weather Team has issued a Weather Impact Alert Day for Thursday, Aug. 13, for potential strong to severe thunderstorms in the morning. Those storms are expected to move through central Iowa Thursday morning, creating a potentially disruptive start to the Iowa State Fair. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Millions crowd Spanish cities to see country’s first total solar eclipse in over a century.  Millions of people crowded cloudless cities and towns in Spain on Wednesday in search of the best views of a total solar eclipse, when the alignment of the sun, moon and Earth briefly plunged parts of the planet into darkness. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: Minnesota man kills his wife and daughter at a daycare after killing another relative. A Minnesota man killed his wife and their 7-year-old daughter as young children gathered at a home daycare the couple owned before taking his own life, police said Wednesday. Some time prior to the attack, police believe he also killed a 78-year-old relative at her home. The 41-year-old man fatally shot himself after stabbing his wife and child at their in-home daycare in Hopkins, a suburb of Minneapolis, police said. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: Man from Oelwein sentenced for illegally owning guns. A district court judge has sentenced a man to a year and a day in federal prison for owning firearms as a felon. Timothy Parrish, 65, of Oelwein, was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to the charge in March. Information from the sentencing showed that Parrish was pulled over in August last year and had 20 firearms from his home with him in his vehicle. ... READ MORE

We are not making this up
Pepsi is entering the bathroom products market with an all-new Pepsi Wild Cherry Body Wash and Pepsi Vanilla Slushie Body Scrub. The new body wash features 16.9 ounces of soda-scented soap inspired by wild cherry flavoring. It even looks like the soda with a dark brown hue and bubbles that resemble carbonation. The body scrub, on the other hand, is a foaming sugar scrub reminiscent of a vanilla-flavored Pepsi. Both products will retail for $12 and are a collaboration with Glamlite, a cosmetics company known for its branded partnerships with Barbie, “Scream,” and “Twilight.” Glamlite is also launching two Pepsi Lip Kits in Vanilla and Wild Cherry. Each kit includes lip liner, lipstick and lip gloss. The entire Pepsi x Glamlite collection is available for purchase on TikTok Shop.

Mountain Dew is entering the hygiene category, too, with an all-new Mountain Dew Baja Blast hand sanitizer spray. The 1.2-ounce bottles are now available in stores and online at Walmart for around $4 each. And, just to be clear, this is not an edible product.

Deals today
• The Empire's (223 Fourth St., Des Moines) Thursday special is baked spaghetti for $10.
 
• Thursday is $10 kebabs and wings day at Desi Bites (3828 100th St., Urbandale). 
 
• Mariana's (1305 University Ave., Des Moines) offers pastor tacos for $2 Thursdays.
 
• Talk Shop Lounge (3357 St. Charles Road, St. Charles) has two deals Thursday: jambalaya dinner for $15, lasagna for $10.
 
• Cowboy (1234 E. Euclid Ave., Des Moines) has ribs on special today, $2.99/per rib.
 
• The False Nine Social Club (206 Fifth St., Valley Junction) has jacket potatoes on sale Thursdays for $10.
 
• The Waveland (4708 University Ave., Des Moines) has beef and broccoli on special today.
 
• B&B (S.E. Sixth and Hartford, 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).
 
• 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.
 
• Taco pizzas are the Thursday special at Walker's Place (475 N.E. Broadway Ave., Des Moines).
 
• Sale Barn Cafe (Lamoni) is offering burnt ends and cheesy potatoes specials today.
 
• Swiss steak dinners are 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.
 
• Chelsie's Courtyard Diner (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. 
 
•  Turkey club melt on garlic focaccia with fries for $12.99 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 Scorno’s Pizza & Pasta (1930 S.E. 14th St., Des Moines) on Thursdays with every $15 order.

• 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.
 
• Buffalo Wild Wings offers two orders for the price of one Thursdays on orders of six, 10 and 15 boneless wings.

• Aldi stores have sales through Tuesday on green grapes at $1.29/pound, mandarins at $2.89/3-pound bag, and chicken legs at $.89/pound.

• Fresh Thyme (2800 University Ave., West Des Moines) is running a sale through Sunday on snow crab clusters at $10.99/pound and through Tuesday on raspberries at $.99 and ground beef at $3.99/pound.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

1878: First Victim of Memphis yellow fever epidemic dies. On August 13, 1878, Kate Bionda, a restaurant owner, dies of yellow fever in Memphis, Tennessee, after a man who had escaped a quarantined steamboat visited her restaurant. The disease spread rapidly and the resulting epidemic emptied the city.   … READ MORE

1952: “Hound Dog” is recorded for the first time by Big Mama Thornton. On August 13, 1952, four years before Elvis Presley would make “Hound Dog” his longest running no. 1 hit, the song is recorded for the very first time by the rhythm-and-blues singer Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton in Los Angeles, California. Since Presley's version ran 11 weeks at the top of the pop music charts, it's often been mistakenly assumed to be his original. … READ MORE

1961: Berlin is divided. Shortly after midnight on August 13, 1961, East German soldiers begin laying down barbed wire and bricks as a barrier between Soviet-controlled East Berlin and the democratic western section of the city. … READ MORE

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