FROM KCCI: Des Moines police respond to 65+ storm-related calls as roads flood, trees and wires come down. Des Moines police responded to more than 65 reports of downed trees, power lines and flooded roadways Tuesday evening as storms moved through the metro. The Des Moines Police Department said its Communications Center received more than 225 calls between 5:45 and 7:45 p.m. reporting crimes, crashes and storm-related issues. Officers responded to more than 65 of those calls involving downed wires, trees and flooded streets. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Ankeny predicts $12M annual revenue by passing sales tax, officials say. Tuesday’s special election for Ankeny resulted in the city adopting a 1% sales tax increase. The Polk County Elections office reported 64% voted in favor of the Local Option Sales Tax, bringing the sales tax from 6% to 7%. The sales tax is paid by anyone who spends money in Ankeny, according to the city. Certain items like groceries, cars, rent, gas and prescription medication will not be affected. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Des Moines police investigating gunfire near Roosevelt High, Hubbell Elementary. The Des Moines Police Department is investigating a "gunfire incident" near the campuses of Roosevelt High School and Hubbell Elementary School, the department said around 3:50 p.m. on Tuesday. DMPD said the incident happened off-campus and no injuries were reported. However, multiple shell casings were recovered from the roadway of Chamberlain Avenue, officials said. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Iran is forging a new ring of proxies to threaten US allies in the Gulf, officials say. In July, Saudi Arabia and the United States bombed Iran-backed militias in Iraq after blaming them for drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities that had been claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, another Iranian ally. Now, regional officials tell The Associated Press that the Houthis helped the Iraqi militias plan and execute the two-day swarm attack, showing a new level of coordination. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: Pills are keeping abortion accessible even where it’s banned. A court is considering restrictions. A panel of federal judges is set to hear arguments Wednesday over whether prescribing rules should be tightened for a key drug used in the most common abortion method in the United States, one of several ongoing efforts to restrict abortion access four years after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to decide the issue. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: IIowa band member dies after collapsing in the heat at Hawkeye football game. Derek Phillips, University of Iowa student and marching band member, died Tuesday morning after collapsing Saturday, according to the Hawkeye Marching Band Facebook. The post states that Phillips was the mellophone section leader and represented “the very best of what it means to be a Hawkeye.” The family of Phillips shared that their son has been taken off life support after he collapsed during Saturday’s Hawkeye football game at Kinnick Stadium. According to the Gazette, he suffered heat stroke during the game. ... READ MORE

Woebegone Wednesday
Gallup poll last month reported the lowest percentage of booze drinkers in the nearly 90-year run of the survey. Why? Drinkers are pinching pennies in an inflationary environment, choosing ready-to-drink canned cocktails instead of straight whiskey or mixing drinks, and using cannabis and THC drinks instead. Also, young Americans have reduced discretionary income than older Americans because they have expanded the definition of necessities to include cell phone service, multiple streaming services, internet access and dorm room designers. (That's a thing we learned about on Inside Edition.)

Whiskey giant Brown Forman (Jack Daniels, etc) has laid off 12% of its work force of 5,400 and closed the cooperage in Louisville that made barrels to store its spirits. Now competitor Sazerac (Buffalo Trace, etc.) has launched an effort to buy Brown Forman. A $15 billion bid was refused, for now. 

Deals today
• Dam Pub (2710 Beaver Ave.) has half-price wings on Wednesdays, usually with a special sauce available.
 
• Guesthouse Tavern and Oyster (9500 University, West Des Moines) offers walleye dinner specials for $21 Wednesdays. 
 
• Fareways have a Wednesday-only half-priced sale on King Hawaiian sandwich trays, $9.99/16 count.
 
• High Life Lounge (200 Second St., Des Moines) has a Wednesday special chicken fried steak for $11.99. 
 
• Fresh Thyme (2800 University Ave., West Des Moines) has $6 half slabs of ribs on Wednesdays. 
 
• Sale Barn's (Lamoni) special today is fried chicken with baked potato.
 
• 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.
 
• Mariana'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. 



• 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. 
 
• Paula's (Elm Street at Sixth, Valley Junction) has a Wednesday Cuban sandwich special.
 
• 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) and The Continental (407 E. Fifth St., Des Moines). 
 
• G Mig's (128 Fifth St., Valley Junction) offers a Wednesday special grilled chicken and broccoli garlic lemon rigatoni, 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.  

• Waterfront's Wednesday special this week is Mahi Mahi.
 
• 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.

• Fresh Thyme (2800 University, West Des Moines) has specials through Tuesday on Coho salmon fillets at $5.99/pound and boneless chicken breasts at $1.99/pound. 

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

1776: Congress renames the nation “United States of America.” On Sept. 9, 1776, the Continental Congress formally declares the name of the new nation to be the “United States” of America. This replaced the term “United Colonies,” which had been in general use. … READ MORE

1942: Japanese bomb U.S. mainland. On Sept. 9, 1942, a Japanese floatplane drops incendiary bombs on an Oregon state forest—the first air attack on the U.S. mainland in the war. … READ MORE

1967: Sergeant Duane D. Hackney receives Air Force Cross. Sergeant Duane D. Hackney is presented with the Air Force Cross for bravery in rescuing an Air Force pilot in Vietnam. He was the first living Air Force enlisted man to receive the award, the nation’s second highest award for bravery in action.. … READ MORE

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