FROM KCCI: Microsoft buys 600 acres in Woodward for $95 million, stirring data center fears and hope. Microsoft has purchased more than 600 acres of farmland in Woodward for $95 million, raising expectations of a data center and drawing mixed reactions from residents. The company bought the property from TC Austin Acquisitions LLC, a developer that purchased the land for nearly $31 million the same day it sold it to Microsoft. ... READ MORE

FROM WHO-TV: Governor declares disaster proclamation after bird flu detected in Sac County flock. Governor Kim Reynolds authorized a disaster declaration for Sac County after agriculture officials detected a highly pathogenic case of avian influenza in a turkey flock. The USDA says the avian influenza (H5N1 HPAI) was detected at a commercial turkey site. H5N1 HPAI can travel in wild birds without signs of illness, but it’s often fatal to domestic bird populations. The last reported case of bird flu in Iowa was in Boone County in September. Sac County’s case is the eighth confirmed case of the disease in the state in 2026. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Mitchellville mayor resigns after his residency within city limits is questioned. The city of Mitchellville will soon have a new leader after Mayor Tony Jensen chose to resign on Wednesday. Jensen's resignation came nearly three full months after members of the Mitchellville City Council voted unanimously for his removal, but they were unable to carry out the removal because it was the Polk County Attorney's decision to make. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE NATION: New York enacts ban on ‘unsafe’ chatbot behavior with kids as states push AI regulation boundaries. New York is enacting farther-reaching restrictions on companion chatbot behavior, as states increasingly move to protect children who use artificial intelligence, regulate how employers deploy AI systems and push developers to prevent an AI-caused catastrophe. Legislation signed Wednesday by Gov. Kathy Hochul outlines a dozen definitions of “unsafe AI companion features” that will be prohibited when a companion chatbot interacts with a child under 18. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE STATE: Former Waverly postmaster sentenced in wire fraud scheme. A former postmaster of Waverly, Iowa, was sentenced to five years of probation and eight months of home confinement on Monday. Merri Ann Burgart, formerly known as Merri Ann Bentley, received the sentence after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud on May 13. During her sentencing hearing, Burgart admitted that she stole of $16,000 from the United States Postal Service (USPS), according to the Northern District of Iowa’s Attorney’s Office. ... READ MORE

Iowa Nice report
John Deere Foundation announced an $18.5 million farm-to-plate strategy at the Food Bank of Iowa in Des Moines, with more than $13 million of it directed toward Iowa.

Casey's seventh annual Cash for Classrooms campaign raised a record $1.8 million in August, fueled by nearly $1.5 million in customer donations plus contributions from Coca-Cola and Casey's itself. Since launching in 2020, the program has awarded more than $8 million in grants to K-12 public and nonprofit private schools. Applications for 2027 grants of up to $50,000 are now open through November 13.

Hope Ministries needs volunteers, especially drivers, to help on Thanksgiving. The local nonprofit plans to assemble and deliver 4,500 free holiday meals across Central Iowa. If you'd like to help,visit here.

Deals today
• Bianchi's Hilltop (2820 Hubble Ave., Des Moines) has fried chicken dinners on special today.
 
• Ankeny Cafe (310 S. Ankeny Blvd.) has beef and noodle dinners on sale for $9.87 today. 
 
• Saffron (8769 Northpark Drive, Johnston) offers Andhra chicken curry with rice and pooris for $10 on Thursdays. 
 
• It's My Jam (7015 N.E. 14th St., Ankeny) has specials today on peach and lemon meringue pie pies and potato soup today.
 
• Pelican Post (265 50th, West Des Moines) has meatball sub baskets on special today, $12.
 
• Crouse Cafe (115 East Salem, Indianola) has Swiss steak on special today.
 
• Guesthouse Tavern and Oyster (9500 University Ave., West Des Moines) offers pasta and meatball dinner specials for $22 Thursdays.
 
• High Life Lounge (200 Second St., Des Moines) has a Thursday special spaghetti and meat balls for $10.99.
 
• 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). 
 
• Tacos 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 chicken and noodles on mashed potatoes 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 beef and noodles specials today.
 
•  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.
 
• 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 2 topping pizza.
 
• Buffalo Wild Wings offers two orders for the price of one Thursdays on orders of six, 10 and 15 boneless wings.

• Price Choppers have sales through Tuesday on chicken thighs at $1.69/pound, Swai filets at $3.99/pound and mandarins at $3.99/3-pound bag.

• Aldi stores have sales through Tuesday on chicken breasts at $1.99/pound, avocados at $.49 and frozen bay scallops at $5.99/pound.

• Fresh Thyme (2800 University Ave., West Des Moines) is running sales through Tuesday on lobster tails at $6.99/pound, salmon fillets at $7.99/pound and 41-50 shrimp at $3.99/pound.

— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com

1929: Stock market crashes on Black Tuesday. Black Tuesday hits Wall Street on Oct. 29, 1929 as investors trade 16,410,030 shares on the New York Stock Exchange in a single day. Billions of dollars were lost, wiping out thousands of investors, and stock tickers ran hours behind because the machinery could not handle the tremendous volume of trading. In the aftermath of Black Tuesday, America and the rest of the industrialized world spiraled downward into the Great Depression.   … READ MORE

1998: John Glenn returns to space. Nearly four decades after he became the first American to orbit the Earth, Senator John Herschel Glenn Jr. is launched into space again as a payload specialist aboard the space shuttle Discovery on Oct. 29, 1998. At 77 years of age, Glenn was the oldest human ever to travel in space. During the nine-day mission, he served as part of a NASA study on health problems associated with aging. … READ MORE

2015: Chine announces the end of its controversial one-child policy. On Oct. 29, 2015, the Chinese government officially announces the end of its one-child policy, ending the most extreme state birth control project in history after 35 years. … READ MORE

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